I love road trips - I think it's my favorite way to travel (& that's coming from someone who works on airports for a living).
There's nothing quite like a night drive with a playlist, coffee, and a destination in mind. I love how quiet the world gets the farther you get away from a city. I have many fond memories of family trips around California, and once I had my license, solo trips to different cities were my favorite way to spend the weekend. Since I've been married, I can count the number of solo trips with two hands, but having someone to join in on my spontaneous adventures is great.
Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.
We drove through Nevada on our way to Utah in 2022 and made one planned stop that turned into two. I had been working long nights redesigning the runways and taxiways at Jean Airport, and I wanted to make a quick stop to see it before we went into construction. Coincidentally, the art installation 7 Magic Mountains was right next door.
I had seen the exhibition on social media a few years back, but it never piqued my interest to go out of my way and visit whenever I went to Vegas. Ugo Rondinone had chosen the location to express the mid-point physically and symbolically between the natural and the artificial: the surrounding mountain ranges and desert express nature, and the man-made highway and the constant traffic flow between Los Angeles and Las Vegas express the artificial.
I am planning for more trips in 2024, most likely road trips as a family of three (and three birds ˙ᵕ˙). We've actually been practicing short drives with the car seat, and it's been going well. For a while, I know our trips will be slower getting to the destination. Stops will be of a different nature - spontaneous feedings and diaper changes. I know the one thing I won't change is my favorite part of a road trip - stopping to catch the last light of a sunset or a moment of peace at dawn watching the sunrise.
