Road Trips

I clearly inherited my love of road trips from my parents. On the ride to Scottsdale today, I was thinking about all of the trips that we took as a family (my parents, sister and I) over the years. Only two of them were on a plane (first to California where we flew to San Francisco and then drove down the coast to Los Angeles) and the last one was Ireland in 1995. We weren't shy about jumping in the car and taking a drive to New Hampshire for seafood or along the coast just for the hell of it or to visit a family member in New Jersey or a surprise concert in NYC. There was always a reason (or excuse) for a road trip! I'm like my Dad in the sense that all I need is a drink (black, unsweetened iced tea is my beverage of choice) and some good tunes and I'm set! I always ask for satellite radio when I rent a car and I do the happy dance when it's available! I instantly set the stations to 40's, hair nation, old time radio and public radio. I'll switch around to nearby stations but those are my favorites. I still bring my cds. I brought several of my Dad's Dean Martin and Johnny Maestro discs along with Hardline IV and my new radio obsession, Richard Diamond Private Detective (I'm looking for copies of the tv show with David Janssen, if anyone has them!!!! I love listening to Dick Powell on the radio version of the show. I'm obsessed!) My listening tastes are all over the place but I know what I like, especially when I'm on the road. So, while many folks I know think that twenty minutes is too far to go for a good dinner or a beautiful spot, my parents taught us that there's a beautiful world out there all ready for us to explore! I'll never forget the many, many road trips with my Dad (and Tristan) where Dad would often comment how breathtaking it was (in California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, insert name of wherever we were driving through here.) There's always so much to see if folks would open their eyes and trek out (by foot, car, etc...) and explore. I'm in Scottsdale now all settled in at the store (as you can see in the picture, this is the calm before the storm) as well as at the hotel. My body still feels like it's driving but give me some time and I'll settle in and down. Looking forward to the morning!