An early start for a vacation
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- August
- 23
We hope to leave early this morning on our vacation trip; well, early for our family.
In anticipating our departure, I’m reminded of a favorite movie, The Great Santini.  For those who don’t know the film, it revolves around Bull Meecham, a Marine fighter pilot played by Robert Duvall, and his often-abusive relationship with his family.
Meecham is far from a fatherhood role model, but as our family gets ready for the trip, I wish we could emulate the Meechams’ travel schedule: hit the road before dawn to beat traffic.
We hoped to leave today at 7 a.m. on the first leg of our Niagara Falls- Toronto-Ithaca trip. That’s after dawn, but before the morning commute. We planned to install the roof rack and luggage container on the car early yesterday evening and then load up the car.
A 7 a.m. departure is a major undertaking for a family that couldn’t get away for one trip until 6 p.m., some years back. Things have changed since then. My oldest son, 17, hates to leave late and is an ally in moving the family along. He is a big help with the roof rack/luggage container installation.
Who knows, maybe we might even sing at the top of our lungs as we head down the road. It could help me stay awake.
Have you ever tried to leave before dawn on a vacation trip? What was that like?ÂÂ
This entry was posted
on Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 am by Len Maniace.
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Yes we have. In 2001 we went to tennessee. left at about 3am or 5am. cant remember but it was very very early.
watching the sun come up as you drive is quite interesting…
and surreal. then the hitting eatly morning traffic for work in another state is also quite new and different. But it beat the alternative. leaving at 8am and getting there at 9pm.
Frome rockland to TN is about 12 hours or so. depending on how long the stops are. we did it in 2 stops. both for Gas and while stopped for gas we took care of everythig else. all 3 of my kids were in single digits at the time. plus we had a new puppy.
We left at 4:30 a.m. for a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina a few years back and it was amazingly worth it. We lived in Larchmont at the time, and it was eerie and wonderful to drive on the 95 and the Cross Bronx and GW and be one of just a few cars. We were passing Newark Airport in 20 minutes. 20 minutes!! Normally, that’s a trip that would take an hour—at best—during the day. It was awesome.
Also, it’s also a rarely repeated feat in our house. I don’t know how many times we leave the house late—and vow never to do it again. Just this summer, we left for the beach at 11 a.m.—and planning to be out by 8.
I hope you made it!!!
well this is useful… (at least for me)
very thanks
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