Get savvy and take the road trip less traveled

Soaring gas prices threaten the great American pastime

You’re probably on your way to work, balancing an iced coffee as you shake the paper open to read this. You’re not on the open road, with the sun hot on your arm as you dangle it from the window. You’re also not west of Ohio, the highway stretching impossibly flat, country music fuzzing through the radio. It’s summer, and although you’re ready for vacation, it probably won’t be a road trip.

As gas prices stagger higher, one of the most iconic, romantic American traditions is becoming harder to experience. People are simply driving less, even for basic commuting: BART, the San Francisco Bay Area rail system, recently removed seats to make room for an influx of commuters. Boston saw a 600,000 decline in turnpike usage in May and consequently expanded its state subsidized bus service.  

“Over the past six months we’ve seen a decline in drivership more profound or dramatic than ever,” says Doug Hecox, spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration. “Since the 1940s, there’s been a historic climb in driving, but now, Americans are driving nearly 30 billion miles less than they were a year ago.” It is, as Hecox summarizes, “a big, big dip.”

Liz Farrell, 31, a creative director, loves packing up her car and hitting the road. This year, however, she’s staying put. “With prices the way they are, it’s just not worth it,” she says.

Of course, for those of you who still yearn for Kerouac-style adventures, taking a road trip just means you have to be more pragmatic with your planning — and, at times, inventive.  Bianca Buchanan, 25, runs an eBay business out of her car to fund her four-month road trip. Purchasing vintage items in scattered towns across the U.S., she rakes in between $200 and $400 per week and will get to write off all her expenses (gas, food, lodging).

Even so, she saved for a year, gave up her Brooklyn apartment and moved back home to facilitate her travels.
Kristen Shaw, 21, a hair stylist, researched areas in the U.S. with the cheapest gas prices and settled on the southeastern states.  “We made sure the car was in good shape, that we knew how many miles per gallon it got and lasted as long as we could — one month,” she says. “We were planning on driving out to L.A., but our plans were kind of crushed because of gas prices.” It’s a cruel world.

Still yearning for the feel of hot vinyl on your thighs?  Pick a car with good gas mileage (duh), stay with friends and relatives, check out AAA for tips on fuel budgeting, and, above all, save a lot of money.

Get in your car and go

Suffering $4.20/gallon sticker shock? Hop in the car to one of these close-to-home escapes and you’ll be on vacation in under two hours.

Newport Mansions,
Newport, R.I.
Poke through the lavish homes of historic Newport’s elites —they’re huge, gaudy and filled with gold — and a handy tour guide will dish all the drama that went down inside. Several of the properties, whose architecture dates back to the Colonial, Victorian and Gilded ages, are only open seasonally, so go to www.newportmansions.org before heading out.
Est. driving time from Boston: 90 minutes 
Est. gas cost: $19.73 round trip

Woods Hole, Mass.
Yes, Woods Hole is where you catch the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, but it’s a bustling little seaside community, too. Home to the Sea Education Association and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, this science-obsessed village is renowned for finding the Titanic. Get in on the action at the National Marine Fisheries Aquarium where you can “pet” the fish. Then, grab lobster roll and head over to the Nobska Lighthouse for a sunset view of the Vineyard Sound.
Est. driving time from Boston: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Est. gas cost: $20.35 round trip

• All gasoline costs are based on average state gas prices the week of 7/7 using a car that gets 30 miles/gallon on the highway.