I was at our local Drinking Liberally gathering earlier in the week. It was terrible. Usually we have the room to ourselves, but this night there was another group occupying the same area. It’s a long room with terrible acoustics and voices, voices bounce off the walls. The 25 boisterous guys with laptops and a video screen drafting their baseball fantasy rosters pretty much eliminated much chance to speak…other than those nearest in proximity.
Given the difficulty in mingling I found myself at a table corner with a couple of ladies I know. These women have the means and the opportunities to travel around. Both have been to Europe, especially Italy multiple times.
I told them that I have a 1st cousin, who married an Italian woman and lives just outside Venice. I jokingly said...“He owes me for all the times he stayed overnight at our place with his girlfriend du jour, and for me schlepping him to the airport” for many of his trips back and forth between here and various European countries. He’s a musician and is a college instructor; his wife is an art historian. I shared pictures on my phone from a few years ago when I saw him last.
My drinking companions pushed me: “Oh, you’ve got to go! Make plans to go right away!” And within 5 minutes, they had an itinerary all planned out for a trip for me. (I guess the food and wine is just horrible...or did I get that part wrong?)
Then over the din coming from the baseball guys…I told them the truth…I’ve never been east of the Idaho border. They found that quite unusual, a lot of people do. But I in my defense, I tell folks that I have been from San Diego way up into British Columbia. I’ve been to Hawaii several times…three island’s worth, as a matter of fact. Even though I’ve lived my almost all my life in Washington State, I did actually live in Torrance, CA for a while when I was a child. So, I’ve been around a bit.
But still the fact remains…I’ve never been east of the Idaho border.
I’m a Left-Coaster, and there are still a lot of places here that I haven’t seen yet. (Heck, there are places in Seattle I’ve never seen.) This region has lots of variation. Yet I know that there are thousands of interesting places in the country that aren’t within driving distance of the Pacific Ocean, and I’ve often thought of visiting the old East Coast cities with their storied histories. New Orleans would be fun to visit. Chicago too.
But I dare say...there will be some rowdy baseball fans there as well, I bet…wherever I go :-)
What are your favorite places? Where would you recommend I go in the US...east of Idaho?
Netroots Nation 2018
Puerto Rico Kos !