On The Road Again

Ever since my first time behind the wheel, I've been in love with driving.

OK...maybe not the very first time.  The standard "H" clutch in my father's Camry made the first time a little more challenging than ignition, gas and go.
So....

Ever since I could learn how to adequately shift gears, I've been in love with driving.  From the quick jaunt to the store, to early morning drives into work, I love hopping in the car and having the freedom to just go anytime I want.

OK, so in all honesty, rush hour traffic in LA is a bit more challenging to love. If it were up to me, I wouldn't mind handing over the keys to someone else on a daily basis - but I can't guarantee I'm going to like their choice of music....

What I love best are road trips.  Hours in the car, never run out of music, wind in your hair road trips.  There's just something so free and exciting about the open road in front of you.  You can go anywhere and discover anything.  Every trip is different.  I've traveled the two hour stretch from LA to San Diego or Tucson to Phoenix countless times, and there's always something new to see.  Take a left instead of right, use this exit instead of that, suddenly you're in a whole new area you can explore, get lost, or find yourself in. And the greatest thing about America's fabulous highway system, there's never a lack of roads to travel anywhere!  Even if you feel as though you've explored all of the avenues and boulevards in your immediate area....

...simply start all over again someplace else!

Sometimes a road trip can start off with a specific destination in mind.

Actual, honest garlic of Gilroy

Other times, you just make up your stops along the way:

Perhaps, as you're driving along, the tiniest sign along the freeway can entice you to exit and discover something you might have otherwise missed altogether.

The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, CA

Driving along, you get a chance to enjoy the bounties each neighborhood, region, city boasts - whether it's as simple as a small piece of local artwork:

"Retro Woman" - by Gordon Heuther along a wall in Napa, CA

...or grand artwork disguised as infrastructure:

Steel beauty in the Bay

...or infrastructure in agricultural form:

The grapes of Napa

The journey isn't always carefree.  After all, three things in life are certain...death, taxes and traffic:

But when you do find that one stretch of beautiful, wide-open road to travel, there's just nothing better than opening all of the windows, and cranking up the tunes - letting all of that fresh, clean air in and your lovely serenading voice out!

Sorry, cows.

So if you find yourself stuck this weekend with not a whole lot to do, but perhaps a whole tank of gas to do nothing with, might I suggest jumping in the car, choosing a direction, and seeing where the road takes you?

Need a travel partner?  I'll gladly come along with you!

...provided I get to pick the music.