What do you get from gravel that you don't get from road riding
Peacefulness. Better scenery. Easier to hear any approaching cars. Fewer cars! Narrower roads with more shade and a closed in feeling.
From my home to where the gravel begins, I'm pretty much stuck balancing on a white line with lots of 65 mph traffic flying by. That's ok, but not exactly the most relaxing. Once I turn onto the gravel, I've got trees, birds chirping, and surprisingly few to almost no cars at all. I can wobble from my line without dying ,and am not trapped on the raggedy right edge.