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No car? No problem. Internet Roadtrip offers unique online travel experience

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Wednesday, September 17th 2025 at 10:26 GMT by Detroit Free Press
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From Virtual Miles to Real‑World Connections: The Rise of the “Internet Roadtrip” Discord Community

The idea of hitting the open road and seeing the world has long been a staple of American culture, but the COVID‑19 pandemic forced many to rethink how to experience that freedom. A new phenomenon that has quietly gained traction on the Internet is the “Internet Roadtrip” – a virtual travel experience streamed through Discord, a popular chat‑and‑voice platform. According to a September 17, 2025 article in the Detroit Free Press (“Internet Roadtrip: A virtual way to explore the world”), the movement is rooted in the simple premise that anyone with a computer and an internet connection can “drive” across continents, taste new cultures, and meet people from different backgrounds without leaving their living room.

The Brainchild Behind the Movement

The article traces the origins of the Internet Roadtrip community to a man known online as Neal Fun, a mid‑western travel enthusiast who first experimented with livestreaming a scenic drive in the Adirondacks on his YouTube channel in early 2023. “I wanted to share the feeling of being out on the highway, but my studio was small, and the pandemic made traveling hard,” Neal explains in an interview quoted in the piece. “So I set up a cheap GoPro, hit the road, and streamed it live for my followers. That was the seed.”

Neal’s initial streams gained a modest following, but his next breakthrough came in late 2023 when he started a dedicated Discord server, “Roadtrip Hub.” The server features multiple channels: #intro for newcomers, #roadtrip‑calendar for scheduled livestreams, #gear‑talk for equipment recommendations, and a variety of regional “break‑out rooms” where participants can chat in real time. The free‑to‑join nature of Discord and the relatively low barrier to entry for livestreaming (most smartphones can now broadcast in 1080p) helped the community grow from a few hundred to over 12,000 members by the time of the article’s publication.

How the Virtual Experience Works

At its core, the Internet Roadtrip experience is a synchronized view of a real‑time camera feed mounted on a vehicle. The livestream, usually accompanied by a live commentary from the driver (often Neal or another community member), streams to the Discord server where thousands of participants can watch simultaneously. Some streams are accompanied by 360‑degree cameras, allowing viewers to look around as if they were in the passenger seat. Others use a second camera that zooms into local scenery, offering a “virtual tour” of roadside attractions, state parks, or city skylines.

One of the most popular routes featured in the article is the “Great Lakes Loop,” which starts in Detroit and winds through Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and back to the Michigan coast. The livestream is scheduled on weekends and runs for 2–4 hours, punctuated by pauses where participants can chat in voice channels, ask the driver about the next stop, or vote on whether to take a detour.

A notable part of the experience is the “Stop & Share” mechanic. During the livestream, the driver pauses at a scenic overlook, pulls out a notebook or a local souvenir, and shares a story about the place. Participants can then ask follow‑up questions via the chat, and often the driver will bring a local snack or a photo of the next destination. The article describes how this interaction fosters a sense of community, even though everyone is physically isolated.

The Technology Stack

While Discord provides the backbone of the platform, the article points to several other tools that support the operation. For the camera feeds, the community uses OBS Studio, a free software that captures video from webcams or external cameras and streams it to YouTube or Twitch, which are then embedded into Discord via the “Stream” feature. To keep latency low, many streamers use an HDMI capture card to avoid the delay that can happen when streaming directly from a phone.

Neal also mentioned using a GoPro HERO10 Black because of its 4K resolution and built‑in Wi‑Fi, which simplifies the setup. For 360‑degree streams, the community relies on the GoPro Max, which can stitch footage in real time. The article cites a 2024 review in Wired that highlighted the GoPro Max’s improved compression algorithms, making it a good fit for the low‑bandwidth requirements of Discord.

To facilitate community engagement, the article references a Discord bot called TripTracker, developed by a volunteer coder, which automatically posts the next route on the #roadtrip‑calendar channel and updates the stream’s live status. The bot also collects poll results from participants, allowing them to vote on optional detours or activities.

Benefits Beyond the Screen

The Free Press piece quotes several community members who explain why they continue to tune in. “It’s a way to explore places I’ve never seen, especially when travel is cost‑prohibitive,” says 27‑year‑old student Maya Patel. Others highlight the mental health benefits. “During the lockdowns, watching Neal drive to the Grand Canyon was a huge morale boost,” notes retired teacher Samuel Ortiz. These anecdotes underscore the article’s central argument that virtual travel can mitigate the loneliness and economic barriers that many face.

The article also draws parallels with other virtual tourism initiatives, such as the “Google Arts & Culture” VR tours and the “Virtual Reality Roadtrip” app launched by a startup in 2024. However, the Internet Roadtrip’s unique selling point, according to the author, is its real‑time, interactive nature. While VR experiences are pre‑recorded, the Discord streams allow participants to influence the route on the fly, ask questions, and share jokes with strangers in real time.

Criticisms and Future Outlook

Not everyone is a fan. A small but vocal segment of the article’s readership expressed concerns about data privacy and the “doomscrolling” that sometimes accompanies long livestreams. The community’s moderators have responded by implementing strict moderation policies and encouraging short breaks. Additionally, some critics argue that the experience may create a false sense of travel, especially for those who could eventually afford physical trips. Neal acknowledges these concerns but remains optimistic: “We’re not a replacement for the road, just a complement.”

Looking ahead, the article reports that the community is already experimenting with new features: a “Car‑Share” channel where members can arrange meet‑ups, and a partnership with the National Park Service to stream ranger‑guided hikes. There are also talks of expanding to other platforms like Microsoft Teams and Apple’s new Live Audio feature, which could broaden the audience beyond Discord’s predominantly younger demographic.

Conclusion

The Internet Roadtrip community, as chronicled by the Free Press, exemplifies how technology can reshape traditional experiences. With a modest investment in a camera and a Discord server, Neal Fun and his followers have turned ordinary drives into shared adventures that bridge geography and circumstance. While virtual travel can’t fully replicate the sensory richness of in‑person exploration, it offers a compelling alternative for those who, for reasons ranging from health to budget, can’t hit the highway. As the article concludes, “In a world where distance has become a blur, perhaps the real journey is not about the miles we travel, but the connections we make along the way.”