Book Review: "Queen of the Road"

Book reviews should be about the book and not the person reviewing the book but with "Queen of the Road" this is proving to be a little tough. I relate to so much of the book that I can't help but share some of the many parallels to my own existence. "Queen of the Road" is about a 40-something professional (self-described as a "pampered Long Island princess") who takes off a year to explore the U.S. in a converted bus. The result is a 12-month road trip with all of the trappings.

Who of us hasn't at least occasionally fantasized about such a trip? How many people have this type of trip on their "to do before I die" list? I certainly do and as a result every summer for that past 4 years my son and I have headed off on our own mini-version of the "Queen of the Road" trip. Another point of personal connection with the book relates to the locations places described by author Doreen Orion are places that I've made it to on my own road trips including Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell (New Mexico), Reno, Mt Rushmore, Deadwood and even the indescribable Wall Drug Store in South Dakota. One notable difference between my trips and Orion's are that she does a much better job experiencing the unintended humor that always seems to follow these great American escapes.

"Queen of the Road" chronicles Orion's 12-month, 47 state odyssey as she, her husband, dog, and two cats (one of which is the notorious bed-peeing "Shula") pack themselves in with all of the modern conveniences that one can get into a 340 square foot converted bus to see what awaits them at the proverbial next exit. In addition to the sites listed above and many more they experience an armed robbery in Tucson, an Elvis wedding in Vegas, and a visit to a nudist resort in San Bernardino. Surprisingly it is Orion's husband who initially brings up the idea of the trip to which she responds, “Why can’t you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?” But she soon supports the idea and an adventure and book are born.

In addition to its humor there is much to like about "Queen of the Road." A big one is the overall sentiment of the book; do things like this while you are young enough to enjoy them. That is not to say that you can't enjoy things when you are older, you certainly can. But it is a flawed strategy to put everything off to "later" or "someday." In addition to helping you get over the hurdle of actually committing yourself to such an adventure, the book is also quite a good field manual for how to do this type of trip and what to expect along the way. The book also shows why travel and altering one's routine are so important and how life changing they can be. As author Franz Wisner wisely observes, "sometimes the best way to enrich home-life is to leave the home."

Amazon Link: Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own