Let’s revive the Sunday drive

No rush. No particular destination. Just hop in the car and head … someplace.

Does that seem like an impossibility in this rush-rush, no-time-for-that existence that plagues many Americans in the 21st century? Take a real break. Take a good old-fashioned Sunday drive.

TSD — the Sunday Drive — is good for whatever ails us. It’ll slow down your heart rate. It’ll ease brain overload. It’ll get us away from eye-straining small screens. It’ll get us out of the house, out of the office (both virtual or real), out of yard and house work.

Leave those electronic notebooks, digital music and video devices at home. Switch off that smart phone, if you dare. With youngsters in tow, it’ll be a battle to get them to leave their electronic tethers behind, or maybe even your own. But as that oft-quoted Alka-Seltzer advertisement of the early 1970s once convinced us, “Try it. You’ll like it!”

TSD child

I had a childhood of TSDs, as did many of us who grew up in the mid-20th century. Our parents piled us in cars and off we went. Sometimes it was a drive in the country, to the beach, to a local historic site. Sometimes it was seemingly aimless driving. Oh, but what discoveries.

I moved to the Mississippi Coast while still in elementary school. My family knew nothing of Mississippi, having traveled the world on military assignments or living on duty stations in states far away.

For us, the TSD became a much-needed introduction to our new community.

Sights to see

Here, a long coastline that stretches across three counties and lots of inland pinewoods offer infinite possibilities for Sunday explorations. We’d go to church first, eat a sit-down Sunday feast or pack a picnic, then hit the road.

This wasn’t an every Sunday thing, of course, but TSDs happened often enough to become ingrained.

When I moved out on my own, I continued to do them, sometimes alone, sometimes with buddies. Sometimes with maps, sometimes in whatever direction our noses pointed. Sometimes with specific destinations, sometimes with a “let it be a happening” attitude.

How about you?

Did you go on Sunday drives? Did you carry on the tradition with later family and friends? Or did you let it fade away? If you are guilty of the latter, no problem. Getting started again is as easy as turning the ignition key.

Might I suggest a drive to Bay St. Louis to see how that city has sprung back from Katrina and to study the gorgeous angel statue carved near the beach by wood-reclaiming sculptor Marvin Miller.

Take a Sunday drive

Might I suggest you drive to the Davis Bayou section of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Ocean Springs to study the history exhibits, or walk a trail through the marsh.

Might I suggest you head to the piney woods to see how Wiggins has grown leaps and bounds.

Have you witnessed Gulfport’s downtown revival? Or the gorgeous skyline from the bridge across the Bay of Biloxi?

Have you seen the fascinating exhibits inside the Biloxi Visitors Center near the lighthouse?

Yes, every town from Pascagoula to Waveland is worthy of exploring on a Sunday drive.

Modern living

TSD is a modern phenomena, of course. Back in horse-and-buggy days, animal power and work time were too precious for a non-purpose trip.

The Sunday drive was born in the 1920s when automobiles became accessible to the masses. Later, baby boomers thrived on them.

Fast forward to the present, and Sunday drives are a passing tradition. Many time eaters, from TV football to video games, fill the TSD slot. Admittedly, even I am remiss.

My latest

Happily, that changed several weeks ago while visiting Cajun relatives in Houma, La.

It was a Sunday. There wasn’t anything particular to do so I suggested we take a Sunday drive. Startled looks were followed by a resounding “Yes!”

We headed to Grand Isle, a place I’d only heard and read about.

What a glorious day, discovering an island of fishing camps, recreational and commercial fishermen, gorgeous beaches and tasty eateries. I was in scenic overload, the kind I remember as a child with Dad or Mom at the wheel, fighting siblings for elbow room in the back seat as we headed to parts unknown.

This latest TSD, however, was not just a trip down memory lane. This was a new experience, a new discovery, a new enlightenment. Lesson learned.

I will revive my old TSD habit. Wanna join me?

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Let’s revive the Sunday drive."