by Joseph T. Sinclair
Driving long distances has its hazards. One of them is fatigue. As we all know, getting out of the car, stretching, and taking a break helps avoid the kind of fatigue that is likely to cause an accident.
Yet in my experience, it seems difficult to stop to take the breaks that one should take. I’m always eager to get on to the destination of the day, and taking a break doesn’t seem to further that goal.
At the same time, as you drive, you see multiple photo ops go by. As I hurry to get to my destination of the day, I rationalize that the next time I drive this way I will schedule some extra time to stop and take advantage of the photo ops. The problem with that sort of thinking is that often there is no next time on that particular route. You miss the photo ops forever.
Even if you were to schedule a rest stop every hour, that would prove to be impractical. It will be time to stop, and you won’t be at an appropriate place. An appropriate place might be a designated overlook or viewpoint, a rest area, a fast food eatery, a convenience store, or some other safe place. Thus, your intention stop once every hour would end up stopping at the end of 50 minutes one time, at the end of one hour and 40 minutes another time, etc.
Instead, why not stop for the photo ops. Photo ops will not come exactly every hour; they will doubtlessly come randomly. Nonetheless, random stops are better than not stopping at all, and it seems clear that regular stops are more likely to be random stops anyway.
Have your camera ready. Stop for the photo op. Get out of the car. Walk to the best place to get the best shooting angle for the photo op. Take enough shots to make sure you have a good selection from which to choose a good photograph. Get a can of Coca-Cola out of your cooler. And start driving again. That makes a pretty good break.
Not only will you have a safer trip, but you will also end up with photos that are ones you can’t get at home. There is always something. Unusual terrain. An old barn. An interesting highway sign, advertising sign, or one of the many other unusual signs that one is likely to see on a long trip. An interesting vehicle, boat, locomotive, truck, or airplane. An interesting building, old or new. A lake, river, seashore, or mountain view. And even interesting characters along the way.
And you can do it. Why? Because you have your phone with you. And your phone includes a perfectly competent camera.
Drive safely and take some interesting photos.
P.S. Yes, I did drive through both Eureka, California and Eureka, Nevada this spring.
