road trip
Some people love to take road trips.
We are not those people.
No, we are more the type of people:
- Whose entire goal is to get from Point A to Point B with no stops and in the least amount of time possible.
- Who panic when presented with two lane highways filled with never-ending traffic.
- Who drive to Las Vegas but then can’t enjoy New Year’s Eve because we are too busy resting up for our departure at 4:30 am on New Year’s Day to ensure that we remain unaffected by the other 1.5 zillion revelers leaving Vegas. (True story. Twice.)
So the 2 hour drive up to Santa Barbara was actually quite nice. Traffic was cooperative and aside from telling me that I was in need of a tan, Ali kept most of his comments to himself.
Also, because I sat in the backseat keeping constant vigilance, Maya didn’t throw up. Sure she used my white purse as a pillow and asked me every ten minutes how much longer we would be in the car, but she didn’t throw up.
And that right there? That’s a vacation in itself.
But then there was the drive back from our hotel.
Let’s just say that it involved a traffic filled 3 + hours, a 30 minute detour trying to find a Chevron (courtesy of our faulty GPS), and comments from my husband like, “Ameena, are you okay if I ram the car into this guy’s bumper so he’ll move faster? That’s the only way we’re going to get home by 2013.”
It also involved a stop at a very large and overwhelming outlet mall, a regrettable purchase at the J. Crew outlet, and another 30 minute detour to find some Whole Foods sushi.
It’s good to be home.
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 
Insert early Carmageddon joke here:
So dreading this weekend! Last year I was in NYC…this year I’m not so lucky.
Awww I’m a car-tripper. I think it stems from 12-hour drives to visit my grandparents as a kid. It was my parents, 4 kids, and two yellow labs in a station wagon for 12 hours straight. We were like a National Lampoon’s (the Clark Griswold variety) special waiting to happen.
One of my favorite movies is National Lampoon’s Wally World Vacation (I know it’s not really called that!!). Really one of the funniest movies ever.
And that many people in a car for 12 hours? I can’t even imagine. Not one bit.
Road trips are great in theory but like you, I am not usually a fan! On New Years, a group of friends and I went to a nearby resort to celebrate…we were meant to take the boat back but the waters were too choppy so driving was our only alternative. A journey which usually takes 3 hours ended up taking 6 hours due to the traffic and let’s just say, I was more than happy to be back home by the end of it!!
Is that fish on top of the risotto? Looks yummy!
I think I would have waited for the water to become less choppy. 🙂
Yes, it’s fish…sea bass I think. It was amazing.
I think road trips are better and more enjoyable when everyone sticks to the plan, as soon as one starts to come up with different ideas, it can make the road trip a nightmare. I have experienced such trips, where the group arrived back home minus one.
We were about to return minus two. It was close.
oh you bet, there ain’t no place like home. i used to do the whole road-tripping thing with my parents all the time, to my grandma’s place. i had no idea it was called road-trips… it was more of wakeup-early-reach-really-late kind of a journey. 🙂
Those are the hardest kind of journeys for sure!!
I don’t think you’d survive a road trip with Ralph…it’s pretty much a case of march or die. Not really, he always tries to make me comfortable,but he just wants to keep driving straight through(except for gas and bathroom breaks.) We went from NM to NJ in 35 hours!!!!! I don’t think I need say anymore.
March or die? I love it. I’m actually like him where I don’t want to take any breaks…not even bathroom breaks!
I’m with you – I’m a let’s get to where we need to go as quickly as possible kind of person! Hope Santa Barbara itself was relaxing!
Santa Barbara itself was pretty and the food was great! If only it was possible to fly there…
We love a good road trip but that opinion is from when there were two of us. I’m guessing the third member of our troop is not a fan of road trips 🙂
The third member always makes the road trip 3 X harder!!
Ha, don’t you hate buyers’ remorse? That happens way more often to me than it should.
I should learn not to buy things at outlets that are hours away from my home because then returning things is impossible!
We took road trips down and back up the east coast as a family growing up and i always loved them. But I totally picture you guys as air travels over car travelers. hey, at least you tried it out!
Definitely. We are far better at traveling by air!
Love the pics 🙂
Thanks Ayala!
I saw that first picture and went…wait…is that the Bacara? I live in SB…I wish I had known, I could have directed you to both Chevron and Whole Foods! Drivers here are ridiculous. They are lazy and break traffic laws to allow other drivers to take the right of way. It drives me crazy (no pun intended). I prefer LA where at least there are lanes of traffic to choose from! Anyways, email me if you are ever in town again and I am happy to help you with locations and directions and other tips for survival in SB 🙂
It definitely is the Bacara! Wish I could have asked you for recommendations because we definitely could have used some guidance when it came to restaurants. Ended up eating at Bouchon which was one of my favorite meals. Ever!
Will definitely ask you for recs next time. Thanks for offering!
Growing up, my parents only believed in road trips because we couldn’t afford flying everywhere. It was fun up until hour 2 and then it was painful and boring! Now, I get excited thinking about an upcoming car trip…until the day of when I wish we had just flew! 🙂
Sometimes flying is actually cheaper when you think of the time, gas, wear and tear on the car…or so I tell myself!!
I also have a tendency to start to hyperventilate anytime I’m stuck in traffic. I start to question the meaning of life and whether not it would be better to just start walking. Your post made me laugh.
I thought that walking might have been faster at many different times…it’s hard not to open the door and go, isn’t it?
This is one of the reasons why it’s beneficial for me to be doing the public transit thing now. I got quite impatient and stabby almost every single day in traffic. No matter if I had anything to do or not – the anxiety builds and takes over. Bleh.
Glad to hear you made it home safely. Something important to consider…
I wish we had reliable public transportation here! I would gladly take it every day.
I hate roadtrips. Hate them. But I may hate 5+ hour plane trips with an 8mo old baby even more.
You’d be surprised! Maya did and still does better on an airplane than in a car…
I’ve been wanting to get up to Santa Barbara forever! It sounds so beautiful.
It really is beautiful and worth a trip at least once.
A 2 hour drive is def doable. I’d actually love to do a “real” road trip some day but it simply takes too long so for now we’re pretty much point A to point B. Maybe when we retire….if we ever get to retire some day that is.
I can’t wait to retire! If I have enough money I will fly all over the world! No road trip in sight. 🙂
Aww, you poor thing, Ameena! That trip home definitely did NOT sound like fun. I’m more like you in that I’m not a huge fan of the journey, either. Sure, I like to read on planes, but I’m more anxious to just be there already. On the plus side, congrats on keeping Maya from throwing up! 🙂
Thank you. I definitely consider Maya not throwing up a highlight of our trip!
You need a road trip with girl friends! Music and tan lines and shared snacks. And gab fests.
🙂 I’ll come out to visit and we can go to La Jolla
I don’t know…I think my friends would NOT want to be around me on a road trip. I am prone to complaining (even more than I already do!).
I can handle road-trips…by myself 🙂
Have a great rest of the week!
Katie
I actually think I could do the same!
J.Crew outlet? Scary…Oh, but I’m so with you on the Point A to B business. Unless I get a free luxury hotel room, there will be no layovers for me.
I also avoid layovers as much as possible!!
I try to focus on the endpoint. Otherwise, traffic drives me nuts too. Beautiful picture of Maya by the pool!
I try to focus on the endpoint but my complaining usually takes over anyway!
Thanks for the compliment. 🙂
Absolutely hilarious! You really have an amazing skill for writing…
Thanks Saad…so nice of you to say!!
I’m not a big fan of road trips either… I’d much rather sit on a plane. 🙂 But I don’t mind a road trip that is like 1 hour away, 2 hours is doable. Anything more, no way. It’s nice that all the nice places are so close by in california. so much to see which is nice. Ali is sooooooo funny!
LOL.
I’d rather sit on a plane too!
We long for amazing vacations away, only to get back home and hit the couch and really appreciate there truly is nowhere like home. So true.
Isn’t that funny? I think that I would LOVE to live in a different place for a longer time though. Visiting is hard because everything is sort of in limbo if that makes sense?
Yes definitely! I’d love to travel with the freedom of a backpacker with no time limitations, sans cold water showers and toilet paper-less bathrooms 😛
haha, when i read the title “road trip” i thought “hmmm maybe i don’t really know my friend” but after reading the post, i do! and agree with you 100%! road trips are the worst! i refuse to be in a car for more than 2 hours, ha!
2 hours is a good limit but I’m sort of leaning towards 1.5!
I think road trips are the true test of any relationship. If a couple survive a four hour road trip without throttling each other, they are meant to be!
V and I went on one such trip about five years ago, and made it back together. Barely. We have now been married for four years.
So I assume no road trips since the one five years ago? 🙂
I agree with you about road trips, but somehow I always end up enjoying it!
I wish I did!! But somehow I was not built to do that.
I LOVE road trips 🙂 We did a 22 hrs coast to coast not too long ago. My daughters’ motion sickness was a constant thought in all our heads, but hers. Nothing happened in Texas, New Mexico (this was nail biting thanks to the terrain), Arizona, Nevada, even CA, and when we were practically 20 minutes short of arriving at our destination………..U know what! We STILL enjoy road trips – LOL ! Go figure 🙂
Sounds like our last trip to Paris…Maya was fine the entire 11 hour flight until we were literally landing at CDG and then…disaster. It’s like they plan it??
I could’ve babysat Maya while you guys had a romantic getaway 🙂
That would have been great…I think we would have all been happier!!
I am not a road trip person either. The kids are kept busy with books which I love to do too, but then I always feel guilty reading when Glenn has to do all the driving. Really, who can come up with 6 hours (the time it takes us to get to his parents home in Fresno) of conversation?
Also what is it about being in a car for hours on end that makes you want to eat chocolate the whole time. It might be that no matter how many healthy snacks I bring for us ALL, Glenn always buys a few candy bars at the gas station.
I wish I could read when I’m in the car but I get really nauseous! And I totally agree on the chocolate…something about being trapped I guess? Makes you want something sweet?
I have to admit that I love road trip (sans the traffic of course). How about DVD player for Maya so she will be entertained? Haha.. I like Ali’s comment, priceless… 😉
She has a DVD player!! Not sure why we forgot to bring it?
I am “your” type of people when it comes to road trips. the car drive drains me and i end up being cranky when the reach the destination 😦 and end up eating way too many junk..
I end up being cranky regardless but the drive only makes it worse. 🙂
My mom is here and I had a chance to show her your blog and how much I love it. 🙂
So nice of you to show your mom my blog! So glad I didn’t disappoint. 🙂
Road trips remind me of painting. I always think it’s going to be fun, and get so excited thinking about all the possibilities. I get all kinds of music ready, and start off all cheery and ready to go. Then, about an hour in, I always remember that it sucks and I hate it.
At least you made it home without any huge disasters though. That’s a win in itself right?
That is a definite win! I should be more grateful than I am…but of course I should be a lot of things that I’m not!
When it comes to road trips, I have more energy getting to the destination. When it’s time to come home, I just wish I had a teleporter :D!
Agreed. A teleporter would be fantastic!
We take an 8 hour road trip to go camping every year. The one year we found that the entire window was slathered in boogers. Big ones, red ones, green ones….so gross
Oh my God. I am unbelievably nauseous right now…
Ameena,
Are those eggs in the photo? What are they filled with?
Xx
They are eggs…filled with chocolate mousse. So pretty I thought.
hahaha thats why we never leave home…dont have those visiting genes:P
So funny… I have the visiting gene just not when it involves a car trip!
who took the photo of you and Ali, so funny. I can’t imagine road trips with a motion sick prone child would be at the top of my list. You do airplane travel a lot though…
Airplane travel isn’t easy with a barfing child but the destination is usually worth the hassle!!
ha ha. i think you might go mad when you hear what i’m doing going on my european tour in novemeber…
Trying to get over European Tour right now…the rest is sort of secondary. So envious!
Love your dress in the first picture! I also actually love road trips, but i’ve never had a child in the car who throws up so much loll! So i can see why you think differently 😉
Thank you for the compliment Sonali!
I the worst road-tripper! The WORST. On my last trip (for work) I was so anxious to get home that I thought it would be a good idea to drive through the night and acquired quite the hefty speeding ticket. A night at the Ritz would have saved me money. Yeah – I am the worst at road trips.
That must have been an expensive ticket if the Ritz is a cheaper option!!
i’d much rather fly too!! road trips weren’t so bad when it was just hubby and me. with a child now, it torture!!!
Agreed…although honestly, it’s pretty torturous with just Ali and I as well!
Oh girl. Why have I been gone for so long??? I forgot how effortlessly you could make me laugh out loud. I’m not a driving girl. And…the more I think on it…I’m not a plane girl either. In fact, I’d like to teleport. So good to be back here, my dear!
Thanks for the comment Monet! It’s so nice to see you back again.
And I agree…teleporting would be ideal! If only it was possible?
I am very Point A to Point B. Who are those people that stop and doddle!?! My skin crawls just thinking about it… All the same, glad you escaped vomit free…looks like you had some tasty food along the way, so three cheers for that…and the glorious pool.
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