I love road trips. Always have, always will. Living in several states has brought me cross country plenty of times. When it comes to long road trips, there are a few schools of thought. You could take the most direct route if you’re a practical type who is obsessed with the destination. But if your like me, its the journey that makes the trip. Recently, a clever fellow used technology to concoct the ultimate road trip. An algorithm, for you non technical types, is simply a mathematical process used to crunch data. With some basic criteria, namely hitting every state, some national parks, and some landmarks, the computer determined the best way to meet these objectives. At the same time, its long, even doubling back on itself on occasion.
So is it really better?
The computer met the objectives but I feel its misses the finer points, like the road. For example, who wants to go north on 5 in California when you have the 1. Or even 101. Who wants to drive thousands of miles of interstate and toll roads? An alternative is The Lap of America, combining the want of a road trip with the love of good roads and fun times. But with about 4 million miles of road in America, you have unlimited options. Now if someone can find a way to round America on dirt roads, let me know.
So if you are a practical guy, algorithms might for you. If you’re a car guy, maybe you should go your own way.
However, I am impressed that even the computer knows that no one wants to drive through Kansas.
