Not really a vacation (who takes those?!) but rather a work trip that left me wanting more. A few years back, I got assigned to write a long story for Politico about a non-profit climbing gym in south Memphis. I REALLY enjoyed the assignment, but I also loved staying in the upstairs apartment of an old house in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. I spent my free time just walking the streets, pretending that I lived there. It was lovely, and I want to go back with the family someday.
The best vacations are those that feed the soul. A sidewalk cafe in France. Walking in the vineyards in Italy. Lying on a beach on a tropical island. All are dream vacations for most. But the real relaxation and soul nurturing vacations are the simple, unplanned weekend road trips. We love choosing a destination close to home, a small town with an old fashioned Main Street. Perhaps a town that is trying hard to put itself on the map again, but just not quite there yet. A Main Street that was once the heart and soul of the town, before malls and shopping centers sprawled into the rural landscape. The shops are now tourist destinations. Art galleries, Antique stores and restaurants with their own versions of sidewalk cafes. We spend our short weekends exploring the town, hiking nearby trails and sipping wine at local vineyards. It is at those vineyards where you can spend hours chatting with total strangers. People you will never see again. Are the stories they tell about their lives real….or complete fantasy? Do they wonder the same about you? Who know? Who cares? For one afternoon, by a mountain stream in a vineyard with a good bottle of Cabernet, it does not matter. The world is what you want it to be. No war. No pandemic. Just peace. Later that night, we dine in a favorite local restaurant. We splurge on amazing food and an expensive bottle of wine and then we walk back to our hotel, rested, refreshed and for a moment able to forget that reality awaits us on Monday morning.
Enjoy your time off, Tommy. I enjoyed reading your book and your musings via email. My best vacation is my next one. Just got off the Celebrity ship Silhouette - 11 day Caribbean cruise. It included my favorite island, Aruba! Can't wait to book our next adventure.
When my brother was in the Army, he was stationed in Grafenwoehr, Germany. My sister, Mom, Dad and I flew over there for 10 days. We rented a van and toured Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Liechtenstein, in addition. We got lost, stayed at places like the "Baghdad Hotel" in Zurich, got gas from the 6-legged gas station (aka Agip), rode through someone's backyard party, as well as normal touristy things like riding in a gondola past Marco Polo's place, visiting Neuschwanstein (where my brother lost the van keys down a drain - yes, beer was being consumed) and the Heidelberg castles, having strudel in Austria and eating more great food than you can imagine. Outside Neuschwanstein was a small store and they were playing Hank Williams (not Jr., no, full-on Hank). It was the most fun we ever had and you can ask any one of us on that trip today, and they'll tell you that, too! Enjoy your time away!
Not really a vacation (who takes those?!) but rather a work trip that left me wanting more. A few years back, I got assigned to write a long story for Politico about a non-profit climbing gym in south Memphis. I REALLY enjoyed the assignment, but I also loved staying in the upstairs apartment of an old house in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. I spent my free time just walking the streets, pretending that I lived there. It was lovely, and I want to go back with the family someday.
The best vacations are those that feed the soul. A sidewalk cafe in France. Walking in the vineyards in Italy. Lying on a beach on a tropical island. All are dream vacations for most. But the real relaxation and soul nurturing vacations are the simple, unplanned weekend road trips. We love choosing a destination close to home, a small town with an old fashioned Main Street. Perhaps a town that is trying hard to put itself on the map again, but just not quite there yet. A Main Street that was once the heart and soul of the town, before malls and shopping centers sprawled into the rural landscape. The shops are now tourist destinations. Art galleries, Antique stores and restaurants with their own versions of sidewalk cafes. We spend our short weekends exploring the town, hiking nearby trails and sipping wine at local vineyards. It is at those vineyards where you can spend hours chatting with total strangers. People you will never see again. Are the stories they tell about their lives real….or complete fantasy? Do they wonder the same about you? Who know? Who cares? For one afternoon, by a mountain stream in a vineyard with a good bottle of Cabernet, it does not matter. The world is what you want it to be. No war. No pandemic. Just peace. Later that night, we dine in a favorite local restaurant. We splurge on amazing food and an expensive bottle of wine and then we walk back to our hotel, rested, refreshed and for a moment able to forget that reality awaits us on Monday morning.
Enjoy your time off, Tommy. I enjoyed reading your book and your musings via email. My best vacation is my next one. Just got off the Celebrity ship Silhouette - 11 day Caribbean cruise. It included my favorite island, Aruba! Can't wait to book our next adventure.
When my brother was in the Army, he was stationed in Grafenwoehr, Germany. My sister, Mom, Dad and I flew over there for 10 days. We rented a van and toured Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Liechtenstein, in addition. We got lost, stayed at places like the "Baghdad Hotel" in Zurich, got gas from the 6-legged gas station (aka Agip), rode through someone's backyard party, as well as normal touristy things like riding in a gondola past Marco Polo's place, visiting Neuschwanstein (where my brother lost the van keys down a drain - yes, beer was being consumed) and the Heidelberg castles, having strudel in Austria and eating more great food than you can imagine. Outside Neuschwanstein was a small store and they were playing Hank Williams (not Jr., no, full-on Hank). It was the most fun we ever had and you can ask any one of us on that trip today, and they'll tell you that, too! Enjoy your time away!