Where and when have you found the need to make alternative travel plans on your vacations?

“We do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” (John Steinbeck)

We had planned to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  on I-80, taking the steep route at high elevations past Donner Pass. But the weather had other ideas. A snowstorm moving into the mountains made the decision for us. Instead of pushing through such severe weather uncertainty, we instead opted for a longer but safer  drive north on  Highway 95 through austerely beautiful desert expanse into Winnemucca for the night. The next day we drove  northwest into Oregon eventually turning  west on rural Highway 140. This half  day route to our following stopover in Klamath Falls provided exhilarating views of snowcapped volcanic mountainsides, sparkling clear lakefronts, and Wild West inspired artifacts.

It wasn’t the original plan.And that turned out to be the point. There’s something to desire about that mostly barren “stretch” of Nevada highway after encountering so many  sound and sight distractions in Las Vegas . No traffic to manage, no neon billboards grabbing our attention—just open land, offering wide open space , fresh air and a steady rhythm of much needed simplicity.  Mile after mile, it also gave me space to think… or not think at all!

So by the time we reached Moore Park along Upper Klamath Lake for our morning Oregon excursion, I wasn’t looking for excitement as I had no schedule planned to be anywhere that day. The chilly temperatures at 44 degrees didn’t seem to bother me either. So I found myself slowing down for a simple walk without much trying around picturesque Putnam Point watching shorebirds roam freely.

Not every meaningful place on our road trips announce themselves ahead of time. Some just appear along the way, when I’m willing to adjust and keep going .We’ll continue on to Portland soon. But this post Vegas  stretch—the change in direction, the open desert road, the quiet pause in Klamath will  be what I remembered as a useful highlight of this vacation.

Does excessive noise bother you? Why or why not?

“ Choosing stillness in the midst of chaos is the  path toward living in peace.” (Deepak Chopra”)

Las Vegas is known for its spectacular volume—lights flashing, music pulsing, crowds pumped up with  constant distraction. For it is a city designed to keep you awake, alert, and wanting more amid casino chaos. But even in this place built around constant energy, I sought to find my own pace on this three day roadtrip visit. And so I found something else here beyond the strip’s intensity as the desert began to beckon my no rush call.

Know then on our first day Vegas excursion, I’d chosen “Valley of Fire State Park”, well known for its deep canyon reds and soft sandstone  browns as a quiet reminder that time in the Vegas vicinity doesn’t always need to move quickly. With temperatures pulsating above 90 degrees by noon, however, Ruth and J realized the need to prioritize our slow moving  drive today to view only a few designated places in the park. Those pockets of silent calmness selected included spirally rounded formations known as The Beehives. Seven Sisters and Balanced Rock. We also felt privileged to witness mysterious petroglyph drawings blackened by time high above  the Mouse’s Tank Trail and a rare sighting of bighorn sheep during our leisurely picnic lunch stop at the Park Visitor Center.                            

Even within the city itself, moments of calm revealed themselves pleasurably to me on our second day Vegas tour. In particular, at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, I stepped from the bustling tourist activity of its main lobby into the quiet hush of the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. It felt like entering a different world—one where flowers were not just grown, but imagined in carefully arranged colors, shapes, and textures. In immersing myself quietly with such sensory stimulation amid the hotel’s  latest masterpiece entitled, “Springtime Symphony”, how long to spend time there did not seem to really matter.      

 I realize this more “ low key”side of Las Vegas becomes a rare occasion for many visitors to this mecca of hedonistic temptations. But for me, I seemed eager to notice where and when such subdued rewards could best be found. Las Vegas may be built for noise, but I recommend, that you follow my example and try a vacation there centered around peace and quiet. 

What place you’ve visited before most captures your imagination?        

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” (Albert Einstein)

Morro Bay, California is not just a place to me—it’s a state of mind. Back home in South Florida, amid tourist driven urban gridlock, I often find it therapeutic to imagine sitting on a sheltered beach, gazing out at massive Morro Rock. Shore birds glide and gather freely, otters drift casually on their backs, and harbor seals bark in the distance as if part of some unscripted coastal symphony. There is plenty of space here for all forms of life to simply exist as wild nature intended it. It’s also a place where I envision vintage car owners thrive as their showpiece vehicles refuse to rust.

When our subtropical weather stays hot and humid so much of the year, I recondition my thoughts to that cool Pacific air lightly brushing against my skin along Morro’s shoreline. I can almost feel the quiet pull of the bay, tempting me to slip away by kayak toward a secluded sand spit, drifting gently beyond the reach of  ordinary routine.In contrast to the hurried rhythm of my Fort Lauderdale lifestyle as well,  Morro Bay offers a different pace—one that invites pause. Here, time stretches just enough to notice the subtle shapes of clouds, the rugged textures of rock, or the quiet movement of wind through trees. It awakens something deeply visual, almost meditative.

And yet, the most meaningful realization comes when imagination gives way to presence—I am here. On this road trip, Morro Bay is no longer a distant refuge in my mind, but a living, breathing experience renewing my spirit in real time. Soon, I will leave again. But Morro Bay has a way of staying with me—its impressions vivid enough to return whenever I need it most.

Do you prefer a fast paced or slower paced lifestyle? Why?

“I think that L.A. or San Francisco could be rushed but Sacramento is just laid back.” ( Nick Johnson )

Our road trip visits to California typically move pretty fast as our friends live in the busy San Francisco and Los Angeles vicinities. Of course as urban residents of South Florida, we’re used to  road congestion, crowd noise and of course the energy and excitement associated with big city living conditions. So in order to accomplish your normally action packed  day, let’s just say there’s a constant pressure to stay on a planned schedule daily.

But on our two day road trip visit to Sacramento ,a sizeable metropolis of over 500,00 people, I noticed an easier managed lifestyle right away. Sitting at Sutter Health Park  to watch an Athletics major league baseball game for instance on our first night , I immediately noticed how people moved at a slower pace as they made their way from the parking lot to their seats. Before  the game began, a distinct buzz of respectful cheering and friendly conversation reminded me of a neighborly gathering in a town hall setting. I also noticed there seemed to be plenty of space to move around without being crowded by other people in stadium corridors, concession  lines and those visits to the restroom. 

The next day, our Sacramento tour continued with a visit to the California State Capitol  Museum. Our self guided tour of the interior took up most of the morning  as we visited historic rooms of state government use dating back from the late 19th century as well as those prominent gathering areas presently used  today.  ln those moments, each setting felt orderly arranged yet more quietly experienced than expected. Then exiting to the expansive capitol lawn noticing minimal city noise nearby,  I found good reason instead to serenely concentrate on  tree landscape and sculptured memorials well placed within the park. 

We then continued moving at our own slow pace to  the “Old Sacramento” waterfront area. After finding surprising ease of parking space close by, around lunchtime we sauntered along old wooden walkways to satisfy our curiosities of historic buildings dating from the 19th century “gold rush” era of California’s discovery times. Deciding what to do then really didn’t really matter as we renewed our energy with the cool breeze coming off the river to  invigorate us at that time. Afterward we closed this relaxing day trip with an unrushed  riverside stroll which provided us picturesque viewing spots of the famed Tower Bridge boldly painted all gold and the reconstructed Delta King riverboat as well. 

So I loved how this Sacramento sightseeing day naturally unfolded rather than being tightly managed in time and distance like back home. And that kind of spontaneous feel of sightseeing  seemed exactly what we needed on such a long road trip we are arduously undertaking. 

How does the idea  of visiting a historic  bookshop make you feel? 

“Bookstores re wondrous places are they not? ( Higasa Akai)

It looked like a stormy weather weekend in Santa Cruz, California. So I thought where would be a logical place for me to head when the skies turn gray? Thus awakening to  the rain pelting down steadily beyond the bedroom window of our bungalow, making alternative plans for daily activities thus weighed heavily on my mind this Saturday morning. With good timing, I’d then recalled the enjoyment I felt from the creatively customized management  of two independent bookstores we’d previously experienced in California on this road trip;  “Vromans” in Pasadena, and “Ink Spell ” in Half Moon Bay. Consider for instance that “Ink Spell” during our visit offered a  $2.00 per book promotion called “Grab Bag” involving prewrapped novel purchase options labeled only with their respective genre.  I’d thus randomly took a surprise chance  at historic fiction, biography, and sports, and “hit the jackpot” with  three interesting novels.                 

 Opportunity thus entered my mind then to engage in a similarly enlightening ambience  at the historic Santa Cruz Bookshop” downtown on this  slow down rainy day.  And as anticipated, such  browsing of this engaging abundance of books and other paraphernalia there at my leisure would become a fun and relaxing way to pass the time. In particular I’d seemed drawn to several eye catching  book category sections popping out everywhere I looked directed toward local community themes. They included The University of Santa Cruz  campus section for souvenir purchasers,  a “Play Ball”  setup for Francisco Giants baseball enthusiasts ,a tall rack of  local author writings  and  an “Amplify”  spot that catered  literature to the  politically liberal spirit of the Santa Cruz community. As far as actual buying, I did not have much of an  urge of mine to seriously look for a specific author or book title yet three non fiction  books titles seemed to randomly jump off the shelves to select me as I aimlessly browsed the aisles. 

It’s fortunate that so far on on this journey, we’ve experienced for the most part pleasant weather conditions for sightseeing. But on those days of bone chilling cold or rainy ugliness, the quiet refuge of a local bookstore seems to be the ideal place to go a I continue my quest to not rush around on this roadtrip. For they serve as sanctuaries of knowledge, escape, and community interest for me wherever I am at. 

What places of interest does water transportation take you to in your comuunity?

“Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” (Van Morrison)

The ferry was packed. The lines were long, but this did not bother me for my expectations were high for us to book a relaxing ferry ride to see an upcoming the San Francisco Giants day game.For on this sunny and typically cool Wednesday , getting into the game in a little over one hour was not  just transportation—it was a major part of the experience.

So my first objective as Ruth and I  embarked from Larkspur cruise terminal focused on feeling our senses fall free in the present moment. As a result, I would concentrate on smelling the fresh salt air, watching seagulls fluttering overhead,, feeling the cool breeze on my face and settling into the slight rocking of the boat along the calm bay on the top deck of these ferry. None of these observations would’ve likely happened I might add if we had chosen to drive to the ballpark along congested urban highways.

Now gazing around me on both sides of the boat with more relaxed curiosity, I noticed several iconic bay sights along the way. San Quentin prison first came into interview jutting into the waters with its pale yellow look of the buildings reminding me more of a vacation villa than a hardened criminal holding area. Next in view, Angel Island appeared as a desolate hilly wilderness that once served as a bustling immigration entry for thousands of Asians trying to enter this country. You can still visit building remnants of this facility by way of  independent boat tour offerings during the day. Next  passing the former Alcatraz prison isolated on its stony island promentary, I was reminded how even this most cruelly designed place of prisoner management in American history sits s quietly in a such a beautiful setting close to SF downtown. At several points along this exciting journey, the Golden Gate Bridge and SF Bay Bridge also emerged to reveal living testaments  of the difficult engineering feats that were required to gain entry into the city downtown.

So let’s just say upon entering the environs of Oracle Park to watch the game, this action merely became the “icing of the cake” to this beautiful sailing journey. For at the time that the ballpark first came into view, I realized something—the success of this day had already begun long before the first pitch. Of course, the energy of the game action would capture my attention as usual.But I could watch this low scoring game with more patience knowing my mind now seemed  calmer from the sailing experience and I would not have to fight traffic  driving back in traffic going back.

Looking ahead  on our upcoming road trip agenda, maybe the best journeys we find will not be the fastest ones to go through. .For we have the time in the next two months to really immerse ourselves more fully in some interesting places that we’ve never found time to indulge in before No  excuses for making too many social visits to friends and family might be the key to sustaining this goal.

Where do you slow your life down best during a major city visit?

“ Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly” (Mae West)

My agenda in Los Angeles on our roadtrip was simple: ignore the glitzy tourist checklist and spend three days doing only what I genuinely enjoy. I wanted to feel again the unrushed rhythm inning by inning attending a live Los Angeles Dodgers game. I desired to hear once more the tranquil sound of waves gently lapping the Pacific shoreline at Redondo Beach. I yearned to browse a well known bookstore in Pasadena and let my curiosity find literary treasures at economical prices. I also hoped to avoid congested Los Angeles freeways as much as possible to notice interesting sites in neighborhoods along the way.

So my experiment to slow down my experience of this city seemingly in perpetual motion seem to work well during two leisurely sightseeing days First the Dodger game Wednesday night became a true test overcoming my habitual patience as I settled into a low scoring affair between the Cleveland Guardians and the hometown Dodgers. Although the Guardians surprisingly defeated the defending World Series champions, I felt contented to just sit, watch and wait for the next play to happen regardless of the outcome.

Meanwhile, as the Dodgers game definitely had slowed my mind, the Redondo Beach shoreline the next morning softened my normally ambitious will even further. For it seemed Ruth and I had found a perfect spot for a picnic lunch on a cliffside park overlooking the shoreline as the vast aqua expanse of the Pacific diverted my awareness of the busy traffic happening around us. Afterward we just ambled aimlessly along the boardwalk and throughout the famed Redondo pier without worrying about time or distance elapsed. 

A final piece of the puzzle to complete this unforced Los Angeles visit happened on late Thursday afternoon with an hourlong visit to Vroman’s bookstore. On this occasion slowing down for me enhanced opportunities to find something practical to buy. Thus I found myself feeling free to wander through each bookshelf without looking for a specific title in mind. No rush to buy. I’d just flip a few pages of titles that caught my eye and fortunately I found three bargain novel classics with just my curiosity leading the way.

Bustling Los Angeles will always represent a challenge to me from a tourist perspective. For there’s  really too many choices  of activities to do on a given day. But that was not the point of this particular visit. Three days in L.A. was not about how much I saw, but how I chose to move through it at a slower pace. I’ve earned this privilege to take my time in my retirement and I definitely plan on pursuing it to the max wherever I go in the future.

What’s the most peaceful place on earth you’ve ever visited?

“When your spirit cries for peace, come to a world of canyons deep in the old land.” (August Frug)

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is logically a destination that I could  bypass on our road trips . But I’ve learned never to discount the opportunity to return. So on this road trip visit , we decided to take our time more from previous visits and concentrate on walking away from the tourist masses along the famed Canyon Rim Trail . We’d thus embark on a four mile hike from our parking spot near Yavapai Point in a westerly direction to the National Park Visitor Center. From there,it  would be convenient to return back near our point of departure by way of shuttle bus option. Our objective that morning at this slower pace seemed right for finding some peaceful solitude along some inviting vista points of our own choosing. And amid such silence, some amazing sensations definitely happened. 

I might then best describe such pleasurable feelings along the rim on this occasion as the human world around me seeming to pause from motion. Conversations softened , footsteps muted and I felt the soft wind moving me along with steady intention. Then the vastness  of this of this canyon seemed observably strong as I noticed once again its deep layers of contrasting color and shadow in this vastness of space.

But what amazed me most on this occasion was how the canyon seemed to settle something deep inside my mind. For I  seemed reminded me to “let go “ of whatever uneasiness I felt about current life challenges and just concentrate on feeling thankful  moment by moment for the opportunity to experience  such beautiful stillness on this day. Gratitude then seems to be the greatest gift the Grand Canyon keeps giving me that for the first time I am so happy I fully noticed it. 

How do you feel about letting wild animals roam free?

“Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery.” (Lois Crisler)

Sunday did not seem like the ideal time to visit the Grand Canyon as we didn’t feel up to fighting the heavy weekend crowds gazing over the South Rim that day. So it seemed like we were looking for something similar to do withrelaxing outdoor environs. Fortunately, Bearizona Wildlife Park turned out to be one of the most interesting  excursions so far of our road trip. For on this cool morning we found ourselves instead winding through a well designed safari adventure where the creatures—not the visitors—set the terms of the encounter. Of course I  was thinking tourist trap “ripoff” at the time with perhaps a few lazy animals laying around in the distance hoping to hide from the oppressive Arizona sun. Yet the well managed space with plenty of Ponderosa Pine tree cover and designated turnoffs for close viewing of bears, wolves, deer, elk and bison proved to be an inviting use of our time. 

Know as well that at the conclusion of our three mile drive, included in our admission was nearby Fort Bearizona, where we leisurely embarked on a self guided walk along a winding path throughout the zoo portion of the park. A picnic lunch concluded this three hour relaxing experience which left our afternoon free for indulging in other sights near Williams, Arizona that day. The popular Grand Canyon would still be there for us to visit on Monday. But this unexpected day indulging in interesting viewings of wildlife felt right  for us then.

What’s your favorite road “off the beaten track?”

“Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns.” — Susan Magsam

There are many fascinating towns scattered along the vanishing highway known as Route 66 in the American West. On day nine of our road trip, it was therefore an easy decision to choose Tucumcari, New Mexico, for a two-day stopover.

At first glance, there isn’t much to do in this quiet, almost ghost-town setting. Yet at the same time, Tucumcari feels very much alive—as if I’ve stepped into an authentic 1950s movie set. It’s a version of small-town America shaped by the years following World War II, where hometown diners, classic cars, and family-run motels still define the landscape.

So as I slowly cruised through town, several discoveries stood out. Eye-catching murals stretched across building walls, telling vivid stories of Route 66’s past and its rugged Western surroundings. A gigantic welcome sculpture commanded attention at the edge of town. There was also the full-size teepee at Tee Pee Curios, a giant sombrero jutting out from La Cita Restaurant, and an old Texaco station that felt frozen in time.

Even more striking were the vintage cars—an Edsel, a Buick, and a Chevy coupe—parked outside aging motels, as if waiting for travelers from another era to return and drive them around town.

I do wonder how long Tucumcari can preserve this time-warp atmosphere. But if you’re a cross-country traveler who appreciates places “off the beaten path”, this “Mother Road” town offers something rare—a breath of fresh, unhurried life far removed from the rise-and-grind routines back home.