The American Ritual: The Road Trip

I recently had the honor of embarking on that very American of rituals: the road trip — specifically, a cross-country trip. While a journey from my native London to Glasgow takes approximately a day, to travel from one end of the United States (my adopted home) to the other requires at least a week to accomplish in style. While my first inclination, when approached about enduring a road trip, was to reserve a train ticket. After all, what better way to drink in the rough-hewn beauty of these great states than from the window of a train?