Last week, my husband�s family celebrated a major milestone: the 50^th wedding anniversary of his Aunt Shirley and Uncle Bill. Their daughter Judy not only made plans for us to gather for dinner in Saratoga Springs, she also arranged a limousine ride for the whole clan�nine adults, plus a ten-year-old, a five-year-old and a one-year-old.

Limousines have a certain mystique for me. I think it�s the tinted windows. Not being able to tell who�s in there intrigues me. Could it be someone famous�or just someone who wants to pretend he�s famous? In fact, the car could be empty. There�s no way to know. I find it fun to imagine, though.

My first time inside a limo was just a couple of years ago. My friend Karen got married in a northern suburb of Atlanta. Most out-of-town celebrants stayed in a nearby hotel, including two of her brothers who were on the same flight with me coming back up to Glens Falls. We planned to take a taxi to the nearby MARTA stop, then negotiate our way through the Atlanta airport together.

When a white limousine pulled up to the hotel instead of a yellow cab, I was as excited as I was mortified. I couldn�t imagine anything tackier or more hick-in-the-city than asking a limo driver to drop you off at a subway station, but I knew I wouldn�t be able to kick in for a chauffeured ride directly to the airport.

It all worked out in the end. One of the brothers offered to foot the bill so we could whiz through Atlanta traffic to the airport in better time, and in far better style, than a crowded subway train.

That limousine, for being a happy accident and great timesaver, wasn�t as lush inside as I�d supposed my first time in a limo would be. I don�t know what I expected; it was obviously a second-hand vehicle, now a glorified taxi. The white leather interior was clean but worn, the air conditioning never worked its way up to full power and one stereo speaker added occasional crackles to the music and talk of a local FM station.

But from the outside, who could tell these flaws, right? I was another limo passenger hidden by the mystery of tinted windows and unknown luxury.

The ride to Saratoga last week was an adventure for all of us. It was a superstretch so we could all fit, with a bench seat at the one back door for three passengers, then a row of seats along one side that wrapped into a "J" to go back-to-back with the driver. The seats were gray leather. Colored marbles filled each of the liquor decanters on console, which also included a VCR hooked up to two TVs. Too bad I didn�t bring some home videos to watch along the way.

We had a champagne toast in the happy couple�s honor�sparkling grape juice for the kids and non-drinkers--and enjoyed all being in one car. I wished we had farther to travel so I could enjoy it more.

This was also the second limousine ride for my daughter. Her first one was just last month, as a part of her friend�s special birthday party sleepover. "Don�t get too used to this lifestyle!" I warned her during our trip to Saratoga. Then again, to children, all rides are chauffered rides.

Allowing my mind to wander a bit, I closed my eyes and wondered what it would be like to be driven everywhere. "James, bring the car around, would you? I�d like to take a ride over to Vermont. On the way back, maybe we can stop at Martha�s."

Nope. I think I like the freedom and spontaneity of driving too much to give up control of the steering wheel permanently.

It would be an interesting experience to drive one of those big limousines, though. Not quite as zippy as a sports car, but once you get the thing in motion, not many people are going to get in your way. Especially if you�re driving the 120� or 130� superstretch models.

By the way, I just found out they make stretch SUVs. Kinda of makes you wonder what�s next? Stretch Humvees?

Our special evening last week was quite a success. The meal was great, the children behaved and time just flew by. Sure, we would have had a good time without the limo ride, but being able to be together for the whole night, start to finish, made it extra memorable.

I�m looking forward to the next big occasion so we can do it again!

Kay Hafner, a writer from Queensbury, can be reached via email at [email protected]. On the Bright Side appears in Arts|Life section every other Thursday.