Category: Travel

Posted in noticing, Travel

I should have been paying attention

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Why am I taking this exit?”

It was too late to change my mind. I was already on the interstate exit ramp. But it was the wrong exit. I wasn’t going to a grandson’s baseball or soccer game. I was on the way to church, two more exits down the road.

It wasn’t a huge deal. I had plenty of time. And my alternate route only took five extra minutes. But why did my autopilot malfunction? I’ve been to these two places so many times I don’t even think about it. I just go. Maybe it was because we had just been to two games in the past week. Maybe I got distracted by conversation with my wife and the two boys in the van with us. Who knows?

I’m usually paying attention to where I’m going. I’m aware of my surroundings and what’s going around me. I hear the weather on the radio, catch the silly chattering of grandkids in the back, and pay attention to every little noise the van makes. I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten so absorbed in work or a project that I lost track of time.

My detour reminded me of a story from some friends in Iowa. They were on their way to some city west of Des Moines on I-80. They chatted about all kinds of things, making the drive seem short. Then they noticed a sign “Omaha – 10 miles.” I know, it doesn’t seem possible, but they drove about one hundred miles too far that day. That’s losing track of time!

How many things do I do each day without thinking about them? I can brush my teeth, tie my shoes, and sign my name without a thought. I can ride a bike, catch a ball, play guitar chords, and eat a donut without engaging my mind. It’s fascinating that my body just knows what to do.

So I remind myself to pay attention. I don’t to be that guy in the middle of the grocery store aisle, oblivious to other shoppers. Or the person ahead of you at the intersection, unaware that the light has turned green. (Although I confess that I have been that guy.) Or the worshiper who says the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostles Creed while thinking about what you want to eat for lunch. (Been there; done that.)

Posted in shopping, Travel

Flea market deja vu

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s the height of strawberry season in Florida, but it’s been difficult to find the flats of ripe Plant City strawberries in our area. My wife said, “We probably need to go to the farmers market in Daytona.” That’s where we headed today.

According to their brochure, the Daytona Flea and Farmers Market is the sixth best flea market in the world, with 1,000 booths filled with vendors and food. I haven’t been here in ten years. When we moved to Florida nearly thirty years ago, it was a novel destination. It still is an attraction for the many visitors who are in town for the big events like speed weeks and bike week.

As we wandered through the endless maze of booths, we noticed that not much has changed since the last time we were here a decade ago. There is no end to the tables filled with t-shirts and hats, cheap jewelry, toys, leather vests, belts, and wallets, and miscellaneous household items for sale. Some booths offer an extensive selection of nuts, dried fruit, spices, seasonings, pickles, and hot sauces. Others sold golf carts and electric scooters. I saw an impressive selection of swords, knives, and martial arts weapons. At the intersection of the main aisles, you can buy hot dogs, sandwiches, french fries, popcorn, beer, soft drinks, and ice cream.

One young man had a hot dog covered in ketchup in one hand and a vanilla soft-serve cone in the other. He took turns eating from each hand, enjoying an interesting combination of flavors.

There were a few produce stands, but not as many as I remember from the past. We did find big ripe strawberries from Plant City, but they were pricey: $40 for a flat (12 pints). Ouch.

As we wandered through the maze of booths, I wondered, “Who buys this stuff?” I suppose if you’re here for an event, this is a good place for t-shirts and other merch. If you brought the kids along, they’ll talk you into buying them cheap toys and a treat. Do people really buy jewelry here? Given the huge displays of rings and necklaces, I guess many do. The market has been here for forty-two years, so lots of people must shop here.

We left with a half-flat of strawberries and three huge Roma tomatoes. That’s enough flea market for this decade.

Posted in Travel

Plenty of time, right?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash

“We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave for two hours. As soon as we stepped out of our car in long term parking, the shuttle was there to pick us up. No one else was in line to tag our checked bags. We waltzed through security. The people mover was waiting for us. Before we knew it, we were at our gate long before boarding began.

“Let’s get something to eat.” We walked right up to the counter and ordered breakfast. There were plenty of places to sit and watch the planes arriving and departing. I glanced at phone. Departure is on time. “We can sit in the comfy seats while we finish our coffee.” We passed the time by watching people, checking email, and enjoying a little leg room before a few hours in coach.

No sooner had I said, “Let’s head down towards the gate,” when we heard our names (pronounced correctly) on the PA system. Not only was our flight boarding, but this was a final boarding call. What? For the first time ever, we were the ones running through the airport to get to our gate. And run we did, afraid we wouldn’t make it before they closed the door.

But we did. Last people on the plane. No problem. We often like to be the last people on the plane, standing as much as we can before sitting for a long time.

As long as we’re on the plane!

Posted in Travel

Back for more manatees

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Manatees doing what manatees do

Fourteen years ago, I wrote about going to see the manatees at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida. On that January day, I thought 299 manatees were a lot. We went to see them again today, and the ranger station tote board announced a count of 677. Cold water, cool air, and overcast skies make for great manatee viewing. By the time we got there in the late morning, it wasn’t as cold as the last few days, and some of the manatees had already begun their slow float back to the St. John’s river.

A healthy crowd of locals and tourists came to see the manatees today. The popularity of manatees is an interesting phenomena. They aren’t much to look at. They don’t do anything. They just float around, coming up for air once in a while. Yet we paused at four or five viewing platforms to watch these big gray blobs float by.

Manatees have state and federal protection. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website, “It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest manatees.”

Several organizations allow you to adopt a manatee. If you do, carefully maintained scar records enable you to pick out your manatee among all the others in the spring.

According to signs at the state park, manatees have no natural predators other than people. Boat propellers and trash are enough of a threat to earn them a spot on endangered species lists and have their own awareness month (November).

Favorite zoo animal? Typical answers include elephant, lion or tiger, and the giraffes. But when the manatees show up at the spring, we drop everything to go and see them. Their natural charisma makes them irresistible.

Posted in Christmas, Travel

Holiday at the Arboretum

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Last Friday night, we went to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens with our Texas family. It was chilly, but we really enjoyed the seasonal “Holiday at the Arboretum.”

From what I could see, every tree in the arboretum was wrapped in lights. A Christmas village featured little shops for kids to visit and get treats. The twelve days of Christmas were displayed in gazebos along the garden walkway. Lights on the giant Christmas tree flashed colors and shapes in time with music.

I can’t even imagine what it takes to prepare the gardens for this event. I do remember people hanging lights and setting up gazebos when we were there for the pumpkin displays in October.

The youngest Texas grandchild belts out, “Five golden rings…” about once an hour. All the kids were excited to see the larger-than-life gifts from the song.

My wise son and his wife brought along thermoses of hot chocolate and tea. The Arboretum had vendors charging $8 for a small cup of tea or cider. Yikes! But the weather was cold so the line was long.

It was a great family outing and a great way to continue our Christmas celebration.

Posted in coffee, Travel

Coffee and hot chocolate

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“The espresso machine is having problems today.”

There’s a sentence you don’t want to hear at a coffee shop.

After a cool day trips with a granddaughter, we stopped at Rosalind’s in downtown Garland, TX for an afternoon snack. The girls wanted hot chocolate. I chose a double shot of espresso.

The place was crowded. The shop has recently been remodeled and expanded. Most of the tables were filled with people on laptop computers. The open table we found was right in the middle of it all.

My granddaughter picked out a chocolate chip cookie, and went sat down to wait for our drinks.

The wait was longer than I expected, but finally a barista called my name. As I walked away with two cups, I heard my name again. When I returned to the pick-up counter, the barista whispered, “I’m sorry, but the espresso machine is having problems today.” Uh-oh. No ones to hear that at a coffee shop. I said, “That’s OK, I’ll just have a small coffee.

The hot chocolate was better than expected, too. Topped with frothed milk, it left a great mustache on the drinker’s top lip. My coffee was delicious. I should have asked where they get their beans.

The chocolate chip cookie disappeared in record time, we enjoyed our drinks, and played a table top hook-the-ring game.

When we returned the next day with another granddaughter, we were glad to learn that the espresso machine was up and running,

Garland’s little downtown area looks better every time we come. Businesses have remodeled and reopened shops and street parking is usually full. It’s a cool place to hang out. The population here is diverse. Not many cowboys, but lots of Americans from India, Asia, and Mexico.

Posted in Travel

Our first time in a tiny home

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We’ve driven by tiny home and wondered what it would be like to live in one. By definition, a tiny home is one less than 400 square feet, not including loft areas.

I booked an Airbnb tiny home for this year’s Christmas visit with my son in Texas. We’ve stayed in hotels, four bedroom homes, lakeside condos, converted garage efficiencies, and a loft above a horse barn. Once we saw this listing, we knew we had to try it.

It is, in a word, tiny. This one has a 200 square foot footprint with a lofted sleeping area. That’s smaller than our 18×12 patio room. It’s about the same size as my son’s kitchen/dining area.

When we come to visit, we only sleep in a rental. We spend the rest of the time doing stuff with the family. The reader might ask, “Why not stay with them?” With four children, their home is full, so we don’t mind sleeping down the street or around the corner.

This tiny house is parked in a driveway off an alley behind a two-story suburban home. The backyard and driveway are surrounded by an eight foot wooden fence, providing security and privacy.

The bathroom takes up the back four feet. Standard toilet, decent sized shower, miniature sink, shelves for stuff. water drains into a small septic tank in the yard. The water supply comes from a hose from the house. Lots of pressure for nice hot showers. I’m not sure how they run in electric, but we’ve got plenty for the range, space heaters, and a hair dryer.

Kitchen cabinets line the two sides of the home, with drawers for storage as well as a sink, range, and a mini side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. Dishes and condiments all live on open shelves. The front half of the house has a sofa, stacked storage cubes, and a few stools to sit at a small table. A flat screen TV is mounted a bit too high on the wall above a large window.

When we first walked in, it felt so cramped. But after a few nights we’re getting used to it. The stairs to the loft are tricky, especially in the middle of the night. It’s a good way to use space, but you better be agile.

That’s the whole thing. Bathroom is through the door. Bed is up the stairs.

We’ve read stories of people who lived in tiny homes with children for an entire year. I’m not sure how they do it, unless they have an outdoor sitting area and better built-in storage.

But it’s ok (and cheap) for a few days.

Posted in Travel

A sight for traveling eyes

Posted on by William Douthwaite

When we traveled with our children, I would make an airport bingo card to entertain them while we waited in line or at gates. I would think of some of the craziest things someone might wear or carry, and challenge the kids to find those people.

  • A man with a red clown nose
  • Someone in a turban with striped pants
  • Fuzzy slippers
  • Someone with a sharp, pointy nose
  • A woman wearing a tutu

The best part is that we found every single crazy person or outfit we could imagine in the airport! Every single time!

That was twenty-five years ago. Pre 9/11. The things listed above? The rule rather than the exception. the airport is filled with pink and purple hair, tutus, pajamas, dogs and cats, five-inch stiletto heels, thigh high boots, and three-inch long fingernails.

So I was pretty excited when I saw this woman wearing Grinch pajamas on the way to her gate.

Why are airport appearances so different than anywhere else? Why are airports the best place for people watching and photo taking?

Posted in Travel

Everyone was happy

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I just spent two nights at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Instead of something for Christmas, we took some of our grandchildren somewhere, to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas, a special nighttime event on select nights in November and December.

It was so much fun, an evening filled with special parades, free cookies and hot chocolate, special shows and fireworks, along with all our favorite Magic Kingdom rides.

One thing really stood out for me: everyone there was happy! Sure, there were lines and waits and thunderstorms. Yet everybody I saw, young and old, was having a great time.

I’ve been to plenty of zoos filled with tired, crying children and grumpy, yelling parents, all wishing they could go home. Frowning shoppers crowd the stores during the most wonderful time of the year. Angry drivers honk and gesture on highways and in parking lots. Airport security, delays, and lines rob us of the joy of travel. Preachers proclaim good news of great joy to rooms full of people who say, “I’ll be glad when this is over.”

What’s makes the difference? I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think it’s because there is always something else besides the lines, the waits, and the storms that grabs your attention.

For example, you’ve got a good spot from which to watch the parade. But it won’t start for another thirty minutes. What’s that smell? Popcorn. And look, there’s a popcorn stand over there. A vendor walks by with Christmas light necklaces and bubbling bubble wands. A wandering musical act starts playing and characters begin dancing and interacting with the crowd. Fireworks from a show on the other side of the park lights up the sky. Families walk by in matching t-shirts or pajamas, wearing cleverly designed mouse ears. Familiar Christmas tunes reach your ears. Suddenly, the lights dim, you look up the street, and the parade has started. That was a quick thirty minutes!

Disney is very good at what they do. While waiting, you cannot see how long the line is. But you catch glimpses of people on that ride and others. The zig-zagging line is never still for long. You’re constantly moving. You hear people on other rides having a good time. There’s always music. Suddenly, it’s your turn to get on the ride.

If you’ve got a long walk to the next ride, you’ll find much to see along the way. At the Christmas party, huge inflatable candy canes signaled free cookies and hot chocolate, cider, or egg nog. Look, a random character over there! Cast members in all kinds of costumes walk by and interact with you. Suddenly, you’re there and it wasn’t as far as you thought.

I know that no one is happy all the time. Life is full of ups and downs. I know there are some who don’t enjoy theme parks. Larger crowds during peak times are challenging. That’s OK. But for a few moments, it was amazing to be in a place where everyone was happy!