Hi, everyone! Darlene here. A couple of weeks ago, I flew for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic drastically changed our lives.
It wasn’t too bad! Yes, I had to wear a mask for eight hours as I navigated three airports and two flights to get where I was going. And again to get home. But the flights were mostly on time, I managed to avoid screaming children, and my bags arrived with me coming and going!
But it definitely had me comparing air travel to a road trip. Have to say, I almost always prefer to drive. Of course, sometimes you just have to get from point A to point B, and flying is a must. But other times, it’s nice to relax and meander a bit—to stop and see what’s along the way.
Some of the best reasons for a road trip:
First, you can take all your stuff! Sure, toss in one more pair of shoes. Is 10 too many?! Take all your jackets—the weather can be fickle and you just never know if you’ll need that raincoat. Better safe than sorry!
Control, control, control!! Who’s ever been delayed on a flight? Missed a connection? Fun, right? I’d rather be in control of my own schedule, thank you very much. I can decide what to listen to, what and when to eat and choose my traveling companions. 🙂
Speaking of eating. That’s another advantage—taking my own snacks plus a cooler and my trusty thermos full of good tea! Ah, the little things.
I’ve had some epic road trips over the years. On a road trip, you get to see the details: a beautiful sunset in Sedona, a local farmer’s market, regional flora and fauna, etc. The Corn Palace Inn in 
Mitchell, S.D., would never be a destination for us in and of itself, but it was a fun, quirky addition to a road trip from Mt. Rushmore to the Badlands. I probably wouldn’t make a special trip to Holland, Michigan, but the quaint little town full of 
tulips was a wonderful stop on the road trip my sister and I took from New York to Chicago and down through Iowa to see the famed covered bridges. 
One year my husband and I drove from Kansas City to Los Angeles to watch our son play tennis. Those were some fun miles. Never would’ve made a trip to Winslow, Arizona, but of course we had to find “that corner” as we passed through!
In a couple of months we’ll be hitting the road again to get to our daughter’s wedding. This time, there will be no meandering, no unnecessary stops along the way. The goal is to get there as early as possible. So why drive the 20 hours? Because we’re taking lots and lots of stuff! Fun times ahead!
Do you enjoy road trips? Where has the road taken you?
Another awesome thing about road trips? Time to think. In my sweet romance “The Story Between Us,” Kristen drives between Dallas, where a good friend and the story’s hero live, and Denver, where she lives. Those long miles give her time to think about events and sort out feelings. Here’s a quick peek:
—Safe travels. Call me when you get there.—
That text message from Reed greeted Kristen at eight a.m.—five minutes after she shoved her suitcase into the hatch of her car and left Jana’s house.
That fast, the doubts, the call, and the confusion came roaring back. Was she being a fool? Was he playing her…using her because of Dylan’s attachment?
So much for putting Dallas in the rearview mirror. Memories burned her face. She’d outright told him she wanted to sleep with him when she agreed to a New Year’s getaway.
Leave the home stuff to the ladies? “Oh, sure, and who do I leave the home stuff to when I’m on a book tour or teaching?” Kristen spoke to the empty car. She specifically told Reed she’d have more tours as her books took off. Did he think she’d set aside her own career aspirations?
Maybe she was reading way too much into the call, but the tiny voice in her head kept telling her to question—to be on guard. Sadly, she admitted respect for him had taken a hit. If his affections were genuine, if he really cared for her—or respected women at all—why didn’t he tell that douchebag he was out of line?
At her first stop to gas up, Kristen bought a large iced tea and a ‘share’ size peanut M&Ms that she had no intention of sharing. When she returned to the car, she checked her phone, and the missed text from Reed sent her pulse skyrocketing.
—Miss you already. Give me a call if you want some company along the way.—
Ha. No, that wasn’t happening. She’d probably end up in a ditch. Kristen shoved the car into gear and cranked up the volume on her playlist.
Find more about Darlene and her books on her website and these social media sites. Happy reading!
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879809.Darlene_Deluca
https://www.pinterest.com/darlenedelucaau/boards/
https://www.instagram.com/darlenedelucaauthor/?hl=en
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Word by Word 
Reblogged this on NEW OPENED BLOG > https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Hey, Darlene. What a great post. Loved the pictures. We did make a road trip last month to Red River, NM. and wrote about it here.: https://wordbyword.net/2021/07/30/vacation-2/
We both have great “road” pics. I had to laugh about throwing in that extra jacket. It’s so true. When you fly, you’re really forced to make hard decisions about what you can live without and what you can’t. BTW, loved your book. I’ve shared. 🙂
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I am with you. I like flying to get somewhere fast. I like road trips because of what you mentioned-seeing things you wouldn’t get to see otherwise. I’ve attended festivals because we drove by them and turned back. I’ve seen a large herd of elk running alongside the road. I’ve been in small town shops and museums and usually, learn something. As long as there’s a bag of cherry sours, I’m happy.
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Cherry sours, gummy worms, almond M&Ms . . . 🙂
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I’ve never been in a plane but can imagine the cramped quarters, noise, and bathroom issues! I’ll stick to driving, thank you 🙂
Enjoyed the excerpt and the photos make me want to load up my car, lol
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I hope you get to do that soon! Thanks for stopping by!
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When you want to get somewhere fast a plane is definitely the way to go. In Europe we travelled mainly by train and it seemed as though a large proportion of the travellers were ‘local’. A bachelorette party returning from a weekend in Bruge when we’d planned on at least a catnap, as we were whisked away to Paris, did show the downside of that but we did get the opportunity to see large swathes of the country side. And sometimes a road trip with friends where you stop where you want, share stories and sample new food can be the best vacation ever.
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Ah, yes, I imagine the trains would give you a nice look at the landscape. But, yeah, public transportation has its drawbacks, too.
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I enjoyed your post, Darlene. Great pictures. I’m glad your flight went well. I prefer car trips for all the reasons you mentioned but I haven’t been on any trips for almost a year and a half. Hoping to plan one soon. Bev
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Darlene, your post brought back many memories of our family road trips before Covid. I liked the idea of turning up the play list. We listened to the same list for eight hours on one of our trips. Lol. 🙂 Enjoyed your excerpt.
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