Jessica Dunham lives in Phoenix with her husband and two spunky dogs, but inherited a family summer home on Lake Champlain in Vermont. This seemed heavenly to her, until she tried to imagine getting there from halfway across the country. Then it required some effort and a little imagination. The only way to transport the herd from one place to another was to pile into a Jeep and drive.

On these drives, she came to appreciate the spontaneity a road trip provides, pulling over for a fruit stand or stopping to take pictures at a scenic overlook, as well as the sense of discovery. This is how she first encountered Route 66. It's also how she explored the Finger Lakes of upstate New York, followed the prairielands of Nebraska, dipped into the cornfields of Indiana, carved through Kentucky (with a stop at a distillery or two), and drove the Ozarks of Arkansas.

Formerly a travel guide editor at Madden Media, Jessica is now a freelance travel writer. She is also the author of Moon Route 66 Road Trip and The Open Road. Her writing has been featured in PHOENIX magazine, Valley Guide, Phoenix Travel Guide, Arizona Visitor's Guide, Midwest Living, Phoenix New Times, Modern Luxury, Annapolis Visitors Guide, Connecticut Visitors Guide, Runner's World, Jane, Discover South Carolina, and more.