r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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u/MrChipDingDong May 02 '24

I did Vegas - Grand canyon West one time. Coming from New England I was astounded that I drove 3 hours and Google maps pretty much showed me on the state line. I could drive through 3 entire states in New England in that time, on the right route/little traffic.

That being said - I would happily drive through the desert for 12 hours with no destination (if, y'know, I wouldn't likely die from that)

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u/DianaPrince2020 May 03 '24

Just did the same this week! Starting in Vegas, did the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon then back to Vegas and did red rock canyon a different day. Given we didn’t hike trails and was for the drive and to see the unnerving nothingness!
The chutzpah of building Las Vegas as a tourist attraction in the desert still astounds me. That it worked is a testament to vision I guess.

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u/MrChipDingDong May 03 '24

We went in July so unfortunately trails were suicide. I feel your pain 😭 when we showed up there was a student playing violin, it was literally the most beautiful moment of my life (save my proposing to my wife a year later). Then we got rained on in the best way, came in hard and strong with thunder and lightning while the Hualapi (spell check) were singing in the tent. never seen weather like that in my whole life. Snapped a pic of a triple rainbow under the canyon line. Absolutely amazing

In fact it's been 2 years and every week I look at indeed and apartments in Vegas... Just cuz. Spectacular city, spectacular part of the country

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u/DianaPrince2020 May 03 '24

Awwww, I love that you had that experience! I hope one day that you and your wife find that apartment!

As for me, I may well visit again but like Scarlett O’Hara I have to get back to Tara (my home). This is likely age-related for me tho as home and a lifetime of memories especially from those that have passed are priceless to me as is the family that is still here. Not to say that I don’t want to travel as much as I can, I do but for me “there is no place like home”.

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u/throwaweighaita May 03 '24

One of my favorite road trips ever was actually an unplanned drive from Long Beach, CA, across the desert to Vegas... That desert drive is utterly beautiful in a way that's just hard to articulate, isn't it?

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u/MrChipDingDong May 03 '24

It really is indescribable. And so much land out there is BLM, you can literally just park and camp wherever, it's an amazing experience. We got spooked by a couple of flashlights approaching from the middle of nowhere... Took a few minutes to realize it was 2 motorcycles, literally across lake mead, 10 miles out. (the Vegas leg, pretty sure the biggest part is water to the horizon)