{Taken on a road trip to the Bay Area about a year ago.}
There is a running joke in our house that all my husband has to do is come home with news of an impending trip and I’m already on my way upstairs to pull out my suitcase. As soon as he offhandedly mentions, “Oh, I might have to go to Singapore”, or “There’s a possibility I’ll need to take a trip to Hong Kong,” my eyes light up, and just as quickly he holds up his hand and says, “Not so fast, crazy lady.” We then banter back and forth about it, him trying to convince me he’ll be too busy working for us to spend any time together, me reminding him I’m a big brave girl who is happy to wander anonymously and alone.
Whatever the potential destination or work schedule, I’ve learned not to get too attached to any of these possibilities; his travel plans change so often that I literally don’t believe we’re going anywhere until we are in the air, and even then it’s up for grabs. He might get a call or another idea, and have to find a way to turn the plane around. Knowing my husband, he would not only convince the pilots to do it, but they’d be thanking him for coming up with such a great idea.
All this time, my husband can’t comprehend what part of my brain thinks it is a good idea to go through the hassles of air travel just to spend time away from home. One of the few trips I grudgingly passed up was to Moscow, and I decided to stay home because his itinerary was as follows: Fly to Moscow, land, have a meeting the next day, go to dinner, fly home the next day. And I’m not even sure about the dinner part. I’m not certain he was in Moscow for even 24 hours. Because my husband’s goal on any business trip is simple: To get back home.
So how does a married couple – one of whom loathes travel as much as the other one loves it – get out and about and see the world? We take road trips. Which limits our destination list, but we are blessed to have an entire universe of beauty right here in the state of California. We’ve traveled to San Diego, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, Ojai, Pine Mountain, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, San Francisco, Mendocino, Sequoia, Yosemite, Big Sur, Monterey, a dozen tiny towns along the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and as many spots between the Bay Area and the Oregon state line. We’ve done this in a car and on a motorcycle, carting everything from binoculars to bicycles.
Seeing the world is an extraordinary gift that I don’t take for granted. I still think of air travel with the same enthusiasm as a wide-eyed little girl. We can fly! In a plane! And travel to places with camels! And pandas! And coco taxis! I am still enamored by air travel, even with all its countless annoyances. It isn’t easy or altogether pleasant, but it enables me to step out of my comfort zones, routines, and perspectives, and for that I will always be grateful.
But our road trips create their own special kind of magic. All we have to do is throw our bags in the car and we’re off – just the two of us with a road map, some snacks, and plenty of good music. No boarding pass, no security clearance, no worries about whether or not we’ll get in the car in time to stow our luggage in an overhead compartment. All that’s required is to pick a spot on the map, fill the tank with gas, and hit the road.
I’d love to know ~ what was one of your favorite road trips?
Christine Mason Miller is a writer and artist whose dream destination is the Seychelles Islands off of the east coast of Africa. She has no immediate travel plans, much to the delight of her husband.
for a tropical country like the philippines it is fascinating to visit places around the country where the weather is at its coolest. 10 years ago i had made a 12 hour roadtrip to the mountains of sagada for my college thesis research. i had only myself and a host to take me around.
i hope to find pictures of this trip soon. love your website and everything about it <3
embracingtadhana.blogspot.com
visit me anytime! :)
My boyfriend and I have driven cross country (U.S.A) twice and I have to say I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I loved driving Route 66 and CA 1 and visiting as many goofy, fun and national park like places as possible in our short three weeks.
I just found you…what a great blog!
I would have to say one of my fav road trips was taking the train from DC to Miami Beach. A few friends and myself went for spring break. The travel time was long, but a great time to bond with some of my best buds!!!
Magic… I love the way you talk about road trips creating magic. I am having trouble picking one. Driving with my loved one to see blooming anemones in the desert… Overland crossing from Lebanon to Syria… The drive from Northern to Southern Uganda. Put people in a car long enough and they will find some magic.
I absolutely loved this post. Thank you.
I love Sunday drives…
Eating bacon and eggs, reading the morning paper, my boyfriend turns to me and says “wanna go for a drive today”. I love it. I never ask where. I just jump in the car, camera in hand and join him for a journey … together. And thats the best bit. Its a journey together. The destination is always home but I love the different path we take each time and the new way we see things on a “Sunday Drive”.
i can totally relate. my husband, too, is not much of a traveler while i believe travel is a divine gift that must not be wasted. we also go on road trips, but lately, we’ve been taking plane rides to local destinations. still, i hope to drag him to on an out of the country trip soon!
when I was a child my father always talked about driving down Route 1 in CA. I soooo wanted to do that, in a convertible, singing at the top of my lungs to beloved music. so as an adult, I did. well not in a convertible, but it was GREAT nonetheless. I didn’t have an agenda, no one to see and nothing to stop for except whatever caught my eye and fancy. I flew in and had 3 night and almost 4 days to just let the road and my heart take me whereever. I had thought I’d go almost all the way down the coast but then…I enjoyed santa cruz so much after getting lunch down south I drove back up and stayed at the same hotel I had the night before as the proprieters had been so pleasant. got up. walked along the beach. just sat for hours – in santa cruz, half moon bay, and another beach enjoying the sun, the air, the fact that I had nothing to do but enjoy. It was wonderful. I’ve driven across the country with my son twice too and while that wasn’t the most pleasant experience (4 days, 2 and then 3 yr old and a 100 lb puppy in a toyota corrolla) we made the most of each stop- exploring, reading signs, taking pictures – he still remembers the wind in Iowa (as I do) and Wyoming (it almost blew him away, it did take his shoe about 40 feet before I got it). I hope to help him develop the ability to see the good in all you do.
Man, I’ve had so many!
I think one that will linger with me though is spending 6 weeks in a campervan, tripping around the very top of New Zealand before we left for the UK. I’d always promised myself that I would drive every piece of coastline and through the middle of both major islands before leaving and that was the last piece of the promise.
Thanks for the reminder, it’s bringing back happy memories.
Funny to read this post about road trips because I JUST returned from a big solo soul searching friend visiting one this week. From Seattle to the Bay Area and then from there to Venice Beach on 101, then east over to the Sierra Nevada mountains for some hot springs this back north through eastern CA and Nevada. Through all of it though, north central Oregon was my surprised favorite. Nothing clears the head and opens the soul wide quite like being on the road. Been back about 4 days and am already thinking towards the next…
I looooooooove all of these stories! Thank you so much for sharing them!