Column: The return of the Sunday drive
by Paul Lambert
The Sunday drive needs to make a comeback.
In the 1930s, the Sunday drive was a popular activity for people as cars became commonplace. People took the time to go on leisure drives. They didn’t necessarily have a destination. The fun was in the sightseeing. More recently, however, Sunday drives have fallen by the wayside.
Let’s face it. How many people, let alone college students, decide to spend part of their day in their car driving for pleasure?
(Photo: New York Times)
I’ll be honest. I’ve never understood the appeal of the Sunday drive.
After this past week, however, I’m going to have to eat my words. I became the Sunday drive’s newest fan.
Sunday’s weather was perfect. It was all too perfect not to take advantage. The sunny skies and warm temperatures were beckoning me to go outside.
I decided to hop in my car and ride around. Down came the windows and the sunroof opened right up. Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up The Sun” began blaring from my speakers. On the highway with the wind in my face, blowing my hair around, I felt a sense of relaxation I haven’t in a long time. Getting out of the house at long last was a relief, too. Driving down by the seaside, the weather cooled down quite a bit. But the salty air was a reminder that the summer was just around the corner.
At a time when we are all craving some semblance of normalcy, enjoying a drive is something that I have taken for granted for so long. For around an hour and a half, life felt something like normal. When I pulled back into my driveway, I sat for a minute in the car. I laughed a bit to myself.
After looking for something to do, I ended up doing a bit of time travel to enjoy myself.
I’d been able to drive across the state and listen to music. It was also a rare occasion to spend a little time by myself, something else we can take for granted. We all are trying to find ways to do that.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll make the Sunday drive a more regular part of my routine going forward.
Paul Lambert wishes everyone the best of health throughout the pandemic. Have a happy and healthy summer!
