Places that stand out

[storytimewithjoe]

Meandering along the unique pathways of our lives, each of us finds distinctive and memorable places along the way.  These milestones on the maps of our lives make an impression as unique in our memories as a fingerprint – sometimes faded by the passage of time.  A few memories of these places sweep across a large spectrum of society.  Take, for instance, one’s first visit to Disneyland or Disneyworld, a memory that so many of us have.  For me, I think I must have been around four years old the first time we went to Disney.  Like many families before us, we left our New England home for a pilgrimage to the church of the mouse for roughly a week or so.  While my memories are sketchy at best, I do recall the Disney of the early 70’s.  I remember my yellow and brown polyester cowboy outfit that somebody in the family must have purchased for the blond and curly-haired cupey doll that I was at the time.  I remember meeting Disney characters walking around the street and being almost terrified of them because they were so incredibly big to my four-year-old-eyes.  I remember Rex Trailer, the cowboy icon of the early 70’s.  I remember the pools and the Teacup ride.  And I will never forget the many, many flowers bursting in perfect color, the likes of which I had never seen. 

 

Despite visiting Disneyland and Disneyworld many times as an adult, the wonderment is simply not the same as the first visit.  Perhaps it is because I was no longer seeing the park through the eyes of a child.  Or perhaps it was just the lack of wonder, having been there before.  Life is like that.  For each of us, memories of particular places that we have traveled just seem to stand out – sometimes for no particularly logical reason. 

 

Some of these places are iconic spectacles that make an impression upon many.  Other times, we just happen to be in the right place at the right time for a place to make a lasting impression.  I recall on more than one roadtrip to Pennsic, my road-companions and I would stop off at this one odd little restaurant somewhere in the middle of the east coast.  Not quite a fine restaurant, but better than a typical truck-stop, this place was unique.  Build like a rustic wooden cabin, the unusual architecture of this place stood out.  The dining room floor lay out unevenly before us, covered with the ends of many a 2x2 set together like rough tiles.  Off to the side, a little kiosk sat full of animal figures carved by local craftsmen out of chunks of coal, mined from local mountains.  How touristy, how kitschy, how almost-silly… I simply HAD to have one.  This little restaurant became one of our regular stops through the years – a milestone of sorts to mark our journey’s progress.  Sadly, a few years ago, the powers that be decided to reroute the main highway away from the restaurant.  Being in the middle of nowhere, I am sure that such a decision spelled doom for the establishment.  As such, it will fade into memory, refreshed by the occasional glimpse at the lifelike owl made of coal that sits on the shelf in the hallway outside our bedroom.

 

On the steamertrunk of your travel memories, what faded stickers of odd little places still exist to remind you of where you have been? 

Comments

iconic places

[(Anonymous)]

When Phil was young we'd take those "forced family fun" rode trips. Once we even brought the dog! Of all these memories, one that sticks the most was the yellowstone trip. We stayed at Roosevelt cabins. These funky old little cabins had ceilings so low Phillip almost had to duck. They were rustic and primitive, but a blast. At the main lodge there is this big front porch with over sized rocking chairs. Phillip would find himself in the afternoon with a brandy in one hand, a cigar in the other, and a view like none other. All the while the kid and I would roam around and search out adventures.
Every year when we put up the christmas tree we take out the tourist ornements we bought commerating said rode trips. They were good times!

Re: iconic places

[joeguppy.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds fun!