The Pleasures of a Leisurely Classic Car Cruise

My wife and I just returned from a 1200-mile drive through the Northeast. We drove to upstate Maine and then throughout Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Upstate New York. The purpose of the trip, other than vacationing, was to see if there were any "pleasurable" drives still to be had in the East; long drives on which one can leisurely cruise along at 50 mph and enjoy the scenery.

With nearly 200 million people living within a half-day drive of the coast, it's getting harder and harder to find roads that offer pleasant motoring. These days, it's nearly impossible to go anywhere without following an endless stream of vehicles on the interstates, all traveling at 75 mph or higher, all in a hurry to get somewhere.

Here in the Washington DC area we have to endure about 50 miles of suburban sprawl and 8-lane highways in order to get out to the Shenandoah Valley. Once there, two-lane country roads offer a slower-paced lifestyle that is all but forgotten to urban-based populations, most of which take themselves - and life - too seriously.

That brings us to collector cars. Older vehicles, at least the majority of them, weren't designed to cruise at 80 mph for long periods, not to mention the capacity to brake straight and short in an emergency. Anyone who has one knows how vulnerable these cars feel when being tailgated by an SUV or surrounded by dense, unforgiving traffic. Our collector cars run best in the conditions that existed when they were used as daily transportation, conditions that largely don't seem to exist anymore.

We found on our trip that those conditions still do exist, and the secondary roads all over the nation have lots to offer. All you need to do is lose your sense of urgency. We are so accustomed to getting somewhere quickly that we've lost sight of the beautiful scenery, charming towns and friendly people found all over the U.S.

Drive a classic car from Washington DC to Pittsburgh on the secondary roads, for instance, and you will have a wonderful trip. It will take five hours (more if you give in to the urge to stop and look around) rather than four via the interstates. People will come over and talk with you and will point out all sorts of interesting things to see.

We didn't drive one of our old cars on this trip because, frankly, we didn't think of it. Next time we will...