|
| Lopez Island | Orcas Island | Visitor's Guide |
            
        
|
|
"ROAD TRIPS" by THE OLD SQUID |
|
Email this page to a friend Previous columnsI Meet Jesus And Elvis In A Corner The Manly Art of the Oil Change The Shroud of Sport Tourin |
|
"Road Trips" by The Old Squid
Greetings from Florida
Sunshine Skyway Bridge NOTE: (The Monterey 2002 story will continue after these stories posted from Florida)
It’s February in the Pacific Northwet! The sky is grey and the weather cold so my Fearless wife and I decided to take a different type of Road Trip. We left the Islands on Valentines Day and headed south towards Seattle. No time for something fancy so the romantic Valentines meal was at McDonalds. Really! And we’re still married!!! All the fancy eating joints were full but good ol’ Mickey D’s was almost a ghost town. Speed was of the essence though as we had an early flight out of SeaTac. Security Level Orange meant that a 6:05 a.m. flight needed a two-hour pre-arrival so we were up at 3:30 a.m. to catch the shuttle bus to the airport. There we went though the drill of divesting ourselves of anything metal and passing scrutiny twice as we were herded into the waiting area. Confession time. My wife and I have never flown on a jet together before. We’ve never been to Disney World or on a cruise. All we’ve done is go car camping and of course on motorcycle trips…starting with our wedding and honeymoon. This makes us "suspect consumers" and poor Americans but we just have to live with it. The first leg is a long flight on one of Boeing’s finest 757s to Dallas-Fort Worth. There were several Human Rights violations that I’d like to report. Let’s start with "legroom". An engineer with a 25" inseam designed this. The hip room might be adequate for a teenage Asian but not a full figured American. Food? Raisins and a banana muffin were a good start in fitting me into that too narrow seat. The crew was nice though and the flight on time. Besides, I was smiling the whole way because I was leaving a cold place and going to a warm one. The arrival in Tampa was in 70 degree plus heat. Just what we were looking for! The drive down the coast included stunning bridges. They have an interesting take on recycling here in Florida. When they build a new bridge, they take out a portion of the middle of the old one and leave both ends as fishing piers. They aren’t free either. There is a small fee to pay and the amount depends on whether you are a tourist taking pictures or a good ol’ boy in a pick-em-up truck with a rack full of poles…really! My price was $3.50. I don’t know what Bubba paid but I feel that the price was worth it for me. |
|
|
Boca Grande beach on Gaspirilla Island
We don’t dress this way on Puget Sound beaches even in the summer! |
When I told people I was going to Florida, I usually received one of two reactions. The first was a look of toleration for my plebian tastes in doing something so commercial and touristy. Florida seems to be a clichè in their minds and they would always suggest something "more authentic" such as Belize. The other reaction was an enthusiastic "Oh, your going to love Disney World!" Note to the first people: there is a reason why this state is a tourist destination. It’s beautiful! The sun is hot and the Gulf is warm. The beaches are unlittered. Also, we tend to be eco-snobs in the Pacific Northwest. Down here they’re just a pack of peckerwood rednecks…who pickup after themselves. |
|
I saw not one piece of plastic garbage on the beaches and there was even a restaurant within 100 feet of the water. We could take a few lessons here. Look at the ditches on our Islands. They are starting to resemble some of those "authentic" destinations. As for Disney World, I’ve always avoided resorts and theme parks. Why go to a representation of paradise when you are sitting in the real thing? Get off the Interstate and talk to people in small towns, visit the little places right here in the US of A. The travel snobs always seem to revere peasants in other cultures as if being poor outside of our borders somehow makes you a better than being a poor person in America. My experience is that being poor sucks but that people do the best they can and the only way you’ll get to know them is to get out of the car at the local diner and talk to them! This brings up another reason to go to the back roads: food! I love Mom and Pop diners and the characters that inhabit them. My experience is that while the Chains may always deliver a standard meal, that standard can be fairly low. The local restaurants may not always be good; in fact they can sometimes be stinkers. But when they are good, it’s a home run! I don’t look for the exotic in foods. I’m just looking for the Best Cheeseburger in the known Universe. That’s all. So today I’m sunburned, a little hung over, and my feet are cut up from shells on the beach. Sounds like a tropical vacation to me. Tomorrow we go to Lake Okeechobee where I hope to find a gator wrestle and my Fearless Wife hopes to talk me out of it. (to be continued) |
|
|
SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 ABOUT US | ADVERTISING INFO | CONTACT INFORMATION |
|
|
