With Gratitude +
Our top 5 Moments of 2019
Has it been a long year to you? It has been to us. However, when you look back at some of the incredible destinations we've had the opportunity to explore, we wonder, 'Where in the world did the time go?' Just yesterday, we were romping on the dunes of the Outer Banks and watching bulls prove to young men that bulls are, indeed, the superior beast.
Len and I are so grateful for the stories we've had the opportunity to share about the void this big, beautiful world can fill. Turning strangers into friends seemed to be the theme of this year; we shared unique experiences as we laughed over meals. chatted long into the night, and spent hours cramped in vans and cars. As we've always said, it's the people who make us richer and give destinations life.
So, as in years past, we look back and, with gratitude, share our favorite top five experiences. There are more strong contenders, but these are the ones that we return to most often for comfort and joy.
We thank you for traveling with us, and as the years continue to pass by, we hope you're remain by our side as we share places in this vast world that we hope you, too, will experience. This is our BEST of 2019.
Len and I are so grateful for the stories we've had the opportunity to share about the void this big, beautiful world can fill. Turning strangers into friends seemed to be the theme of this year; we shared unique experiences as we laughed over meals. chatted long into the night, and spent hours cramped in vans and cars. As we've always said, it's the people who make us richer and give destinations life.
So, as in years past, we look back and, with gratitude, share our favorite top five experiences. There are more strong contenders, but these are the ones that we return to most often for comfort and joy.
We thank you for traveling with us, and as the years continue to pass by, we hope you're remain by our side as we share places in this vast world that we hope you, too, will experience. This is our BEST of 2019.
5. A Beast of a Holiday: Pamplona and San Fermin
When we saw these guys (first photo) boarding the plane in Philadelphia after our flight cancellation the day before, we thought we might just salvage this trip. Six men (The 6 Amigos) made the first week in July every year THEIR week. Dressed in white with the traditional red scarf, these gentlemen were off to the races, so to speak. It was time to run with the bulls in Pamplona just as they had done the year before and the year before that and the year before that . . . Their joy inspired us as we began our first ever trip to Spain.
Our son Ty had been traveling since March, and now, it was July. We met him in Barcelona and then moved onto Pamplona for the running of the bulls. It was a 'Yes, I'll run" and "No, I want run" kind of experience for Ty, but once we arrived and purchased the traditional red scarf and sash, he was sucked in for the run. We got a balcony view high above the crowds, thanks to I Live Spain, of the traditional run, but as the day continued, we understood the draw of this northern Spanish town and it's centuries-old festival. Customs and traditions reigned as people flooded the streets, dancing and eating. And, for me, walking in the footsteps of Hemingway trumped everything else.
Our son Ty had been traveling since March, and now, it was July. We met him in Barcelona and then moved onto Pamplona for the running of the bulls. It was a 'Yes, I'll run" and "No, I want run" kind of experience for Ty, but once we arrived and purchased the traditional red scarf and sash, he was sucked in for the run. We got a balcony view high above the crowds, thanks to I Live Spain, of the traditional run, but as the day continued, we understood the draw of this northern Spanish town and it's centuries-old festival. Customs and traditions reigned as people flooded the streets, dancing and eating. And, for me, walking in the footsteps of Hemingway trumped everything else.
4. Inside the Outer Banks, North Carolina
It had been years since I had skimmed the coastline of North Carolina, but this was the year I returned. It's still multiple villages filled with people coming and going, and although it's still crowded, I am thrilled that many of the unique spots still remain. The mom-and-pop restaurants that make dining an event. The small eateries that command lines every morning for locals and visitors to feast on pastries. A mountain of dunes that allow common people to soar on air. A memorial to dreams of two men who wanted to take flight.
It's good to return to places you've visited during another lifetime, allowing new memories and experiences to refresh a destination's purpose. There's always a new reason to go back.
It's good to return to places you've visited during another lifetime, allowing new memories and experiences to refresh a destination's purpose. There's always a new reason to go back.
3. Small Town, Southern Life: Camden & Kershaw County, South Carolina
There are in-between places as you travel from one point to the final point that make you glad you stopped. And as we've always said, it's the people that draws us closer to the realities of a destination. That's the spirit of Camden, South Carolina. It's steeped in history and welcomes visitors to experience days gone by. However, it is the people we met during our brief visit to this small Southern community that painted the true image of the people inside. The Tettertons. The McCaskills. Alice Boykin. The McCaskills. The Boykin Spaniel. The area"s charm is only superseded by the beautiful people that will welcome you with open arms. Southern hospitality at its finest!
2. All Aboard!
Trains. At the mere mention of an assignment that involves trains, we leap. Over the years, we have understood the magic that happens when you hand your ticket to the man at the door, walk inside a car, and find the perfect seat with the perfect view. We have hopped aboard both the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway many times, but each time is like the first time. The sense of wonder and anticipation is always new, and you're never quite certain of what you might see. Wonder in travel is a very good thing.
1. Singing the Blues: The Mississippi Blues Trail
This one, we never saw coming. As part of a press trip to the Mississippi Delta, we knew there would be good music and good food. When our week was done - jumping in an out of a van, moving every two nights to a new hotel, gathering stories and feasting on food - we exhaled and realized this was our BEST week of the year. Those smoky jute joints where music made walls vibrate and bodies sway, and either by bottle or can, beer flows from the coolers behind the bar. The history that screams from cemeteries and the banks of the Mississippi. The soulful sounds of the old blues legends and the new blues masters. The food (and company) that fills the body and the soul. Sharecropper shacks that transitioned from the unlovable to the desirable. Men and women with dreams of a town's revitalization through hard work and taking risks. A woman's journey from across the world to walk in her father's footsteps along the Mississippi Blues Trail. We stood in awe of the Delta.
From Tunica to Indianola, we followed the trail and let the trail change us. We listened to blues for weeks after that (and we still have moments when it can only be the blues), longed for pancakes like Mama's, craved Hoppin' John (cauliflower, okra, bacon, corn, zuccini, black eyed peas) dished out by Hookers, and had moments when only PBR would do.
If you love music - if you love history - if you love the South, this is your next adventure.
From Tunica to Indianola, we followed the trail and let the trail change us. We listened to blues for weeks after that (and we still have moments when it can only be the blues), longed for pancakes like Mama's, craved Hoppin' John (cauliflower, okra, bacon, corn, zuccini, black eyed peas) dished out by Hookers, and had moments when only PBR would do.
If you love music - if you love history - if you love the South, this is your next adventure.
