It ’ s a uniquely American rite of passage , documented in song and film , from Jackson Browne ’ s “ Running on Empty ” to Easy Rider . It ’ s an idea that reminds Americans that we ’ re never stuck at home ( notwithstanding 2020 ). And let ’ s be clear : Times like these call out for a road trip .
The impulse to develop such an article struck a number of us here at beachLIFE all at once and for the same reason . Last year our parent company , 360 Blue , partnered with Natural Retreats , a travel company very much like our own in that they too offer luxury vacation homes . But there is one important difference : Natural Retreats offers homes in 17 destinations scattered throughout the country .
If you ’ re into travel — as all of us are — it ’ s a thought that toys with the imagination . It causes the mind to wander . A travel company with 17 destinations … And these are iconic destinations — places like Big Sky , Montana , Lake Tahoe , Mammoth Lakes , California , and the Sea Islands of South Carolina . Some of the homes in the Natural Retreats collection are themselves iconic , touched with fairy dust of history and lore . One of their homes in Palm Springs , for example , was once owned by Frank Sinatra .
Consider this : If you wanted , you could book Sinatra ’ s former home . Just log on to the Natural Retreats website , maybe check availability with a call . Upon arrival in Palm Springs , you get to spend a week or two hanging out around the piano-shaped swimming pool with the ghosts of Sammy Davis Jr . and Peter Lawford . Maybe have a martini on the patio with the spectral presence of Dean Martin . If you ’ re merely into mid-century modern architecture , the Natural Retreat ’ s Palm Springs webpage is worth checking out ( NaturalRetreats . com / palmsprings ).
So this is the inspiration for what follows . It ’ s the dream of hitting the open road , of cruising from one spectacular destination to the next , of watching the road unfurl before you for mile after mile — if only in your mind ’ s eye . To paraphrase Jackson Browne , it ’ s time to call the road your own . It ’ s time to pick a suitable Kerouac novel and , as Jack himself might say , ramble on . You ’ ll find your maps and travel guide below .
THE AMERICAN ROAD TRIP FEATURE beachLIFE 79