Though the above words sound puzzling and bizarre, they hold a special place in the lives of travelers who do not follow the conventional methods of traversing the globe. They avoid the regular highways and prefer taking the back roads and the scenic routes which allow them to appreciate the journey more than the arrival to their destination. The word “shunpiking” became quite popular between 1920 and 1940, when tolls were imposed on certain major freeways in Virginia, which encouraged frequent travelers to experiment driving on back roads to avoid payment. The word shunpiking is actually a combination of the words “shun” (to avoid) and “pike” (short for turnpike). For many travelers the joy of taking a road trip is to travel on free, open roads and getting to know America in a way that cannot be achieved while driving on Interstate highways.  

Boondocking is another term that recently has become quite well-known among RV travelers, more correctly, adventurous RV travelers who prefer to station their RV or their vehicle in a remote location without being “hooked-up” to water, power, or sewer.  Boondocking allows the travelers to solely rely on their RV’s battery and holding tanks, thus opening a world of free camping possibilities. These adventurous travelers do not believe in parking their RVs at the standard camping sites, where the camping ground is filled with other RVs that might block the magnificent views and deprive them from appreciating the surrounding natural beauty.

Are you ready to embark on a journey that offers you to acknowledge the small things, the charming sites, and the rare views en route, which otherwise go unnoticed while driving on conventional roads, then read our post on RV Travel and get inspired to be a shunpiker!  

Tours4Fun strives to imbibe unconventional travel routes on their bus tours by driving on some of the most scenic routes that involve driving along breathtaking coastlines. Experience the pleasure of your journey as much as the final destination by booking our bus tours to Grand Canyon from Los Angeles, Niagara Falls bus tours, or our 3-Day San Francisco, 17 Miles Scenic Drive Tour.