Pack your bags, It’s Summer
Summer is officially HERE! It’s a great time to be single (ok, I say that every season, I know!) but it is especially true for summer. I love feeling fancy free and mingling in the summer, especially on trips. I am excited about this summer because I have a couple of fun trips planned. I am going to Savannah for work (with a little play), New Orleans for Essence Music Festival, and Orlando for beach/theme park fun with the family. I am also trying to figure out a way to squeeze a California trip in again.
What are your plans for summer road trips? What is your best summer road trip memory?
When do you feel comfortable taking trips with someone you are dating? I have made the mistake of taking a trip with someone I was “casually” dating. What a misadventure that was! Do you think taking a trip together is a good idea if you aren’t exclusive? How do you handle all that time together?
If you could make a travel guide for traveling with your new SO, what advice, tips, or ideas do you have? Are there certain things that can be avoided to prevent break-ups or fights on the road?
When you are traveling with someone you are dating, are you secretly sizing them up? What types of things are you checking?
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551 comments Add your comment
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
8:41 am
Good Morning All
I wouldn’t ever take a trip with anyone I wasn’t exclusive with. My last trip was a little doozy but I managed to get back to Atlanta without killing him. Dude had a fit while I was shopping.. Yelling & all in Victoria’s Secret.. **SMDH** I somewhat regretted taking him with me on that trip but you live & you learn
When I was in my early 20’s, I used to spend 10 days on South Beach beginning the week before Memorial Day until the mid week after. I did that every year until 2001. Talk about a BALL
Diva- Sounds like you have a very eventful summer planned! Have a wonderful time
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
8:53 am
hey….
WiseDiva your summer plans are bomb! Enjoy frolicking in the sunshine sis!
Well summer plans for me – Mostly i am looking forward to spending a lot of time with my significant other. I’m excited about spending more time with HE, that is my darlin. “Quality time” with him is a journey within itself….
This year summer i am feenin for a summer that’s “on a trillion” compared to others i’ve had. Something to write about! The good and the bad…for example….
Journal Entry #3: Summer 2009 – He drove me on his bike (he is a biker) 1000 miles to somewhere, and as we traveled he stopped at all the lil quiant towns and cornered me with surprise with his sexy manly gestures….
Journal Entry # 5: We get on a coaster and i’ll brake my arm or some bone, for the first time at the amusement park and he’d have to take care of me….lol….I know warped.
ohhh Life…
Sassy Me....Cocoa cure :-)
June 4th, 2009
8:53 am
Morning Blog fam…..what it do?!
What is your best summer road trip memory?
My best road trip memory was about two tears ago when one of my friends and I spent two weeks in South Beach about a block away from Gianni Versace’s house and the strip was GREAT. We shopped, went to the beach erry morning and evening,drank like fish and had fabulous meals at Emeril’s restaurant. I would say some the other things we did but um uh…….
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
8:58 am
Morning all,
Yes, I’d road trip with someone I was casually dating, as long as they had similar temperments and a love for travel as I do.
I’ve sacrificed most of my summer vacation time to attend weddings of my friends. 6 in total this year. Fortunately there are all in places I want to go: Las Vegas, California (4x) and Mexico. There is also a Jamaica wedding in the works.
But I will be taking some road trips with the girls. I haven’t done Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Savannah or Destin. So we’re gonna do that, and if the guy situation works out, maybe a couple trips with him too. I missed out on Florida with him for Memorial Day due to my family reunion.
SexyCool
June 4th, 2009
9:11 am
No road trip plans for me this summer. I had to reign in my budget for a few different reasons. However, I plan to STAYcation and take full advantage of the many FREE activities here within the city.
Besides, I have semi-challenged my BFF and my sister and we are pledging to NOT go on vacation until our bodies are bikini ready. LOL (um, yeah, right – anteeways….)
Three Words Daily – Do no harm.
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
9:13 am
Cee- Too Cute!
Sassy- That trip you described brought back a BUNCH of wonderful memories
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
9:15 am
Summer fun that reminds me of being a kid.
I joined a gokickball Atlanta team for work. So I’ll be real dark come mid this month.
Sassy Me....Cocoa cure :-)
June 4th, 2009
9:19 am
Lioness I know you know exactly what I mean girl
A whole lot of good memories…..I’m going back for my friends birthday in August so I’ve been doing double duty in the gym ’cause I know I’m gonna raise all types of hell when I get there.
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
9:19 am
Good morning everyone!
@Deeva4Life, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HOPE YOU HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!
abc
June 4th, 2009
9:24 am
Taking a trip with someone relatively new can sure tell you a lot about them, and about whether you’re very well suited for each other. That first trip together is always telling.
This summer we’re doing a cabin in the mountains, another trip to Charleston, another trip down to the Florida Gulf beaches, and in the fall another cruise. Not much we haven’t done before, but we know we like those places and things.
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
9:27 am
**Blanca Update**, I talked with Blanca and she is still working for the AJC (I’ve read some of her stories). They moved her to another division of the paper that is much more time consuming with hours that don’t always match up with the blog. So that’s that!
Grace
June 4th, 2009
9:28 am
“Yelling & all in Victoria’s Secret” WOW that’s a first! dude was kinda backwards, he’s supposed to yell of excitment because you’re wearing something from VS LOL Lioness
No road trip plans for me.
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
9:29 am
I have yet to do a cabin.. That is on my to do list! When I go on a vacation, I really like to do relaxing things. There is nothing wrong with having an agenda but there definitely has to be a few lazy days on it
Cee- I am extra crispy from that Vegas sun
Professor
June 4th, 2009
9:29 am
Summer is my least favorite season I cherish autumn and spring. Anyway, I have two trips planned for this summer (Memphis and Mall of America), but I would love to add two more…it has been a while since I have been to the beach and I would like to do a quite getaway somewhere close as well.
As for traveling with someone that you are not exclusive with, both parties really needs to understand this and not get mad when that phone rings or when they see trinkets being purchased for the boo back home. Needless to say at this point in my life if we are traveling together we are exclusive.
@ Cee I know the 1000 miles to somewhere was a great adventure.
Tazzee
June 4th, 2009
9:29 am
Morning All!
Unfortunately June and July are very busy months for me on the new job, so I’ll be on lockdown most of the summer. I am planning to go to the Essence Music festival and will probably go to Destin in August since I didn’t go for my birthday.
I would travel with someone I was casually dating if we established the ground rules first. I’ve gone on two ‘road trips’ with my current guy and we really didn’t establish any rules ahead of time – we didn’t have any problems either. I did warn him of my road trip habits and he was fine.
I did travel with a guy I was seeing one time and we pretty much broke up right after the trip. One issue was that, when we went on a tour of the island, he would get out of the van before me and wouldn’t help me down. The tour guide pretty much did all that and opened doors for me – when I mentioned it to him he said that was the tour guide’s job. There were some other things that led to the break-up but after that trip, it was a wrap.
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
9:35 am
Grace- If you would have seen my face.. Priceless.. I was @ the register and the funniest thing about it was the fact that he is 6′4 so everyone’s face on the line was looking @ me like “if you don’t hurry up” LOL! I didn’t say a WORD to him for the entire walk out of the mall, the drive back to Manhattan from Jersey. Dude KNEW I was NOT trying to hear jack ish from him. We were only dating for a month @ the time so it was definitely a learning experience
Needless to say, we didn’t last past the 90 day mark 
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
9:42 am
Thanks Lioness – I’m so ready. You know i hope he’s reading?
Professor – 1000 miles to nowhere soon. I would like to travel with him.
Go to the beach late this summer if you plan. All the summer break kids will have had there rip by that time.
mytw♥cents... is jackin' for beats
June 4th, 2009
9:44 am
Lemme see, South Beach is just around the corner….and y’all hear that?There’s a cabana at Nikki Beach calling my name. Then back to NYC for a 4th of July wedding (which keeps me from Essence hmmph) Oh and before then I’m sposed to be at another wedding in Philly but my bootleg hook up to the hook up man’s buddy pass got Alzheimers What up, CEE?!?! CEMEELI say what today? “Pleasure is pain.” O-tay, blog mofo, o-tay!
I was just thinking yesterday about getting in the car & just driving w/ someone. To be determined. But rememeber the patience topic? I have no patience for a bad roadtripper or a killer who may leave me on the side of the road, so…
Resortquest has nice properties if you wanna road trip & stay in a beach house or condo rather than traditional hotel. We got a fab one in Rosemary Beach a few years ago.
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
9:45 am
“No road trip plans for me this summer. I had to reign in my budget for a few different reasons. However, I plan to STAYcation and take full advantage of the many FREE activities here within the city.” @SexyCool, my exact sentiment. However, I am going to try to find $$ and take lil leggs to Hilton Head.
@PoppaG, I am always amazed over hearing something for the first time then hearing it either the next day or within the week. Went to O’Charley’s after work yesterday. One of the regulars sat beside me and asked me about track. Would you believe he asked if I remember the time John Carlos and Tommy Smith stood up on the platform at the Olympics with fist held high. I cocked my head to side silently thinking I know this isn’t PoppaG, but what a coincidence when you just asked me the same thing a hour or so before. Carry on….
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
9:49 am
I was just thinking yesterday about getting in the car & just driving w/ someone.
Alright Fiji – You said, it I didn’t. When the relapse come don’t forget this time stamp. O-tay?
mytw♥cents... is jackin' for beats
June 4th, 2009
9:50 am
LIONESS It drives me crazy to go on vacay & ppl wanna spend precious time shopping in the same stores we’ve got at home! Since it was a dude, he mighta wanted to try to reap benefits, so that’s a lil different.
SASSY YOU Spill it!
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
9:55 am
@ Sybil, I’m with you on your 9:11. However, I’m going to try to find some $$ and take lil leggs to Hilton Head.
@PoppaG, I am always amazed over hearing something for the first time then hearing it either the next day or within the week. Went to O’Charley’s after work yesterday. One of the regulars sat beside me and asked me about track. Would you believe he asked if I remember the time John Carlos and Tommy Smith stood on the Olympic platform w/their fists in the air. I cocked my head and silently thought “I know this isn’t PoppaG,” but what a coincidence since you just asked me the very same thing an hour or so beforehand.
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
9:55 am
Tazzee – What are some of your “road trip habits?”
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
9:56 am
My two- There aren’t very many stores that aren’t in every major city. I was actually going to NY for a baby shower and he felt like tagging along.. I didn’t complain because.. Anywho, I was in the mall buying baby clothes and saw some things I wanted in Victoria’s. He is a grown man and had a cell phone so he could have taken his tail to a store that he found interesting and left me alone. LMAO @ reaping the benefits.. If you ONLY knew there weren’t any benefits being reaped
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
9:57 am
@ mytwo – What’s on XM radio right now?
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
10:00 am
@PoppaG, I am always amazed over hearing something for the first time then hearing it either the next day or within the week. Went to O’Charley’s after work yesterday. One of the regulars sat beside me and asked me about track. Would you believe he asked if I remember the time John Carlos and Tommy Smith stood on the Olympic platform w/their fists in the air. I cocked my head and silently thought “I know this isn’t PoppaG,” but what a coincidence since you just asked me the very same thing an hour or so beforehand.
@ Sybil, I’m with you on your 9:11. However, I’m going to try to find some $$ and take lil leggs to Hilton Head.
(3rd time trying to post this)~
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
10:01 am
Hey, have I been kicked to the curb. None of my posts are going through??
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
10:03 am
HELLO!!!!!!
Melo
June 4th, 2009
10:03 am
Going on a road trip with a guy u casually dating??!
I read all of ur entries ladies, thus far..u girls are so much fun,kid u not!
when I mentioned it to him he said that was the tour guide’s job. There were some other things that led to the break-up
On the 1st part,yeah,he was as lame as they come……i can read his mind,this guy!
some other things?????….hmmmmmm :lol
mytw♥cents... is jackin' for beats
June 4th, 2009
10:06 am
Sure there are, LIONESS! But hey, I was hoping for the best with the benes. tee hee hee
CEE OMG EPMD Erick & Parrish Makin’ Dollars, what?!?!
When y’all roadtrip do you agree: The driver gets to decide playlist? Temperature? Shotgun is to keep driver awake/entertained for the most part? Backseat must hush?
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
10:09 am
Leggs- Hey Mama **Waving**
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
10:11 am
My two- I am from NY so I wasn’t on vacay.. Ol boy was, I was on business
Melo
June 4th, 2009
10:12 am
On topic:
Hilton head for us(me),end of August,Cape Cod maybe in septmeber(labor day) and a trip to Orlando again for the kids be4 the year(summer) is over.
I wanna angle for Hawaai next yr August,if my time share gets me a slot there.
THE END
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
10:18 am
I think my annual company meeting is going to be in Hawaii this year.. Long flight
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
10:19 am
“CEMEELI say what today? “Pleasure is pain.”
Yes I am getting intouch with my inner glutton. But only because I’m hood.
Entry #7 is for you mytwocents
Journal Entry #7 – I unknowingly
, have some alcoholic drinks with him, get drunk, when I fall asleep he carries me to a different room and he wakes me up the next day with handcuffs and syrup calendars placed sporadically around the room.
Journal Entry #9 – Pillow fights in our oversize private suite, Ooo, at the Disney Resort and no kids!
J Entry #11 – Picnic on top of the car parked in a parking lot at night.
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
10:19 am
Lioness – No you didn’t just ”
” Hawaii! Long flight be damned! 
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
10:20 am
melo – A good friend of mine owns a house of Martha’s Vineyard. If you want to take the ferry over and stay on the island, let me know and I’ll send you the link to the house! I think her rates are fair, and I did some of the painting myself!
Willie Dynamite
June 4th, 2009
10:22 am
Morning All,
Summer vacay or just weekends away are the bomb. Anytime I can get away the better. We use to just get in the car and drive until we felt like stopping. Get a room do what we do and get up and do it again. I’ve pretty much cris-crossed the entire SouthEast with no plan at all and had a ball doing it. Fortunately for me I have no horror stories and plenty of memories.
My2 I agree, Driver is the pilot, Shotgun is the entertainment with specified duties. Backseat is 1 step away from being put out.
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
10:23 am
Ared- I sure did! It would be much more worth it if I was with my man opposed to people I work with..
Cee- Syrup & handcuffs.. Lawd! If your man is reading, he is leaving work to pick you up for a quickie ASAP.
McKinley
June 4th, 2009
10:27 am
Hello!
Tazzee
June 4th, 2009
10:28 am
Deeva4Life HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you have an awesome day.
and since it was on the weekend…
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY SLIMONE! I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
AmRed I knew someone would ask, LOL. When I drive, the music is loud and I sing the entire time. Not a whole lot of talking when I drive. If I’m not driving, I’m usually sleep – that’s because I love to drive and if it’s a long road trip, I’m going to drive until I can’t drive anymore. I usually try to leave VERY early and eat very little on the trip – if I eat/drink, we’ll have to make more frequent bathroom trips. That’s about it – Wise Diva defined my road trips as caraoke
Lioness I’ll gladly take your spot on that trip to Hawaii. I’m like you – I like to do relaxing things on vacation. I’m good with just hanging out on the beach with a book – or chilling in the cabin (on my to-do list too) with a book. Some good music and good company. Sometimes that good company is me
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
10:28 am
Lioness – If or when he reads, we’ll just got to Sonic Drive In at midnight and call it what we want.
Cemeeli
June 4th, 2009
10:31 am
@ Lioness – The flights with co-workers is draining, for real.
Tazzee
June 4th, 2009
10:31 am
MyTwo – I agree about the driving rules. Backseat complainers are the worst! I used to have people say ‘can you turn the music down?’ and my response is – do you want to drive? That’s when I learned to lay out the rules/habits ahead of time.
Oh, my grandma was exempt from the rules. We used to drive to Cleveland every year – and every year we tried to pick a time when she would sleep the entire the trip. And every year she would be wide awake telling us that we were going the wrong way…
Lioness- Not Feeling Well
June 4th, 2009
10:32 am
Taz- Singing while driving.. LMAO!! You would drive me BANANANNANNAS
Cee- I am loving you & your mans relationship
Leggs
June 4th, 2009
10:32 am
@ Sybil, I’m with you on your 9:11. However, I’m going to try to find some $$ and take lil leggs to Hilton Head.
@PoppaG, went to O’Charley’s after work when one of the regulars started talking to me about lil leggs and track. He asked me if I remembered when Carlos Jones and Tommie Smith stood on the Olympic platform w/their fists in the air. I looked at him sideways thinking to myself “I know this isn’t PoppaG.” I am always amazed when you hear something for the first time then hear it again the next day or within the week. This usually happens with a new word, but I was truly taken aback. Anyway, although I have no idea what you look like I knew this man wasn’t you cuz he was a drunken mess!
@Lioness, HELLO!
McKinley
June 4th, 2009
10:32 am
I met a man who I am not physically attracted to. Should I pursue him because he could be a good provider? We have a great friendship. How important is it to be in love? Is having a business marriage ok? Do you think my like will turn into love?
Melo
June 4th, 2009
10:33 am
Ared,thanx for the offer.Will let u know!
Cee, i see that side of u…sounds like u are real fun girl to hang with.Dude is lucky….
Willie Dynamite
June 4th, 2009
10:36 am
lil early but this should be good. popcone anyone? lol!!!
AmazonRed™
June 4th, 2009
10:37 am
Ared- I sure did! It would be much more worth it if I was with my man opposed to people I work with..
Lioness – OK. Fortunately, my job allows S/O to attend with us on things like that. They may have to pay for their flights, but nothing beats having your expenses paid for. But my coworkers are a fun group, though it’s always a race to see who gets the frequent flier upgrades.
I wish we could go to Hawaii! San Diego is the best we’ve done. I’m always down for the west coast trips, though they seem to have som affinity to Orlando.