I took a long car ride with my husband today. We haven’t
done that in a long time. Well, we did drive from Florida to upstate New York a
few weeks ago, but I don’t count that since that was more of a car endurance
marathon than a car “ride.” This afternoon we drove an hour away to have lunch
and enjoy the Adirondack scenery, stopping at a local lake to check out the
houses and admire the views while we were at it. So fun.
We used to do things like that long ago. You remember those
creative dates when money is more scarce? You take a long ride and get an ice
cream cone, or drive out to some scenic spot to hike a trail or have a picnic. Simple
pleasures.
I remember an uncle who took my cousin and I on long car
trips around an Adirondack lake when we were girls. We used to really look
forward to the outing, only to realize midway through the lake was HUGE and we
were clearly never getting home. But now, I understand the concept of Sunday
driving more. The point isn’t to set a land-speed record. It’s to see something
new and enjoy a place from the comfort of your own car while your favorite
music plays.
Today, I rediscovered the joy of tooling around on a sunny
day for a good joy ride. We stopped for lunch, walked around a little lake,
chatted with local shopkeepers, priced homes we’ll never buy because we like
looking at houses, and ran our fingers over a fast moving stream to see how
cold the water from the mountains can be. (Answer: very!!)
It was fun and I highly recommend It for your next cheap
date. Make sure you have good tunes too, because old songs always remind you of
something from the past that will be fun to share. This summer, I’m committed
to enjoying the slow spin of the days rather than hurtling headlong through the
season. Sunday driving is a good start.
***Do you ever hop in the car “just because” or do you get
fidgety if you don’t have a destination in mind? How about as a teen? Did you
head out with your friends just for the freedom of it? Chat with me today on
the boards and I’ll give one random poster a copy of my latest release, SECRET BABY SCANDAL.
11 comments:
We did the same as you yesterday. My husband drove the two of us westward 20 miles, then headed north and meandered through small towns, ending in another small place that had an ice cream place. What I really enjoyed was a blackboard sign on the side of the building, stating that the place was now owned by a 16-year-old girl who goes to high school in my own city 45 minutes away ... that the store has been in existence for over a century and she didn't want it closed down. How awesome is that girl?!!! And, by the way, the blue bubblegum ice cream was fantastic!
We do, especially on a nice day. We will usually choose a spot to go out for a late breakfast and then end up driving somewhere. Sometimes it will be into the mountains and other times the beach. Sometimes, we will just end up in a small town exploring the little shops and such. Fun.
Laney, I love it that you capped off your ride with ice cream, too :-). The girl you mentioned should be a character in a book, BTW!
We have an 8hour maybe more driving journey coming up in August when we head north to Scotland. As I do not know how to drive (there are far too many muppets on the English roads without me joining their ranks) my hubby is in charge. We tend to listen to Horrible Histories songs, I crochet and if we leave early enough, with any luck they may sleep. Usually though despite buying new books, comics, travel games and snacks, the car is filled with the dulcet tones of 'Are we there yet? I need to go to the toilet, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm bored. Muuuuum he's looking at me etc, and that's just as we come to the end of our road.
All good fun!
Manda x
My husband and I often take day trips to Amish country. Takes about 2 hours to get there, but the scenery is beautiful and we always get a nice dinner before we head home.
those are the days I miss my convertible... sold it right before the first child was born, car seat wouldn't have fit the back seat...
denise
I'm not one for just getting in the car and driving. I'd rather go for a stroll. Easier on the nerves given the morons on the road.
Manda, it's been awhile since I took a road trip with small children, but I remember those days well! We lived far from one side of our family or the other throughout their childhood, so we usually had at least one long trip per year. Now, I have to check their schedules to see if they are available to go places with us!
Scotland sounds fun... hope you have a great time!
I'm too much of a planner to just hop in the car and go somewhere. But I do love (planned)day trips, especially when the sun is shining: the beach, the zoo, hiking, etc.
My husband, son, and I went for a little drive on Father's Day. It was only for 20-30 min, but it was enough for us. I think that's the most we'd driven together without having a set destination. It was rather nice.
Winner!!! Congratulations to Candace Woods, winner of the thread prize! Candace, all you need to do is email me at jrock008@gmail.com with a mailing addy and I'll ship your book out to you ASAP! Have a wonderful weekend, my friends, and thank you so much for visiting! Next month I'll be posting all about my RWA adventures in San Diego with two thousand writing friends.... it's sure to be a blast and I'll come home with lots of books to share :-).
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