Road tripping is a state of mind.
It means being open to adventure, change and even a little discomfort.
This spring, my family and I road-tripped to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. On our way down South, we watched the trees change from bare to budding — and made impromptu stops in Lexington, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. But when we got to the coast, the beaches were brackish, and the forecast turned gloomy. We survived one day of that by exploring New Orleans, then hopped back in the Buick and began chasing the sun.
In the car, my teenage daughters and their best friend whipped out phones and landed on Savannah, Georgia, as a place being both warm and interesting enough to spend the rest of our week. By early afternoon, we saw our first glimpse of blue skies, so we pulled the car over and stopped for the afternoon at Rosemary Beach in Florida.
The girls found a place to get acai bowls and headed straight for the sand with my son. My husband and I went for a long walk along the water and stumbled across a surfside place to eat a leisurely lunch.
Four hours later, we met at the car, ready for six more hours on the road.
Savannah was indeed warm and, of course, beautiful. We found a hotel right on the river and spent four days exploring the city and relaxing by the pool or around fire pits with s’mores and a view of the twinkling skyline.
It wasn’t at all what we’d planned, but it was wonderful.
You’ll find three more road trips to perhaps inspire your own adventure. Or if you’re sticking closer to home, you’ll find a culinary adventure at Doug Katz’s new restaurant, Amba, in Hingetown. You can read about Geraldo Rivera’s summer plans, check out a very unusual pool or dive into the bold new plans for Cleveland’s waterfront.
Happy summer — however you plan to enjoy the ride.
