I schedule my writing year so that my deadline always lands on June 1st. This makes April and May crazy for me, but there’s a method to my madness. Namely, a June 1 deadline puts me in sync with my kids’ summer vacation. I’m able to enjoy time off from writing during the entire month of June (glorious!) followed by a very relaxed, part-time writing schedule in July.
This June, we’d planned to take our family of five on a trip up California’s Pacific coast — from my hometown in Riverside (where my parents and sister still live) all the way north to the Redwood forest. Because of the Corona virus, we had to cancel. So when June rolled around and I found myself stuck at home during what was supposed to be my coveted vacation month, I started feeling blue. I hadn’t seen my parents since last fall. I hadn’t seen my sister and her family in a year.
I wasn’t willing to fly, so I started Googling the driving route from Texas to California which, in my twenty-seven years living in Texas, I’ve only done twice and always with more than one driver. Here’s what I found…
My husband needed to stay home and work. My teens were busy with work and online school. But after almost zero live interaction with other children for the past three months, my eleven year old was more than willing to brave the long road trip in order to spend time with her cousins. But was I willing to brave it? There and back? It was a bit daunting. What if my car broke down in West Texas? What if a truck flattened us? What if we caught the virus en route? I debated, looked at hotels, discussed the possibility of a visit with my parents and sister. Peered at my June calendar, so full of deleted activities that tumbleweeds blew past it.
Ultimately, my desire to see my family and my love of travel trumped all. I armed myself with a face mask, hand sanitizer, plastic gloves, an iced latte, and audiobooks.
We set off.
I know myself and I know that driving 10+ hours a day is not in my wheelhouse. Thus, we divided the trip into three driving days.
Truth: I didn’t hate the driving days. In fact, it was wonderful to watch huge swaths of America sweep past. It reminded me that other humans are still out there and flourishing, that truck drivers are hard at work ensuring that the supply chain continues, and that our world is still beautiful.
We arrived just in time to celebrate Father’s Day with my dad.
After a few days in Riverside, my sister and I journeyed to the town of Big Bear in the nearby San Bernardino Mountains, a mountain range where we spent a lot of time when we were growing up.
I love the the AllTrails web site and app for finding hikes that are the right distance and difficulty for our crew. AllTrails came through for me with flying colors while in Big Bear. On our first hike, the girls discovered a love of boulder climbing.
On our second hike, they populated my phone with pictures of baby ducks.
On our third hike, they became literal tree-huggers.
It was a treat to spend nights in Arizona both going to and coming home from California. The scenery there is so memorable and distinctive! In the end, my car did not break down in west Texas, we were not flattened by a truck, and we did not catch the virus.
We were gone eleven days and loved every minute!
Any road trips on your calendar this summer?
I’m currently offering a summer reading giveaway via my Facebook page and three of the four novels I’m offering are written by Inspired by Life and Fiction authors! To enter, head to my Facebook author page. You’ll find the giveaway post pinned to the top. Simply comment on my post, letting me know which of these beautiful books you’d like to win.
Becky Wade
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It sounds like a fun trip, Becky. Congratulations on being so courageous.
Thanks, Lynn! 🙂
You’re a brave lady! I’ve never driven that far by myself. But I can totally see why you’d want to “risk it” and see your family! My parents only live about 2 1/4 hrs from me and they just spent the past 6 days with us. They left yesterday so my mom could do laundry, repack, pick up my niece, and come back next week. My daughter’s having a heart procedure done on Monday and she wants her Granny here for it! 😊 Glad you had a wonderful, safe trip!
I’m sending wishes for a speedy recovery to your daughter, Melissa!
Fun!!
Definitely no long road trips this summer, since our provincial borders are closed.
But we normally do a LONG trip each summer, to The Ontario Camp of the Deaf. 17 hours each way, which we break up into 2 days. We used to do a similar trip in one 14 hour haul, to join my husband at his summer research site. But the kids (4) would organize the van (complete with surround sound) for movies on my husband’s lap top. They start with a Lord of the Rings Director’s Cut marathon and end a few movies later with Finding Nemo. They’d time it so that Nemo’s dad would find him just before we arrived at our destination. None of my kids, now 29, 26, 22, 17, can fathom watching Find Nemo in daylight.
LOL! Love that.
We had planned for over a year for a trip to Utah to see all the national parks in that state. However, after all our work, the trip had to be cancelled. This year due to being seniors and with my underlying medical conditions, we are sticking close to home. Since we both love photography and live on a small acreage on the out skirts of town in the Ozark Mountains, it hasn’t been as bad as one would think.
Our traveling this year is a few short couple day trips to the state to the north of us to check in with hubby’s 90 year old mother. The visits do us as much good as it does her. As the numbers start to increase again, even these short trips may have to be fewer and farther apart.
Through all things, life is good! Blessed to have a home to live in while others are fearful of being out on the streets, a guaranteed retirement income while so many have lost an income leaving them with no way to pay their bills, a well stocked pantry (thanks Mom for all your teachings), both hubby and I love to be in the kitchen so eating at home isn’t such a sacrifice to us, and love being with the one that I’m “stuck” at home with (even after 37 years I know of no one else I’d rather be spending time with).
” The visits do us as much good as it does her.” Yes! This is how I felt about my time with my parents and sister. 🙂
I loved reading about the blessings you’ve been counting, Kay. A mindset that searches for the blessings makes all the difference in these days.
What a wonderful set of photos. Glad y’all got to see your family. Thanks for sharing your trip with us Becky.
My pleasure, Stacy!
I’ve made that same trek many times in the past, Becky. It’s a long one, but I love that you got to spend quality time with your daughter and made memories with your parents and sister. Since I lived in Central California, we would usually take the northern route on I-40 which was the old Route 66, so that has its own nostalgia.
We’ve only made two mini trips since COVID hit. We attended a wedding in Fort Worth and stayed in an Air B&B condo in June. Then my daughter made her first solo road trip down to College Station and back in one day (9 hours of drive time) in order to sign a lease for an apartment for when she starts A&M in the fall. We’ll be making that trip again in mid-August to move her in.
Ah, yes! I’m familiar with the more northern route to CA, too, Karen. We’ve driven a portion of the old Route 66 several times on our way to Santa Fe and back. We have a Mexican food place we like to stop at every time. 😉
Your trip sounds wonderful! You packed so much into it. Great pictures.
We drove across country twice from Virginia Beach to Long Beach – first in 2009 when our grandson was born and more recently in 2017. Usually we fly out every summer and were looking forward to our second trip to our daughter’s new home in Eastvale, which I believe is in Riverside County, but sadly that is not to be because of the virus. We will have to be satisfied with our calls on Facebook Portal.
Enjoy the rest of your summer as you ease into your writing schedule.
The long road trips are very memorable aren’t they, Betty!? Here’s hoping that you have a wonderful time with your daughter when you’re able to travel to her new home.
Yes, we have great memories. The 2009 trip was a recreation of a trip I took with my parents when I was 10. My father had business in LA, so took vacation to drive out. We went out by a northern route, visiting Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, Cody, Wyoming, the Grand Tetons, and Salt Lake City. We came home by the southern route, stopping at the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, and Memphis. We added in Colorado on the way home to see Mesa Verde and visit friends.
Good for you! I know that will be a trip to remember!
It was one of the memory books, for sure!
Loved following your trip! Sounds like you definitely had a great trip, glad you were able to go despite the virus and restrictions. 🙂
My plans are probably just staying in OK for the summer haha. Last week I did travel a little over 2 hrs away to Arcadia, OK (more central Oklahoma) and I would recommend a general Route 66 road trip sometime! So much to see!
Thanks for stopping by the blog! Yes, I’m so glad I was able to go despite the virus and restrictions.
That sounds like fun! Special memories! 🙂
Such special memories!
I have not read any of these books! My first choice is Stay With Me.
I’ve taken 2 road trips this summer. A friend and I took another friend half way to meet her sister-in-law from Texas. Half way was close to Hot Springs, Arkansas so rather than coming right back home, we spent the night and next morning in Hot Springs! 10 days later we made another trip to Arkansas to meet the friend and bring her home. We stayed in Arkadelphia that time and explored that area. Quick trips but fun!
I’ve just discovered your books and I think you are an amazing writer! I am finishing Stay With Me that I borrowed from my library and I am enjoying every page. Thank you so much and I can’t wait to enjoy more of your writing! Also, I am writer and I am working on my books as well. Just taking me some time but reading your books and the stories you’ve come up with definitely giving me some inspiration so thank you!! 🙂
Also, your trip looked so amazing! My favorite picture was the lake and I am glad you and your family was safe and had fun the entire road trip! I enjoy your blog and I can’t wait to read more!! You are amazing!! 🙂 🙂 🙂