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Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own
A pampered Long Island princess hits the road in a converted bus with her wilderness-loving husband, travels the country for one year, and brings it all hilariously to life in this offbeat and romantic memoir.
Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: She's a self-proclaimed Long Island princess, grouchy couch potato, and shoe addict. He's an affable, though driven, outdoorsman. When Tim suggests "chucking it all" to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, "Why can't you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?" But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their sixty-pound dog, two querulous cats--and no agenda--in a 340-square-foot bus.
Queen of the Road is Doreen's offbeat and romantic tale about refusing to settle; about choosing the unconventional road with all the misadventures it brings (fire, flood, armed robbery, and finding themselves in a nudist RV park, to name just a few). The marvelous places they visit and delightful people they encounter have a life-changing effect on all the travelers, as Doreen grows to appreciate the simple life, Tim mellows, and even the pets pull together. Best of all, readers get to go along for the ride through forty-seven states in this often hilarious and always entertaining memoir, in which a boisterous marriage of polar opposites becomes stronger than ever.
Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: She's a self-proclaimed Long Island princess, grouchy couch potato, and shoe addict. He's an affable, though driven, outdoorsman. When Tim suggests "chucking it all" to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, "Why can't you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?" But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their sixty-pound dog, two querulous cats--and no agenda--in a 340-square-foot bus.
Queen of the Road is Doreen's offbeat and romantic tale about refusing to settle; about choosing the unconventional road with all the misadventures it brings (fire, flood, armed robbery, and finding themselves in a nudist RV park, to name just a few). The marvelous places they visit and delightful people they encounter have a life-changing effect on all the travelers, as Doreen grows to appreciate the simple life, Tim mellows, and even the pets pull together. Best of all, readers get to go along for the ride through forty-seven states in this often hilarious and always entertaining memoir, in which a boisterous marriage of polar opposites becomes stronger than ever.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2008
93 people are currently reading
1679 people want to read
About the author
Doreen Orion
8 books26 followersDoreen, an award-wining author and psychiatrist, has appeared in numerous national media (Larry King, GMA, NPR, NYT, People, etc.). QUEEN OF THE ROAD was chosen as a Borders Featured Book Club pick and Target Breakout Book. Still, she considers her greatest accomplishment that her bus was the centerfold for Bus Conversions magazine, thus fulfilling a life-long ambition to be a Miss September.
QUEEN OF THE ROAD reviews:
"Eat, Pray, Love - without the depression." - Denver Magazine.
"A Charles Kuralt-Albert Brooks-style romp where they meet up with nudists, robbers and more. Required Reading." New York Post
"Hot Summer Read." Chicago Tribune
"Beneath its fun and frothy exterior, you'll find in this wild ride across America's highways and byways a lovely portrait of a marriage that treats its ups and downs with humor and grace." - Elle Magazine.
"Orion has every good travel writer's ability to make readers feel they are there, to capture the telling details of places, and to present the account in a witty, accessible way. Reading the book makes you want to hit the road and have some of your own grand adventures. This is a fun read that will make just about anyone start itching for a road trip. Grade A." - Rocky Mountain News.
“Part travel memoir, part diva-on-a-bus-tour comedy.” - 5280 Magzine
“A charming, insightful and – most important – hilarious book that evokes the best of Bill Bryson and David Sedaris, but spotlights the unique voice of a gifted memoirist." -
Jonathan Kellerman, NYT Bestselling novelist
"I loved this book and I love this author." - Jen Lancaster, bestselling author.
"The author’s charm, intelligence and wit make this multi-faceted memoir a must-read. Eat, Pray, Love — without the depression — meets Confessions of a Shopaholic — without the ditz." - Denver Magazine.
"Two psychiatrists driving a motor home around America, and you're still wondering whether to buy this book? Step on the gas and go straight to the register." –Jeff Arch, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
"Doreen Orion has a fresh, wry voice that's all her own and she works it like a rodeo rider in her light-hearted and yet tender new memoir, Queen of the Road." –Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN
“His dream — he’s always wanted to see America in a converted bus — and her nightmare —she has a bus phobia — and their mid-life crisis on wheels, make for a hilarious reading adventure.”
–Mary-Lou Weisman, author of TRAVELING WHILE MARRIED
"... proves, with abundant laughs... that sometimes the best way to enrich home-life is to leave the home...or, better yet, just put it on wheels."
- Franz Wisner, bestselling author, HONEYMOON WITH MY BROTHER
“The ultimate fantasy road trip.” - Quick & Simple Magazine.
“[A] page-turner travelogue… hilarious.” – American Way Magazine.
Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: they refuse to settle for the mundane, whether at work or in relationships. She’s a self-proclaimed Long Island Princess addicted to shoes, as well as a grouchy couch potato. He's an affable – though driven - outdoorsman. When Tim suggests “chucking it all” to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, “Why can’t you be like a normal husband in a mid-life crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?” But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their 60 lb. dog, two querulous cats, and no agenda, in a 340-square-foot bus.
Queen of the Road is Doreen’s offbeat and romantic tale about choosing the unconventional road with all the misadventures
QUEEN OF THE ROAD reviews:
"Eat, Pray, Love - without the depression." - Denver Magazine.
"A Charles Kuralt-Albert Brooks-style romp where they meet up with nudists, robbers and more. Required Reading." New York Post
"Hot Summer Read." Chicago Tribune
"Beneath its fun and frothy exterior, you'll find in this wild ride across America's highways and byways a lovely portrait of a marriage that treats its ups and downs with humor and grace." - Elle Magazine.
"Orion has every good travel writer's ability to make readers feel they are there, to capture the telling details of places, and to present the account in a witty, accessible way. Reading the book makes you want to hit the road and have some of your own grand adventures. This is a fun read that will make just about anyone start itching for a road trip. Grade A." - Rocky Mountain News.
“Part travel memoir, part diva-on-a-bus-tour comedy.” - 5280 Magzine
“A charming, insightful and – most important – hilarious book that evokes the best of Bill Bryson and David Sedaris, but spotlights the unique voice of a gifted memoirist." -
Jonathan Kellerman, NYT Bestselling novelist
"I loved this book and I love this author." - Jen Lancaster, bestselling author.
"The author’s charm, intelligence and wit make this multi-faceted memoir a must-read. Eat, Pray, Love — without the depression — meets Confessions of a Shopaholic — without the ditz." - Denver Magazine.
"Two psychiatrists driving a motor home around America, and you're still wondering whether to buy this book? Step on the gas and go straight to the register." –Jeff Arch, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
"Doreen Orion has a fresh, wry voice that's all her own and she works it like a rodeo rider in her light-hearted and yet tender new memoir, Queen of the Road." –Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN
“His dream — he’s always wanted to see America in a converted bus — and her nightmare —she has a bus phobia — and their mid-life crisis on wheels, make for a hilarious reading adventure.”
–Mary-Lou Weisman, author of TRAVELING WHILE MARRIED
"... proves, with abundant laughs... that sometimes the best way to enrich home-life is to leave the home...or, better yet, just put it on wheels."
- Franz Wisner, bestselling author, HONEYMOON WITH MY BROTHER
“The ultimate fantasy road trip.” - Quick & Simple Magazine.
“[A] page-turner travelogue… hilarious.” – American Way Magazine.
Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: they refuse to settle for the mundane, whether at work or in relationships. She’s a self-proclaimed Long Island Princess addicted to shoes, as well as a grouchy couch potato. He's an affable – though driven - outdoorsman. When Tim suggests “chucking it all” to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, “Why can’t you be like a normal husband in a mid-life crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?” But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their 60 lb. dog, two querulous cats, and no agenda, in a 340-square-foot bus.
Queen of the Road is Doreen’s offbeat and romantic tale about choosing the unconventional road with all the misadventures
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
February 2, 2025
I enjoyed Queen of the road, but entered into it expecting a light read. Like other reviewers, I found Doreen only moderately interesting at the start, but the saga of embarking on a year-long bus adventure kept me reading.
The constant "Prada this, Richard Tyler that," failed to make a spark with this anti-label consumer, but I definitely got the message that Doreen is/was materialistic. Someone who is familiar with the "Sex and The City" lifestyle will most likely find more appreciation for her tastes and references. Her humor is moderately self-depreciating, with tinges of pride at being very good at being a "Princess," but what I found myself wondering is what such a 'fabulous' husband is getting out of a relationship with her, with her frequent dramatic screaming and inability to cope with the outdoors, birds, buses, insects, cooking, laundry, etc., along with frequent drinking as a coping skill. I found it interesting that someone who describes herself as 'house-bound' is bent on purchasing designer handbags and shoes--to what end, I wonder? But that aspect of her acquisitive tendencies is not touched on.
She did crack me up with her description of her husband's handyman alter ego as "Project Nerd," and it became a continuing laugh through the book. I appreciated her appreciation and love of her poodle and two cats. However, as Shannon (another reviewer) said, "By the end, she arcs into a character you can understand, and she's come to understand herself." By the time she tries out a nudist RV park with her husband, it's become clear that Doreen has undergone a shift in world-view. As a health professional, I feel like a number of the lessons Doreen finally said learned were always available to her, but it took traveling in a bus to open her up to more thoughtful viewpoints. The messages were brief, but worthwhile lessons in quality time, the search for meaning, and values in a hectic world.
The constant "Prada this, Richard Tyler that," failed to make a spark with this anti-label consumer, but I definitely got the message that Doreen is/was materialistic. Someone who is familiar with the "Sex and The City" lifestyle will most likely find more appreciation for her tastes and references. Her humor is moderately self-depreciating, with tinges of pride at being very good at being a "Princess," but what I found myself wondering is what such a 'fabulous' husband is getting out of a relationship with her, with her frequent dramatic screaming and inability to cope with the outdoors, birds, buses, insects, cooking, laundry, etc., along with frequent drinking as a coping skill. I found it interesting that someone who describes herself as 'house-bound' is bent on purchasing designer handbags and shoes--to what end, I wonder? But that aspect of her acquisitive tendencies is not touched on.
She did crack me up with her description of her husband's handyman alter ego as "Project Nerd," and it became a continuing laugh through the book. I appreciated her appreciation and love of her poodle and two cats. However, as Shannon (another reviewer) said, "By the end, she arcs into a character you can understand, and she's come to understand herself." By the time she tries out a nudist RV park with her husband, it's become clear that Doreen has undergone a shift in world-view. As a health professional, I feel like a number of the lessons Doreen finally said learned were always available to her, but it took traveling in a bus to open her up to more thoughtful viewpoints. The messages were brief, but worthwhile lessons in quality time, the search for meaning, and values in a hectic world.
March 13, 2009
Bought this at the airport. It was boring and the protagonist was kind of a whiny pain in the ass. Don't read it.
February 22, 2020
"The whole thing was Tim's fault. When he announced he wanted to travel around the country in a converted bus for a year, I gave this profound and potentially life-altering notion all the thoughtful
consideration it deserved".
Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own by Doreen Orion
Just jump in the car (or bus) and go!
What a fun read! I am a travel buff and this work of non fiction, the true story of a couple who just gets in their bus and GOES was exhilarating. It was a delightful book.
I must admit I have always had the dream of doing something like this myself. I was born with Wanderlust and that has never left me and I LOVED seeing the writer just jump right in! And yeah there are some issues but her way of writing makes even those issues sound like an adventure! At times this book is LOL funny.
I really want to see every state in my lifetime but I am not there yet. This book will no doubt appeal to travel buffs, it would have to. I enjoyed it greatly and my hat's off to the two of them and their happy travels!
consideration it deserved".
Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own by Doreen Orion
Just jump in the car (or bus) and go!
What a fun read! I am a travel buff and this work of non fiction, the true story of a couple who just gets in their bus and GOES was exhilarating. It was a delightful book.
I must admit I have always had the dream of doing something like this myself. I was born with Wanderlust and that has never left me and I LOVED seeing the writer just jump right in! And yeah there are some issues but her way of writing makes even those issues sound like an adventure! At times this book is LOL funny.
I really want to see every state in my lifetime but I am not there yet. This book will no doubt appeal to travel buffs, it would have to. I enjoyed it greatly and my hat's off to the two of them and their happy travels!
June 28, 2011
This was my least favorite book I have read in a long time. In fact, I might even use the "H" word to describe my feelings for it. It's honestly the first book I didn't finish in my lifetime.
In no particular order here are the reasons I h-worded this book:
-the protagonist was not likeable, not well-developed, and her epiphany came way too late in the book--in fact the last 10 pages. Calling her husband "project nerd" was not funny, the protagonist just seemed like a spoiled brat. I am not saying the protagonist is a bad person, I am just saying there is NO way someone is this superficially developed in real life
-the writing style was tell, tell tell. There was nothing left to the imagination and it made me very bored
-the descriptions of the scenery were boring and antiquated
-it was difficult to read about a couple who spent all this money on granite countertops for a bus to tour around in while our country is in the crapper. If the characters were better developed, this could have been funny/ironic.
-the historical background of the sites the characters visited were completely out of place, not fluid at all with the rest of her story.
-I am not sure why the author had to keep hitting the reader over the head with the fact that she and her husband are pyschatrists. a) la-dee-dah! b) if that is important information for a story you are about to tell, the reader is not an idiot and will remember this. You don't have to keep mentioning it every two pages.
I was hoping this book would be a nice summer romp, but really it was just not great. I don't mean like Nora Roberts bad, but bad.
The fact that some people found this book laugh out loud funny makes me feel really bad for humankind and the future of our existence.
The saving grace of this book was the drink recipe at the beginning of each chapter. Those were nice. Different strokes for different folks, but this was not my cup of whiskey infused tea.
In no particular order here are the reasons I h-worded this book:
-the protagonist was not likeable, not well-developed, and her epiphany came way too late in the book--in fact the last 10 pages. Calling her husband "project nerd" was not funny, the protagonist just seemed like a spoiled brat. I am not saying the protagonist is a bad person, I am just saying there is NO way someone is this superficially developed in real life
-the writing style was tell, tell tell. There was nothing left to the imagination and it made me very bored
-the descriptions of the scenery were boring and antiquated
-it was difficult to read about a couple who spent all this money on granite countertops for a bus to tour around in while our country is in the crapper. If the characters were better developed, this could have been funny/ironic.
-the historical background of the sites the characters visited were completely out of place, not fluid at all with the rest of her story.
-I am not sure why the author had to keep hitting the reader over the head with the fact that she and her husband are pyschatrists. a) la-dee-dah! b) if that is important information for a story you are about to tell, the reader is not an idiot and will remember this. You don't have to keep mentioning it every two pages.
I was hoping this book would be a nice summer romp, but really it was just not great. I don't mean like Nora Roberts bad, but bad.
The fact that some people found this book laugh out loud funny makes me feel really bad for humankind and the future of our existence.
The saving grace of this book was the drink recipe at the beginning of each chapter. Those were nice. Different strokes for different folks, but this was not my cup of whiskey infused tea.
Read
June 15, 2009Did not enjoy this book AT ALL. For a highly educated doctor, I expected the writing to be of better quality.
It was extremely disappointing considering I have an interest in not only travel books, but recently, also in memoirs. Since I am on the road over 300 days of the year myself, driving an 18-wheeler with my boyfriend and having traveled the United States and Canada extensively, I did not find the descriptions of any of the places she had been enticing enough to make me want to visit; and I've BEEN to many of the places she mentioned.
I think the idea of two shrinks on a bus for a year could have been interesting, but the writing did not reflect as humorously as it could have. I actually found it painful to get through the entire thing.
I wanted to like it, really I did, but I thought it to depict a year of enduring what seemed like a jail sentence in a bus depicted in over 300 pages of whining.
And I seriously contemplated burning the book before I finished it if she used the word "indomitable" ONE MORE TIME.
It was extremely disappointing considering I have an interest in not only travel books, but recently, also in memoirs. Since I am on the road over 300 days of the year myself, driving an 18-wheeler with my boyfriend and having traveled the United States and Canada extensively, I did not find the descriptions of any of the places she had been enticing enough to make me want to visit; and I've BEEN to many of the places she mentioned.
I think the idea of two shrinks on a bus for a year could have been interesting, but the writing did not reflect as humorously as it could have. I actually found it painful to get through the entire thing.
I wanted to like it, really I did, but I thought it to depict a year of enduring what seemed like a jail sentence in a bus depicted in over 300 pages of whining.
And I seriously contemplated burning the book before I finished it if she used the word "indomitable" ONE MORE TIME.
May 20, 2008
This is an entertaining tale of two shrinks and a bus. I went to visit them - the shrinks and the bus - in Boulder, Colorado. I saw the bus in its lair. I saw the author on the loose, and her husband practicing medicine in a converted Denver warehouse.
I even went in an automobile with them.
There is a high liklihood you will find this story enthralling and amusing, and you will learn to mix exotic drinks, and you will gain valuable insight into the kind of person who may be driving the bus behind you on the highway tomorrow.
I even went in an automobile with them.
There is a high liklihood you will find this story enthralling and amusing, and you will learn to mix exotic drinks, and you will gain valuable insight into the kind of person who may be driving the bus behind you on the highway tomorrow.
July 8, 2008
I was waiting in line at my local bookstore when I spied a pile of books entitled "Queen of the Road". Being an avid traveler and lover of memoirs, I picked one up. I read the first 2 pages and forgot why I wanted the book I held in my other hand. I was hooked...laughing out loud in the check out counter line! "Queen of the Road" by Doreen Orion is a hysterically funny laugh out loud as well as thoughtful and touching memoir about a mid-40ish woman who was convinced by her much loved husband to get in a customPrevost bus for a years adventure around the United States (a huge step for a self-proclaimed "bus phobic" woman). Thus she tries to figure out how to fit just 1/2 of her HUGE collection of shoes, 2 cats and a dog, satellite internet connection, a TV (which they then seldom watched) and other "necessities" of her pre-bus life into the world's skinniest apartment on wheels. Their adventures (both travel and personal) and their personal discoveries into what really matters to them are heart warming and thought provoking. And in the end, it is a love story of a couple learning about themselves, each other and the world around them on the Great American Roadtrip. Oh, and by the way...the "Queen" makes killer martinis...recipes included!
This is my book of the summer...maybe the whole year!
This is my book of the summer...maybe the whole year!
January 30, 2010
I started out really liking this book and the author's humor, but it quickly grew tiresome. I think it would have been much more enjoyable from the husband's point of view because Doreen was just so obnoxious. She was so negative, manipulative, and whiny before and during the trip - what a spoiled brat! I found the constant use of - or reference to - her title of "princess" (self-proclaimed) to be annoying. It ceased being cute after the 50th time! She tried way too hard to be funny and often her attempts at humor just fell flat.
I also thought the book was poorly written. The narrative "flow" was just not there, and I disliked how disjointed and scattered the story was.
It got to the point that I was not even enjoying the descriptions of the places they visited, and this is something I usually like to read. I was surprised to see how many good reviews it got.
I also thought the book was poorly written. The narrative "flow" was just not there, and I disliked how disjointed and scattered the story was.
It got to the point that I was not even enjoying the descriptions of the places they visited, and this is something I usually like to read. I was surprised to see how many good reviews it got.
September 16, 2010
I loved it. This might be because I am also a princess [west coast variety, no shoe fetish] who is the unhappy spouse of a man who likes camping. When we returned from our latest trip I was asked how it had gone and my answer was "Dirt, bugs, and public restrooms - what's not to love?" Dear hubby winced...
This is the type of book you keep having the urge to read aloud - if only to explain the giggling.
This is the type of book you keep having the urge to read aloud - if only to explain the giggling.
June 20, 2017
I couldn’t finish this one because I just couldn’t get into it. The writer’s husband, a lover of nature, convinces Doreen, a self-proclaimed princess, to spend a year in an RV. I read about half of it and enjoyed that much, but I felt the writer was rambling without much point.
November 15, 2019
I ordered this book from Audible simply because it had a title starting with Q, and I was very pleasantly surprised. What a fun and entertaining book! Doreen Orion is a self-proclaimed princess, so she was shocked when her husband suggested they travel around the country for a year in a converted bus. They started in Boulder Colorado, proceeded to the South East, went North to New England, then back South, then West, and eventually ending up in Alaska. What I loved were the bits of information about various scenic locations, including fascinating history and her amusing comments. Orion has a great sense of humor and she tells a great story, so all of her excerpts were entertaining, with some laugh-out-loud moments. I particularly enjoyed the stories about Maine and the foliage, Key West (since I just visited there this year), Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, the nudist RV park, and various stops in Alaska (also familiar from a recent vacation). It was particularly meaningful to witness the growth both Doreen and Tim went through as they worked together throughout the year, learning how to overcome obstacles and change their behavior. I loved their very close relationship, and they both seem like really great people to hang around with. I looked for her blog, but unfortunately it seems to be defunct at this point. Well narrated by Gwen Hughes, although I was disappointed that she didn't do her homework since some proper names were mispronounced.
April 9, 2011
The Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion is an intensely entertaining love story of couple journey across 47 states in a bus. Doreen is ‘princess’ who has not a care in the world except her nail polish, shoes, and handbags. Her husband, Tim, is and outdoorsy, do-it-your self dedicated psychiatrist. The odd couple manage to get along throughout the year without world war three erupting. Doreen at the end of the book appreciates her priceless husband (even more she did before) and realizes the mall is not the Mecca of humanity. Being, an outdoorsy person, I enjoyed all the sights and sounds of American. It is amazing to know that in the world’s most industrial county, the wilderness is still present. I empathize with Doreen, there is no way I could spend so much time in a bus perhaps a train. I abhor gas guzzling vehicles. Tim is the quintessential husband. I know quite a few women who would journey to the end of the world to find TIM. The real question is what Tim admires about Doreen! Three stars for a fun read...
July 31, 2008
This book was very entertaining and I would highly recommend it. Plenty of adventures to keep you laughing.
After reading this book, I want to buy a bus of my own and head out on the road to visit many of my good friends throughout the country!
After reading this book, I want to buy a bus of my own and head out on the road to visit many of my good friends throughout the country!
October 31, 2008
A quick travelogue read. The author changes her style and tone from pampered princess to country lovin' RV-er as she learns life isn't all about shopping and reality TV, and that scenic hikes aren't death marches.
(I needed something light after finishing Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat")
(I needed something light after finishing Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat")
December 19, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! Funny, educational, and heartwarming. I'd love to be able to take the same kind of trip as Doreen and Tim.
June 7, 2023
Being a RV owner (travel trailer), I can really relate to this book. Laugh out loud funny.
Doreen and Tim are two psychiatrists who buy a worn-down RV bus, have it renovated and take it on a cross country trip and into Alaska with a dog and two cats in tow. She is a Jewish high-maintenance princess and Tim is a nerd wannabe having a mid-life crisis. They start out butting heads a lot, but towards the end of the trip with their home in sight, she actually wishes the trip wasn't over.
"Living on our bus allowed me to see how few things I really needed and, ultimately, what I actually valued. I truly hadn't appreciated how important my belongings had become, until I shed most of them and put the rest at risk--on the bus. And risk itself turned out to be exactly what I needed. While going with the crowd feels safer (even on a rickety old school bus), it's much more rewarding to take to the open road on your own, to determine your own course and have your own experiences.
I'd never realized how crucial it is to keep stretching and challenging oneself. My work, my life had become rote, routine, albeit comfortable. I thought I had all I ever wanted. That's why I railed against the bus thing to begin with. But in 340 square feet of living space, especially as it brought trials and tests, I survived and even thrived on with my beloved husband and my adored pets, I was happier than I had ever been.
Two days later, we left Denali and made the nearly five-hour trip to Anchorage. Since I was no longer placing such a premium on material possessions, my bus phobia was gone."
Take it from experience, living in a small space, makes you realize how much you depend on each other. What she says about people you meet on the road, they make the experience. Great read.
Doreen and Tim are two psychiatrists who buy a worn-down RV bus, have it renovated and take it on a cross country trip and into Alaska with a dog and two cats in tow. She is a Jewish high-maintenance princess and Tim is a nerd wannabe having a mid-life crisis. They start out butting heads a lot, but towards the end of the trip with their home in sight, she actually wishes the trip wasn't over.
"Living on our bus allowed me to see how few things I really needed and, ultimately, what I actually valued. I truly hadn't appreciated how important my belongings had become, until I shed most of them and put the rest at risk--on the bus. And risk itself turned out to be exactly what I needed. While going with the crowd feels safer (even on a rickety old school bus), it's much more rewarding to take to the open road on your own, to determine your own course and have your own experiences.
I'd never realized how crucial it is to keep stretching and challenging oneself. My work, my life had become rote, routine, albeit comfortable. I thought I had all I ever wanted. That's why I railed against the bus thing to begin with. But in 340 square feet of living space, especially as it brought trials and tests, I survived and even thrived on with my beloved husband and my adored pets, I was happier than I had ever been.
Two days later, we left Denali and made the nearly five-hour trip to Anchorage. Since I was no longer placing such a premium on material possessions, my bus phobia was gone."
Take it from experience, living in a small space, makes you realize how much you depend on each other. What she says about people you meet on the road, they make the experience. Great read.
September 29, 2018
A hilarious book I rescued from the dumpster this summer at the library (where some of the donated books get recycled when they don't meet the guidelines for the annual book sale). The funny thing about this is that it caught my eye because it was about a couple who toured the US in their RV, visiting nearly all of the states. Being on a 50-states quest ourselves, I was intrigued. Shortly thereafter at the end of August we traveled to the Dakotas (states 36 and 37) where we met a retired couple in Custer State Park who told us about their travels volunteering in parks and living in their RV. Al and I agreed that this would be a fantastic life for us, but what we didn't know at the time was that many people do it before they retire - working seasonal or remote jobs while living several months at a time in one place before moving on to the next destination. The more I learned the more excited I became! And then I remember this book, and gobbled it up. This couple left their jobs to spend a year traveling the country as tourists, not working, but when they returned home they missed the RV life and sold their house to return to the road. The coincidence of finding this book just before meeting Cal & Marilyn in South Dakota has to be a sign...
June 30, 2020
A somewhat dry wit, intelligence, and honesty along with a bus renovation and a year-long road trip (47 states!): I loved this book! The couple are psychiatrists, she, a self-proclaimed Jewish American Princess from the Island of Long, with no desire to leave home most of the time (exception - shopping), he is a driven Westerner who loves being outdoors, driving, and learning new things like cooking, cleaning, and overhauling a bus into a motor home! Their marriage works for them and each grows during the year. The drink recipes are a nice added feature and the travelogue is pretty good. I did get tired of her whiny and self-centered behavior (she and I would NOT make a good couple) but she did grow to the point that I wouldn't mind having dinner with them to discuss places we've been and the books we've read. The list of books they read during the trip was spectacular! I found that I have read at least half of them myself! If you are looking to travel by RV for an extended period, this might be one book you would want to read.
September 11, 2017
I wanted to like this book so much, but when you compare yourself (riding around in what is the equivalent of a tour bus) to slaves in America I just can't. The title pulled me in, and the concept of a princess from Long Island doing a year in a bus sounded like a fantastic read. Really, I thought this was going to be a book of growth, self-discovery, and discovering America. Instead, I found a book of someone who complained the whole way and saw her growth on the bus as an equal comparison to Martin Luther King and former slaves.
I was so sadly disappointed and disgusted in this book that I only made it to page 160, about the half way point. Maybe she managed to grow as a person, maybe not I decided it wasn't worth finding out. As a final thought, the writing itself was actually fairly good and without the content would have probably gotten a 4-star rating.
I was so sadly disappointed and disgusted in this book that I only made it to page 160, about the half way point. Maybe she managed to grow as a person, maybe not I decided it wasn't worth finding out. As a final thought, the writing itself was actually fairly good and without the content would have probably gotten a 4-star rating.
January 21, 2020
For the first fifty pages or so I wished Doreen would be quiet and stop making so many glib remarks. It was a problem because I really wanted to hear about her adventures with her husband in the traveling bus. I finally became accustomed to her eccentric writing style. Eventually I began to feel like I was on the bus trip with them. It has always been a dream of mine to take a year off and wander about collecting people and adventures. It was not to be, however, I could see the beauty of Alaska and other glorious places through this author's eyes. Not a bad substitute.
December 5, 2020
Queen of the Road was one of my favorite books I read during 2020. On a road trip of my own, I read about Orion's unlikely year-long road trip in a renovated van with her husband, dog, and cat. Throughout the book Orion's personality shined through and she used humor to help keep her story moving along. I loved reading all about the places they visited (some in my home state of Ohio) and how she pushed herself out of her comfort zone to have a fulfilling year on the road. I loved this book immensely, it kept me smiling and whenever I see an RV I think of this book.
October 15, 2021
This was a fun, light read that was a whole new twist on the idea of a road trip. Instead of waiting until retirement, this couple and their pets find a way to take a year off to travel the country and explore the great outdoors, big cities and small towns. Living in a renovated bus for a year also has them rethink just how much stuff they need and what really are "necessities" in life.
So many more places I'm eager to explore and want to revisit now (though this did not convert me to the idea of rving/living in a bus ;)).
So many more places I'm eager to explore and want to revisit now (though this did not convert me to the idea of rving/living in a bus ;)).
May 30, 2025
My dad saw this in his Penguin Random House newsletter and thought it might be something I was interested in. I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t know that I would travel across the country in a converted bus, but I did find Doreen to be very relatable. I enjoyed reading about hers and Tim’s travel adventures…good and bad. There was humor, history lessons, and the ever important drink recipes. It was nice to see how Doreen and Tim evolved during their travels. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
July 30, 2018
Great and funny memoir of a Jewish Princess' year on a RV bus!
I really enjoyed this book which I borrowed from my local library. I am doing the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge and this was the only one I found with nudists in it.
Doreen is funny and her husband Tim must be a saint to put up with her shenanigans.
By the end of the trip they both have learned what really matters in life and embrace it.
I really enjoyed this book which I borrowed from my local library. I am doing the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge and this was the only one I found with nudists in it.
Doreen is funny and her husband Tim must be a saint to put up with her shenanigans.
By the end of the trip they both have learned what really matters in life and embrace it.
December 18, 2022
This memoir is very timely in that my husband-to-be also wants to go on the road for a year or more. Doreen's hilarious and heartwarming memoir makes the idea sound very appealing even though she doesn't sugar-coat her own experiences. Your realize it really can be a trip of a lifetime with a lifetime's worth of stories to tell. The author mixes in travel tales with a travelogue. A very good and satisfying read.
April 23, 2023
This memoir is very timely in that my husband-to-be also wants to go on the road for a year or more. Doreen's hilarious and heartwarming memoir makes the idea sound very appealing even though she doesn't sugar-coat her own experiences. Your realize it really can be a trip of a lifetime with a lifetime's worth of stories to tell. The author mixes in travel tales with a travelogue. A very good and satisfying read.
February 21, 2018
The voice was uneven, the cocktail recipes simply an add-on and not integrated into the text, the shoe obsession hardly mentioned, and the "characterization" of the princess/queen a little too negative in the beginning, I suppose to emphasize the change of attitude toward the end. However, spots were humorous and some of the "travel" sections interesting.
February 8, 2019
Wonderful to read
I enjoyed reading this book. Giving me an inside to a whole different way of enjoying life. I wish she would write another book about their travels and misfortunes they had along the way. Guess that would mean another trip. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a life style change.
I enjoyed reading this book. Giving me an inside to a whole different way of enjoying life. I wish she would write another book about their travels and misfortunes they had along the way. Guess that would mean another trip. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a life style change.
June 8, 2019
I should start by saying I normally don’t enjoy non-fiction; and the only reason I read this was for book club.
I liked that the book was written as if narrator is having a conversation with you. Sadly that is all I liked. I felt her attempts to being funny came across snobby and judgmental. It just didn’t work for me.
I liked that the book was written as if narrator is having a conversation with you. Sadly that is all I liked. I felt her attempts to being funny came across snobby and judgmental. It just didn’t work for me.
October 22, 2020
LOVE this book. I went through a memoir-reading phase and this one is a stand out: laugh out loud and grab the other person in the room to read that hilarious bit out loud to - over and over again. Orion's insights and story-telling prowess render this journey a delight. My husband often quotes lines from this book. A great read.
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