After years as a militant cyclist and pedestrian I finally got my driver's license last August. Since then Emily and I have been on a few road trips.

Our first was to visit Eric in NYC, celebrating his engagement, and then wedding. Our second was to Chicago, for American Thanksgiving, at the house of Sci-Fi legend Fred Pohl (a/k/a Emily's Grandfather).

Our most recent trip, our first genuine road trip, was Southbound, as the wife and I decided we needed to take refuge from the cold and dark of winter. Little Red is our wonderful car, pictured in the header above. In her care, we were able to have a great adventure, getting as far south as Dunedin Florida, with friendly stops in the Carolinas and Georgia. It was a great trip, and a welcome reprieve from the Canadian winter.

Certainly it was the most driving I've ever done. We made it to Wytheville (often mis-spelled as Whytheville) Virginia on our first night. From there we went to the Regent Park Golf Club in Fort Mill South Carolina, where I played a round of golf. We then spent the night in Blythewood South Carolina, which is just north of Colombia, the state capital. At this point it was still fairly cool, so we decided to head to Florida, spending the next night in St. Augustine Beach, where we were able to commune with the Atlantic Ocean. We spent the next 2 nights in Cocoa Beach Florida, which is half way down the Florida Atlantic Coast. We both enjoyed a day at the beach in 80 degree weather. I was able to take a swing in the Atlantic, and dream about Summer. From there we went west on the Bee Line Expressway and spent our next night in Dunedin Florida, where Emily's Aunt Mary lives, as well as her Uncle Graham, and cousins Kim and Leigh. I really enjoyed hanging out with them, as they're really down to earth and are golf nuts like myself.

Dunedin was our most southerly point, and from there we started heading North again, ableit reluctantly. We spent our next night in Hardeeville South Carolina. Emily and I were both a little fed up with Florida, and wanted to get out of the state so badly, that we wanted Georgia in between us just as a buffer. I really loved the Carolinas, as people there were so incredibly friendly and welcoming. From Hardeeville we headed back to Rock Hill and Fort Mill South Carolina, as it was a nice part of the country.

Our last day was the most intense. We woke up at 5am, ate breakfast and showered, and got the day started. Just before 8am I teed off at the Regent Park Golf Club, and given that I was the first person out on the course, I was able to finish just after 11am. At around 11:30am we were back on the road heading north. As the day went on and we made great progress, we made a pact that we would get home later that night (or more accurately, early the next morning). So after playing a full round of golf I drove 850 miles all the way back home to Toronto from South Carolina! Talk about a crazy drive. We ended up getting home just before 2am, although I didn't fall asleep until 5am due to the fact I was totally wired on caffeine! We were happy to be home, eventhough the next few days were depressing given the miserable mushy cold that comprises a Toronto winter. :)

Anyhow, it was a great road trip. We both had a lot of fun, and were able to scout out some really interesting spots in the US South that we'd be happy to return to. As far as my driving experience goes, I'm eager to do more road trips, and learn more about the continent and my ability to navigate it. I'm also happy to learn more about interesting places to visit and drive to, so please let me know of any places or adventures you think we should embark upon!