Road Trip USA

"Road Trip USA...takes you as close to the actual America as you are ever prone to get."

Here's a question for you personally. If you had the time plus the money to undertake only one extensive trip by road on any continent on the planet, which one would you pick, and where can you go?

In reality, the survey of 810 respondents, found a whopping 99 per cent of Australians would go on a road trip because of the freedom and it allows.

Not long after the Autos Guide survey seemed, a Rand McNally survey (May 2008), examining American attitudes to long road journeys found similar opinions for this type of vacation. As stated by the Rand McNally survey (of 2,030 U.S. adults), three in four adults (75%) were at least somewhat likely to take a road trip, and about three in ten (29%) said they were quite likely.

Meanwhile, a current article published in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal (May 2009), reported that the road trip was poised to make a recovery as the American summer traveling season began, regardless of the lingering downturn and increasing fuel prices.

While the price of fuel and lodging were nominated as the two biggest concerns both in Australia and America, it seems our respective love affairs for the open road is unlikely to diminish any time soon.

Which brings me to Road Trip USA.

As you may expect, Jensen's routes also bring about popular destinations like Disneyland, Yellowstone National Park, Niagara Falls, along with the Statue of Liberty. Entire with local lore; oddball trivia (Memphis's gifts to American culture - along with the world's - are the supermarket, the drive-in eatery, the Holiday Inn, oh, and Elvis Presley). Filled with notable details and roadside interests (a hint in Texas spelling out the order: "Rattlesnakes Departure Here"), Road Trip USA features an abundance of recommendations on where to stop, what things to see, and where to eat and sleep. This is one guide aimed at driving into the life blood of America, and getting travelers off the freeway system.

Other characteristics of this edition include:

O A flexible network of route blends, color-coded and extensively cross-referenced to allow for hundreds of itineraries that are potential
o More than 125 detailed driving maps
O Full-colour inside with illustrations and modern and classic photos
My personal standards at a guide book that is good is the fact that it will inform, enlighten, and sometimes even surprise, so I'm please to state that Road Trip USA has no trouble being insightful, enlightening, and yes, even astonishing.

I have no hesitation in saying that when I undertake my very own road trip across America, this will likely be the one book I will have by my side at all times.

What's Missing?
Regrettably, Road Trip USA is almost totally devoid of links to resources that are online. Within an age when virtually every printed piece of paper has an email on it and a web site URL someplace; and when many modern electronic devices come Internet ready, this seems to be a glaring omission. I can only presume this is really a deliberate choice by publisher and the author. With thousands of spots of interest detailed in the publication, they may have taken the decision to lessen the visual clutter associated with URLs, and make the contents more 'readable' by avoiding them entirely.

While one does not anticipate a URL or Email address for every location mentioned in Road Trip USA, certainly important areas of interest do warrant the inclusion of a web link (where available). A fast look through other guide books on my bookshelf reveals so or that all those printed within the past five years, contain web addresses throughout, and future editions of Road Trip USA would be well served to do the exact same.

I believe Road Trip USA would also benefit from a 'Before You Go' section outlining basic information regarding preparations for the journey. Such issues might be covered by this chapter as:

o Helpful (on-line and offline) sources of advice regarding trip groundwork.
o Advice about safety (personal, vehicle break down, and other safety issues)
o What to do in an emergency (break downs, accidents, personal assault, etc)
O A checklist of items that are potential to package and prepare
o A checklist of pre-trip vehicle groundwork (brakes, tyre and engine checks, etc)
O Traveling with pets and kids

Road Trip USA News comes with a Resources section that is little at the end of the novel, running to only eight and a half pages - four of which contain a Recommended Reading list. And that's pretty much it.

The good news is, the omissions noted above don't detract in the entire depth and quality of the detailed information presented in Road Trip USA in any way. At only over 900 pages, I believe it is reasonable to express that Road Trip USA covers all the 'foundations' and then some. In deed, I have no hesitation in saying that when I undertake my very own road trip across America, Road Trip USA is going to be the one novel I'll have by my side at all times.