Travel is . . .

Alway changing . . .

I love car travel. It's kind of my own song of the open road. I enjoy throwing my belongings into the car and taking off.

I loved the car trips my parents and I took to visit an aunt and uncle in Michigan or another set in Milwaukee from our Chicago home. I enjoyed loading the car for summer vacations. My dad's unfortunate cigar-smoking habit sometimes made me queasy, but I always enjoyed most of the trips!

Unfortunately, I have been flying a lot more these last few years, but in 2007 my late husband and I put on over 4,000 miles driving throughout the southeast, visiting kids and completing some assignments in Little Rock, Memphis and Natchez. It was great. We visited a lot of Cracker Barrels, but also spent time on Beale Street and at Graceland, toured the amazing Clinton Library and enjoyed our month-long odyssey. I am thrilled we did it when we did.

Last summer a dozen family members and I headed to Naples. Six flew in from Texas, one drove down from Central Florida and the locals and I joined a caravan across Florida to the magnificent white sand beaches of Naples. (Read about Naples, FL at www.SouthernTravelNews.Com,) and now as I head out for the New Year's holiday I wish I were driving.

Given the airline challenges of these last few days the concept of security and on-time flights gets a bit hairy. Can you believe a Cathay Pacific flight sat on the tarmac in New York for 11 hours because no gate was available? Or being told by an over-worked and under-paid gate agent that they won't get home until after the new year?

Of couse gas is reported to be 40 cents a gallon higher this year than last, and some holiday wise men observed gas could be $5 a gallon by mid-2012.

So on that great note, happy new year. I am off to the airport and I hope an easy flight. May all your wishes be granted in 2011.