Even though I spend the majority of my time espousing the virtues of meaningful travel on the local level, sometimes it just feels good to get away further than my literal or figurative backyard. During the peak of Covid, I was lucky to travel to Connecticut. I remember my first journey out of state last summer felt like visiting another country. But after almost two years without long-distance travel, I was ready for a “not in my backyard” road trip.
My wife was still not sure about plane travel. We had tossed around a few ideas: Florida, Utah, North Carolina for places to go for a family getaway. In the end, though, she still was not comfortable enough to fly.
The sun shines through, literally.
A few years back a few of my friends and I were supposed to head out to my friend Dan’s former stomping grounds of Hermosa Beach, California. For one reason or another, this didn’t happen. In early spring of this year, he asked my buddy Mike and me if we’d like to join him on a trip to Tucson, Arizona.
Granted, Tucson was not the first destination I had in mind, but at this point after Covid lockdown, Covid quarantine, and all the rest, I would have been happy to go practically ANYWHERE! In addition to this, sometimes my favorite trips have been the ones where I was literally along for the ride, not knowing what to expect and not over-planning as I often do. Coming out of a New England winter, I’d be happy just to see and feel the sun.
Booking it
Booking the “not in my backyard” road trip started out rocky. Our plan was to take a day off work before Memorial Day and spend the weekend out in Arizona. After booking the flights, a few days later our first flight was canceled. Instead, we had to figure out how we could make another flight option which was scheduled to leave a few hours earlier. In the end, with some finagling, we still were able to leave on the Thursday evening before Memorial Day.
To Be Somewhere New
Our trip to Tucson, which will be detailed in a future article, was simply fantastic. Exploring a new city that I knew nothing about is right in my wheelhouse. Traveling with friends and without the needs of kids was also refreshing. The apartment complex we stayed in included a pool and a hot tub which were practically empty during our visit. This made it easy to relax during our downtime. All in all, this “not in my backyard” road trip was just what I needed. It was a real getaway, exploring somewhere completely new. The vacation’s mix of relaxation and sightseeing was also perfect.
