(united airlines 1st class – 747 flight in the 70s)
—
after booking an upcoming flight
i may have a few misplaced hopes and expectations
that this will be my experience in the air
—
“let your dreams outgrow the shoes of your expectations.”
-ryunosuke satoro
on this day in 1959, hawaii officially became the 50th state
always wanted to visit
but the closest i’ve come
is when i was young and my dad announced
he wanted to buy a little radio station in kauai
i quickly got ahold of a hawaiian dictionary
forced/encouraged the family to learn the alphabet during dinner
only to discover it was just a fantasy job wish for him
years later, as an adult
i took hula lessons with close friends
we were not good at it
got into the spirit of the dance
did not get asked to perform in hawaii
but we had a a blast
you never know
where and when this skill will come in handy
plus, it’s impressive on a resume
i’ve yet to make it to hawaii
only a matter of time
third time’s the charm
aloha!
—
“dare to dance, leave shame at home.”
(A’a i ka hula, waiho i ka maka’u i ka hale)
-hawaiian saying
—
art credit: vintage hawaiian poster
Born in 1960 to a Sicilian family living in Morocco and raised in France, Catalano became a sailor in his twenties. This nomadic lifestyle was a major inspiration for his work as an artist. The sculptures of Bruno Catalano, especially, Les Voyageurs show this influence. They delve into themes of travel, migration and journeying. Themes extend into exploring the ideas of home, belonging, loss and the experiences of a “world citizen”. Each statue carries a single suitcase, weighing them down, but also serving as their only means of support. Fascinating technically, artistically, and in its symbolism, the large omissions in the statues leave much to the imagination. Some figures appear to be fading away, while others materialize before our eyes. Contrary to the opinion that travel broadens and enriches, Catalano lamented that all his travels left him feeling that a part of [him] was gone and will never come back. ‘Fragments’ makes full use of this ethereal effect with three sculptures broken down to create one unit. The man looks fragile and delicately held together, losing more and more of himself till only his feet and bag remain.
—
“life is made of so many partings welded together.
-charles dickens
—
credits: Daily Art Magazine
reminiscing about my visit
to beautiful ireland
six years back, in july
how we found our way around the country
oh, we did a few turn-arounds here and there
as you can see above
but somehow we always ended up where we were going
eventually.
even with directions asked and kind answers given
regional accents, local advice, and lore
thrown in for good measure
it could be a challenge at best
‘”oh, just go over the hill for a bit, turn at the old barn, you’ll see a huge green field with hills, and some sheep, and then a pub, they don’t have the best sandwiches but stop in for a pint, say hi to seamus for me if you see him, he’s a good lad, he just had that one thing that wasn’t really his fault, and all is forgiven, and oh, don’t turn by the church, go past it, there’s no sign, but you’ll see a big rock where john’s shed used to be before it burnt down in that fire in ’79 when everything was so dry, and take a sharp turn there….” – and so on.
whether bumping along on a sheep path, sharing a two-way road with one lane, or driving half in a hedgerow
we found all the places we wanted to be
and discovered so many surprising and magical places along the way.
“going in the wrong direction, but making really good time.”
-cheri huber
my collection of heart shaped rocks
i love discovering these wherever i travel
each one has a story to tell.
—
“geologists have a saying – rocks remember.”
– neil armstrong
Bat Bar in Lost Canyon Cave, Ridgedale, Missouri
If there’s another drive-through golf-cart bar in a bat-filled cave on top of a mountain, we don’t know about it.
IN THE MISSOURI OZARKS, THE Bat Bar gives new meaning to the term “watering hole.” It’s next to a waterfall within a mountaintop cave. The good thing is it’s never all that crowded, unless you count the bats.
Visitors park at the Top of the Rock welcome center and take golf carts through a 2.5-mile woodland path over streams and bridges, stopping at both a butterfly garden and a scenic overlook calledEagle Pass. Shortly into the trip, the trail dips into the Lost Canyon Cave, wherein lies the one-of-a-kind bar. Tipplers remain in their carts as they park next to the wood-built bar constructed in 2014. “Better Settle Your Nerves,” reads a paint-splashed board below the counter. They can choose from a number of cocktails, from John L’s Hoop-de-Hoo (vodka, tonic, and grapefruit), the Cannonball (amaretto, bourbon, and pineapple juice), or Bat’s Blood (vodka with strawberry and peach lemonade). Bottled beer and wine by the glass are also available.
Take your time rolling through the Lost Canyon Cave: It’s home to a natural waterfall, a live bat colony, and the skeletons of both a saber-tooth tiger and a short-faced bear. Visitors aren’t allowed to walk around the cave itself, but a railed pathway snakes around the waterfall pool at the heart of the lantern-lit cave.
If the bar does get the best of you, Big Cedar Lodge always has overnight housing available.
Carts are available for rentals from 8:00 a.m. until 45 minutes before sunset. Drivers are permitted alcohol, but not before signing a liability waiver.
“come on, robin, to the bat cave! there’s not a moment to lose!”
-batman
—
credits: atlas obscura, trip advisor
i just love everything
about this 1955 michigan tourism poster
according to the map
it looks like ann arbor
is the place where you can dance.
—
“you live as long as you dance.”
-rudolf nureyev
—
poster source: michigan heritage and history
safe travels.
—
“if all the cars in the united states were placed end to end,
it would probably be labor day weekend.”
-doug larson
—
image credit: national toy museum (record for world’s longest line of toy cars)
(supposed to be here)
back in the day
when i was a waitress
going to school
training to be in the travel industry
i was on call for my restaurant in michigan
but i also had to be at an airline travel class in dallas
my restaurant had very recently said
absolutely no more days off for anyone
too many people were calling in sick or with excuses
so
according to my optimistic rationalization style math and logic
knowing the staff
having no other plan
odds were 50/50 at best
i said nothing to my restaurant
crossed my fingers
flew to dallas
made the fateful call-in from the lone star state
amazingly
the staff had all shown up that day
for the win!
p.s. don’t try this if you are a doctor
(actually was here)
—
“never tell me the odds.”
-han solo
—
it is my great pleasure to introduce you
to humor writer and fellow blogger Barb Taub’s latest book
PLEASE DON’T ASK FOR EXTRA GLASSES
it’s a rollicking tale of friendship, fun, travel to India adventure and misadventure
all taken with a tiny grain of salt and huge dose of humor
it’s a wonderful multi-cultural mashup of history, color photos,
travel tips, shopping advice, food suggestions, language and negotiation skills,
and chock full of ‘I wish we’d known that/what not to do lessons’
even if you never plan to travel to India, you’re sure to enjoy this read.
—
“she generally gave herself good advice, though she very seldom followed it.”
-lewis carroll
I didn't have my glasses on.... 