Escapees January-February 2023

sussing out the direction of what stimulating nexts might be on our RV agenda, too. According to a 2014 Cornell University study, looking ahead to your next adventure could bene fi t your mental health. Even if you’re not sure when that journey will be. But alas, with the open roads beckoning, planning real-life adventures is what we do. Big Ones There’s no shortage of options across these vast United States. Are you a history buff? A nature lover? An explorer at heart? The trick is to focus on your aspiration and squeeze out every last drop. Some adven tures are so enormous that it takes several passes to thoroughly take them in. Others can pay off in a day or a week. Review your route and start working toward those that make your heart skip a beat. To help you on your way, take a look at a few of our favorite big adventures and use them as inspiration for your own exciting list. Travel the Mother Road: Route 66 Crossing eight states and running from Chicago to Los Angeles, Route 66 holds a special place in our history, shining a spotlight on Americans’ love affair with road travel. From kitschy roadside attractions to classic service stations, ghost towns and Native American trading posts and reserva tions, there’s plenty to stop and see along the way. The once 2,400-ish-mile U.S. highway, given its number designation in 1926, has seen signi fi cant changes over the years with the advent of high-speed roads and a dwindling interest in the small roadside towns and services. The last bit of the of fi cial Route 66 federal highway (in Arizona) was decommissioned in 1985. While it is no longer possible to drive the entirety of old Route 66, you can follow it on aligned roads, sometimes superhighways, and once in a while traveling on roadway built over the original Route 66. Kansas is the exception, where the original 13-mile stretch remains unaltered. With over 250 landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, imagine yourself a pioneer of modern-day road-trip ping. Visit the National Park Service’s Travel

If you are reading this, you most likely wear this moniker as a badge of honor. You’ve been wel comed into an elite club of curi ous doers, common experiences known only to its members. RVers are, by nature, adventure seekers. I n my world, adventure doesn’t equate with danger or some other risky operation as de fi ned by the dictionary. Instead, I interpret it as an unexpected undertaking. And, that’s exactly what full-time RVing is all about. What’s around the next corner, where should I stop for the night and how can I experience America’s bounty? Our adventurous lifestyle begs us to set out on new paths and to see corners of the country that, in a different situation, we may not have the opportunity to explore. We are driven to amble about from place to place, going where we want, when we want, exploring new lands, meeting new people and trying new dishes. Sometimes we spend a month or a season in a place; other times it’s a road trip. Nothing is off the table. While coming upon serendipitous wonders/wanders can be food for our souls, thinking about what big adventures we do not want to miss and organizing them into our travels is a wonderful way to stay inspired and excited. And there’s magic in “According to a 2014 Cornell University study, looking ahead to your next adventure could bene fi t your mental health. Even if you’re not sure when that journey will be.”

Page 54 top to bottom: Historic route 66 at sunset in the Mojave desert. The Crisp Point Lighthouse on the shores of Lake Superior. Hikers in the distance on the Narrows trail in Zion National Park.

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January/February 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine