This was already posted on Dave’s blog, which everyone should follow, but in case you don’t, here it is. After reading this, go over to his place and subscribe.
One of my favorite movies is Blazing Saddles, and one of the best scenes comes at the end, when Bart leaves Rock Ridge…
Sometimes, the best destination for a trip is “nowhere special.” A friend of mine once told me that when she and her husband would go on vacation, they would get in the car and drive. They’d stop to eat when they were hungry, stop for the night at a motel when they got tired, if they passed a Walmart or a shopping mall, they’d stop and see what they had, maybe buy things they needed… as it got close to the end of their time off, they start for home. No pressure, no reservations, just time together.
Mary and I did that, not long after I separated from the company I had been with for almost 20 years. I still had vacation time, so we got in the car and drove north into Tennessee. We got to Mufreesboro and stopped for a couple of days, shopping at the antique stores and bookstores, dined at a couple of the finer establishments there, and on the way back to Atlanta we stopped in Lynchburg and toured the Jack Daniel’s distillery. In short, we went for a ride.
Not quite a ride in a beautiful balloon… but still quite nice…
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
We could float among the stars together, you and l
For we can fly [we can fly)
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautitul balloon
The world’s a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky
For we can fly [we can fly)
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautitul balloon
Suspended under a twilight canopy
We’ll search the clouds for a star to guide us
If by some chance you find yourself loving me
Weil find a cloud to hide us
We’ll keep the moon beside us
Love is waiting there in my beautful balloon
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon
If you’ll hold my hand we’ll chase your dream across the sky
For we can fly (we can fly)
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautitul balloon
Balloon…
Up, up, and away
Up, up, and away
up, up, and away…
Source: Genius
To me, Jimmy Webb, who wrote “Up – Up And Away” described the perfect trip, where the destination was unimportant (or even unknown). The important thing was being with someone you love, just the two of you being together, away from everything, just hanging out in the clouds (or, in our case, Interstate 24).
If that’s not to your liking, think about this… Constantine Cavafy wrote one of the finest poems I ever heard, called “Ithaka,” read here by Sean Connery.
Here, you have a destination, but are in no hurry to get there. You might like that better.
Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out? If not, do you think you might someday?
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
Been to nowhere special numerous times
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thank you for taking part on my event, John! A great read and never go wrong recalling Jimmy Webb. I tend to try to be structured as much as I can each day but I agree entirely there’s something great about that kind of holiday where you just go wherever you want and end the day wherever, no timetables or pre-assigned routes or anything of that sort.
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I think it’s a dream of many people to just pick up and go somewhere and either come home full of stories or just stay on the road. Glad you liked the piece!
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I love Blazing Saddles and that ending is hilarious! The whole film is hilarious!! My hubby and I go to a town every year as long as we can come home the same day. It’s just fun and taking a trip without s destination is perfect.
I do love that song Up Up and Away but I had Madeline Kahn in my head ( bust my balloons). It’s s great dong and love the costumes which a gal could wear today.
That poem is lovely and who better than Sean Connery. Well Morgan Freeman but Sean is a Scotsman so he wins out.
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The Fifth Dimension were a combination of beautiful singing and wonderful stage presence. They were different from other Black music acts because most of what they did couldn’t be called “soul.”
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We enjoy short trips and drive north to Blue Ridge, just because. Sometimes, we stay overnight and find a great place for breakfast on the way home.
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We used to drive to Helen once or twice a year and stay in a hotel up there. It’s a nice break.
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Yes, we enjoy Helen, as well. We’ve stayed there a few times.
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The best vacation we ever had was one where we had no plans. It was early spring in Michigan so we drove south. On the 3rd day ended up in Jacksonville, FL and stayed for two nights before heading north again. On the way home we spent a day in Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge. The only thing that was planned ahead of time was when we would be back (because I had to go to work).
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We never stopped in Gatlinburg, because it was too crowded, but had a wonderful time at Dollywood.
Early spring in Michigan is what, May? I grew up in Chicago, and that was the way it was there. April was more like “later winter”…
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Now that I think about it our trip must have been early March, so late winter. It was about 18 years ago so some details are sketchy. LOL! I do remember that we kept hearing Bud Lite Real Men of Genius, Mr. Kiss Me I’m Irish pin wearer commercials on the radio so it must have been before St Patrick’s Day.
It’s hard to say when spring gets here. Last week was very summer-like with several days in the 80’s and today we have had snow showers on and off.
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As I commented on Dave’s blog, I like the concept but other than shorter drives I’ve never tried it. Sean Connery, who remains my favorite 007 to this day, has a fabulous reading voice!
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Connery had a wonderful voice, even in his Bond days.
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I only learned about Conneryās actual voice and accent many years after I had watched all the Bond movies starring him in German back in Germany!
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“Ithaka” is wonderful. Husband and I always wanted to see the USA by RV. Pretty sure we’d not have a real plan for that, and later, I knew I’d want to check out the local fishing hole in every town — so, we wouldn’t have lived long enough to see the USA (in a Chev-ro-lay — or not), lol, even if we could’ve somehow afforded to try. God willing, I’ll see from above all the fishing holes — see where folks drew deep at-peace breaths and, occasionally, fish. :-)
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I’m not much of a poetry guy, but “Ithaka” is everything you’d want from one.
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It is — and you apparently ARE much of a poetry guy!
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What great memories from just going for a ride as you say. Jimmy Webb was one of the best.
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He was. Singers seemed to like his songs, so they did a fantastic job of singing them.
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Always ha the fantasy of leaving on a trip with nothing. The idea would be to buy everything you need while traveling. If you got too much stuff then ship it home and start over. Never did it though.
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Have you ever read Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books? Reacher doesn’t have a home and just travels with the clothes on his back. He buys what he needs when he gets there and throws out whatever he has left before he leaves. I thought about what that might take to do, and I just couldn’t get my arms around it…
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I guess I was in the same situation. Couldn’t figure out how to do it. š
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Read the first 18 Reacher books, and liked the idea of throwing away dirty clothes and buying new ones……. no laundry or ironing! Tom Cruise spoilt the character for me and I haven’t picked up a Reacher book since.
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Tom Cruise was one of the producers. Cruise is at least a foot shorter than Reacher. Go figure…
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How can a 5′ 7 (on a good day) ego possibly convey a character of 6 feet five weighing 20 0 to 220 pounds? I guess money talks. Best film I saw TC in was the Last Samurai
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I don’t know. Stand on a box? Casting him as Reacher was a d-u-m dumb move, but evidently Lee Child signed off on it.
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So I believe…… I think TC wanted the franchise.
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