Hiking Takes the Edge Off a Long Drive

As you may have read in this blog and the Inside Line Long-Term Test blog , Caroline Pardilla and I recently covered most of the west coast during a week-long trip a BMW 3 Series. We spent most of our time driving -- perhaps too much of our time driving.

And some of it was in the city, where holiday traffic volumes and inconsiderate drivers grated on our nerves. We complained...

We argued. Then, we hiked.

Surprising as it sounds, actually walking around a bit between those long hours in the car really improves your mood.

Plus, you get some physical distance between the travelers -- the current-generation 3 Series is roomier than any of its predecessors, but it's still a compact car and that means there's a lot of togetherness during those 12-hour driving days.

So we worked up a sweat, saw some simply phenomenal scenery and took lots of photos.

Who would have thought, for instance, that hiking Mt. Shasta (well, part of it anyway) means you're trudging through snow in 80-degree weather?

And although we only scratched the surface of the Hoh Rainforest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, we were still walking through one of the only temperate rainforests in the world amongst trees that are centuries old. It wasn't raining, though... is that normal or is that a consequence of global warming? We weren't sure.

If you're going on a long drive (like days), I highly recommend making time for some hiking along the way. You get some exercise, boost everyone's morale and have a more memorable adventure in the process.

Posted by

Erin Riches July 6, 2006, 7:12 PM

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