30. From Truckers’ Dhabas to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway (25th Dec 2025).

#roadtrip #kanyakumari #roadtripkanyakumari #amritsarkanyakumariroadtrip #nh4 #delhimumbaiexpressway 25th Dec 2025, Thursday…Day (30) Shere Punjab Hotel, Taroda Kasba (NH-53) Maharashtra-Muktainagar-Burhanpur-Indore-Ujjain-Garoth-NE-4, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Rest Area (529km). Road Trip, Amritsar-Kanyakumari, (Day 30) With every kilometre northward, winter tightened its grip. By the time we rolled into Shere Punjab Hotel near Taroda Kasba Toll Plaza (NH-53) after midnight, the mercury had plunged to 11°C. The lively truckers’ dhaba, buzzing with life even at that hour, became our refuge for the night. Wrapped in blankets inside the car, we drifted into one of the most peaceful sleeps of the journey. Dawn arrived with steaming cups of tea, crisp air, and a single mission—to keep driving, unhurried, enjoying the road while inching closer to home. The butter-smooth NH-53 was pure bliss, with endless conversations and timeless Hindi melodies providing the perfect soundtrack. Reality returned on the rough, under-construction NH-753E. We hoped to pause at Omkareshwar, but relentless traffic and chaotic driving forced us to move on. As darkness fell, Ujjain too tested our patience. Hotel after hotel displayed the same disappointing message—No Vacancy, thanks to ongoing festivities. Just when the day seemed determined to exhaust us, the road surprised us again. The 127-kilometre stretch to Garoth unfolded like a private expressway—empty, smooth, and a sheer joy to drive. A hot midnight meal at a roadside dhaba lifted our spirits before we climbed onto the magnificent Delhi–Mumbai Expressway (NE-4). Barely five kilometres later, we found exactly what every road traveller dreams of—a brightly lit, bustling rest area with open eateries, parked cars, and families spending the night just as we were. Safe, welcoming, and peaceful, it felt less like a parking area and more like a reward from the highway itself. We parked, slipped into the car, and ended another unforgettable day exactly where we love being most—on the road, under the stars, with home drawing ever closer. For more travel stories, pls check joyclubsunil.wordpress.com