Passing Time On the Road

So what are the various things that adult persons do to while away the time of a long drive to Florida – seven days, about 35 hours of driving?

I suppose you could play “I Spy...” just like we did when we were kids. Not much fun for only two people and a dog that can't participate. Actually, the dog mostly slept when the car was moving. He is very good that way!

One of the things I did as we moseyed along was keep track of the tolls we paid on the generally very good highways of the USA. We paid a total of $30.10. We could have paid less but we prefer to travel on the toll roads. Fully one-fifth of that sum was paid our last – and shortest – day of travelling. Tolls on the road across Florida from Cocoa Beach to Englewood totalled $6. Good road though!...and busy!!

The other thing I did this trip was to keep track of the different provincial and state license plates we passed as we drove along. In total, we saw plates from five different provinces and thirty-eight different states – while actually travelling. It passed some time!

What passed time as well was our discussion of the variety of license plates in each state. It must be very confusing for policing purposes. Florida must have 15 or more different license plates – one for every cause or creature you might think to associate with Florida. I don't think there was a state that we saw a plate for that we did not see at least one or two more of a different design and/or colour. Who knew manufacturing license plates was such an artistic and, it would seem, profitable business?

Of course, there were the discussions about where to eat, when to make pit stops, does the tom-tom really know what it's doing, etc., etc. Another time – and I have thought of this previously, I want to try to make a note of two different sets of place names. First, I am intrigued by the unique place names we have seen as we drive along. Second, I have noted that there are a number of European place names that occur along the route. Then, of course, there are the names of places that are similar to communities in the Maritimes. This could help pass away a few hours.

I know, I disappoint you. You were sure that we were spending the time engaged in significant philosophical conversations focused on resolving the problems of the world. Com'on; it is supposed to be vacation time!