Currently
We’re back in Georgia and enjoying some very nice fall days, and the opportunity to unwind after several weeks’ travel. We left Island Park seemingly at just the right time: we woke up to a thermometer reading in the high 20s the first day of our trip!
Montana morning hayfields
Riding slow
Whether by necessity or by choice, we get to slow down and enjoy the scenery on a regular basis - something I learned to really appreciate this past year.
I remember those things! Seen in Virginia
We love to stay off the interstates when it’s feasible. Dennis’s preference is to never take the same route going home as he did coming, whether our destination is Idaho or the grocery store. And we often drive just at the speed limit or below it (especially towing the camper).
New terminology for this Yankee girl! A Louisiana (and southern) specialty
It all adds up to seeing things we wouldn’t see otherwise. Small towns, country farms, wildlife, wilderness - so many things that you don't notice when you’re only focused on getting somewhere quickly.
Friendly rescued donkeys on a Saratoga, WY ranch
Sightseeing isn't always about seeing the unusual and exciting. Slowing down lets us find beauty in the ordinary. Even forgotten and abandoned relics are interesting.
A little bit of vintage in Encampment, Wyoming
Often what we saw was a slice of human life: someone’s garden or a cow looking over a fence. A classic car rusting in an open barn, or oddities of human invention, like this adorkable '70s leftover:
Gremlin! For sale last fall in West Virginia
Cloud formations are endlessly fascinating. Do you ever see the same shape and lighting twice? They're something that can be seen from downtown rush-hour traffic just as well as from country lanes.
Late afternoon in Wyoming
Whether we're driving by a junkyard or a huge field, through a national grassland or by a front yard, there's something to see. A hayfield - testimony to someone's labor. Those apparently abandoned trailers in Wyoming? I wonder how many ranch hands or sheepherders they kept warm and dry.
Cranes lifting off near Blanco Canyon in Texas
My take
I’m glad for time to reflect on the past year’s experiences. Living on the road has confirmed for me that whatever our circumstances, I’d like to maintain a simple life, and part of that is appreciating simple pleasures.
Fall color in Virginia
While I won't say that you'll always find us riding slowly (at least one of us enjoys fast too much for that), I hope there's always time in our life to simply "go for a drive". And I hope the same for you!
Till next time!
Obligatory safety disclaimer: If you're the driver, of course gazing endlessly at scenery isn't advisable. Short glimpses only.
Duh.