 Point Reyes National Seashore A 1968 Mustang. Is there a nicer car? Why am I going here? Because I saw this photo on Instagram this week. Taken in Tehran. The culture that historically gave us beautiful things related to food. Clotted cream. The colour of that car. I’d look good behind the wheel. The thought of driving it sends me over the edge. I think I had a good time in one as a teenager. I mean that in the purest sense. Maybe that's where my love for the car started. *** This week I was reminded of maps. Remember those? The robotic drone of Google directions is a poor replacement. It disrupts a real-life pleasure. Another kind of travel. Out where you can't be tracked. I can see a map laid out on the hood of that car. On the side of US 101 or Highway 1, somewhere between Portland and San Francisco. The Pacific Ocean out the passenger window — smells briny like salt along with pine and moss. A wild and extraordinary drive. I’ve done parts of it near Cannon Beach and in Sonoma County. Navigating is something I’ve always enjoyed. Finding the way is a challenge. Like solving a mystery. An exercise in following instructions. A cookbook for the road. One of the best games. And a source for epic fights. Many in public. Pouring over maps before a trip. Planning a route to a restaurant, a botanical garden, an artist's home or museum. Just thinking of those journeys makes me smile. Michelin regional maps of France are made of a material that doesn’t deteriorate at the seams — they're quality. I used one on this solo weekend trip in the Haute-Savoie. Wonder what their long life is? Do you have a favourite style? I could fall down that rabbit hole. Someone on Twitter pointed me to the Blue Guides. Another talked about the dog-eared Lonely Planet guide they travelled through Europe with in their late teens. Do you have one of those? The memories that imprint on us. *** On Wednesday my mom said, "You have to take chances." Seems imperative right now. *** Making a playlist for a road trip. Give me that job, please. These songs would play in that Mustang, on that coastal highway. 20232022Comments are closed.
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