Thoughts on Travel – Fastest Time versus Most Direct

What is your goal in driving – to get to your destination quickly? To enjoy the drive or just get it over with? Does it depend on what the end of the drive results in or where you are going and when?

When I lived in the Washington, DC metro area, I found that there was little difference between travelling what the GPS termed “Fastest Route” and “Most Direct”. Traffic was horrible on Interstate 495 (the Beltway) most times of the day, and my goal was to avoid it as much as possible. I would routinely tack on an extra half hour for any travel over 10 miles just to make sure I would not be late.

For example, in the 1990’s I lived in Annandale, Virginia and worked in Brookmont, Maryland. If I left the house at or before 5:15 am, I would arrive at work in 35 to 40 minutes taking the beltway. That was a 17 mile arc route from 8 to 10 on a clock dial face, and would be considered the fastest route. If I left closer to 5:30 am, in that short 15-minute delay, the traffic would build up on the beltway and I could be arriving any time after 6:30 am. To mitigate the traffic backup, I would take what I called “the back roads” and drive through numerous subdivisions and stop lights, from Annandale through Falls Church, crossing briefly into the District of Columbia, and then in the back way to Maryland. This route, more direct as the crow flies (14 miles), was a consistent 45-minute drive.

(As a side note, I found the travel to and from work to be my breaking point, and though I enjoyed my co-workers and the work I did, I sought a position closer to home. I was dozing off at traffic lights on the hour plus drive home, and I was afraid I would become a traffic statistic.)

When I retired, time and distance mean very little to me. Shopping was close by and with the exception of when I accompanied my mother to Frederick, Maryland twice a month to work on her antique booth, I never had to get on the beltway.

For my Ford Escape’s time in Northern Virginia, it was giving me about 350 miles to the tank. Now that I live in Northern Rio Rancho, NM, in the middle of nowhere (which I love), I realize that the concept of “get there quickly or get there directly” is making a comeback onto my life. In the beginning of my travelling in NM, just learning the lay of the land, I plugged addresses into my Garmin and took that route with the setting on Fastest Time. It always took me up through Bernalillo and South on Interstate 25 to get into Albuquerque.  My gas mileage boosted to nearly 400 miles to the tank. I have realized that there is a more direct route to travelling to Albuquerque, but instead of travelling 65 and 75 miles an hour on a highway, I would only be going 25 to 45 on most roads.

So for the December 1 Christmas Tree Lighting in Old Town Albuquerque, My husband and I travelled the fastest GPS route which took us 30 miles in 45 minutes. Traffic was heavy due to it being Friday night at 5 PM. On the way home I changed the Garmin from “Fastest Time” to “Most Direct”. Coming home we travelled 21 miles and it still took us 45 minutes. We were able to enjoy light displays on homes we passed and there were 5 cars on the road at 8 PM until we reached the business districts.

So, the moral of this rambling is, take the direct route and enjoy the drive. I’m leaving my Garmin on the direct route setting. I’ll learn more about the businesses and neighborhoods in my new hometown, and see more scenery. Who cares if it takes a little more time. I’m retired.