What would it take?

[Teacher Terry]

I am with you IL and want to do the month trip to 5 countries in Europe. Hoping for August 2021. We had such cheap tickets and I bet prices will double. 2 years ago we did a month trip to visit all our friends and family between Nevada and Minnesota. It was 4K miles and it was fun but I don’t see wanting to drive that much again.

[frugal-one]

I am not ready to give up one or two final trips to Europe or Asia, but I don’t want to fly now or in near future. And god I hate car trips, driving more than 6 hours was a big nope. But something will have to give.

I'm with you!!! I hate car trips of long distances!! I'd MUCH rather fly, rent a car and see everything in that location(s) and stay longer versus wasting days driving.

[iris lilies]

I'm with you!!! I hate car trips of long distances!! I'd MUCH rather fly, rent a car and see everything in that location(s) and stay longer versus wasting days driving.

yes. In 2017 we took two vacations, one fabulous one to Prague and Romania, another one, a crappy one, to
las Cruces, NM. While the flying is never fun at least you get someplace interesting.

For the Las Cruces trip we drove for two+ days each way. It was not a fun trip. I remember eating Thanksgiving dinner at an Indian restaurant that was not very good someplace in Oklahoma. Oh yeah and we somehow ended up on a toll road in Oklahoma that actually stopped. We had to stop ...or maybe we drove thru it???...because there was no way to pay the toll, because it was Thanksgiving. We didn’t have change.what a shitshow that was. Cars behind us did same thing...

And then Cruces was, well, Cruces. Charming in its own way, but it immediately reminded me why I left. And then, it was crappy hot weather in late November, too hot to leave our dog in the car, so we had to scramble for special accommodations because he cannot be left in a hotel room alone. So we luckily found a cute casita on Air bnB. But yes, overall, a shitshow.

[iris lilies]

I actually love car trips. One of my favorite memories is a car trip with my daughter from Houston, TX to NJ. We kept it semi-scheduled with spontaneous trips along the way. We bonded, we fought over the music, and we discovered so many awesome things.

Sometimes when I am coming back from a long stressful business trip I actually have to suppress urges to take my car out of the airport parking lot and just hit the highway to Destination Nowhere. It's kind of weird, but just driving along enjoying the scenery is so calming.

yes, there are people who like a long drive and people who do not. The driving people vs the “just get there!” People.

I remember clearly my first few events with DH’s family. They tell many stories about driving to Florida. It was also an often told tale about driving to Oregon. There was absolutely nothing memorable in these stories in my mind. I was interested in what they did when they got to Florida. What did they do when they got to Oregon? But they never talked about that, it was always the driving, driving, driving.

I love my new red car, but I am almost as happy to look at it parked as
i am to drive it.

[pinkytoe]

I had to cancel our flight to see grand-twins and received the $500 credit towards a future flight. Thinking that I have no interest in flying anymore though unless there is a funeral or family emergency. Miles and miles of TX is not a fun road trip however. The word grueling comes to mind.

[catherine]

yes, there are people who like a long drive and people who do not. The driving people vs the “just get there!” People.

I remember clearly my first few events with DH’s family. They tell many stories about driving to Florida. It was also an often told tale about driving to Oregon. There was absolutely nothing memorable in these stories in my mind. I was interested in what they did when they got to Florida. What did they do when they got to Oregon? But they never talked about that, it was always the driving, driving, driving.

I love my new red car, but I am almost as happy to look at it parked as
i am to drive it.

Here's a picture of my DD and I on that road trip I spoke of. We went to Hope, AK to check out Bill's hometown. It was a town decimated by the highway and Walmart. Tumbleweed literally rolling down Main Street. There was an abandoned storefront with a mirrored window so we took a picture of our reflections, and you can see the railroad station in the background.

These are things that you don't find in guide books, but they are fascinating.

hope.jpg

[razz]

My favourite driving was with DH when we looked for a camplng spot wherever the tank of gas for the day ran out. We were heading downeast through the NE states and made some wonderful discoveries.Also did this when touring around the Maritimes.

When he wanted to get from a long distance point A to point B, it was an ordeal.

[Tybee]

Here's a picture of my DD and I on that road trip I spoke of. We went to Hope, AK to check out Bill's hometown. It was a town decimated by the highway and Walmart. Tumbleweed literally rolling down Main Street. There was an abandoned storefront with a mirrored window so we took a picture of our reflections, and you can see the railroad station in the background.

These are things that you don't find in guide books, but they are fascinating.

hope.jpg

What a great picture!

[Gardnr]

Gardnr... I'm interested in hearing your perspectives on the following situation:

I volunteered to manage the Master Gardener volunteers who provide support for the gardens around a local community hall. So, I arranged to have 3 of us meet today for clean-up/cut-backs, etc. I knew that one of the 4 volunteers is an immunology/allergy physician with a practice in Burlington.

So I packed up my stuff which included 2 masks (my main one and a back-up). We happened to pull up to the site at the same time. She emerged not wearing a mask. I didn't take mine out. We kept a good distance from each other while we talked and pruned and weeded. I brought up the mask thing and she said she had one but she had waited to see what I did. She said she felt comfortable in that we are outside and keeping distance from each other.

What do you think? Was that risky?

When a minimum 6 feet distance is kept it is relatively safe. I assume you didn't share tools, didn't cross paths.

I wish our country was able to get testing ramped up! Asymptomatic carriers are concerning.

[jp1]

I’ve got friends that love flying and I’ve got friends that love long road trips. I don’t really enjoy either. Like Iris, I enjoy being someplace else. Getting their is the headache I endure for the joy of being there. But for the foreseeable future I obviously won’t be going anywhere since it’s become clear that the country has decided that the herd immunity mode is the one we’re going to follow.