Around here at the Fort Worth Renaissance household, we have a tendency to do things most people wouldn’t consider – own three Basenjis, wage a war against processed food, watch too much Star Trek. However, our tendencies, whether backwards, forwards, or counter-culture, are most evident in road trips. Note the map above.  This is the round trip my mother and I are planning on taking over spring break. Why? Well, we’re somewhat desperate to get out of Texas, albeit briefly, and if we have a week in which to do it, that’ll have to do. Our budget is, of course, paltry at best; I’ve got a feeling copious amounts of PB and J and homemade granola are in my future. We are thinking of taking A, the six-year old.

The truth is, this isn’t that weird for us; two summers ago we drove on a nearly 4,000 mile road trip over the course of two weeks, in which we camped every night but one, and somehow managed to keep eight people in a car that long without any getting killed, maimed, or event taken to the ER. They tried, of course; dissent among the ranks was evident quickly (don’t remind anyone of the first, mosquito-ridden night in Louisiana that will permanently color my siblings and my vision of that state). The part where a person who will not be named left the car and decided to walk several miles back to our campsite? Perhaps it was getting lost in Arlington and narrowly missing going the wrong way down a frontage road. And don’t forget the 24 straight hours of driving to get home, because really, the concept of sleeping on the ground a fifteenth time had no one excited.

But man, the things we saw! Washington DC, Furman, our grandfather, neoclassical paintings, Atlanta, Stone Mountain, fireworks, Suellen getting on a bus in no-where, Missouri…

Don’t do the math about the mileage, please, because I don’t want to think of all the driving. I do want to think, however, of seeing the “homeland” again. Even if it’s only for a week. Because these type of trips are grueling – halfway through, either the concept of Hostess Donuts will make your day or break it, and neither is good – but man, the things you can see!

Our destination is San Fransisco. Northern California. The editor is very excited – this will be her first time back in five years. Determination is our partner, adventure our guide. Estimated time of departure is 4am, March 13th. Heckyes.