Scenes From My Life

The drive from Alabama to Arkansas. It is a trip I have taken countless times. Every summer and a few other times throughout the year, my mother and aunt would load me, my brothers and cousins in the car for the six hour drive. Most years, the trip was uneventful. Just the same same sights along the same roads over the same amount of time. But, one summer, road construction forced us to take a detour. It was on this extended drive that I saw something that you truly do not see everyday. Our drive from Alabama to Arkansas was spent mostly on the highways of northern Mississippi. It always ended with our crossing a two lane bridge over the Mississippi River, heading into eastern Arkansas, and my grandmother’s home. This particular year, though, as the bridge was being repaired, it was impassable. Thus, we were forced to take a detour through a few small Mississippi towns. Shortly before we crossed the border into Arkansas, we stopped at Sonic, part...

What was I doing here? I do not even drink coffee. Besides, all of these places basically look the same. This place was no different, really. What was the point of my being here? I had no intention of ordering coffee. Yet, there I was, standing in a tiny Starbucks Coffee shop in Seattle. I was not alone. The store was packed to the point where I could hardly move. While most of the people in the store had a drink in hand, I spotted a few who, like me, were just looking around. In any other city, this might have seemed exceedingly strange, going to Starbucks with no intention of getting coffee. But, this was different. This was the first Starbucks. Seattle and coffee are somewhat linked. It was in Seattle that coffee became a pastime. What was once a drink largely reserved for mornings and evening meals, became a day-long obsession. Granted, Starbucks is just another large corporation. But, it was in Seattle that Starbucks began. Seeking out the first store see...

As the plane began to descend, the passengers looked out of the windows. Everyone on the plane found their gaze drawn to the approaching city below them. Their destination was in sight and they could not help but attempt to get that first glimpse. Those passengers who had been sleeping awakened to watch the approach. Those who had been talking grew silent, seemingly mesmerized by the sight of the city. Those on the aisles craned their necks to get a glimpse. I had not seen it before and have not seen it since. That rare occasion where each and every person on an airplane watched as the destination came into sight. Only one city could draw such rapt attention. That city was Las Vegas. It was my first trip to “Sin City” and my traveling companion’s first trip in more than two decades. The late night cross-country flight put us near Las Vegas just before midnight. Since our flight had flown over the Mississippi River, nearly three hours earlier, very few discernible s...

In my travels, guidebooks have been of tremendous assistance. Guidebooks have lead to great restaurants, must-see attractions, and more than a few nice hotels. However, there have been some pieces of information that even the most complete guidebooks have not revealed. Though they may initially seem to be a negative, these omissions can add to the traveling experience. In some cases, it is not what you know, but what you discover that makes traveling a true adventure. In even the largest of cities, there are still tiny, out of the way places to be found. Places that, without a keen or, perhaps, curious eye, one might otherwise miss. It is these places that often prove to be among the more memorable moments of any journey. For me, a great example of this is Manhattan’s Trinity Church. My first encounter with this Church came about entirely by accident. Wandering the crowded alleyways of the financial district, near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway,...

I love to find great quotes. Quotes can make you laugh. They can make you think. They are a great way to express yourself using only a few words. Here are some of my travel-related favorites: The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~ St. Augustine Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. ~ Charles Kuralt A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu Most travel is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering; the reality has more to do with losing your luggage. ~ Regina Nadelson The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~ G.K. Chesterton Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~ Benjamin Disraeli I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list. ~ Susan Sontag

More than twenty four hours had passed since I had arrived in Washington, D.C. My luggage was still nowhere to be found. Despite the promises of the airline’s agents, my missing suitcase had not yet been delivered. With no other alternative, I had spent the day touring Washington in the clothes that I had worn a day earlier. Clothes that I was still wearing. A full day had passed. My friend and I had returned to her house from dinner to find that my belongings remained missing. I promptly began calling the airline, trying to track down my baggage. The agent assured me that my luggage had been located and dropped off at my friend’s home by a delivery service the previous evening. I assured her that it had not been delivered. After more than fifteen minutes of her continued assurances, I was transferred to the delivery service. As with the airline, the delivery service assured me that my luggage had been dropped off, going so far as to give me a specific time at which i...

“Excuse me,” I said, gaining the attention of the hotel’s front desk clerk. “Can you suggest a place for us to grab a bite to eat?” The clerk gave me a puzzled look and said “At this late hour?” I looked at my watch. It was not even 8:30p.m. How could 8:30 be considered late? I glanced at my traveling companion, who seemed just as puzzled as I by this comment. “Yes,” I finally responded. “Just something quick. Not too expensive.” “Well . . .” the clerk said, obviously trying to think of a way to answer my seemingly simple question. “The café down the street might still be open. But, I cannot say for sure.” This was my introduction to Sedona, Arizona. In 2004, I had traveled to the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale for a friend’s wedding. As it was my first time in Arizona, I decided to stay and visit a few other cities. Joining me was another east coast-based friend, who was also in Scottsdale for the wedding. We were driving to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, when we...