"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road."-Jack KerouacAmong the most charming and fun developments of the United States hosting the World Cup, along with all the ties and low-scoring, of course, has been a bunch of Europeans discovering the wonders of America and sharing it on social media.A German who goes by the handle Freddy has taken America by storm, describing the joys he finds driving through the deep south.He and others have lauded everything from the grand magnificence of Buc-ees gas stations to the savory goodness of biscuits and gravy.THE VERDICT IS IN: EUROPEANS ARE OBSESSED WITH RURAL AMERICA DURING 2026 WORLD CUP STAYPerhaps most American of all is the fact that the majority of these travel accounts on social media are road trips of Europeans, who are used to biking everywhere with a baguette under their arm.
Here, they are even posting maps, covering hundreds of miles like latter-day Lewis and Clarks.Buc-ee's mega travel centers, common in the South, have captured the hearts of foreign tourists in the United States for the FIFA World Cup.(The Washington Post/Getty Images)As the great American novelist Jack Kerouac understood, driving is the only way to truly understand America, to find its secrets, its nooks, crannies and roadside gems.
You can’t fly there and you can’t take a train.You have to get behind the wheel and hit the road.What European travelers are really experiencing is the freedom of driving, and how essential it is to the whole mythology of modern America.
The ability to chart your own course vs.highly efficient rail systems that guide not just your travel, but your life.WORLD CUP FANS FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, COMFORT FOOD CLASSICSYou want to drive to Waffle House at 1 a.m.? Knock yourself out.
You want to buy a rifle somewhere between Buc-ee's and Barstow? You can.America isn’t the only country where you can take a road trip, but it is the only country that is essentially founded on the...