A road trip can be quite an event, particularly if it is one that is both lengthy and ambitious. Throw in the factors of never having traveled to this unfamiliar territory, with this being the lengthiest amount of time that you’ve ever vaca’ed with your partner, and it quickly turns into a whole new proposition.
Like many adventures, I usually bound in with great gusto, and figure out much of it as I go along. This would be the Aries ruling planet of my nature, which certainly comes in handy with trying new things. Thankfully, I also am owner to a Virgo ascendant, which loves to plan and keeps the galivanting Aries somewhat reigned-in. So when my partner AJ Page and I approached the idea of a long-form, freewheeling road trip of the East Coast, we ultimately wanted to keep the recipe fun: Let’s book half the places we’re going to stay in advance, but not all of them. Let’s research some of the key destinations we want to hit but leave some room for leisurely discovery along the way, like a local record shop or two. In other words, the ideal mix of well-planned spontaneity. The most important research that we did do, was mapping how much driving we would shoot for or need to accomplish on each leg of our trip. We wanted some wiggle-room where we didn’t have reservations, and to stay on schedule for the handful of times we would need to be there.
The goal, 14 states in 16 days, beginning with our first ultimate sight-seeing spot: Niagara Falls. From there, we'd venture to Salem, Massachusetts for some witchy history, and the nearby Concord to pay a pilgrimage to Thoreau's Walden Pond. Maine and the Acadia National Forest were next up, with a stop-off for me to pose in front of Stephen King's home in Bangor. Then it was time to head south to visit our friend, Mary, who'd recently acquired a home in Virginia. We'd get as far as Philadelphia one night, with time to grab a Pat's famous Philly cheesesteak and to indulge me bounding up the Rocky steps in front of the Art Museum. After the visit with our friend, we made our way over to West Virginia, then wrapped things up in Kentucky. Two of these three nights were peacefully spent at an Airbnb cabin close to the Red River Gorge National Park. We planned on making it home on a Saturday night, with time for recombobulation Sunday.
This sort of vacation is not for the faint of heart. You have to love road tripping. A variety of well-stocked snacks, and an iTunes playlist that literally goes on for days are non-negotiable items. So is patience with your partner. Whether the turnpike ticket gets momentarily misplaced, the rainclouds chase you a good stretch of the way, or your last night in a city wasn’t the best segue-way from a cabin in the middle of the woods, you have to remember patience. And kindness, because you wouldn’t be embarking on this craziness in the first place unless you were really into them. You wouldn’t demand their full participation in this zany notion unless you two were committed for the long haul, correct? I mentioned my initial optimistic naivete at the beginning of all of this. I didn’t truly make the full realization of what we’d accomplished – all travel destination goals met – the sheer amount of mileage put on the used Dodge Ram minivan with already 169,000 miles on it – until we returned and began to regale people with our travel tales. The most common question: “And you’re still together?”
“Why yes,” I blinked, surprised. When I mediated on this more though, it hit me. We had accomplished an amazing feat as a team. We kept our heads, even when the going got a little rough, we slightly altered plans when needed, and stayed flexible. Most importantly, we respected each other’s needs throughout and emerged an even more powerful twosome in the end. At the risk of waxing corny, I am so grateful that we embarked on this together and came through victorious. We now have those one-of-a-kind memories that will last a lifetime, and a newfound appreciation for each other. I for one, would not trade those rewards for all the found turnpike tickets in the world.
