Road Trip Realities Faced

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” (Lao Tzu)

When you embark on a long road adventure as we do every year, you have to prepare yourself for unforeseen crises that may alter or end the trip. So in hearing the sad news last Tuesday that my mother urgently required a hospital stay back in Fort Lauderdale, we made the quick decision in Flagstaff, Arizona to strategize the most direct and easy path home as possible. Happily, we will accomplish our Plan B goal with a Saturday afternoon arrival in South Florida after four grueling days of driving along truck congested U.S. Interstate Highways 40, 20, and 10.

On a side note, government facilities, motels, and restaurants throughout the country on our vacation seemed to be successfully adhering to current virus prevention policies. Yet there were large numbers of customers/tourists we encountered, particularly in the “Deep South” who failed to similarly follow these guidelines. Don’t be fooled by such peer pressure to “let your guard down.” Wear a sturdy mask, avoid lingering in crowded situations indoors, and stick to social distancing guidelines.

In closing my account of this adventure with my eighteenth blog, I offer you some memorable video moments from our 2020 road trip below.