I have traveled all over the world on bike, train and on foot. I'm about to spend the next few months exploring New York in a similar manner. It will be quite a change for a country boy who has only lived in Montana, Oregon & Colorado and mostly in small towns. I'll post updates about my adventures on the Trailsnet website.
My favorite way to travel is by train. The experience of travelling on a train is very relaxing and I think that it is a great way to travel. Although I like going on road trips, I like how I don’t have to worry about driving when travelling on a train. I think that train travel is more convenient than travelling in a car because it is a more straight-forward way of travel. I also find that travelling seems quicker when it’s on a train. For everyday journeys, I usually ride in a car, but I like riding my bike when I feel like travelling around the neighborhood.
My favorite way to travel is by airplane. Every time that I have traveled by plane the experience has been so incredibly surreal. These experiences have been so surreal mostly because I've only flown by myself. I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah to see my Aunt one summer. I felt like I got to see the world by myself for once. One of my lay-overs was in Detroit and I felt like I was apart of the real world, the real world with real adults traveling to real places. Another time I flew by myself from Florida to Texas for Christmas at my Aunt’s house. I met a woman, I think her name was Mary, and we both coincidentally had just gotten our nails done so we had fun asking the man beside us to open our drinks.
I think traveling by car is not as fun for me because I like meeting new people and being out in the world. I am only 15 and I've never traveled outside of the U.S so I have a hunger for these experiences some kids who have been to Africa or Europe. What I gathered from Lauren Matison’s story is that you should give the potential adventures that come up in life some of your time. I agree with this because traveling by public transport can allow you to meet people or have experiences you might not have if you travel by car.
My favorite way to travel is biking. I’m not old enough to drive yet so it is one of the ways I can get myself places, and it is nice to know that I am not polluting the earth. One of my favorite memories is from when I went to San Francisco and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. It took all day and we were stranded on an island for hours afterwards, but it was so much better go through the experience of biking across it than to just drive over in a few minutes.
I also enjoy traveling on boats. Whether it’s just with my friends to swim and go tubing, or with scuba divers to go explore a dive sight, there is always something to enjoy about them that just isn’t the same with cars.
@Skye Solomon
I agree that biking is a great way to travel. My friends and I often bike to nearby locations such as the mall, the tennis courts, and restaurants. We have a lot of fun biking, because of the easy freedom it provides along with a chance to experience the outdoors and talk together. I wish our town had more bike paths so it would be easier to bike around safely.
On another note, I never thought that I would miss sitting in the passenger seat of my parent’s car and looking out the window. However, I am at the age where I have to log hours toward my learners permit in order to be eligible for a driver’s license. And, because I am new to driving I have to keep my eyes glued to the road. Driving varies between being stressful and really boring. Surprisingly, I miss being a passenger and looking at everything as it flies by.
Finally, one of the most fun methods of transportation I have ever tired was sailing on a catamaran, which I had an opportunity try during summer camp with old friends. The sailboat was fast and the water splashing up on us is a memory I will never forget.
Over the summer I spent 5 weeks at summer camp, obviously there weren’t any cars so we walked and golf carted everywhere. We would walk and laugh together, one week we made it a challenge to bear crawl race up the hill that lead to our cabin every day. It was beyond funny and our counselors would make bets on who would win each day. The pure fun of getting to our cabin was so much better than sitting in the lobby or getting ready for chapel.
Now by no means is bear crawling my favorite way of transportation, but in those moments I wouldn't have gotten in a car if you paid me.
The rest of the summer I spent mostly at the beach. Me and my friends would pack our stuff up in our bike baskets, I would bring my speaker, and we’d bike to the yacht club. We made that mile and a half trip so many times this summer and each time it was different. One day Sofia forgot shoes and stepped on a sand spur, another my leg was numb from a jelly sting, once we all got sunburn on our backs, and another it started pouring rain. The memories of racing to be in the front, learning to ride with no hands, and trying to switch the song without falling were some of the best parts of summer. When you're with the right people, getting there can be more than half the fun.
When I was in Washington D.C. on vacation, I loved taking the metro everywhere. When the cabs were empty we would always jump and swing around the metal poles, the cabs were still fun to ride in general. I think what made them so fun was the fact that I had never been in one before. The people were always interesting as well.
Another fun way of getting around is biking. My family goes to the Virginia Creeper trail every year and bikes down it. Last year I and my brother took a tandem bike down the trail. We had loads of fun and a the same time we would constantly kick and pretend to tip the bike over just to mess with each other. I wish we had a tandem at our house to ride around the town.
The train, a great way to travel; or it used to be. People of the modern world don't like alternative ways to travel because they are not convenient in places outside of the big city. Why walk to the bus station, ride the bus to a light rail station and then walk to your office after you get off the train when you could get in your car and drive straight to work. It's not convent.
Despite what others say, most of the time getting there is not? half the fun. Is the commute to work half the fun of going to work? Most of our commutes are boring across town drives. We want it to be quick and painful; not slow and interesting.
My favorite mode of transportation is my skateboard. Although it’s not as fast or a car or even a bicycle, for me it really brings to life the phase “Getting there is half the fun”. Skateboarding to locations may not be the most efficient way of moving from point A to point B, but when you are completely comfortable and unafraid, the feeling of surfing on the pavement while skating brings a feeling of freedom that only self experience can describe. I will admit that becoming comfortable on the board is not an easy task, but for those up for the challenge should give skateboarding a try and maybe they will end up loving it like I do.
I love being outdoors and enjoying nature and what better way to take in some scenery than riding a bike or going for a walk/run. Not only is riding a bike or walking more eco-friendly, it also makes you appreciate and take in your surroundings. These days, it is so easy to miss seeing a full-moon or a sunset because we are traveling in a car, looking at our phones. We miss out on so much more in life when traveling in cars.
During the summer I go to the beach almost every day and traveling by car gets boring, fast; therefore, I have learned to drive my boat so now I take my boat to get to the beach and hangout with friends. For me, there is nothing more enjoyable then to be on the water during the summer, so, oftentimes, I take the boat out just to ride around and enjoy it. Like the idiom says, “getting there is half the fun.”
Everywhere you go, there are reasons to travel car-free. If you care more about the climate, cars make up 1/5th of all US emissions. If it’s time you care about, traveling car-free can be much faster, even avoiding traffic all together in some cases. And if all of this wasn’t enough to interest you, it is often cheaper. But this is all meaningless if you don’t know how to travel car-free.
Biking is one of my favorite sports. It’s fun, fast-paced, and a good workout. Which is why it’s such a shame my street is a death trap for bikers. I would love to be able to bike to school in the mornings, like other, more fortunate individuals that live that live closer to the school can do. But the reality is that I would be pulverized on one of the many narrow “bike lanes” (which cars treat like part of their lane). I made the unfortunate mistake of trying to ride on the side of the road and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.
So what am I trying to say? Well, in the end, the amount of people who use alternative transport is based on how easy it is to use. Towns need to invest in new infrastructure and public transportation before it can be reasonably expected for people to abandon their cars.
My favorite way of traveling around is either by bike or walking, mainly walking. I think that with all this technology that lets us have things in an instance, at the push of a button, society has lost an appreciation for taking things slowly and enjoying a good walk, contemplating even the for granted things, like the sky, or a cool morning breeze. It might be a slow way of getting around but you could mix this with a bike ride, or public transportation.
On most daily trips my friends and I rarely ride in a car. Were always strapping out surfboards to the bikes or skating down to the beach. But that's mostly because we waited so long to get our permits. Trips I have taken in the past don't usually have extremely interesting modes of transportation, but there is an outlier. This past summer a buddy of mine had invited me to go to the bahamas in early june. We took a car from wilmington to the RDU airport in raleigh north carolina. From there we hopped onto an 8 person jet and flew from raleigh north carolina straight into Nassau. Upon arrival, there were two blacked out suburbans waiting for us just outside the airports front entrance. We drove to the marina and this was where the trip really got started, for the next week we would be staying on a 101 foot luxury yacht called MB3. There was a second boat that often traveled behind the yacht and on the upper deck there were two jet skis. If we wanted to go out to eat we would take the smaller boat and just for fun we would often take the skis out. We marina hopped for days, going to places like highborne cay and staniel cay. Seeing all kinds of animals like lizards and turtles and we even got a chance to swim with compass cay’s famous nurse sharks. Half the fun of a trip is the journey. That was definitely half the fun of this trip.
As we all know, Transportation is one of major causes of Global Warming. By lowering our travels with cars, we can make a huge difference by cutting down the Green House emissions. Although traveling in a car is easy and comfortable, taking a train, riding a bike, or even walking, are both good to the Environment and our health. Coming from an Asian family, I have experienced how fun it is traveling in a train with a whole big family! Taking trains also forces you to manage your time- packing, getting ready, leaving early, instead of rushing with possible chances of a car accident.
Knowing me I probably wouldn’t make it without having a car. Don’t get me wrong I like walking but not to get to every distention, and also not by myself. I’m scared to get on the city bus let’s just be honest, and I’ve never been on a train. I could ride a bike but I get tired fast, y’all I’m fat, not really but really. That’s how I know I wouldn’t make it anywhere without a car. I’m also afraid of planes so, yeah sucks to be me, if cars was somehow vanish.
So starting the article I see the author is in New York. And I honestly think our perspectives will be totally different. That’s a big city and here in Wilmington it’s the country compared to NY. The subway is normal there, the city bus is rare here. She says she became a mother breastfeeding on buses and potty training on trains. Feeling like a pathetic peripatetic parent. I honestly feel like there it’s a higher percentage to see that then down here. Not downing them or anything, i just don’t see many people riding the bus. She seen her son liked the rides and meeting new people so it wasn’t as bad. I just think this conversation depends on where you stay or how you grew up.
If i were able to choose a way of transportation other than a car for my next trip, I would definitely choose a train. While trains do you get from points often quickly. While people watching is also enjoyable. All sorts of people take public transportation, whether they made music at home, skate board, or have a baby it is good to be around people rather than isolated. Without driving, passengers also get the opportunity to see nature more. While not having to focus on the road while driving people can look out the window and see the passing nature.
When I lived in Alaska there were many places that you went to visit that you either took a train, boat or plane. Those trips were always so much fun. So while it mentions all the ways you can make alternative travel work for you it doesn't really mention how fun it can be. In these other ways to travel no one has to exert themselves by driving the car and you can actually interact with them. It is a really great way to get around
When I lived in Alaska there were many places that you went to visit that you either took a train, boat or plane. Those trips were always so much fun. So while it mentions all the ways you can make alternative travel work for you it doesn't really mention how fun it can be. In these other ways to travel no one has to exert themselves by driving the car and you can actually interact with them. It is a really great way to get around
For one who loves to drive, I tend to use my bike when going around my city. The reason being is I'm too young to have my drivers license (Only a few months left!) so instead of breaking the law, I bike to places. It's quite fun really, I have a gym right next to my house so it's simple to just hop on my bike and drive a few blocks down the road. Occasionally it comes in use to the whole family. My parents sometimes can't drive me to school so I just bike there. It's around 20-25 minutes which feels like a lot when the weather is below 40 degrees, but it gives me some sort of 'freedom'. Not only is it good for my body, but also good for the environment! Every little bit helps.
My favorite way of transportation is to fly. When you go into an airport you are just surrounded by thousands of people traveling all over the world. If you stop to talk to them you could find out about their origins or places that they've been and it's just so interesting to hear all about a person and their footprints. Also flying and how you are able to experience the world from a birds eye view is something that you rarely get to experience.
Growing up in a town with terrible public transportation it's been hard to get a gauge of the various types. I would argue that the bike is the best because it doesn't take up a lot of space and allows you to travel at an acceptable pace. However a lot of the time people, including me are just lazy and would much rather take a car.
The car is the master of convenience, roads can be found all around the world and provide quick and easy access to your everyday lifestyle needs. The train falls behind for carrying people by being forced to follow a linear path, for them to be efficient they also have to be huge and it's not worth going against that much inertia to go to the local grocery store.
The plane is vastly overrated, you have to get to the airport at least three hours before leaving, the boarding, the layovers, the flight cancellations. All of this make it a nightmare, you only end up spending 1/3 of your plane travel day actually flying in a plane. Unless you're going a very far distance the plane doesn't make sense to use.
Since I was a kid, my family has been traveling all over the world. My parents frequently go on business trips, and we also take trips every summer to go see family. That being said, the thought of sitting in a car over a long period of time or taking a thirteen hour flight has repulsed me to no end.
One of my favorite trips was when we took an overnight train in China. This wasn’t the most luxurious form of transportation I’ve ever been on (I can’t imagine the small corridors and hustle of people being counted as luxurious), but it was the most down-to-earth trip ever.
As soon as the door to our room closed, it was like our own little world. We spent the time talking (with actual real communication!) and playing card games.
Now, Lauren Matison likes to use these different forms of transportation to get to the places that her family is traveling to, but I would still prefer cars or planes (depending on the distance). The thought of having to drag around an assortment of huge, 34x22 inch suitcase through trains, subways, or god forbid, on bikes are not experiences that I want to go through on a trip (but I do think it would be fun if you did not have a lot of luggage!).
Although a variety of different forms of transportation allow a development of different views and add intimacy, the main focus on the long-distance trips that I take are comfort and efficiency.
@Francine Wei That sounds fantastic. The idea of actually interacting with people over an extended length of time sounds both like a fun escape from everything and something I would totally do given the chance. Sadly, my family doesn’t travel much, but if we did, I’d be pushing for card games.
When I went to Germany this past spring I went almost a whole day traveling car-free. We took a uber to our sight seeing tour. From there we took the public bus to a train station, we took the train to a subway, and we took the subway to downtown Munich.
A long day of travel right? It was so incredible, I was really able to fully take in the trip on a whole new level. I got to meet lots of people and kids I wouldn’t have met if we have just drove to our destination. Before that trip the only car free travel I had experienced was a plane but that day alone I got to experience three more.
But even after such a great experience my favorite way of transportation is still by plane. Al though it may not be cost effective. In my option you are getting the most bang out of your buck so to speak. Traveling by plane is the most ideal for me, it’s more about you and your experience. Flying on a plane has no restrictions you can over over water land. You can go to a different country or just the state below you. The possibilities are endless when flying.
Personally, my favorite form of travel is flying because it is always an adventure. From getting lost in the airport, to two and a half hour layovers, it creates an interesting trip… and makes for good stories. There are some downsides, like the bad ear popping and scary turbulence, but I have to say the view from the top makes it worthwhile. I love a good window seat and airplane food isn’t terrible, but spending time with my family is my favorite part.
Since I am only fifteen, I can’t drive, but I still don’t find myself out riding bikes or walking. There has been a few times where I have walked to work since it is close to my house, but ever since my sister started driving she has become my personal taxi. Over the summer, my dad and I would run the wrightsville beach loop at sunset and it felt like an accomplished start to my day. My dad loves adventuring but even now we do it in the car, and he calls it “piddling” which he got from his dad when he went as a kid.
I think that Lauren Matison’s story is one worth reading into and shows that no matter what, setting time aside for adventure is important. She shares how she went from a “weekend warrior”, hiking the Appalachian trail off the North-Metro train, to a “mom”, breastfeeding on buses and potty training on trains, in a set number of days and how she copes with it by spending time with her son.
Car-free travel sounds great. Until you think of all of its logistics. I mean where I live, the only time I can bike somewhere is to the beach- but that’s because I live 3 miles away. What about the kids that live 7? Where can they bike to, besides around their neighborhoods?
However, a city is the perfect habitat for car-free travel to grow and expand. I mean public transit is everywhere- from subways to buses to trolleys. And don’t forget that there are sidewalks on every street, so walking, biking, skateboarding, and roller skating is safer and easier (well maybe not with roller skating you’d have to be pretty skilled). Anyway, traveling via public transportation enables you to engage with different people and walking, biking, skateboarding- maybe even roller skating- allows you to see your community from a whole new perspective. So I say if you can, get out there and try not to fall while roller skating!
I've never been a huge traveler or wanted to travel a lot but when I do I almost always enjoy car rides the best. I like road trips because its time you can have fun with others listening to music and talking. Also, it makes it better because you have better views and you can stop at places you also want to visit on the way to your destination, unlike planes where it is a one way stop and a lot less enjoyable in my opinion.
I dont have much experience if any with unconventional ways of transport or travel I usually stick to the regular efficient ways. For everyday journeys, I usually take cars and sometimes walk depending on the distance of where I'm going.
My favorite method of transportation is flying. The views that come with the flights are something that makes the trip worthwhile. This past year when flying to Tulum, Mexico, the oceans were gorgeous. The water was such a beautiful shade of blue that is never seen here, and that was an experience on its own on that trip. The rare experience of flying makes the trip just that much more interesting and fun.
The article talks about her mother and her experiences of traveling on the rails of New York City. Throughout the article, she talks about the mistakes that she has made and compiles a list of tips for the people reading. Some of these tips include “Pack Less, See More,” and “Put the Children in Charge.” She talks about how much her son loves traveling on these subways due to the new people he is constantly meeting. She wants to encourage this and as a result, has learned the best ways to do it.
I do not like car rides. Plane Rides. Train rides. Or anything really with traveling for that matter. Every time I travel from one place to another for any long distance I tend to get bored. I also just tend to get either sick or don’t feel good. I love traveling and seeing new things and going new places but sometimes the actual traveling part can be a tad annoying.
In the article they say that getting there is half the fun which sometimes I guess I could agree with but most of the time is not true for me. Unless you are traveling with friends or have multiple things to do it can be boring and hard to try to keep yourself occupied to pass time. All you do when you travel is tend to think about how much time you have left or dream about your destination which in my opinion just makes the experience even better for when you actually arrive.
Cars are the fastest most efficient form of transportation (most of the time) but it's also one of the most ecologically irresponsible. Most cars produce large amounts of carbon emissions and impact the environment in negative ways.
I personally ride my bike everywhere, to school from school, downtown, to the mall. Anywhere I want to go I get there myself. The only time I don't ride my bike is when the weather won't allow. When the weather won't allow and even then, I will take the bus to school.
Public transportation is an amazing way to get around your town. Sadly there is a stigma around it that it is unsafe, gross, or simply distasteful. People feel above public transportation so they use cars when they could just as easily use free public modes of transportation. Using public transportation like the related article stated helps people learn new skills, see new things, and meet and interact with new people.
When I'm somewhere else for vacation. I like to walk around because you can find more shops and places that you wouldn't when driving.
@Renee Regnier I do this too. I find that in a new place its most interesting to walk places as you find things you wouldn't have found if you were in a car. This also ends up helping the environment without realizing it.
@Renee Regnier I do this as well. I also find that walking around leads you to find places that are off the beaten path. Places that are less consumed by tourism that, actually are much more fun to visit and experience.
@Renee Regnier I love to walk around too, especially when I'm not at home in a familiar place. Walking can lead you to new things that otherwise wouldn't be accessible by car. It can lead you to new discoveries and exciting things you didn't know existed. In addition, walking is also great for the environment, as it eliminates the emissions from cars, planes, trains, and other vehicles. Who wouldn't want to explore new things while helping out the environment?
If i had another choice of transportation I'd definitely probably take the bus or train. Only because I've always wanted to go on them. I honestly think that we should use less cars and use more public transportation especially since the climate has been changing so bad recently and we should use those resources. Now that i think about it you could also ride a bike. Get that excises.
Well, even though when you take a plane to get somewhere, the actual plane ride isn't very fun. It's just waiting in the sky for a couple of hours, and constantly drinking water so your ears can pop. Actually enjoying transportation is different. Cars are bland, and public transportation is unhygienic and awkward. While biking and skateboarding is fun, you get really sweaty really fast. But what do I like to do? I like to walk. Why? Because I have legs.
@Mia Moss I would have to disagree with you here. I loveee to travel by airplane. My stomach drops a little when we take off but after getting in the sky I love to look at the clouds. I love the descending aspect as well, watching your destination get bigger and bigger as you descend.
Car trips are some of my favorites, my family and I like to listen to music, talk, sing, play fun games as we drive. It's a great time for us to be together and I love it.
Though I do thank the Lord for my legs and the ability to walk I love car rides and airplanes as a mode of transportation just as much.
@Mia Moss I would have to disagree with you also. I really love traveling by airplane. I love the excitement I feel before I go on the plane. I like sitting with my older sister and having that time with her. I love looking out the window at the view. Sometimes the view of the destination can be breathtaking, such as in the Caribbean. I also enjoy road trips in the car with my family. We love listening to music. We take turns picking the next song which is fun. I really enjoy traveling with my family because it is always a fun time.
If I am not in a time crunch I enjoy walking. Walking to me is relaxing and less restricting than the car. In the car you have to sit still and wait through traffic, while when you walk you can get rid of extra energy and if you are impatient like me you do not have to spend as much time waiting at rush hour. The only time I don't enjoy walking as much is in late June, July, and August. In these months I am normally in Rome, Italy and it takes it out of you just to go on a single walk. But anyway, walking is great exercise and I find it rather enjoyable, except for in the summer months.
I come from a family who almost always needs to take 2 cars to get somewhere, because using the minivan that is able to fit all 6 of us is bound to cause fights and arguments between the whole family. I’ve always been a fan of walking or biking to wherever I need to go, especially in the summer where the weather is perfect to do so. But living in a place where -20 degree weather is something to expect, transporting by a car is far more conventional. In all honestly I wish I could live somewhere where I would be able to walk, or bike, get fresh air and get to my destination. But that simply is not logical, so a car is just the most convenient of transportation for me.
I live in a neighborhood that’s bordering the inter-coastal waterway and is very far away from most of my friends’ houses. When going down to the water by myself to regroup my thoughts and just be in nature, I ride my bike. The only time I walk anywhere is when I walk fifteen seconds to my best friend’s house. I would love to be able to ride my bike to my other friend’s houses and around town, but I’m so far from any of the fun spots to go to and traffic is dangerous when you don’t have a designated bike lane. By these facts you can see that I use my car to get places. I don’t like being in cars. I find them restrictive and I am painfully aware of the negative environmental impact they have, but I don’t see any other logical way of getting around other than in a car.
I am most likely in the car five times a day. My family has four members and we own three cars and when I get my license we will own four. Reading this article made me aware of the many other ways to get around and the most efficient ways to do so.
When I was twelve, I lived in New York for a year and didn’t have a car. My family and I used the subway, taxis, or walked. I loved not being in a car so much during the day. I was able to walk to school, restaurants, my dance classes, and so much more. When I moved back to LA I was not able to live like this anymore. Everything was so spread out. It was just a completely different lifestyle.
Now that I live in a smaller town I want to start to use different means of transportation. I want to start biking to friends' houses or places close by. The article reminded me that when you travel not in a car you pack fewer things and become a more efficient person. I hope to apply this in my own life.
Whoever said “Getting there is half the fun” was wrong, very wrong. They are two very different experiences, riding the bus and flying in a plane are two different experiences and even then, that goes for the destination. I love riding in planes but I hate the bus, and most of the time I hate the destination when I’m riding the bus, but planes are a different experience. You sometimes feel weightlessness and when you don’t, you look out the window and see something you could only imagine. I don’t have any specific reason for being partial towards planes over other modes of transport, but they make me feel like a kid. As for other modes of transport, I also enjoy riding the subway and walking on sidewalks. We don’t have either in most parts of Wilmington (definitely not subways) and the lack of them only makes me want to use them more.
I walk to my destinations as often as I can. There is something so much more fresh and natural about being surrounded by nature, rather than the machinery of a car. Driving and looking out the car windows feels to me like watching everything go by on a TV, but walking, I feel like I am truly a part of everything - at one with the environment. There is also sort of a dull monotony of driving, where after a while, everything starts to seem the same. With walking, you have more time to appreciate the details of each step and everything around you. Cracks in the ground, bugs in the grass, and the sounds of all the people around - when I walk, I feel like I am part of it all.
@Jillian Steeves, You have completely read my mind. I love going on walks and pouring into the small details around me that I would completely miss if I were to be in the car. Of course, I love looking out my window on rides, but everything goes by so quickly that you never really get to see everything. I have a collection of leaves that I've pressed on walks such as those. I wish that I had more opportunities to walk places, but most of the places I have to go to are far away from my house. I love that you say you feel a part of everything around you. When we're in cars, we are separated from everyone else and lost in a sea of automobiles that all look the same. We never get the chance to realize how diverse the world of nature is when we simply fly past it. I wish we could have more time to walk places, but in a world where we have so many obligations and places to be, we lose these chances to enjoy life and feel a part of it.