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In the July/August 2008 issue of Road King (a magazine dedicated to truckers and trucking), there's an article about actual road music.  I'm not talking about FM, satellite, CDs, or your iPod...  I mean sounds made by the road itself.  It was accidentally invented in Japan by a man who inadvertently scraped some pavement with a bulldozer.  When he drove over the grooves, he noted that it made  specific sounds. Researchers took the concept to the next level and there are now roads in Japan that are specifically grooved to create 30-second "music clips".  Such roads are marked with a big musical note on the pavement, as shown in the picture. Let's see...

Yes, that annual assault on the highway by families with freshly-dismissed-from-school kids in the backseat playing those corny road trip games or poking each other until a parent bellows "Don't make me come back there!" In the current issue of Road King magazine, there's an article reminding truckers that the assault is near, and to be careful of those drivers who may be in over their heads.  In the article, Roehl Transport's Brian Hammond, the orientation and driver development manager, mentions something I have been saying for ages... "[Hammond] often wonders why there aren’t similar licensing requirements for driving the RVs as there are for semi-truck drivers."  I don't know about you, but when I see some old guy trying to handle a full-size Winnebago on any road, I get FAR away from him.  If the stricter CDL is required for people who generally still have their reflexes, you have to wonder why retirees are allowed to pilot similar sized vehicles with just the ability to pay for the thing. If you are planning to partake to the roads this summer, keep the same things in mind the article advises truckers.  Expect everything.  Yes, that car will dart out in front of you.  Yes, that van will speed through the puddle and splash water 10 feet in the air before you can close your window.  Yes, your kids will only want burgers and fries the whole trip.  (OK< that last one really isn't a driving concern, unless you just passed a fast-food joint and the next exit with one is another 80 miles.) But above all, be patient.  If you're sitting in traffic like this, just relax.  Everyone around you is also sitting in that traffic and their need to move forward is no greater or lesser than yours.

I-287 in central NJ this afternoon. We're at the height of fall foliage time, and the country highways are looking good.  If you can make the time (and can afford the fuel), this is a good time to take a quick side trip for a reminder of what Mom Nature is capable of. And have your passenger snap away with the camera...

Peyton showed us last night he has no ill effects of "Super Bowl hangover"... man, what a blowout. To the left is NBC commentator John Madden's current ride, his customized MCI E4500 LX conversion coach.  This is his fifth coach after using Amtrak for many years to get between games.  His main driver, Willie Yarborough, has been with him since 1987.  Yarborough was a Greyhound driver who was one of two winners to drive Madden when Greyhound made the initial deal to transport Madden in a converted coach (a 1987 MCI 102A3 converted coach painted in regular Greyhound livery)...

Songs and albums that somehow cause your right foot to press harder on the go pedal, in no particular order: - ZZ Top Greatest Hits - Brian Setzer Orchestra: The Ultimate Collection - these three songs played in a row: Rock the Casbah (The Clash), My Sharona (The Knack), and Jumping Jack Flash (Rolling Stones from the Flashpoint live album) - the live version of The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band, with the extended bridge  ("Johnny's cuttin' up tonight, ain't he?" - Charlie Daniels) - You Really Got Me, Destroyer, and All Day and All of the Night by the Kinks - Louie Louie - only the original - Neutron Dance by The Pointer Sisters (just visualize the truck chase at the beginning of Beverly Hills Cop), followed by I'm So Excited - What is Hip by Tower of Power... classic 70s horns - Get Away by Earth Wind & Fire (the original) - Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, the live version at Wembley - What'd I Say by Ray Charles, parts 1 and 2 - All Time Greatest Hits by Barry White (especially if you're on your way to see that special somebody) - Westbound and Down/Eastbound and Down by Jerry Reed from the original Smokey and the Bandit soundtrack - Idol Songs: 11 of the Best by Billy Idol - Shout by the Isley Brothers, parts 1 and 2 - Twist & Shout by the Beatles (think Ferris Bueller) What songs put your clean driving record at risk?

I haven't been on a plane in 29 years... August 1978 to be exact.  And with all the added steps/issues/hassles/(insert your choice of descriptor) involved these days, who knows when I'll bother to enter a pressurized metal tube to go hurtling through the atmosphere. I'm definitely a road trip guy...

Not only is this video scary, it's downright shocking and yet sadly amusing.  

Ms. Adventure and I made it safely from Northern CA to Santa Monica and the RAV4 did a fine job getting us there. My initial impressions when picking up the RAV4 - nice looking, not too big, not too small.  I have a rental, so it's white (eh, ok) but in our travels we did see many RAV4's on the road in various colors which are very attractive.  The overall exterior styling is nice with clean lines, nothing fancy or too curvy...

Life often let's you take some road trips and when possible double-up and write a car review.  It just so happens that Ms. Adventure and Miss Crazy are heading to the mothership - aka Edmunds Inc. - for a few days of work at headquarters.  We thought we'd take this opportunity to give a full test drive and provide our perspectives on a new  vehicle over the coming days.  We're just like any other drivers (ok, we're better than average drivers) out there who will use the car on a long highway road-trip and some around town commuting.  And just like all of you who can now blog here and submit vehicle reviews on Edmunds.com - we hope that more of you will take the opportunity to share your thoughts, opinions, overviews and reviews on cars.  Agree or disagree with the Editors of Edmunds.com and Inside Line or any other automotive publication out there - your perspective and experiences are important and should be shared...