Get There Quick or Enjoy The Roadtrip

Are you one of those folks who always hurries to your destination when driving your vehicle; or are you the type that just lays back and enjoys the sights and the ride?

I tend to be the latter. I've always been that way. For most of my working career, my work was only 3 miles from my house. Now that's an easy commute. No need to be in a hurry, just roll into the parking lot and stroll in to work.

I did have a period back in the late '80s and early '90s when I worked closer to BWI airport, which was more like a 12 mile trip on what I call the 'Big Roads', better known as interstates. With normal traffic, it was about a 12 mile/20 minute trip.

I'm not a Big Road kinda guy if I can help it, so I would typically allow 30-35 minutes and take a more leisurely route along older local roads both to and from work. The distance was about 1 mile shorter with much more to look at and fewer 'In a Hurry' drivers. It was kind of a laidback trip each way.

Yesterday I took a short run to a rental property that my daughter and I own down in the Fenwick Island, DE area. The drive is around 250 miles round-trip. I was cruising along at a comfortable road speed and it occurred to me that when I was a kid back in the late '40s/early '50s, our family had just gotten our first post-war automobile and that we always seemed to be taking quiet Sunday afternoon drives to get some ice cream.

I think those laidback Sunday afternoon drives to someplace different each time were what laid out the pattern for my driving habits. I'm seldom in a hurry when I'm driving, especially on a road trip. When I actively rode my motorcycle, I did the same thing; hence the 'laidback' pattern personalized license tag on the bike.

Road trips should be fun; why rush, enjoy life every minute of every day. Make all your local journeys a road trip.

JD, here in the BToS resting up from Monday's road trip to the beach house.

PS - Might end up selling the ol' Valk come spring...just don't ride it enough to keep all six carbs clean any more. I bought it new just over 10 years ago and have only ridden it about 800 miles in the last 2 years. Talk about high cost per mile for insurance!!!