🚙 How long is the perfect road trip?

As the summer wanes on, mosquitos are still biting, baseball is still on the TV, the kids are still out of school (for now), and people are still taking road trips. Wait, are people still taking road trips? Like actual road trips.

I'm talking the get-your-ass-in-the-car-and-gas-up-the-whip-and-get-some-snacks-and-some-of-your-favorite-people-and-turn-on-some-jams-and-hit-the-fucking-road type of road trips.

Let's start within. Have you taken one this summer? I know gas is high, but hear me out. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't make it happen before summer is out.

It doesn't matter when you go, it doesn't matter who you go with. Honestly it doesn't always even matter your final destination. All that matters is that where you're going is 4.5 hours away. Yes.

There is something magical about the 4.5 hour road trip. It's a truly perfect distance. Long enough to feel like you actually went somewhere, yet short enough to make it there on one tank of gas. You feel me?

Whether you bounce at the crack of dawn to try and beat the morning rush, wait until mid-morning and grab some lunch an hour in and cruise the afternoon away, or even leave after the evening traffic jam and drive into the night, the 4.5 hour distance is where it's at. It is just far enough for you to put some thought into it, yet close enough to keep the logistics flexible and spontaneous. It's also probably the longest distance you can realistically drive to and fro comfortably in one day. It's magical.

So, with that said, I want to take you around the world in 4.5 hours. And by world, I mean some random cities in the U.S., and by 4.5 hours, I really mean like 2 minutes (depending on how fast you read this email)...

Engines started? Let's do this!

Well, we begin in Atlanta, cuz that's where I'm at.

From here, I know I can get to Tallahassee, FL in 4.5 hours flat (what up, FAMU!). Also of note, I can get to Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC in roughly the same amount of time (what up NC A&T and WSSU!).

I suppose you didn't open this for the HBCU edition of MapQuest, but it just sort of rolled off the tongue. Let's keep moving though.

From ATL, I can also do Nashville and Mobile as well. That's Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama all within our tidy little magic timeframe. I've done 'em all multiple times, and unless you hit some unexpected traffic, have a bathroom emergency, decide to sit down at Cracker Barrel, or hit an outlet mall, you're looking at 4.5 hours.

And that's cool, because ain't nothing wrong with a 4.5 hour road trip!

Back to Greensboro. Once you're there, DC is a perfect 4.5 hours from that. And from DC, you can hit NYC in roughly the same time frame. Not bad, huh?

Wanna do the Midwest? I got you covered.

We mentioned Nashville earlier, it's roughly 4.5 hours from St. Louis.

And once you get there, what they say about The Lou is true... it is the gateway to the Midwest. Your options are a plenty. You got Indy, Cincinnati, and Memphis as well all around 4.5 hours away. And, if Chicago's your thing go ahead and go, it'll take you about 4.5 hours to get there. And once you're there, Detroit is a tidy 4.5 hours from that. Weird, huh?

Kansas City fits the bill here too, and it and St. Louis are in the same damn state (depending on traffic)!

And speaking of same-state travel, let's move to the Northeast where you can get from Buffalo to Albany (do New York people do this?) in *perfect* timing. You can also go from NYC to Syracuse similarly. Pittsburgh to Philly works out perfectly too, and once you're in Philly, if you drive really fast, you can get to Boston (not same state but roll with it) in just under 5 hours 🤷🏽‍♂️.

You see what I mean? I don't want this to feel dramatic, but it feels like the map was sort of made with the 4.5 hour road trip in mind, doesn't it? Thought about any where you'd like to go with your people yet?

Wanna move around Texas? San Antonio to Dallas, and then Dallas to Houston are both in our little sweet spot.

You got options. Raise your hand if you're getting to odd urge to fill up your tank?

Spring break (or just because)? How about Panama City Beach to New Orleans? 4.5 hours will get you back and forth to either location. Drive sober, though, kids.

Out West, you can do Vegas to LA, then you can do LA to Phoenix. You can't do Phoenix to LA, though, but sometimes stuff just doesn't add up.

For Lack of a Wetter Bird, 4.5 hours is the perfect length for a road trip.

What I'm saying is, it's summer time and that means it's time to road trip with your people. Family, friends, it don't matter. Get out there, go somewhere, do something, see some stuff… Psst: it's usually always worth it.

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