Road Trip - Beach Trip - The Art of Packing for The Art of Doing Nothing

And We're Off!! Again

It's summer man. Gotta go. But don't wanna   go  where the view is ruined  by  all  those

people from Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon or Washington trying to find their place in the sun. If one of my favorite crime shows, "The Killing", is to be believed, the sun NEVER shines in Seattle. Of course I know it does. At least it did when we were there one August a couple of years back. I recently talked with a Florida native who was transplanted to Seattle about twenty five years ago and she still hates it. Says she's coming back to God's Country as soon as possible. I listened to her laments and understood completely her heart's desire to return to the giant oaks, slower pace and unique people of North Florida.

 

Well, not only is this part of Florida the place of my childhood, but I am constantly drawn to another place of my youth over and over. That's right - The World;s Most Famous Beach - Daytona. The cars, the girls, the life guards trying to pick up girls, the first Steak & Shake in Florida, the Boardwalk and the beach food all made Daytona THE place to be in summer. With hotels and motels like The Castaways, The Americano, The Lido and The Sea Dip, it was THE place in the fifties for the very best summer had to offer. Unfortunately, that was indeed the good old days, and it doesn't appear that they will be returning anytime soon. Condos rule the day in the New Millennium in Dayton Beach proper and most of those iconic hotels are no more. Kids have moved on to more hip destinations in Florida and elsewhere and families drive for hours with the kids in tow to pay insane prices and see the make believe Florida of Disney, Universal and other mega tourist destinations. 

However, there is hope my fellow vagabonds. Just head south on I-95 and hang a left at State Road 40 (Granada Boulevard) for a few more miles then right onto South Atlantic Avenue to one of the coolest little boutique numbers on the east coast of Florida - The Lotus Boutique Inn & Suites in Ormond Beach. Some view Ormond as Daytona's uppity cousin. I just like it because of this great little hotel (this is our third visit) and enough great restaurants to satisfy even the most discriminating foodie. If you want to read about our first stay when we discovered The Lotus check out my post - The World's Most Famous Beach and The Lotus - Sweet!! .  Ah yes. The World's Most Famous Beach indeed. There is none like it for people who have read the book and love to practice the art of doing absolutely nothing.

 

Packing for A Road Trip To The Beach - It's Hip To Be Square
 

Packing. Every architect worth his or her salt is, by the nature of their training and their very DNA, an expert in the world of packing. We have been trained to  get more in less space than other people. The holy grail of all architects is the design of a space so perfect, so minimal in nature that nothing is wasted. As an architect and vagabond, I apply that same concept to packing. To some, packing is just getting it all in the car. Pathetic!!! No - Packing is something that demands and deserves intense  creative thought and planning, as if you were sketching the next masterpiece worthy of the Pritsker Prize. On occasion, I have witnessed  the slovenly stowing of gear by travelers who take no pride in the process of planning and organizing their "stuff" for a trip, road or otherwise. It is simply unnatural!

 

Great packers, like great architects, combine innate design skills  with intensive  training  and  the study of  great packers before them, usually a father figure of some sort. I remember watching my father get an insane amount of everything in the trunk of his 1958 Cadillac for our annual trip to the beach or the mountains. The osmosis of that experience gave me the basic understanding of the art of packing that has allowed me to hone my skills as a world class packer through the years. Sorry ladies, when it comes to the task of packing, it is entirely too important to leave  to women and children. No sir, packing is a man thing! And packing goes far beyond the admonition "A place for everything and everything in its place". Much like design, packing requires the proper tools, skills and motivation to achieve the goal of the perfect packing job. Today's post is specifically about packing for a road trip. Airline packing is an entirely different process that must only be entrusted to the most seasoned veterans of the airline baggage wars. So, some thoughts on packing for your next road trip:

• Luggage. Buy good luggage. My Hartman bag looks like the day I bought it fifteen years ago. And its been a bazillion miles. For road trips, of course, you also need those other support containers for the long list of items needed for the perfect trip.
• Planning. Good packers make lists of items. They plan the packing the night before. And they simply do not allow last minute distractions to keep them from their goal of the orderly organization of all items necessary for quality travel.
• Take Charge. Packing is not a group activity. It is a singular and focused activity of one individual who knows where he/she is going and why.
• Be Organized. It goes without saying, you must have everything in the proper containers and have knowledge of how those containers will interact once packed. Otherwise, it will look like you don't know what you are doing.
• Know Your Destination. This is critical. If you are just going to grandma;'s house, you can throw a few things together. But, if you are going to the beach, well, let's just say, you have to know how to take it to the next level. Beach chairs, coolers, extra large towels, groceries, beach clothes, night life clothes, eating utensils, etc. etc. etc. The list of stuff you take to the beach is very, very long. Packing of this much paraphernalia in the trunk of the smaller cars of today is simply not for amateurs. 
• Clean Car. No self respecting Nomad can leave the driveway in a dirty car. It is bad form and utterly lacking in style. So make sure the car is clean.
• Getting It All In. This is the final step of the planning, the packing and the organization. So don't screw it up! Take your time. Make sure that it all fits properly and make your old dad proud.

 

Of course there are other factors that impact the perfect road trip. The perfect little place helps of course and the one your with is obviously critical. My one and only and I have been to so many places that we are very much like peas and carrots, travel wise. And its even better when the kids are along. If you are, indeed, one of the rare breed of de'excellentes emballeuer, having the kids around will afford you an opportunity to teach them the finer points of getting a lot of stuff into a small space.

 

And one last thing. I mentioned earlier my desire for the perfect place that isn't overrun with tourists at the height of tourist season in the most tourist infested state in the good old USA. That is accomplished by finding places that tourists don't usually go, like a small fifty room boutique hotel in the less populated part of a very popular area and not going on the weekend, if possible, when places, particularly the beach tend to be much busier. All I know is, that by this time tomorrow, I will be continuing my quest for the perfection of the art of doing absolutely nothing.

 

In My Room

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Tavel Quote of The Week - When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money - Susan Heller

 

Video Artist of The Week -  Delbert McClinton, one of the truly original Texas songwriters, singers and  harmonica player on the original Beatles tune "Love, Love Me Do", is this week's video artist. How's that for trivia? The video below, "Too Much Stuff", with support from legends Lyle Lovett and John Prine, brings it all home for this week's post.