Google Maps is the perfect modern resource for long road trips. However, the estimated time of arrival assumes that you will be driving over the speed limit, so if you are driving much slower than the speed limit, you may find yourself quite depressed.
This was my experience last week when my family and I drove to Padre Island, Texas. According to Google Maps, it will take approximately 16 hours. We thought it would be a long two day drive. But I momentarily forgot that our 1984 Westfalia has a top speed of 100 km/h. Then, on the way down, an oil change problem reduced my top speed to nearly 82 mph. I also pop-started the van (classic visual, right?) six times because the battery was permanently low. I pushed it and then dove in again. It was fun! It really felt like a good old American road trip, but it ended in 2024.
Therefore, it took more time to reach the destination. Surprisingly, this was actually quite fun. Thanks to that, we were able to enjoy the trip. Stop at any time, take your dog for a leisurely walk, or pull over for a potty break on the side of the road. Our daughter is 5 years old, so we’ve had a lot of that. We slept in free overnight parking lots like truck stops and Walmart. We call this a dirtbag road trip.
We took things slowly. I was passed by everyone. We were run over by an angry Tacoma truck driver in the middle of nowhere in Texas. (I think it was near Happy, Texas.)
But overall, people were friendly, waving, giving peace signs, and talking about their old van at the gas station. Everywhere we went people were kind and friendly. I don’t know what we were expecting, but I’m sure there are a lot of disgruntled people trying to troll Texas. Other than a few layovers at the Houston airport, this was my first time in the Lone Star State. This definitely doesn’t count.
Having traveled throughout much of the state as a tourist, I have found Texas to be welcoming, hospitable, and friendly.
We spent several days at the beach including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. When we arrived three days after leaving, we all said: “worth it!”
The weather was in the 70s, the sand was fluffy, and we swam in the ocean every day. Usually more than once. We watched people get stuck in the deep sand and other beach drivers would come and pull people out. We found snails, clams, and crabs. Dilce learned about erosion and tides while we built moats, tunnels, and “hot springs.” I was also able to introduce her to my signature sand technique, which I call “dribbling.” This is a very special and complex sand trick used to decorate sand structures.
We left the beach and bay on Thursday before the rain. After some rest and recharging, it literally outperformed itself for the van. I was able to average close to 105 mph on the way back. What a difference! We decided to spend the night in Trinidad, but after getting gas in Raton, New Mexico, Dilly fell asleep. So we foolishly pressed it. I arrived home at 12:30am on December 28th. We arrived safely without incident, but we should have stopped. The road from Trinidad is windy and dark. We played silly games to keep each other awake. We had a really good old fashioned road trip.
Tradition is great, but this year I thought it would be really great to deviate from tradition completely. Presents, Santa, and the pressure for the holidays to be “perfect” are far lower priorities. At 5 years old, Santa Claus was a big deal, so we were proud of how Dilce coped with being away from home on the big day. It’s good to change things up and try new things.
As always, thank you for reading The Mail. Happy New Year!
