Road Trip - An Expected Journey

As Nancy and I just completed our first road trip as retirees, I thought I would document just what a Burk family road trip typically involves.  Of course, this latest trip occurred in the post-van/kid era, and was taken in our new Traverse instead of a van, but the essentials remained the same.  My goal is to share the key elements of life on the road with the Burks as well as tell the story of this trip.  (Look for a future post that will chronicle our family's 23-year love affair with full-size conversion vans.)

Preliminaries - First a few general observations.  To paraphrase Admiral Painter (Fred Thompson's character) in The Hunt for Red October, "The Burks don't leave their driveway without a plan, son."  This plan always consists of maps, copies of reservations (likely made nine or more months ago), frequent-traveler coupons for no-cost lodging, printed directions to the free lodgings, assorted travel guides and other books describing points of interest along the way, and a printed itinerary summarizing all of the above including distances to be covered each day, estimated times and projected costs.  (Yes, we have a GPS, but so what?)  Don't get me wrong. I like a measure of spontaneity and surprise in life, but not in the form of trying to find a suitable motel room in a snow storm or an ATM in the middle of the night.

One of the reasons we prepare so thoroughly (other than  my previously admitted OCD) is to accommodate our desire that fun begins the moment we cross the sidewalk in front of our house and pull out onto Vernier Road.  For us, the journey truly is half the fun so we do our best to create a favorable environment (see previous post on The Art of the Dawdle - road trips offer excellent dawdling opportunities, unless you're at the wheel of course). This means that in addition to the materials previously cited, the trip vehicle will usually be carrying iPods, laptops, lap desks, a bag of movies, a box of CDs, three to four audio books, assorted snacks and drinks, and upon occasion a collection of board games, all strategically placed for easy in-flight access.  In addition, as the dad I am responsible for bringing a service kit of wires, connectors, batteries, splitters, converters and backup earphones to make sure that all forms of amusement remain operational.  I'm sure you can now see why for such a long time a full-size van was our conveyance of choice.

Departure - Once the preliminaries are completed with all trip materials assembled in the family room,  we face the challenge of getting everything into the car.  As this was a Christmas road trip, all those items that wouldn't be personally delivered by Santa had to be included.  On balance, however, without kids and their traveling households (Nancy and I have entered our kid-free travel era), this was a fairly routine pack.  Here is a pre-dawn shot of the Traverse, fully loaded and ready for departure.

It should be evident from this angle that we diligently observe the first two principles of effective packing - big rocks first, and pack to the hole.  And yes, Christmas is in there, secreted somewhere between the Manhattan kit and the winter gear (we ran into a snow storm in Kentucky on a trip about 15 years ago without parkas or mukluks and vowed we would never be unprepared again). 

Here is a second shot of the load taken in a little more sunlight later on getaway day.  Note the ready availability of the blue fleece should I have to stand out in the cold and wind to pump gas, and the pillow located at the top left just behind the driver's head.  This strategic pillow placement gives me an improved chance of successfully feigning an emergency nap to avoid standing out in the cold and wind to pump gas.

Grosse Pointe to Tennessee - Here are a few typical first-day scenes from the road.  The first is why we leave early - our kind of traffic.  This stretch of highway is that tedious leg between Detroit and Toledo that we've driven so often it feels like we're still in our driveway.  The second is the first critical decision of the day - it's keep left to go to Cathy's in Hoboken or keep right for just about every other place we go.  On this day, as we're heading first to Tennessee, it was keep right for the trek through dreaded Buckeye country.

This next shot is of my Bride in cruise mode, barreling down the highway at a speed just short of lift off, and only slightly conflicted as she realizes that while she is off on another great adventure it will be 18 nights before she again sleeps in her own bed.   

And here we have our first stop of the day that will take longer than filling the tank - lunching at this Skyline Chili outlet in Covington, Kentucky.    

Much of my working life involved regular trips to Cincinnati, across the river from Covington. During that time I developed an appreciation for Cincinnati chili.  If a road trip involves a pass through the Queen City, Nancy and I usually stop at this modest emporium for some "four-way" and a coney dog and to catch up with Jim Harris, one of my oldest friends, who lives in the area.  (For those of you who have met Jim, he is doing just fine, still selling books and enjoying the fortunes of his extended family.)  

After lunch the trip resumed through Kentucky and Tennessee, ending for the day at the home of our good friends Jan and Miguel Rodriguez.  They have the unfortunate circumstance of living just about half way between our home and most other out-of-state places we like to go.  So we try to frequent this most elegant B&B as often as we can.  Here is a shot of the four of us toasting the holidays in front of their enormous Christmas tree with Miguel's fabulous homemade egg nog (real eggs, sweetened condensed milk and a generous portion of rum - now that's what I'm talkin' about).

Later during the visit we settled in for an extended session of Mexican train, an intricate domino game that is easy to learn, fun to play and almost impossible to win without a "carload" of luck.  We were introduced to the game by Jan and Miguel during our first visit to Rodriguez Manor a while back and love returning to our "train roots".  We are shown in the photo below in the daring "marriage at risk" formation (within an elbow or kick of one's spouse in retaliation for a "double-blocking" or untimely "train-down" maneuver), but by then we were well into the egg nog and had thrown caution to the wind.

Tennessee to Texas - after a day and a half of lolling in the comfortable environment provided by Jan and Miguel, we packed off on Sunday morning for our trip to Austin.  Here is a shot just before dawn of Nancy and I tiptoeing out to the car with our bags before the bill could be served.  We made a clean getaway for our 16 hour drive - the longest road day of the trip.

Once we navigated our way out of the hills of central Tennessee we made for the western border and Arkansas. Below are a few shots of the day's route.  First the crossing of the Mississippi, which appeared to be at a record low water level (later confirmed by a number of news outlets). Then a near-dusk picture of our escape into Texas.  Not much else of note to share from our trek across Bill Clinton's homeland.

We finally arrived at my son Ted and his bride Sara's lovely home in Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin, about 10:30 that night (Central time, of course) where we visited for a while and hit the hay.  The next morning we greeted our grandchildren and set out on a fun three-day visit which included a lot of play time, a visit to the Christmas light show in Austin, an evening with our good friends Sue Gallego (a childhood friend of Nancy's) and her significant other Jesse, a dance recital, and a challenging afternoon serving as caregivers while Ted and Sara enjoyed a well-earned day away from the grind.  Here are a few shots of the Texas chapter of the trip.  The first is of the Cedar Park Burks' abode, followed by Leili and Cyrus's reaction to seeing their long lost Burk grandparents.  The third is of one of the many displays in the Austin "Trail of Lights" exhibit, claimed to be a mile in length.  The kids loved it. 

One of the highlights of the trip was Leili's dance recital.  In order, here are shots of Leili and her buddies lined up waiting for their cue, Leili charming her biggest fans, and the all important post-performance fruit and juice snack (accented by a large sugar-coated Christmas cookie, of course).

On the last day of our visit we volunteered to watch the kids.  Fortunately, it was a preschool morning for both Leili and Cyrus.  So taking into account the afternoon nap/quiet-time period, we only had to sweat out about two unstructured hours.  We cleverly decided to spend these two hours in an out-of-doors adventure including some playtime at the local park (one long block away).  Here are a couple of shots of the kids taken during the journey. Cyrus is showing off his "pedal free" trike technique (pedals are apparently for wimps) while Leili is scooter-surfing what she insisted was a short-cut to the park (but was actually about four times longer).  The outing was successful as no serious injuries were sustained, only minor protestations were offered at the end of "swing time", and upon our return to the home the real parents were ready to resume their duties.

Texas to Florida - It's always tough to say goodbye to the kids, but we had an itinerary to keep.  So early on our fourth day we arose early, packed the Traverse (slightly less full with the off-load of presents for the Cedar Park crowd) and headed for Florida.  This part of the trip took us through southeastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama before crossing the Florida border and reentering the Eastern Time zone just short of Tallahassee. Here are a couple of typical shots from the road.  The first is one of the thousands of gas-fast food-coffee-restroom-grocery-DVD-road electronics-souvenir-auto parts emporiums that line interstates everywhere.  Our favorite is Pilot, but we would have a hard time telling one from the other without the big sign over the door.  Any road trip requires a few collective hours in such places.

And of course, a part of most stops at such places is talking to one of these metal monsters and slipping it more than a little cash.  I have found over the years that different gas pumps have their own personalities.  This one sort of screams, "Hi y'all, how you?  Welcome to citrus country! Gimme money!"

One sight always welcome on a road trip is shown below - the confirmation that progress is being made and that you're going to get a fresh set of mile-marker numbers. This is especially satisfying when you're leaving Texas eastbound on the seemingly endless I-10.  

Much of I-10 through the Gulf states is built in lowlands and nature preserves with scenery very interesting to those who have spent the bulk of their road time over the years gazing at the forests, farmlands and mountains of I-75. Here's a shot of one of my favorite stretches in Mississippi.

And a tip to those in the early part of their road trip careers. After a dozen or so hours on the road it helps to take a little in-flight snooze while actually driving, to freshen up and gear up for the happy hour which usually waits at the end of a hard day's drive.  Here's a shot of me demonstrating this technique (which I mastered by studying Clark, the father character, during several viewings of the movie Vacation).

Finally, after skirting the Gulf for several hundred miles and taking a night on the road, we arrived in Zephyrhills, Florida, at the home of Wendell and Dolores, my parents (whom I introduced in a previous post Hangin' with the Ps.)  We settled in for the holiday by joining in on the weekly bingo session down at the Tippecanoe (my parents' residential park) community hall.  Of course, I quickly glazed over in my panic to keep up with the real senior set (many who were playing 10-14 cards to my piddly five) and ended up winning nothing.  Fortunately, Nancy and Christy (who had flown in that day to meet us) did each win a bingo or two to somewhat defray the losses my parents suffered in sponsoring me.  

The balance of the visit unfolded as usual with some lunches out at favorite spots, a little shopping at outlet stores, some cribbage and Mexican train, and several cocktail hours. Then on Christmas Eve my sister Wendy and two of her kids, Tristan and Jayme, came over for the evening whereupon the gift giving began.  The festivities continued on into the night and all the next day until no presents remained and much of the holiday candy was consumed.  It was its usual grand time.  It was also the first time that our daughter Cathy was not with us for Christmas morning.  As many of you know, she is engaged to be married next November and spent this Christmas with her fiance, Matt, and his family in Owosso, Michigan, learning and joining in their holiday traditions. Here are a few shots of the Christmas Eve group.  In the first from left to right are Wendy, Nancy and Christy.

Next up, Tristan and Jayme in typical repose.

And of course, my Dad, holding forth over the proceedings as he has for so many decades.   

Florida to New Jersey - After another day of games and holiday food, Nancy and I dropped Christy off for her flight home and prepared for the next leg to New Jersey.  After breakfast the next morning we departed.  We were slowing down by this time (our 14th day on the road) and dawdled our way for a bit.  We stopped off at the Walt Disney World Market Place for lunch and little shopping, then meandered up the Florida cost to an Embassy Suites in Jacksonville that we have stayed at several times.  This particular hotel has a grand piano sitting in the central atrium that Scott and Taryn, the kids of our good friends the Dyles, used to serenade us during a joint family vacation many years ago. Truly "grand" memories.

After a couple of margaritas at the manager's happy hour, we headed out to see the movie Les Miserables.  It was excellent and offered a rendering of this old story that was slightly different from the classic play, bringing a bit more clarity to the narrative (as only the visuals of a film can) while preserving the fabulous music.  Then the next morning, after the multicourse complimentary breakfast that the Embassy Suites hotels are so well known for, we hit the road with vigor, driving several hundred miles through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware (cleverly by-passing Philadelphia) to New Jersey, taking one night on the road in Laurel, Maryland.  

This might be a good time to mention another common activity of a Burk road trip - audio books.  Prior to our departure Nancy had picked up a few from the Grosse Pointe library to add to the one audio book we own but had not yet listened to.  Nancy and I tend to favor nonfiction in this particular medium with a strong emphasis on history. One of our favorites is a 30-plus hour review of all the kings and queens of England from William the Conqueror in 1066 to Elizabeth II.  Another is A Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin's tome about the politics of Lincoln's presidency (a portion of which is the subject of Spielberg's recent movie Lincoln). This time around we were able to complete a biography of Harry Truman, a history of the White House written my Margaret Truman, and this grand story:

It's about the 1910 wild fire in Idaho and Montana that played a huge role in the survival of the National Forest Service and influenced Teddy Roosevelt's return to politics in the election of 1912.  A truly fascinating story that I had never heard before.   

We arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey, just before noon on Saturday the 29th, our 16th day on the road, for our last stop of the trip.  Here we met up with Cathy and Matt who had returned from their Christmas visit to Michigan.  We had a great couple of days walking around the streets of Hoboken, dining at local taverns, watching bowl games (especially the last minute field-goal victory of my beloved Spartans), exchanging gifts and talking about wedding plans.  On Saturday afternoon Nancy and Cathy went wedding dress shopping.  Matt and I were excused due to inappropriate biochemistry.  And on Sunday we went into New York City to see the Lion King on Broadway (this was Cathy and Matt's Christmas gift to us, and it was great). After the play we walked around mid-town, taking in 30 Rock and the famous Christmas tree.  Here are a few pics from this leg of the road and the visit.  This first one is of a toll booth, a common site on the east coast and always an irritation to mid-westerners (who think tolls are rightfully only for bridges). 

The bridge across the Delaware.

And another one of those welcomed signs that make you think you're almost there.  

Here is a shot of the happy couple-to-be on a walk along the Hoboken side of the Hudson River, and a look at the mid-town Manhattan skyline across the way.

And from our visit to New York on Sunday a shot at the theater entrance and one in front of the 30 Rock Christmas tree.

And to give a feel for Manhattan on a Sunday afternoon, a view of a mid-town intersection from the second story of the Lion King theater.  It's a happenin' place.

New Jersey to Michigan - Having finally completed all of the items on our itinerary, we arose early on the 18th day of our trip, loaded up the Traverse one last time, clicked our heels three times, and headed for home.  No matter how much fun any road trip is, we are always happy when a return to our comfortable home and our own bed is in sight. This is actually about the only time you really hear the words, "are we there yet?"  

This feeling has at times in the past inspired us to actually cover the entire distance from Florida to Michigan in one drive - from 6:00 am to roughly half past midnight on the same day (1200 miles).  This is known in family circles as "the Cathy plan", as she was the originator of the idea.  Of course, to her (and to Christy and any trip guests), 18 hours in the van meant snoozing on the back bench or in a reclining captain's chair, watching a few movies, grazing her iPod (or in earlier years her Walkman), and picking up chips and a soft drink during periodic gas stops.  No wonder she loved this plan.  For Nancy and me - the drivers - it was a little more challenging.  But we usually managed just fine.  I only remember a time or two when we pulled into a rest area in Ohio and slept an hour or so to throw off the drowse that had overcome us.  

But these days things are less intense.  We had planned our final day well and only had a 10-hour drive to make it home, most of which was through Pennsylvania and Ohio. However, we were still anxious to get there and made only the required stops along the way.  Here are a few of the highlights.  First the climb out of Hoboken.

A little of the beautiful rural Pennsylvania countryside.

By-passing a well-known spot that has been in the news a lot lately.

Passing another well known spot (about five weeks too early to go here).

And avoiding scenes like this.  In the winter, Pennsylvania highways can be exciting.

To about the half-way mark for the day.

And on to the marker we were looking for.

So at roughly 6:30 on Monday night the 31st of December, we made it home.  We had covered 4200 miles and 18 states (including Michigan) in 18 days, without incident.  We were very thankful as always for arriving safely home, for being able to see so many friends and family, and for all the fun times.  

So now you probably feel as tired as we did upon our return, due to the length of this post.  But I wanted to give you the full picture of our family's version of the great American tradition known as the road trip.  In future posts as I progress through my review of the family photo library (a little over 7000 slides and another 1000 prints) I'll cover some of the more memorable trips of the past, including the 1995 swing through the western canyon country and the 1997 trip to the northern Atlantic coast.  But this offering should give you the basics.  No surprise that for many years the license plate on the family van read "TRPSRUS", to be read either as "Trips Are Us" or "Trip-A-Saurus", which ever suits your fancy.  They're both accurate.  We plan to transfer that plate to the Traverse at our earliest opportunity.

Until next time, and happy 2013 to all.