TRIPPIN’ (AND REMINISCING) WITH THE DISCOVERER PART 1

I’VE ENJOYED THE DISCOVERER AS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE for tidbit gleaning. And this time, the website tempts us with “10 Short But Amazing Road Trips.”

“Miles of winding roads pass rugged coastlines,” The Discoverer writes, “soaring pinnacles, and flowery meadows. Embark on one of America’s many stretches of road to uncover the nation’s mesmerizing landscapes.” 

As noted, been there, done that. Sorta. That is, my driving adventures on all but two of these trips (the Cascade Loop, Washington; the Overseas Highway, Florida) have already been documented here at SimanaitisSays. Also, more than once I’ve regretted never having driven to Key West. And when I mentioned the Cascade Loop to Daughter Suz, she said, “Never been, but the other side of the Puget Sound, Port Townsend and Hoh Rain Forest, sure is pretty.”

Here, in Parts 1 and 2 are tidbits gleaned from trippin’ with The Discoverer this time around.

PCH From San Diego to Los Angeles. I have a home-field advantage on this one. “Begin in the bordertown of San Diego,” The Discoverer writes, “enjoying the quaint coastal community of La Jolla or the picturesque Coronado Island before heading north. Stop in Carlsbad for donuts from VG’s Bakery before continuing north. Stop for the night in Newport Beach, walking the loop around Balboa Island at sunset before dining at one of the many delicious restaurants on Lido Island. Then hit the road again, heading up north through Hermosa Beach to Venice to Santa Monica and then into the City of Angels.”

And don’t forget trying out R&T’s Long Beach Traffic Circle/Skidpad.

By the way, admire The Discoverer happy snap, but be aware that it sure looks like Bixby Bridge—way up on State Route 1 in Big Sur, some 350 miles north of Los Angeles. 

Jackson to Bozeman. “Running 250 miles in length,” The Discoverer recounts, “the route between Jackson, Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana transports you through two of America’s favorite National Parks—Grand Teton and Yellowstone.”

Image by Patrick Tr/Shutterstock via The Discoverer.

It’s real Open-Sky country up there, shared here in SimanaitisSays as part of “Some Scenic Drives.” Also included in that one was another of The Discoverer’s short trips: The Blue Ridge Parkway.

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Tennessee. “A quintessential Southern road trip,” The Discoverer quite rightly observes, “the Blue Ridge Parkway meanders around the lofty peaks of the Appalachian Mountains and its fragrant meadows make Peaks of Otter a particularly popular and scenic stretch of the drive.”

Image by anthony heflin/Shutterstock via The Discoverer.

Oft-told but worth repeating is my Mini Moke interaction at a gift shop along the Blue Ridge route: “One of the ladies remarked, ‘That car of yours doesn’t have any windows or doors. What do you plan to do when it rains?’ ”

“‘ I guess I’ll just have to trust in the Lord,’ I offered.”

“ ‘Yes,’ the other lady said brightly, ‘the Good Lord looks after babies and fools.’”

Tomorrow in Part 2, we continue trippin’ (and reminiscing) with The Discoverer’s “Short But Amazing Road Trips.” ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024