Really? And How Are You Going To Get It There?

Over the years Mike and I have tried to keep as souvenirs of our travels something indicative of the region, small and light...something we find especially beautiful or useful or that just reminds us of the places we've been.  More often than not, I'm the one that strays from the path of reason -- although Mike has had his moments.  For example, that harpoon he had to have when we were in Alaska.  The shop keeper did convince us to ship it home, and it worked out just fine.  I, on the other hand, have been known to be unwilling to allow the object of my desire be removed from my "hot little hands" and have insisted that "I can get it home."   The results?  Some fragile, awkward, heavy, or unwieldy objects have made the trip home with us (OK, mostly with me) by ship, train, or plane. On occasion I have even tested the boundaries of the RV...glassware from West Virginia, or a pull-down classroom map from Kansas, but those hardly count against me.

An original pull-down classroom map at a ridiculously low price in an antique store in
Atchison, KS.  Getting this one home? No problem!  We have a 34-foot RV!  You get some
idea of the age of this map by how many of the countries' names have since changed.

Eons ago while in college at Central Methodist (now CMU) I had the opportunity to spend a month in England for a class between semesters. It was a fantastic experience visiting Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower of London.  And because my mother raised me right I spent any free time seeking out antique venues along streets like Portobello Road.  On one such excursion I came across a cut glass cruet set that I decided would be a perfect gift for my folks. Why I thought they needed a cruet set on the kitchen table next to the French's Mustard and the Heinz Ketchup I don't know but at the time it made sense. When I proudly showed my purchase to our adored sponsor, Mrs. Forderhase, an English Professor, she just smiled and shook her head, murmuring "Well, at least it isn't a wedding dress."  (Apparently, the previous year a young woman, who was not engaged, had purchased a wedding dress.)  Mrs. Forderhase admired the beauty of the cut glass and assured me that my parents would love it. The only caveat was that it could not go in the luggage.  I would have to hand-carry it.  This was  day three one of a four-week train odyssey...but those cruets made it home unscathed.

Cut-glass cruets from England, purchased 43 years ago,
still have a place in my Mom's dining room

Did I learn my lesson?  Not exactly.  A few years later while visiting with family friends in Mexico (holã, la Senốra Tola) I came across a potter in San Miguel de Allende who made beautiful ceramic tiles. One or even a half dozen would have been a pretty reminder of the trip. But if one wanted to use them....thus, I ended up with sixty.  Yikes, those tiles were heavy!   Yep, I carried my cumbersome cache through three airplane changes. Today I could barely lift them, much less carry them all that distance, and the airlines wouldn't let me on board with them, anyway. And where are they now? A few were set into the backsplash when we remodeled our kitchen some years ago.  The rest are still waiting for just the right project.

A few of our hand-made (and HAND-CARRIED) Mexican tiles
adorn our kitchen back splash

 There are those finds that are not extremely fragile or heavy but just awkward.  On a bus trip through Eastern Europe with my folks, we enjoyed visiting everything from ancient cathedrals to farmers' markets.  One day while in a small town in Hungary, while Dad and the rest of the tour group had lunch, Mom and I scurried off to visit the lively local weekly market in the town square.  We returned with a handmade basket used locally to carry vegetables. One thing about carrying a sturdy wooden basket-across hundreds of miles in a bus - you can put lots of other finds in it. Today that basket hangs next to an antique egg basket in the hallway arch at Mom and Dad's farm.

I don't remember for certain, but I'd be willing to bet that by the
time we got this basket back from Hungary, it was filled with
lots of other treasures from our trip

One would think that time and experience would teach a lesson.  But as we grow older we simply become more of who we are. I still have a penchant to bring that "prize" home - regardless of the momentary inconvenience.  While in the city of Hue in Vietnam, Mike and I had the privilege of observing a talented craftswoman create a conical hat that when held to the light tells a poetical story. The young woman sat on the floor and using her feet and her one arm, created her masterpieces. (See our January 14, 2014 blog  Nón Lá Cúa Viȇt Nam)  The experience of watching her create the non bai tho  (literally translated "poem conical hat") which is produced only in the city of Hue made it unthinkable that we leave without purchasing one (well, actually, two).  It was a bit inconvenient carrying them on the remainder of the trip and wearing them on board several different flights on the way home...inconvenient, but well worth it.

The inside of a conical hat.

Despite missing her right hand, this artisan weaves beautiful conical
hats, and can make about two hats each day

A "trademark" of the hats made in Hue.  When you hold them up to
light, you can see a scene "woven" into the hat - in  this case, a pagoda.

Too fragile to pack, I wore both of these hats, one atop the other,
on our flights home from Vietnam

Rarely do you get a second chance to buy a treasured object.  When you see "the" item that you just have to have, you need to buy it.  You can't say "no" to fate and you can't over-think it, no matter how illogical the purchase or the circumstances.  While travelling in the state of Rajasthan, in India, our group of sixteen stopped at Dastkar, a self-help initiative that provides jobs for skilled local women.  I had purchased a few manageable gifts but had decided against buying a lovely folk-art handmade quilt because it was very bulky and rather heavy.  But as we boarded our bus, one of the group had to go back to use the restroom, and we were told there would be a delay of about fifteen minutes.  Our guide commented to me that I could have bought the quilt and mailed it home.  Back off the bus I went; into the shop and, with uncharacteristic speed, bought the quilt.  Sometime later the same day, the guide told me that I must have misunderstood him.  No, we wouldn't have an opportunity to go to a post office, much less pack up the quilt for shipping. And no, it couldn't go in the bus' luggage compartment, since we were each only allowed one checked bag. I lovingly lugged it with me the rest of the trip.  More than once I thought our guide was laughing under his breath.  But, hey, it's okay.  I brought it all the way home on the plane and I still think it is lovely.

My quilt from India

Working on a quilt. These women can sit like this
for hours while they work

Regardless of the job, the women wear their beautiful and colorful
saris to work every day.  I even saw one woman making charcoal
and she was dressed in the most gorgeous blue color.

Since the women's self-help co-op is close to a tiger preserve, it is only natural
that a tiger figures prominently in the quilt.  Note the intricate work around the border

Like the pictures that you take and the new friends that you make, the "perhaps impractical" souvenirs that you bring home -- no matter how you get them home -- are all part of your Road Stories.

"Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign..."

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign;  Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind;  Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"  
                                            (Five Man Electrical Band, 1970, lyrics by Les Emmerson)      

Like most who travel, we like taking pictures.  Spectacular scenery, impressive structures, man-made and natural monuments, and if you are a regular reader, you know of our penchant for taking pictures of quirky things (the Lunatic Asylum, for example.)

Signs are another favorite.  Some, like old neon signs, are artistic in their own right.  Some are iconic.  Some are clever or downright funny.  And some just make you want to scratch your head and say "huh?"

Herewith is a collection of some of the signs that we've seen and photographed both in the U.S. and abroad.

For years, on the way to the Lake of the Ozarks, we drove through the wide spot on
U.S. Highway 50 that was once the community of Useful, MO.  I suppose if you
were in need of a cemetery, this would be a "useful" sign.

Ever wonder where all of that stuff goes that the TSA takes away from you
at the airport?  It is for sale in an antique store in Eufaula, Alabama

Everything tastes better "on a stick" at the Illinois State Fair in
Springfield...and you can pretty much get "everything."

"Meramec Caverns" advertisement painted on a barn roof along I-44 in Missouri.
The practice began in the 1930's.  At its height, there were 400 such signs on
barn roofs in 40 states.  Today there are about 75 remaining.

Betty's Boots (or as the sign says, "Betty Boots"), Nashville, TN

This restaurant in Decatur, Alabama was recommended to us by
a docent at Burritt Mansion in Huntsville, and it was really good.
No, Cardinals' fans, it is not the former Redbird pitcher.

This street divides Bristol, VA (to  the left) and Bristol, TN (to the right) but
the street is actually in Tennessee.  I suppose both towns saved money by
erecting only one sign.  Wonder who maintains it?

The Ben Douc Tunnels (better known as the Cu Chi Tunnels) in the Cu Chi district of Saigon (now Ho
Chi Minh City) allowed the North Vietnamese to infiltrate the south during the war.  Today it is almost
trivialized as a tourist attraction with the addition of a restaurant, camping area and amusement area.

Wooden Indian in front of a cigar store in Wisconsin Dells. Native
Americans were traditionally used to represent tobacco stores
because Native Americans introduced tobacco to European settlers.

This one speaks for itself.  A little off the beaten path, but worth
a stop if your travels take you anywhere near Cherokee, Alabama

On historic Route 66 in Springfield, IL.  You may not
be able to get alligator on a stick here, but they claim
to have invented hot dogs on a stick.

Billboard in Nha Trang, Vietnam extols Communism and implies that everyone -
students, military, workers, the family - is happy under "the party"...

...while this billboard in Dalat, Vietnam, aims to get tourists to spend their U.S. dollars
($18 U.S.) on the big 30-item buffet for the Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration

The driveway going into the Victoria Falls Hotel in Victoria Falls,
Zimbabwe, Africa, has speed bumps and they warn you not
only to go slowly, but to go "dead slow."

Another opportunity to eat something deep-fried, in Saigon, Vietnam, makes
alligator on a stick in Illinois look pedestrian.  They were selling crickets,
fried or dipped in chocolate, but these pictures look more like cockroaches.

The El Don Motel in Albuquerque, NM, another historic Route 66 attraction

Here's one you don't see on roads in the U.S. - Elephant Crossing.
This was taken while we were on safari in Zimbabwe, Africa. 

Frisch's Big Boy restaurant in Columbus, OH.  The Big Boy franchises were operated
by a number of chains, including probably the best-known one, Shoney's Big Boy.

Gateway Sporting Goods and Bowling Supplies, Independence, MO

At Habersham, SC, a new "planned community" near Beaufort.  It doesn't say
"NO SWIMMING", but maybe that's one of the things that annoys the alligators.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, this store's "Department of the Obvious" obviously worked overtime

We saw this sign in a public restroom near the Angkor Wat Temple complex in Cambodia.
No Smoking - OK      Don't squat over the commode - OK       No showering or bathing -  OK  
But we still haven't figured out what the third prohibition is.  Any guesses?

Need a discount casket for use in the Useful Cemetery?  You're in luck,
just off the courthouse square in Independence, Missouri

A "no frills" warning, Texas-style, at Texana Park and Campground
(formerly Lake Texana State Park) in Edna, Texas

Las Vegas...we didn't go in to see what kind of "naughty stuff" they had for sale.

The iconic Las Vegas sign near the airport.  While it seems like it has always
been there, it was designed by Betty Willis in 1959 and sold to Clark County, NV

Made famous by the television show "Pawn Stars".  On TV
the shop looks pretty big; in person, it is very small and crowded.

This sign, supposedly historically accurate, was posted in the
window of a former "house of ill repute" on a street of bawdy
houses and bars called "Married Men's Trail" in Ketchikan, Alaska

We ate lunch in Mr. D'z, another of the iconic stops along
historic Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona

"Not recommended for tractor trailer trucks."  Of course not...
North Carolina 9 is reserved for Batmobiles.  (near Asheville, NC)

No name on the sign, but no mistaking what they are selling.
Out in the middle of nowhere, near Coralville Lake in central Iowa

Just a really cool sign for a shoe store in Aurora, Indiana

At the Petrified Forest National Park in northeast Arizona.  The sign is kind
of ordinary for a national park, but the "guard bird" is pretty daunting.

In Murfreesboro, Arkansas, near the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
"Come Get A Bite"

The Red Ram Motel in Ft. Scott, Kansas, just because it has a cool sign

This is at a rest area on I-10 near Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Unlike the
folks in Habersham, SC, the Cajuns feel compelled not only to show
you there are alligators in the water, but to tell you not to swim in it

The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas is closed now,
but it had a great sign

Nha Trang, Vietnam.  We ate dinner in a restaurant on the bay, and there was
indeed, a sailing club there...the restaurant was part of the club.  What the rest
of the sign means we don't really know. 

In Bisbee, Arizona, at the Shady Dell RV Park.  You can bring your own RV
or you can stay in one of several vintage Airstreams.

Roadrunner Lounge and Steak House in Soccorro, New Mexico, now closed.
Maybe the Rent-A-Car company ought to change its name to "ACME" Rent-A-Car

Sunset Motel near Lawrence, KS...another great
old, colorful neon sign that still works

Tee Pee Motel on U.S. Highway 24 near Lawrence, Kansas

This is from some years ago, when the circus arrived in Union, MO.  Yvonne went to
watch them set up.  Here, they are getting ready to erect the colorful Big Top

In Bandera, Texas, Yvonne went into this store to buy a cowboy.
Turns out they only sell boots, hats and clothing.

All over the mid-South, you'll see signs saying "See 7 States From Lookout Mountain".
Here, on the overlook at the top of the mountain in Chattanooga, TN, this sign
directs you where to look to see TN, KY, VA, NC, SC, GA, and AL.

Not many of these theaters left, but this one near Independence, MO is
still showing first-run movies on its twin screens each summer night

This hot dog restaurant is on the courthouse square in Independence, MO.  We
can pretty much guarantee it isn't part of a chain - -at least a national chain.

The truly iconic Vegas Vic in downtown Las Vegas used to
be outside.  Now, the street has been roofed over, and Vic is
part of "the Freemont Street Experience".

In the same area, known as Glitter Gulch, the female figure has
been known at different times as "the Glitter Gulch Girl", "Sassy
Sally" (after a nearby casino of the same name), or "Vegas Vickie"

Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Most people think Coca-Cola was originally bottled in Atlanta, but it
was here.  The owner of this candy company bought Coke as a syrup and sold it at his soda
fountain until he hit on the idea of bottling it and selling it to tourists at the National Battlefield 

Wasilla, Alaska...home of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race.  Former Alaska Governor
Sarah Palin was the mayor of this town when we took this picture many years ago,
but at the time her name didn't mean anything to us.

Turquoise Tepee Motel in Williams, AZ...another of those great signs
along Route 66 from the "golden age" of automobile travel and neon.

The Winnebago Gift Shop in Wisconsin Dells, WI

The Eagles hit, "Take It Easy" says "...standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona..."
This is the corner and, if you look at the reflection in the window, you can see that
"...it's a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me."

It isn't as slow as "dead slow", but they really want you to slow down.

And so, we're going to hang a U-turn and go out and see what else we can find.  We'll be back soon with more signs and more Road Stories.