LOOSELEAF LAUREATE: Road trip? Perhaps, but then where to go?

I’m back on track with my dog-walking this week, thanks to our recent spring-like interlude.
It has felt good to be in the sunshine.
January seems to be flying by more quickly than usual, in part because of the more temperate winter weather.
I figure winter will whomp its hammer down on us at some point; like cats, the extreme seasons toy with us before they really mess us up.
For now, I’m really enjoying not freezing half to death.
My mother took off on her first-ever cruise this month — launching from Florida to Panama and Costa Rica. It was fun listening to her plan and anticipate every detail and every minute.
I’m too independent, claustrophobic and  poor for the cruise-ship scene, but I am toying with the idea of some kind of winter travel this year.
Throwing my kayak on top of the car and wandering south is more my speed.
Even at my age, a road trip still sounds appealing.
Have any of you got big travel plans for the winter?
A friend just forwarded me an email from one of her friends who is in Antarctica, where the sun isn’t expected to set until, oh, Feb. 21.
Antarctica isn’t my dream winter destination, but since it is on the South Pole, at least it’s the height of summer there. I guess they are rolling up their sleeves and breaking into sweats in those 20-degree heat waves.
I’m thinking of heading deep into Florida, but when I start planning, I find myself also being drawn toward Charleston, S.C., to the east, and New Orleans, to the west.
And I could scrap the car and kayak — I’ve seen some really cheap flights to Albuquerque in the Desert Southwest.
How, I ask you, can you go anywhere when you can’t even make up your mind where to go?
I’ll figure it out, I suppose. And I’ll keep you posted if and when I do.
******
Speaking of spring, has anyone else noticed the new singing pavement of Spring Street?
This winter, the city of Kingston finally finished a waterline project that allowed it to move on to the sorely needed resurfacing of Spring Street.
For those of you who may not use it, Spring Street carries a lot of traffic between Hwy. 70 and Kentucky Street, including Roane County High School drivers and residents driving to and from the Kingston Community Center.
Things got pretty bad there, for awhile — to the point I wouldn’t be surprised if some vehicles needed realignment from the hard bumps and deep washouts.
Now Spring — and some nearby streets — are smooth again. It is like rolling over carpet to drive on them.
However, there are stretches where the sound of wheels on pavement changes — a deeper pitch to higher and back again.
Maybe its just my car or tires.
Maybe its just me.
Hmmm ... let’s don’t go there.