Ooh, there are lots of attractions that are pretty close to home that are still on my bucket list. In fact, as I am writing this, I am asking myself what is really stopping me from ticking at least some of them off this year??? Feels like a new goal is brewing…
Giba Gorge
This is a beautiful nature reserve that has a mountain bike park as well as hiking trails. They have a restaurant, although I think there are also picnic sites. It’s about a 40-minute drive from my home, so it’s not too far away. My friends and I have planned a hike in the next week or two, and I am really hoping we do go.
Today’s Prompt: What is your preferred mode of travel?
I would definitely say the car! Road trips are my favourite.
When I was a kid, it seemed like we were always on the road during school holidays. My dad loved driving and visiting his and my mum’s families. As a result, we would travel to Johannesburg from Pietermaritzburg, where we lived, or to the farm, spend the day in Durban, or drive to a small town called Harding in KZN. One year we even drove to Cape Town. It’s an 18-hour trip, and I really don’t know how my dad coped with all our singing and chatter along the way. I was only eight years old then and full of energy.
I had dreamed of taking my son on road trips too but it hasn’t quite worked out as planned. We did drive to East London in the Eastern Cape with my dad. That was a 6 or 8 hr trip and Alex sat like a trooper all the way there. He was only 5 or so when we drove down. He was so excited to get there that he didn’t even want to take a bathroom break until mother nature refused to take no for an answer.
The other trip I did take my son on was a trip to Johannesburg with my boyfriend at the time. My son was about ten years old. We stopped at the smallest church in Southern Africa at Van Reenen’s Pass. It is called The Landoff Oratory, and you can read about its history here. It is gorgeous and is surrounded by the most beautiful landscape.
The Little Church. Photo credit: Michelle Frankson
The Coffee Shop next door. Photo Credit: Michelle Frankson
I think the things I love most about road trips is the quality time you get to spend with your travelling companions in the car, the scenery (South Africa is a beautiful country) and the journey.
Ooh, the other little road trip that stands out in my mind was the drive from Trumbull, Connecticut, to Weehawken, New Jersey and back. It was the end of September, and the nighttime temperature dropped between trips, so the trees were green on the way to NJ, and on the way back, most had changed colour to the beautiful autumn shades of yellow and orange. It totally blew my mind!
I love flying as well. Most people think me strange, but the take-off is my favourite part of the flight. I also love airports. I love that I am surrounded by such a mix of people and cultures at any point in time, and it’s always a vibe. I love flying because it takes me to such distant destinations that have different cultures to experience.
It has always been a dream of mine to let my son experience all the major forms of transport at least once. He has flown, taken a long distance bus trip to Port Elizabeth (once was enough!) and had a train ride to Inchanga although we need to do that trip again but in the steam engine. Next up is a cruise. My aim is for that to happen in the next year or two. We were supposed to tick that off last year but covid got in the way.
What’s your favourite way to travel? Let me know in the comments. I would also highly recommend follwing the bloganuary hashtag as I have read great posts on this topic.
I had planned to see out my last birthday in my 40’s over the Indian Ocean. I had booked a cruise to nowhere for my son and I but covid killed those plans. The cruise was cancelled. I still feel an urge to do something different though I think I feel a road trip coming on…
My Ideal Road trip
Phew, I would probaly need to break it down into about 3 or 4 trips to see everything I would love to see with my son. Where to start…hmmm…probably the garden route which runs through the Eastern Cape Coast and ends in the Western Cape. I would probably make it a 2 week long trip so that we can sleep over in numerous towns and have the opportunity to explore some of the towns along the way. There are a number of museums like the literary museum in Makhado (ex-Grahamstown) and we can take a day trip to at least one game reserve. I have yet to visit the Cango Caves (it would require a slight detour) or Koffee Bay which is said to be very beautiful. And of course stop at Cape Agulhas which is the home of the southernmost point of Africa. If you keen to explore the route further, I found this website that has lots of great information
Cape Agulhas
The Cango Caves
A road trip closer to home
I live in beautiful Durban and am fortunate that I am only a 2-3 hour drive fron the Drakensberg mountains and have the beach on my doorstep. The Midlands Meander is a wonderful trip to make and it starts in Hilton which is an hour away. It is dotted with a number of little industries and shops. You can find anything on the route from breweries to cheese making to arts and crafts. There are awesome hiking trails and other adventure-based activities. Gourmet food is also pretty easy to find. There is the Fernhill Hotel as an example, which also happens to be a training school for chefs. One of my favourite spots to visit is the Nelson Mandela capture site. Taking ‘the long walk to freedom’ is an awesome experience. Whenever I have been there, the air has been still and there is absolute silence. It ‘s a humbling experience. The sculpture also just blows my mind and there is also a museum on site.
My dad and my son doing the long walk to freedom in 2013
My son and I in front of the Nelson Mandela sculpture in 2013.
If there is one good thing that the pandemic has created, it is an awareness of all the places there are to visit and explore right on our doorsteps. I love road trips so I am definitely going to plan one. I actually can’t wait!
What are some of your favourite spots in South Africa or in the country in which you live? I would love to hear to about them and possibly add them to my bucket list😊
Grounded African 