Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe THERE'S STILL FUN IN DRIVING In a previous report I mentioned that I was planning a road trip to reinforce in my mind that you don't have to fly to enjoy yourself. So many people still have the jitters in the wake of 9/11 that if you mention the word "flying" to some people they cringe. Not so with me. As you know I made several trips right after Sept. 11, all on those instant, "Let's get people back into the air" fares. Advertisement Now, with the coming of the holiday season, I decided to spend the time between Christmas and New Year's Day with an old friend, joining him -- by air -- in Portland, Ore. During the past few days we've been rediscovering the joys of taking a road trip. As I have suggested for years, you need to plan in advance. Get plenty of really good highway maps. Send ahead to the states, provinces and cities you're going to visit and ask for every scrap of tourist information, promotional material and brochure they have. Then look over it and plan a trip that takes as many side roads as possible. Advertisement My friend Wayne and I plotted a course that would take us from Portland to Washington's capital of Olympia, to the small-but-bustling port city of Port Angeles, then by ferry to the magical city of Victoria, British Columbia. THE SITES AND SOUNDS OF VICTORIA Anyone who doesn't have the money to go to Europe but has a car is missing the boat, so to speak, if they don't go across the border to Canada. There are three reasons why a trip to our neighbors to the north makes so much sense. One, they are among the nicest people on earth. Two, as I mentioned, they are just a drive away. And third, the American dollar is worth about a $1.40 in Canada now. The exchange rate is why you see so many Americans in Canada and so few Canadians in the States right now. And, in case you're afraid you'll freeze to death up north, remember that Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, are warmed by the moderate waters of the Pacific. Yes, just like Seattle, it rains in that part of the Northwest, but that part of Canada is downright tropical compared to, say, Buffalo right now. Victoria, about which I'll say more in future reports, is a glorious mixture of modern-day buildings and a piece of old England transported to North America. Advertisement The port's buildings bustle. The federal buildings and parade grounds are immaculate and the ceremonies and festivals rival anything in Europe. The Royal New British Museum is a true educational experience. And the city's official gardens are a site of wonder, especially when they are decked out in holiday lights. Victoria is accessible by car and passenger ferry from Port Angeles, Wash. Vancouver is an additional ferry ride from Victoria. HITTING THE BACK ROADS The drive between Olympia and Port Angeles is one of the nation's most beautiful back roads. Part of it is four-lane, but most of it is winding, two-lane highway, with inlets and canals on one side and a gorgeous view of snow-capped mountains on the other. And, if you pay close attention, you can see stretches of the old right-of-way that is still driveable. In many cases these side trips take you through little towns that time has forgotten. Many are fishing villages. The small restaurants along the way have menus full of the freshest local commodity ... seafood. On most maps that section of US-101 is marked with dots, signifying it as a must-take scenic road. In its own way it's as breathtaking as California Highway 1 down the coast through Big Sur or US-1 down the Florida Keys. Advertisement The joy of the American back road is something that we have forgotten in modern times. The late CBS "On the Road" reporter Charles Kuralt put it best in describing the American Interstate Highway System. He once said: "Now you can get to any point in America, quickly, without ever seeing anything." If there is any positive point to people's recent fear of flying it is that more and more people are driving. But take the advice of this frequent traveler who has been in 49 of the 50 states, who wanted to be a mapmaker as a child, and who loves the unexpected. The most fun I have had traveling by car has not been on four-lane highways, but finding my way through the country's backroads, stopping at small-town general stores, visiting out of the way post offices and sampling cooking that can be found no where else. A FINAL THOUGHT One unexpected aspect to my drive so far has been the atmosphere in the car. I've known my traveling companion since I was in high school. We have had a common love since then ... communications and broadcasting. The time has been spent reminiscing, singing, joking, doing skits, remembering bloopers to the extent that the hours have flown. Advertisement That kind of fun can't be had on a 90-minute airline flight. More on my holiday road trip in my next report.
