A Vacation Idea

Vacations, we all need them. While cleaning out some files, I came across a clipping and an article I saved from an unknown magazine. I don't know what magazine, so I can't credit it. The clipping and article referenced a book, Stumbling Towards Enlightenment, and I think the author is Geraldine Larkin. I Googled the book references. I'm giving you the highlights of the clipping and article. This clipping accompanied an article about someone who did exactly what is outlined below. She ended up having a great time, found a beauty school where she got a manicure/pedicure for $20, found a reasonable B&B, ate simply, toured and visited some local sites and came home rested and refreshed and ready for her next assignment.

"Kids need them, parents need them; singles need them; partners need them. We need them after harsh winters and long school terms, after relationships end, after year-long job hunts. If you know this, the great Zen question becomes-What if I need a vacation and all I have is $350?

Here is my rousing method for getting that much needed vacation. I call it the "random road trip". A random road trip is not a planned-to-the-max-trip-to-Boston-since-I've-never-been-there vacation. Instead, it's a wake up-get-dressed-and-fill-your-gas-tank-vacation. The requirements are minimal

1) A car that works.
2) A valid driver's license (preferably your own).
3) Maps for the four directions (east, west, north, south)
4) $350 dollars in cash or on a VISA card
5) Three days, one day to get there (where ever you end up), one day to be there, and one day to drive home.

What makes a random road trip memorable is that you can't decide which direction to head in until the day you go or the day before. When you wake up, all you will feel is excitement. "


I like this philosophy. I were to drive South or East longer than a couple hours, I would end up in the ocean, but the premise is, you don't need a planned out to the max weekend escape and have a little R and R time. And if you did not have access to a car, I bet you could probably take a train or a bus someplace off the beaten path. I'm thinking about driving West in a few months and trying this out myself.

Think about it.