I have to admit to you that the thought of flying to go anywhere becomes less and less attractive.
For international travel (and thus, my trips to Japan as long as I can manage them), there is no substitute, of course. But for domestic travel (which I care to do less and less anyway), I have to admit that I am almost of the opinion that I would rather drive.
Sure, some of it is the airport experience: anymore they are crowded, expensive, and awkward to get into. If you are lucky, you can have someone drop you off; if you are less lucky, you are left to your own devices to park far away, thus ensuring you will add another 30 minutes to your time to get home.
To be fair, driving takes more time. It is, on the whole, probably more expensive (as one has to stay overnight along the way). More time, more money - something many of us do not have a great deal of.
But going along with the idea of "Being Where You Are", driving seems to me to be the more complete experience.
When I have driven through a region, I have seen it - perhaps even only once, but I have a picture in my head. I can still see the places that we drove when I was growing up when we went on vacation; I can see clearly the places I drove to in Iceland.
For airplanes, we see very little. We hop from airport to airport and then (mostly) from metropolis to metropolis, with no sense at all of any of the land in between except for what we saw from the plane window. Like our entertainment, like our food, like almost everything now, we have come associate anything that does not immediate meet the need or get us to the point as something which is wasteful in nature.
To some extent (until they ban it), I am sure that I will always have to take planes to get places. But I sure as heck am going to try out driving more where I can. It may not be faster, but it will sure be more enjoyable.
We just got on the road to Michigan, Indiana, and maybe Ohio. You may or may not remember that we bought an RV for the purpose of travel. Yes it takes longer; but RV parks are usually half the cost of a hotel room. And you know who slept in your bed.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like the thought of pulling or backing a trailer. There are small, medium and large all in one vehicles.
We couldn't afford the large option (brother had one; they come w washers and dryers and dishwashers, too).
We have looked at small and medium; but for various reasons we decided on what we did.
It doesn't go to Japan; but we are ok with that. 😉
For whatever it's worth, I share your opinion on flying, and would also prefer to drive. Given our location, however, it's not really possible. It's a three-day drive just to get to the United States from here.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I have forgotten that.
ReplyDeleteMy parents had a motor home and then a trailer for many years. They enjoyed having both. And yes, while the cost of the unit itself can be a bit and the gas can be expensive, you certainly do save costs in other ways.
Of course, I on my own am perfectly happy sleeping in the car. A KOA or campground is wonderfully cheap. At some point some small scale car camping is a project.
Reverend, I suppose that is true. For us to drive to Old Home, it is two solid days of driving. Driving to get to a destination so can you can vacation can be draining.
ReplyDelete...it is sad how many people that fly never even look out the windows - they have forgotten the joy and magic of their childhood...
ReplyDeletePost-retirement I refuse to be fondled by Thousands Standing Around (TSA) so I drive and the Bosslady rides.
ReplyDeleteYou can find some of the coolest restaurants that way as well as quaint brewpubs. We usually take 4 days to drive down to visit our son in Houston - we live in Cleveland - but the stress level seems much lower and the fun indices higher.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network offer lots of hints....
Unknown - You are quite right of course, and I am guilty of that as well for the most part. Flying has become simply the shortest means of getting from one place to another.
ReplyDeleteOld Man - You do only find those sorts of things when you drive and have the time. Sadly, my driving is much like my flying at this point: a means to get from one point to another as quickly as possibly so I can spend time there.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd, now that I think about it: did there used to be more free time to allow it? Or is just that we no longer value the journey getting there as part of the experience?