I have done two cross-country road trips with my daughter,
and with her slobbering, carsick doggie in the back of her little Subaru
station wagon.
The first jaunt was from Seattle to Baltimore, where Steph
relocated to work in the pediatric intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins. We
planned several “must see” and “must go to” places. First was San Diego, to
visit Steph’s good friend and for me to commune with mother ocean. Next, Steph
showed me the story telling rocks and prickly fan-shaped Joshua Trees.
In Tucson, at my brother’s, Steph backed into a cactus as
she crouched to photograph yet another captivating succulent – this one
heart-shaped and pink. I showed my daughter the red ochre magical mountains of
Sedona. We arrived at the Grand Canyon late in the afternoon. Steph set up her
tripod in the hushed twilight and snapped long-exposure shots of a full moon illuminating
a dusting of powdered-sugar snow on the ledges of the rocky chasm.
We drove through the Painted Desert twice, having to
retrieve a left behind cell phone in Flagstaff. No sweat! Then to Albuquerque to
reminisce with my old friend from Pennsylvania, and on to Santa Fe, to bask in the
sacred presence of Archangel Michael at the San Miguel Mission, and to savor
delectable chili spiced chocolates.
We couldn’t miss festive New Orleans as it geared up for
Mardi Gras and the Superbowl (the Saints won that year!), and we sampled the
beignets, gumbos, and shrimp creoles. I couldn’t pass up returning to nearby Pensacola
where I spent time as a flight surgeon wife in 1970. And then we thought, why
not? – let’s go see the Everglades! We cautiously ambled by groggy gators
galore just inches from our feet.
Our last stopover was Savannah, extended because our car
broke down, but we nevertheless found consolation in the southern charm and the
delicious fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, grits, and biscuits.
Three years later, Steph returned to Seattle, this time
accepting a position at the Children’s Medical Center, also in the intensive
care unit. Our drive westbound was a repeat with carsick doggie and Motel 6
overnights, but our route was more direct. We skimmed West Virginia and
Kentucky, singing along to Taylor Swift, Maroon Five and Pandora’s Glee station.
We took a moment to sit under the stunning metal arch in St Louis that swayed
as the clouds drifted by. We sang a lot more through the flatlands of Kansas
and Colorado, adding small doses of my oldies playlist – Buddy Holly, Peter,
Paul and Mary, Carol King, and Dusty Springfield. We settled in at Jackson, Wyoming
and took a couple of day trips to the Tetons, arriving predawn, searching for
the perfect view, waiting for the sun and for the clouds to part to capture the
quintessential shot of the mountains reflected in the water – Steph aced it!
And lastly we stopped off at Old Faithful and the bubbling hot springs of
Yellowstone before barreling home to Seattle.
I love road trips!
And now, I’m about to embark on another one – this time with
a dear friend who is relocating from Seattle to Houston, Texas. It’ll be a
four-day whirlwind 2,500 mile wild ride, with two unhappy cats in back. No
worries. We’ll be taking in the gorgeous sites, listening to audible fantasy books, my eclectic music
playlist, and Pandora showtunes radio.
Bring it on!
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