Travel Top Ten…
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Probably not what you expected by the title – it’s not a list of the top ten places to put on your travel list. It’s simply a list of my favorites with a travel theme!
These are my favorite . . .
1. Travel Song:
The words get me every time . . . a song that stirs the adventurous wanderer in me . . .
“Wanna pack your bags
Something small
Take what you need and we disappear without a trace we’ll be gone, gone moon and the stars will follow the car
And then when we get to the ocean
Gonna take a boat to the end of the world all the way to the end of the world”
2. Travel book – Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck writes of his experiences traveling across the US in his pickup with his dog in the 1960s. Oh my! This is the way to see the country! A reliable pickup camper, a pioneering spirit, ingenious solutions . . . and a faithful dog.
3. Travel movie – Elizabethtown
There is an amazing road trip at the end of this movie! A creative and inspiring road trip!
4. Road Trip Music – 60s and 70s rock and roll. Turn it up! There’s something about rock and roll cranked up to high volume that energizes us for late night driving! We just might become nocturnal when we’re on the road – drive all night and sleep all day!
5. Travel techie thingy – GPS navigation. It has come in handy over and over since we have the tendency to always take a wrong turn. It’s a given that we’ll have perfectly clear directions in hand, but still end up on the wrong road. Had some of our best adventures being lost! But, when it’s time to get back on track, the GPS app on our phones has redirected our route many times.
6. Travel food – cashews, grapes, bananas and water. Easy to munch on and no mess while on the road. Sure beats fast food burgers.
7. Travel Roadside Service – Good Sams and AAA. We’ve had both and have received outstanding service every time we’ve called. There is peace of mind knowing that if there’s a flat tire or other emergency, we can call for help. This is huge, knowing how inept we are with mechanical stuff!
8. Travel Poem – Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman.
It stirs my soul – awakens my travel spirit.
“And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two-lane country, who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul”
9. Travel route – the backroads and blue highways. Get off the interstate . . . wander down the backroads . . . through the countryside . . . along the creeks and rivers . . . this is where my heart explodes with gratitude for the beauty of creation – the most beautiful people and places are found there.
10. Travel ebook – Vanabode. For those who want to travel now and not wait until retirement, who want to travel everywhere and anywhere without the stress of maneuvering a huge RV, who love simple living and creative solutions . . . this book will guide you to a lifestyle of travel and adventure – on a very limited budget. Stay tuned . . . it is very likely you’ll soon be reading about our adventures in our own Vanabode!
11. Travel “Get Out of Jail” card – don’t get too worked up over this . . . it’s not what you think! We have a membership in a travel club that offers a condo card. That’s our “Ace!” The card gives us access to condos all over the world . . . for those times when we want a little luxury provided by a hot bath and comfy beds. A vacation from our vacation! The value provided is immense . . . a small investment gives us incredibly affordable weekly stays whenever the mood hits us!
So, there you have it . . . a list of my travel-themed favorites. Bruce and I are lucky, for we share the same spirit of adventure, freedom and simple living that makes it easy to embrace this lifestyle of living and working on the road. It works beautifully for us, and for that, I am extremely grateful and happy!