Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Planes, trains, and ... um, camel vans?

When I was stuck in traffic while evacuating Virginia Beach ahead of Hurricane Irene, I got to thinking about transportation. Funny how crawling along I-64 with my husband, son, son's girlfriend,  daughter, and daughter's two cats, in an over-packed minivan, will inspire a reverie on just how wonderful it would be if Star Trek transporters really existed.

Alas...

So, yeah. Car travel over long distances isn't my favorite. Neither is flying (as any of you who've read my blog for long have undoubtedly already gleaned). 

Buses are okay for local transportation, as is the subway. 

TG swears motorcycles are the most fun way to get around. Yeah, they can be exciting, but what if it rains? And I do worry about getting smacked in the face by bugs.

Personally, I like piggy back rides best, but for covering distance, nothing beats a train. TG and I back-packed all over Europe with Eurail passes as our tickets to adventure, and it was wonderful. Aaaah...the charm of the choo-choo. The romance of the rails.

The lustiness of the locomotive! 

Yeah, I said lustiness. Think of the movie North by Northwest. (That's a link to one of the best movie endings ever. Go check it out. Seriously, do it. It's only 30 or 40 seconds long. Don't worry, I'll wait...)

What'd I tell you? Who can resist imagery like that? 

 Speaking of imagery, and since it is Hump Day, how's this for transportation?


(Hey, you didn't think you were going to get away from here on a Wednesday without looking at a camel, did you?)

What's your favorite mode of transportation?

22 comments:

Tiffany Schmidt said...

I don't really mind travel. I rather like it.

Usually.
As long as I'm not the one driving (or flying the plane...)
And there's no traffic.
No delays.
No turbulence.
No bad weather.
We have good directions.
Good travel snacks.
Good music & audiobooks.
And there are plentiful bathroom stops.

But I'm not particular at all. ;)

Kimberly Sabatini said...

My kids were just talking about the need to teleport the other day LOL! We were in traffic for the county fair. OMG! Cutest movie ending evah! Love it!!!! I'm still holding out for my own ability to fly, but alas it only happens in my dreams...but that is my favorite mode of transport to date. :o)

Anne Gallagher said...

Oh, the poor camel.

My favorite way to travel is by boat. We used to take the ferry to Long Island every summer. Love that. Being out on the deck, wind, sun, ocean spray. Of course my hair would be a nightmare but hey. It was still fun.

Someday I want to cross the pond on a big boat. Like the QEII. I think that would be swell. And then travel all over Europe by train. I like trains too.

Unknown said...

I really love to fly, well as long as the turbulence is kept to a minimum :) But, usually, if the trip requires less than a day by car, that's how I'll do it. I may love to fly, but my puppies don't care for it, and they usually tag along with me.

Carol Kilgore said...

I'd love to teleport. I always love being someplace but not the travel to get there.

Kerry Schafer said...

That might just be the best hump day picture ever. I want to travel that way.

abby mumford said...

i don't necessarily love to travel, persay, but i usually love the end destination. i'm usually traveling alone, so that's probably why i don't always enjoy the act of traveling (lugging your suitcase into the bathroom? no thank you) but getting to see new and different places and faces? YES PLEASE.

Susan Adrian said...

I HATE riding in cars. Don't mind airplanes as long as it isn't more than a couple hours.

But I love trains.

Speaking of trains and lustiness, sometime you really need to see Chuck vs. the Honeymooners. Almost all on a train, and plenty of lusty/romance. (it's one of my fav episodes ever...)

Isis Rushdan said...

I don't enjoy flying and I don't like airports, but it is the fastest way to travel.

Trains are good. I don't like overnight train rides. Did a few from Germany to Italy and hated it. However, I took the Amtrak train where you can load your car onboard from FL to VA and it was okay. I was young and my family was worried about me driving the distance alone. Smart choice.

Geoffrey Cubbage said...

I think I owe you an apology: I wound up posting a camel on my own blog today, and only later realized that it was in fact Wednesday and I was totally bogarting your thing.

I went back and added a credit, though!

Keep the camels coming?

Judy,Judy,Judy. said...

My favorite mode of travel depends on where and how far I'm going.
-Just a few blocks in the city, my two feet are the best - no parking that way.
-I don't mind four or five hours of car travel.
-I like flying. Especially long distances cause I just want to get there already.
-The only time I traveled on a train was when I was young. It was okay.
-Greyhound sucks and not in a fun way. I traveled that way a lot when I was in my poor 20's. Never again.
-Love the camel van. Not sure how far I'd want to travel that way, though.

Steph Schmidt said...

Now I have a sudden urge to watch the rest of North by Northwest (never seen it).

Personally I love carriage rides. The bounce of the carriage, the clopping of the horse's hoofs and watching the wheels spin. Brings to mind every period piece I've ever seen. The best part is the faintest of breeze that goes through your hair without messing it up.

Bess Weatherby said...

Have you SEEN the first class cabins on international flights? It would make anyone want to fly. Now, if only for the money . . .

And yes, trains, above-ground trains, that is, are excellten :) Subways. Meh.

Thanks for the excellent camel pic!

Bagman and Butler said...

Well, I do kind of like my car but it (Honda S2000) is zippy and convertable so I can't carry a spouse, children, grandchildren, animals if I wanted to. It's kind of like a motorcycle with a top for the rain. And I like bicycles.
And the couch -- except it doesn't go anywhere.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

For long trips I agree that the train is the best, altho we always ending up going in our car. Sigh.

Sarah Tokeley said...

I like trains. I'd love to ride on a sleeper train and go to sleep listening to the noise. Do they still have those?

And yay for my camel fix :-)

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I'm not keen on travel myself. I find it very stressful -- especially if I have to worry about where my next bathroom stop will be.

(I was scarred for life in high school by a bus trip through Ireland where I suffered in pain for several hours b/c the driver wouldn't make a potty stop.)

However, I once traveled by Amtrack's Acela train to NYC and found it very relaxing -- and I loved the ferry from Long Beach, CA to Catalina Island. (Although that might have had to do with the complimentary glass of wine.)

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Speaking purely as a fantasy, I'd love to sail on a tall ship.

Speaking realistically, I mostly ride my office chair.

Jeffe Kennedy said...

I like to travel. All kinds of travel. But I think my favorite is to go by boat - maybe only because I don't get to do it as often as the others...

muffintopmommy said...

I have to say my current fave mode of transport is my new bike--as hubs dubbed it, my "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" bike! IT's old skool cool (but inanewiboughtitattarjaykindaway)...I just got a basket for it, large enough to hold a six pack or a bottle of wine---whee, and a bell!! (In case I'm not loud enough on my own *cough*).
I wish I could figure out how to post a pic...but alas, I'm not tech savvy enough...as ya well know!!

Kasie West said...

My daughter and I (as we were driving 12 hours in the car) got to wishing the mode of transportation on Star Trek was invented. Have no idea why. :) And with all those people/animals in your car I can see why you'd go there too.

I LOVE the subway. Seriously my love for it is unhealthy. :) I wish we had it here. Sigh. But I'm stuck driving my minivan.

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

My fave way to travel, short distances at least, is the bicycle. Love riding around town, doing my little errands that way. :)