What a boring title. Too tired to think of anything else, but it's a good tired. Guess I should start from the birth of the idea for this trip.
In the past few years, I've learned that it's really a good thing to take a trip in the winter, somewhere warm preferably. The one year that I didn't do it, was just not a good scene. I was completely dragged out until the spring weather allowed more outside time. Of course, that's somewhat weather dependent. If it's snowy out, there are lots of opportunities, but rainy soggy winters can be a complete drain on someone with SAD. So, nuff said, every year the Peter Pan Getaway Boots come out. So far, I've been to New Zealand, Mexico, Miami Beach, Bahrain, and London, UK. Not bad, although two of those were only long weekends (Miami Beach and London).
This year, I couldn't decide where to go. I have 10 days or so, including Christmas eve, which gets me back with a day to spare to do laundry. Thought about Costa Rica, Peru, Galapagos, Panama, Caribbean cruise, Belize, everything sounded somewhat, well, not quite right. I was ready for an adventure, one that enabled me to see many things, stop if I wanted or go far, with nothing really planned (a real adventure). Started looking at National Geographic Adventure Tours, and started noticing the number of cool places closer to home, and within driving distance. Aha! Road Trip!!! Booked the first couple of nights to make sure I had a room for the busy holiday nights, and after that, well, wherever the sun shines is where I'll go, with tons of ideas and possibilities.
So here I am, after less than 10 hours of driving time, in a modest but comfortable and clean hotel room at the Country Inn in Harrisonburg VA, on my way to somewhere south, with my camera equipment, camping gear (in case I get to the Everglades, which will definitely be one for the books!), a couple of credit cards, and the baby lion is tucked neatly away in the kitty cat hotel (Catnap Cottages) back home. Love it.
Yes, I already had Christmas dinner with mom and dad, Val and Chad and the kids, and my sisters and brother-in-law. So I don't really feel like I'm missing the holiday.
So, to capture the essence of the day, it started like the first day of vacation usually does. I wake up feeling like I have tons of time to get everything cleaned up at home, get everything packed up, and be on my way in time to get to my first destination in time for dinner. Ha! Also as usual, I grossly underestimate the time required to pack to my level of satisfaction. I started three days ago to get ready, you'd think I'd have it down! But no, even with all of the planning (what planning?) and my experience with travel, I almost forgot my passport, had to take the cat to boarding and then come back and finish packing, and didn't leave home till about 11:30 a.m. (instead of 9:30).
But once I got going, it didn't take long to relax into the drive, the weather was stunning - sunny and warm enough to have the sunroof open even before I hit the border - and I was focused only on getting to Harrisonburg, where I had a room already booked. With the new Garmin GPS on my dash guiding my way after crossing the border, it feels like I haven't a care in the world. Even maintaining a constant awareness of what's going on around me, it's a relaxing drive, almost easy, even coming through the mountains of Pennsylvania, normally treacherous with snow this time of year, completely dry this year.
Highlights to remember:
1. A billboard reading "Not all rehabs are the same" (there's a competitive market for rehab centers? What does that say about the state of the States? Social commentary expected...)
2. The full moon - first one at Christmas for a couple of decades, last one for another 19 years - rising through clear skies over the Allegheny mountains on one side of the car while the sun set graciously through turquoise and pink skies on the other side. Driving most of the rest of the way with the moon providing almost as much light as streetlights would have - thankfully, since the GPS took me through some pretty quiet countryside.
3. Some beautiful, well-kept little towns, and some very industrial, sad little mining towns.
4. A new appreciation for those willing and able to work in order to provide numbskulls like me who want to travel on this holiday, with food, accommodation, service, gas, and a friendly smile. It's not just the essential services, but those that we take for granted to always be available. It seems that society has lost it's ability to "do without".
Looking forward to a leisurely drive through Shenandoah Valley tomorrow, and down through to Charleston, SC, where I have a room booked on the river. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to take some good pictures. Or at least, some pictures.
In the past few years, I've learned that it's really a good thing to take a trip in the winter, somewhere warm preferably. The one year that I didn't do it, was just not a good scene. I was completely dragged out until the spring weather allowed more outside time. Of course, that's somewhat weather dependent. If it's snowy out, there are lots of opportunities, but rainy soggy winters can be a complete drain on someone with SAD. So, nuff said, every year the Peter Pan Getaway Boots come out. So far, I've been to New Zealand, Mexico, Miami Beach, Bahrain, and London, UK. Not bad, although two of those were only long weekends (Miami Beach and London).
This year, I couldn't decide where to go. I have 10 days or so, including Christmas eve, which gets me back with a day to spare to do laundry. Thought about Costa Rica, Peru, Galapagos, Panama, Caribbean cruise, Belize, everything sounded somewhat, well, not quite right. I was ready for an adventure, one that enabled me to see many things, stop if I wanted or go far, with nothing really planned (a real adventure). Started looking at National Geographic Adventure Tours, and started noticing the number of cool places closer to home, and within driving distance. Aha! Road Trip!!! Booked the first couple of nights to make sure I had a room for the busy holiday nights, and after that, well, wherever the sun shines is where I'll go, with tons of ideas and possibilities.
So here I am, after less than 10 hours of driving time, in a modest but comfortable and clean hotel room at the Country Inn in Harrisonburg VA, on my way to somewhere south, with my camera equipment, camping gear (in case I get to the Everglades, which will definitely be one for the books!), a couple of credit cards, and the baby lion is tucked neatly away in the kitty cat hotel (Catnap Cottages) back home. Love it.
Yes, I already had Christmas dinner with mom and dad, Val and Chad and the kids, and my sisters and brother-in-law. So I don't really feel like I'm missing the holiday.
So, to capture the essence of the day, it started like the first day of vacation usually does. I wake up feeling like I have tons of time to get everything cleaned up at home, get everything packed up, and be on my way in time to get to my first destination in time for dinner. Ha! Also as usual, I grossly underestimate the time required to pack to my level of satisfaction. I started three days ago to get ready, you'd think I'd have it down! But no, even with all of the planning (what planning?) and my experience with travel, I almost forgot my passport, had to take the cat to boarding and then come back and finish packing, and didn't leave home till about 11:30 a.m. (instead of 9:30).
But once I got going, it didn't take long to relax into the drive, the weather was stunning - sunny and warm enough to have the sunroof open even before I hit the border - and I was focused only on getting to Harrisonburg, where I had a room already booked. With the new Garmin GPS on my dash guiding my way after crossing the border, it feels like I haven't a care in the world. Even maintaining a constant awareness of what's going on around me, it's a relaxing drive, almost easy, even coming through the mountains of Pennsylvania, normally treacherous with snow this time of year, completely dry this year.
Highlights to remember:
1. A billboard reading "Not all rehabs are the same" (there's a competitive market for rehab centers? What does that say about the state of the States? Social commentary expected...)
2. The full moon - first one at Christmas for a couple of decades, last one for another 19 years - rising through clear skies over the Allegheny mountains on one side of the car while the sun set graciously through turquoise and pink skies on the other side. Driving most of the rest of the way with the moon providing almost as much light as streetlights would have - thankfully, since the GPS took me through some pretty quiet countryside.
3. Some beautiful, well-kept little towns, and some very industrial, sad little mining towns.
4. A new appreciation for those willing and able to work in order to provide numbskulls like me who want to travel on this holiday, with food, accommodation, service, gas, and a friendly smile. It's not just the essential services, but those that we take for granted to always be available. It seems that society has lost it's ability to "do without".
Looking forward to a leisurely drive through Shenandoah Valley tomorrow, and down through to Charleston, SC, where I have a room booked on the river. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to take some good pictures. Or at least, some pictures.
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