Top 5 Road Books

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."  - Saint Augustine

Nothing inspires me to travel more than a great story about the road. Continuing my "Top 5" series, here are my Top 5 Road Books:

5. Oh, the Places You'll Go!

This was given to me as a high school graduation gift from Mrs. Suellen Graney. It's a surefire confidence builder that never fails to inspire.

4. On the Road

Appropriately, I read this for the first time while living in San Francisco. I had a temp job with Wells Fargo where my only duty was to answer the rollover calls from a VP's phone and transfer them back into his voicemail. He got about 3 calls a day, and the rest of the time I read books and plotted my cross country road trip. 

3. Seven Years in Tibet

Don't let the Brad Pitt movie dissuade you from reading this book. The escape from an internment camp and the subsequent physical, emotional and spiritual journey of Heinrich Harrer is incredible.

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This book accompanied me on the train rides around Europe. I would literally burst out laughing and receive weird stares from the people around me, but it didn't matter, because I had the answer. 42. 'Nuff said.

1. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

My favorite book and the greatest road trip of all time. I dare anyone to top The Merry Pranksters and their acid-induced 'trip' on the "Further" bus.

Top 5 Road Films

It would be impossible for me to compile a comprehensive list of road films, and I’m sure there are several websites out there that have done it anyway. But I have to discuss them on here because it's my favorite genre, and many of them have inspired me to hit the open road.

In my opinion, a true road film contains the following elements: a character or characters must leave one destination (usually their home) for another, and find themselves somehow changed or evolved through the process. Generally the person has a physical destination in mind, but unbeknownst to them, they are on a spiritual or emotional journey, such as self-awareness, redemption, forgiveness or closure. The road is a 'test', and the protagonist's evolution by movie's end ensures their success, whether they live or die.

It was really hard for me to narrow it down, but here are my Top 5 Road Films:

5. Transamerica



4. Finding Nemo



3. Thelma and Louise



2. The Straight Story



1. The Wizard of Oz



Honorable Mention: Fandango
(Any discussion of road films must start and end with the movie that inspired my own cross-country road trip, ‘Fandango’)