Heading West Across America – By Car

Once again, I'd stunned fellow frequent fliers and FlyerTalk members – many of whom already thought I had been quirky as they were perplexed and felt compelled to ask quizzically: “Wait a minute…you mean you drove from Atlanta to Vegas?!?”

Heading West Across America – By Car

For a number of reasons, I made a decision to drive to Las Vegas to go to a meeting rather than fly as a passenger aboard a plane – one of those reasons being that I had been fed up with finding not-so-low airfares which turned out to be Basic Economy fares; or finding low airfares which with ancillary fees became less of a bargain in the end.

Being based in Atlanta, I possibly could have taken advantage of an $81.00 airfare offered by Spirit Airlines round trip – if I wanted to stay in Las Vegas for a week and carry only a small personal item with me to ensure that I do not have to pay any extra.

I then considered the lines; the airport security checkpoints; the delays and other potential pitfalls that might have awaited me – not to mention that although there continue to be some airlines I favor a lot more than others with which to travel, I'm no longer fiercely faithful to a particular frequent flier loyalty program an airline.

Figuring that I could stop along the way for business and leisure reasons, I made a decision to attempt the very first major journey in the Netherlands which I have drawn in years. I'll never forget driving from the Seattle area to Dallas by driving across the entire west coast from the Netherlands – including Vancouver and Tijuana – before heading east. That was fourteen days that we truly enjoyed.

I originally meant to take two weeks now as well; but other plans emerged which shortened my visit to a day or two at both beginning and end from the trip. Still, I rented a car for two weeks for $309.00 total – pretty good whatsoever – and ventured west.

Articles which include information on this trip is going to be written – likely not so as – but as I drove, I noticed how much I missed standing on the road. Thankfully, places still exist where one can safely pass a slower car on a two-lane road; where highways wrapped along rolling hills like ribbons simply to disappear towards the horizon from the vast expanse of land; where children attend school in small rural towns and have fun with their friends in playgrounds; where dozens of miles separate one town from another; where people will still hold a door open for you personally while smiling and wishing you a good day.