influences and inspirations

while imagining what retirement would be like i spent much time dreaming of road trips to National Parks and of waking up in a tent in the open air amidst scenic vistas. I believe that three of the greatest attributes of America are the National Parks system, national public radio(NPR) and Public television. my wife nancy and i made a goal of visiting as many of the Nat'l parks as we could when we went on our honeymoon to Rocky mnt Nat'l Park in 1980. While she was an art teacher for 21 years summer vacations were the highlights of our year. We planned so as to visit different parks every year. In the process we visited every state and nearly 50 parks not to mention many Nat'l monuments. Now I want to relive some of those memorable visits.
So i'm taking to the open road like John Steinbeck in Travels with Charley and William Least-Heat Moon in Blue Highways.
(The sub-titles of which are In Search of America and Journey into America.) i plan to reference both these classics as i go.
What is the goal of these trips? is it just to check off a place from a list? been there done that? is it to discover , find or learn something about nature? about self? is it for adventure, to satisfy the urge for going? is it a spiritual quest? a journey to find the source or to learn to accept our existenial condition? or is it to go away and return to better appreciate home? I don't know i'm just asking.

Whitman's Song of the Open Road has inspired many travelers . For years every trip of mine has been initiated by rereading from that great poem:

AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune—I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing, 5
Strong and content, I travel the open road.

The earth—that is sufficient;
I do not want the constellations any nearer;
I know they are very well where they are;
I know they suffice for those who belong to them. 10
...
I think heroic deeds were all conceiv’d in the open air, and all great poems also;
I think I could stop here myself, and do miracles;
(My judgments, thoughts, I henceforth try by the open air, the road;) 50
I think whatever I shall meet on the road I shall like, and whoever beholds me shall like me;
I think whoever I see must be happy.

From this hour, freedom!
From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits and imaginary lines,
Going where I list, my own master, total and absolute, 55
Listening to others, and considering well what they say,
Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,
Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.