Not to give away to much about THE ROAD, but they were heading south for the warmer climate and maybe even food.... or at least that was what the man was hoping for. They were desperate and willing to try anything....staying put, was a non-option.
"The new tyranny in America will not come from armies on the streets, but rather an increasingly meddling bureaucracy that interferes in the day to day lives of its citizens" - Paraphrase Alexis De Tocqueville