Aubernon Highway

Just drive: My favorite road trips of the New \’10s

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by

Cameron Aubernon
in

A driver\’s license is a wonderful thing. It\’s like a library card: it can take you places you never dreamed. One day, you\’re out getting groceries without needing a ride. The next, you\’re on a big road trip for the adventure of a lifetime.

For me, my driving adventures began the moment I left my local Enterprise counter in late August of 2018. It was then I piloted a 2018 Nissan Sentra SV through the West Virginia Turnpike to Louisville, the place I\’ve twice called home, to drop off one painting, while picking up the art I left behind.

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Since then, I\’ve taken more than a few long drives, logging some 8,500 miles over the final year and a half of the New \’10s. Here are my favorite drives and experiences I\’ve enjoyed along the way.

Hot Rod Power Tour 25th Anniversary

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In early June of 2019, I learned the Hot Rod Power Tour would be making its first-ever stop at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.

Following a quick pitch to one of my editors, plus a lucky break at my Enterprise counter, I threaded the fat needle that was my black 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T through the winding roads between my Old Dominion home and \”The Paperclip\” to spend a few hours among the hottest rides around.

This was my first time at a major NASCAR circuit, and the first time I ever walked upon any race track. I\’ve no words to describe the experience, other than to say the only thing that would top that was a magical drive upon one. I certainly would love to tackle the Power Tour in the 2020s.

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Carolina Panthers v. Seattle Seahawks

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I\’ve attended many sporting events over the years, including plenty of Seattle Sounders FC, and Louisville City FC matches. I even watched the University of Kansas Jayhawks fall to the Villanova Wildcats at the 2016 NCAA Elite 8 in Louisville.

One of the big outings I haven\’t had a chance to attend was an NFL game. When I lived the Seattle area, I was only able to visit CenturyLink Field during Sounders matches, as the Seahawks had won the Super Bowl in 2014; thus, tickets were really expensive.

On Thanksgiving weekend in 2018, I was finally able to fix all of those problems through a drive down to Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte. The \’Hawks beat the Panthers 30 to 27 that day, an experience that won\’t be topped any time soon.

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