There’s nothing quite like an American road trip and hitting the open highway brings out a bunch of habits that might seem rather strange to people from other countries. All of these quirks are just part of the journey for us Americans—like stopping at every weird roadside attraction & packing enough snacks to feed a small army! Here are eleven American road trip habits that confuse the rest of the world. They don’t understand the freedom of the open road like we do.
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Obsessing Over Roadside Attractions
Americans love pulling over for those bizarre roadside attractions, like checking out the world’s largest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas or snapping a selfie with the giant dinosaurs in Cabazon, California. All those offbeat landmarks make the trip way more fun and people in other countries don’t get to experience them like we do! In fact, lots of us map out our routes to hit these spots which turns a simple drive into a memorable adventure.
Packing Giant Coolers of Snacks
Before hitting the road, we love to load up huge coolers with snacks & drinks—we’ll pack everything from homemade PB&J sandwiches to a whole range of chips! Having all this food on hand means fewer pit stops and keeps everyone in the car happily munching during those long stretches between towns. We like to pack a mobile picnic that lasts the whole journey because it’s much more fun that way.
Eating Meals While Driving
Speaking of food, lots of us like eating meals right in the driver’s seat to save time on the road, which may involve grabbing a burger or munching on sandwiches we packed earlier. Either way, we keep making progress without stopping for a sit-down meal—even if it involves balancing food while steering down the highway. The goal is to keep the journey going and we’re true masters at doing that.
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Playing License Plate Games
We also make those endless miles more entertaining by playing license plate games and one of our favorites is trying to spot plates from all 50 states, ticking them off a list as we go. It allows everyone to have fun and especially the kids who might be getting restless—we also get rather competitive about it! This often involves being the first to spot a rare state like Alaska or Hawaii, which gets you some serious bragging rights.
Embracing Drive-Thru Everything
On the route in America, people from other countries learn that drive-thrus are for more than just grabbing burgers as you might visit drive-thru pharmacies to pick up prescriptions or do your banking without stepping out of the car. It means we can keep cruising along without wasting time & that makes the trip far quicker. We’re a country of convenience and really, we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Creating Road Trip Playlists and Sing-Alongs
Music’s a huge part of the American road trip experience which is why we spend time before we leave putting together the perfect playlist that includes all the classics & road-themed songs. As we drive, everyone joins in for sing-alongs—we’ll be belting out the lyrics at the top of our lungs, even if we can’t hold a note! In doing so, we create lots of memories that we’ll share and laugh about long after the trip’s over.
Stopping at Massive Truck Stops
You’ll only find massive truck stops in America like Buc-ee’s in Texas or Iowa 80, the world’s largest truck stop—these aren’t merely places for fueling up. Instead, they have restaurants, showers, laundry facilities & huge stores selling everything you could need, whether that’s snacks or souvenirs. Lots of travelers enjoy checking these places out so they’re able to take a break and find things they wouldn’t get at a regular gas station.
Taking Detours for Iconic Routes
Americans love to take detours onto famous roads like Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway and even if it’s not the fastest way, we like going off the main route to soak up the history & scenery. Driving on these legendary roads adds something special to the trip and it’s not something you’ll get from other countries! In doing so, we do more than simply get from point A to point B.
Naming Their Cars
It’s quite normal here for us to name our cars before a big road trip and we might call our trusty minivan “Betsy” or our old sedan “The Beast.” Giving the car a name makes it feel like part of the adventure to make it into a companion rather than just a hunk of metal! It’s a way to make the journey far more exciting and to give it a little more personality, too.
Camping at Rest Areas
Some Americans skip hotels and camp out at rest areas or campgrounds along the way because with an RV or tents packed up, we have the freedom to stop & set up camp whenever we feel like it. We’re able to enjoy the outdoors and save money—while also keeping our schedules flexible, too. It’s the right kind of spontaneity to make any trip more exciting!
Scheduling Marathon Drives
Marathon driving sessions, logging 10 to 15 hours on the road in a single day, is completely normal here and we’ll cover huge distances without taking long breaks. Instead, we simply drive through to reach our destination—which makes sense because our country is so big! Long drives are just part of the deal & lots of us see it as an essential part of the adventure.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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