It’s an east coast west coast thing. Four hours is nothing in the west…the drive to the nearest Montana Costco or West Texas Walmart so to speak. Four hours of driving from Las Vegas just puts you in a more remote part of the desert.
I was commenting more on Silicon Valley vs. a much bigger area.
But I agree with the basic point (much less a contrast with much of Europe).
The first couple of times I planned a trip in the West that involved driving to different areas, I remember having to significantly modify plans when I realized I'd be driving rather than doing hikes.
