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Shopping for an Alaskan Surprise

US Roadhouse Fare

DeanLand

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August 2, 2017

For our 30th wedding anniversary, we decided to book an Alaskan cruise, our first cruise in 25 years. We both agreed that the cruise would be our mutual gift. But on-board, an idea was born.

Without any specific plans for our first day at-sea, we explored the ship, tried the gym, and walked the decks. Around mid-afternoon, we decided to take in the shopping tips presentation by our cruise director. My wife gave this activity her utmost attention, while I fought off a mid-afternoon sleepy period and the urge to spring to the stern and throw myself into the ship’s wake.

After about the fourth or fifth lap around the gem-buying lecture world, the seed of an idea began to emerge — what if I surprised my wife with an on-shore shopping excursion to upgrade her wedding ring?

When we were engaged more than 30 years prior, we were both college students. We both had jobs (and I had three — working a paid position on the college newspaper, refereeing intramural football and basketball, and covering high school sports in-person or over the phone with called-in reports). Translation: poor. And the selection of our engagement and wedding rings had to reflect that low financial status, despite the high hopes for marriage and future financial reward.

The selection of our engagement and wedding rings reflected our low financial status, despite high hopes for marriage and future.

And so it was that two days later, with my limited knowledge of jewelry, a port map and an American Express card, we disembarked in Juneau, Alaska. With a helicopter tour to Mendenhall Glacier scheduled for early afternoon, we had a morning free — or so my wife thought. Like many, we walked the dock-side shops for a few minutes, then ducked into Diamonds International as a light drizzle began to dampen our jackets. Less than two minutes later, we were greeted and offered endless help by an eager young man with a seemingly endless knowledge of all things jewelry and an equal enthusiasm for telling stories of happy couples he had helped. My wife strolled through the store with our new human appendage always close by. I suggested — and he insisted — that she try on a few rings. As she warmed up to the store and the idea of staying out of a now-heavier rain, we edged around the counter to the diamond section.

My wife strolled through the store with our new human appendage always close by.

That’s when I made the suggestion — why don’t we upgrade your wedding ring? I’m not sure who was more surprised and excited, my wife or our young diamond-adoptee. For my wife’s part, she protested modestly, thinking I was just joking around. After all NEVER had I EVER suggested the voluntary idea of shopping for jewelry, much less to buy a new wedding ring. After a few minutes, she realized I was serious. (Men, now think about this: would you ever take your wife into a jewelry store and merely joke about buying jewelry? Not if you valued your own jewels and your life!)

Would you take your wife into a jewelry store and merely joke about buying jewelry? Not if you valued your jewels and your life!

Rings were examined, tried and put away. Settings were inspected and rejected. And if I thought I had heard everything about diamonds from our cruise director, I was proven wrong within minutes. Discussions of cut, clarity, color and karats gave way to the most important question of the day: cash or card? And with a purchase of this size, there was never a question that I wanted the purchase protections that come with an American Express card! We closed out the details, made an appointment to inspect, pick up and make the final payment on the ring later in the day. Then we rejoined the throngs on the street while my wife’s bright smile lit the Alaskan landscape.

US Alaska Juneau shopping diamonds — **After some time being helped by our new human appendage, we selected the perfect upgraded wedding ring.**

Readers, you my recognize that I usually offer tips in these posts. This is no exception. But ladies, I ask that you skip this section and move to the end of the story. Guys, keep reading here.

Tips for a Successful Vacation Shopping Surprise

Have an idea. If you’ve paid attention during the vacation planning process, there’s likely been many great ideas tossed at you. Things to do. Places to go. Great buys authentically available at a favorite destination. Murano glass in Venice. Cuckoo clocks or hand-carved Nativity scenes from a German Christmas market. Swiss chocolates. Exquisite folding fans in Japan. Tea in China. If you know a guy who knows a local guy, pearls from one of the night markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia. (And forget that French Maid outfit idea you had for the Paris visit.)
Make a plan. Do this In advance. When you have time to think it through and do some research. Not enroute. Or on a ship, with no internet connection.
Act. And by this I mean to both follow-through and playact. Make it mysterious. Make it fun. But just do it.
Forget second guessing. It’s over. And you’ve likely scored really big points in the relationship department. Enjoy the moment and any benefits that may come to you. Forget about the other consequences. Yes, you may have over-paid a bit. You might have found something better if you looked and compared more. But unless you dropped major cash on a sketchy counterfeit you found after you were blindfolded and hustled through noisy alleys, it’s going to be OK.

The End of the Story

Wonderful trips always make for wonderful memories. With today’s cameras, we capture many of them digitally, thinking we’ll enjoy them over and over. Surprises, big and small, make them even more special. So wherever you’re going, whatever you’re planning, try something spontaneous and surprising. You’ll be glad you did.

**The helicopter tour to Mendenhall Glacier was fantastic. Just do that, too, if you’re in Juneau.**

5 Things I Learned In a Travel Emergency

Off the Menu

DeanLand

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July 31, 2017

4

5 Things I Learned In a Travel Emergency

Recently, I had the surprising and very scary need to call 911 while staying at the Swissotel in Chicago on a business trip. On the fifth and final morning of my trip, things got really weird when I awoke for my 5 am trip to the gym. Feeling odd, I headed to my bathroom. Without further warning, my bathroom and everything else started spinning. Or maybe I was spinning. Unstable and unsure of my condition, I slid to the floor and sat, propped against a wall between the shower and toilet. Gaining determination after nearly an hour in this position, I dragged myself – face down – to the base of the nightstand and reached for my mobile phone.

“We’re going to break down the door,” someone yelled. “OK!,” I yelled back. They didn’t.

Here are five things I learned in the next 40 minutes:

Using SIRI for a 911 Call Works – In Downtown Chicago. Normally, I am not a SIRI user. But she came through that morning. I couldn’t focus my eyes, but I was able to reach up for the phone, pulled it to the floor, hold the home button, and ask SIRI to dial 911. YES, it worked. “Chicago 911,” the female voice said. “What’s your emergency?” I explained, then a bit of semi-panicked discussion ensued since I knew the name and general location of the hotel, but not the street address. Fortunately, I remembered my room number. That combination proved enough to get the ambulance dispatched. Thank you SIRI and all responsible for developing voice recognition.
Say “OK” to Breaking Down the Door. I rarely use the manual security latch on hotel doors, but I had done so on my return to the hotel the previous night. When emergency crews arrived, I heard them at the door, unable to get in. “Sir, you have to unlock the door,” they yelled. “I can’t get there,” I yelled back. After what seemed an eternity, someone yelled, “We’re going to break down the door.” “OK,” I yelled back. They didn’t. Hotel security arrived in time, opened the door with a key, then applied a special security technique to force the door open. (I won’t share the details, but once you see it done, you realize how worthless the latch is.)
You Have to Put on Your Boxers to Ride in the Ambulance. To this point, I’ve left out some critical details. When I awoke at about 5 am and sat up in my bed, I felt slightly dizzy. Since I had an early day, I undressed and headed toward the shower. I never made it, as a full-force case of vertigo set in. I ended up on the floor in the bathroom, totally naked. When the paramedics entered the room, only my location had changed. One of the paramedics found my clothes, and instructed, “Sir, you have to put on your boxers.” He added, “We all have OUR boxers on.” Once that was accomplished, they wrapped me in a hotel bath robe and rolled me to the elevator, through the lobby, and into the ambulance.
EMTs Prefer Sirens to Humming. I held my eyes shut tightly to minimize the spinning feeling. After a few minutes, I also found that humming to myself helped to calm me. So I hummed. Sort of like a meditation, “Hmmmmmmmmm.” While I found it soothing, apparently paramedics find this disconcerting. Or maybe they just prefer the sounds of sirens. Regardless, I was instructed – firmly – to stop.
Emergency Rooms Are Really Scary. Honestly, I knew this from previous emergency experiences for myself and my family. But this was the first time I had arrived by ambulance, alone, away from home, wearing only boxers and a bathrobe. Because of my disorientation and other symptoms, the emergency doctor informed me that I was going to go through a stroke and heart attack protocol. He warned: “There will be lots of people around and we’ll be doing quite a few procedures.” Suffice it to say that he was a master of understatement. What no one told me was WHERE I had been taken. And because of my disorientation, I failed to ask. About three hours later, when I was finally finished with testing and emergency procedures, I asked a nurse. “You’ve been admitted to Northwestern Hospital in Chicago.”

On discharge, the doctors advised that I shouldn’t travel by air. So my wife, son and I drove the 700-mile journey from Chicago back to our home in Georgia over two days, always able to stop if my condition reoccurred. We had to cancel an Alaskan cruise which was scheduled less than 10 days later.

“Sir, you have to put on your boxers,” one of the paramedics ordered. “We all have OUR boxers on.”

Over the next few weeks, I was able to return to mostly-normal activities. We did have to cancel an Alaskan cruise because I was unable to return to air travel quickly. After 8 weeks, there were still some movements and positions that started the world spinning again, including a small water slide I tried on a long-weekend get-away.

Now, just over 3 months hence, I’m back to near-normal, though I haven’t worked up the courage to pull out the Six Flags season passes and try any motion rides. Nor have I been able to return to long-distance bicycle riding, though I plan to do so in time to accomplish my annual “Ride-my-age-on-my-birthday” outing. Look for future posts for updates on those adventures.

Trawling the Shrimp Trail (Mississippi)

Southern Fried Favorites

DeanLand

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July 23, 2017

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On a recent drive from New Orleans to Biloxi, we decided to take a less-traveled route, skipping the I-10 fast lanes for the scenery, slower pace and coastline attractions of Highway 90, or the Old Spanish Trail. Along the route, we noticed immediately on entering Mississippi small shrimp signs. Intrigued immediately but outside the range of cell-phone towers, we drove on toward Pass Christian before our signal was strong enough to submit our inquiry to Google: Shrimp signs on Highway 90?

**The Gulf Coast App provides local details linked to roadside shrimp signs along US Highway 90 in Mississippi.**

Apparently, we weren’t the first or only travelers intrigued by the new signs. News articles dating back to 2014 announced the idea behind the signs. In January 2016, a news story from WXXV 25, one of the Gulf Coast media outlets, promised an “App On the Way for Shrimp Signs.” We continued to scroll through the results until we found the result we were seeking: A May 2017 posting from GulfCoast.Org that provided a link to the new My Gulf Coast app. And of course, we downloaded it — as soon as our signal improved enough to provide a reliable data connection.

What You Need to Know:

78 Stops on the Shrimp Trail. From Waveland to Moss Point, 78 Shrimp Trail signs adorn the approximately 60 mile stretch along Highway 90. The highest concentration appears between Long Beach and Ocean Springs, which includes the more-populated and commercial cities of Gulfport and Biloxi. Each numbered sign is found easily in the app. But, it’s probably not the best idea to look up the attractions when you reach a number.

Find Things to Do. If you’re interested in activities and attractions ranging from beaches, boats and bars to gambling and nightlife, use the navigation feature to check out “Things to Do.” Options are organized by category, with details on local options and corresponding Shrimp Trail sign post numbers. For planning, it’s easy to use the “Heart” symbol to save your favorites, and a map link is available. For those who have a map app favorite, this app links to Apple Maps, which dedicated Google Maps users (like me!) can find annoying and off-putting.

Local and Chain Locations to Eat. The Gulf Coast is a seafood paradise, and you’ll find many local seafood houses listed here. You’ll also find a wide variety of familiar chains. Two warnings. First, some of the restaurants are a long way off the “Trail.” For example, Shaw’s Fish House is associated with Sign 13 in Ocean Springs. But you’ll have to travel 37 miles northwest to find it in Perkinston, MS. Second, while the app does provide addresses, phone numbers and website links to listed restaurants, there’s no easy access to customer ratings or

**Things to do are listed by category when accessed from the app menu.**

comments in the app. You’ll have to pull up Yelp or your favorite rating app to see how locals and fellow travelers rate food and service. On the plus side, the Where to Eat list is organized by restaurant type, so it’s easy to focus quickly on the type of food that teases your culinary imagination.

Limited Number of Deals and Offers. When we checked, there were 12 listings for special offers on sports equipment rentals, boat tours, restaurant discounts and more. We imagine this changes periodically.

Don’t Search for Shrimp Trail App. The Apple App store will return a big ZERO results. Instead, search for My Gulf Coast.

Shrimp Backstory:

Why use a shrimp on the signs? While it’s difficult to spot behind the casinos, beach activities and private marinas, the seafood industry is an important part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In the 19th century, fishing fleets and shrimp boats were the dominant employers in the area, and processing centers provided significant seafood for broad distribution. In 2011, the Mississippi shrimping industry produced $131 million in sales, and created almost 3,000 full-time and part-time jobs. Specially-equipped boats pull huge nets that drag the sandy bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, capturing the shrimp inside and forcing them to the back of the net. This is known locally as “Trawling.” Unfortunately, shrimp harvests have fallen significantly since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

Specially-equipped boats pull huge nets that drag the sandy bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, capturing the shrimp inside and forcing them to the back of the net. This is known locally as “Trawling.” You can see the shrimp net hanging to dry as this boat returns to port in Biloxi.

Louisiana Cajun Bootlegger In Thibodaux, LA

Southern Fried Favorites

DeanLand

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July 15, 2017

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Louisiana Cajun Bootlegger In Thibodaux, LA

Once, mighty paddlewheelers plied the waters of Bayou Lafourche, from its junction with the Mississippi River through Thibodaux, LA, and one to the Gulf of Mexico. When they gave way to wheeled transportation, Louisiana Highway 1 was the main street of the state. Many visitors passed through Thibodaux, LA, during those times. Now, unless you live in the area or happen to be in the oil, gas or agriculture industry, Thibodaux likely isn’t on your itinerary. But if you find yourself passing through, stop for a few minutes to drive through this quaint town.

**My great-grandfather, Eugene Foret (center, in white suit) was a Cajun bootlegger.**

Thibodaux makes my travel list because my great-grandfather reputedly was a Cajun bootlegger running liquor during Prohibition near Thibodaux, LA.

At least, that’s the story my grandmother liked to hint at when she told a few tales about her family during family holiday visits.

**4 Rays Trucking employed a fleet of drivers that included family members and close friends, the perfect set-up for keeping a bootlegging operation on the down-low.**

The outline is this: Sometime around or proceeding the Prohibition era, my great-grandfather, Eugene Francois Foret (1888-1963), started a small trucking company near Thibodaux, hauling sugar cane to, then refined sugar to market from, mills around the area. He started with a single truck, grew the business to include more trucks driven by family and friends, and eventually operated a large fleet. His “legitimate” business was named 4-Rays, and it operated out of a large warehouse location near the current site of E. D. White high school in Thibodaux

Sometime in this period, and likely before the onset of the Great Depression, he acquired or built a speakeasy. The large wood building may have been a warehouse before it was transformed for other purposes, as it was part of the trucking company warehouse complex. It featured a large wooden dance floor, live music, and was extremely popular with the local crowds, according to the verbal history.

Whether my great-grandfather and his trucking firm supplied liquor to the speakeasy is a matter of pure speculation. But, suffice it to say that many of the requirements for successful bootlegging were present. A commercially-successful truck fleet, which easily could operate in the open while concealing contraband. A group of loyal drivers comprised primarily of family and friends. And a warehouse complex that included a speakeasy.

My grandmother, Una Foret, (1913-2007) described and once demonstrated one of the popular dances from the speakeasy. It was called the Black Bottom. Similar to the Charleston,the dance could be done by a single dancer or a couple. In my grandmother’s couple version, the male dancer grasped the female by the wrists, then swung her down as she slid between his legs, then back to her feet. Done with full success, the woman would slide gracefully on her feet. However, given the uncertain conditions of many speakeasy dance floors plus the likely effects of whatever bootleg liquor may have been present, most times the woman would drag her rear on the dirty dance floor. Thus, the Black Bottom. A side note: according to Wikipedia, the Black Bottom gained popularity in the New Orleans area after originating with African Americans in the rural South. The dance became nationally popular in the teens and ’20s along with the Charleston.

Sometime after the Depression and perhaps in the early 1940s, the speakeasy became a dance hall and a (legal) bar. At one point in its later history, it was called The Beer Cabin. The main photo on this page is from The Beer Cabin. The man standing in front of the bar at the center of the picture is my great grandfather. Two of my great uncles are pictured to the right.

If You Go:

Wetlands Acadian Culture Center: Part of the Jean Lafitte National Park complex, the Wetlands Acadian Culture Center in Thibodaux offers a visitor center, video focused on Cajun culture and French Canadians who settled the area, walking tours, and boat tours. Cajun music also is featured prominently, including regularly-scheduled live Cajun music jams. (Check the part schedule for details.) If you visit on Tuesday, you may enjoy locals speaking in Cajun French, a regionalized version of the French brought over with the Acadians. My great grandfather’s Foret family was part of the group that originally settled the area after relocating from Nova Scotia.

E.D. White Historic Site: A few miles north of Thibodaux (the locals will explain, “Up the bayou,” as directions were once based on the location relative to Bayou Lafourche, a now-dammed branch of the Mississippi River), the E.D White home is a National Historic Landmark and part of the Louisiana State Museum. The home was built in 1825 for the Edward Douglass White, who served as governor of Louisiana. He lived there with his family, including his son, also Edward Douglass White, who was appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1894 and served as chief justice from 1910 to 1921.

Nicholls State University. Just “down the bayou,” Nicholls State is part of the University of Louisiana state college system. Each year, it becomes the center of the NFL quarterback universe, hosting the Manning Passing Academy, founded by legendary Saints quarterback Archie Manning and frequented by sons Peyton and Eli as well as many other NFL players and coaches.

Sing a Song: These include references to Thibodaux.

Marcia Ball, Thibodaux, Louisiana. Affectionately referred to as “Her Tallness,” Marcia Ball mixes Texas blues, boogie woogie, Louisiana swamp music and New Orleans beats into her rollicking, piano-pounding party songs. She sings of Thibodaux, “I met a bayou man down there, he said he’d marry me anytime.”

Jimmy Buffett, I Will Play for Gumbo. Parrotheads may remember this from his Beach House on the Moon release. “At midnight in the quarter or noon in Thibodaux, I will play for gumbo.”

Where to Eat:

Spahr’s Seafood Restaurant, 601 W 4th Street. The original location sits on a large fishing pond about 20 miles away in Des Allemands. Try the catfish platter.

Fremin’s Restaurant, 402 W 3rd Street. The exterior will remind you of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The food will remind you that there’s plenty of great local fare in small towns.

Welcome to OurTravelCafe.Com

Off the Menu

DeanLand

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June 8, 2017

1

Hello new friends and old, and welcome to OurTravelCafe.Com.

All my life, I’ve been a tireless traveler. Perhaps that comes from my parents, who once-a-year packed us kids into a car for a driving vacation somewhere in the Deep South or surrounding states. Our first vacation that I remember was a road trip from Louisiana to the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. My parents still have the blurry and jerky 8mm silent video from a borrowed movie camera and a few black-and-white prints, including one where I was fascinated by a caged black bear.

Or maybe it’s job related, as for the past 25+ years I’ve traveled frequently and distantly, literally around-the-world on one particular trip, and by miles many times over according to my airline records. By current count, I’ve been to 33 countries and 47 US states on business or vacations, and I’m eager to visit at least an equal number in the not-to-distant future.

I’m also a dedicated restaurant patron and over-qualified eater. Again, that’s likely traceable to my parents, as each Sunday we had an after-church lunch at a local restaurant. My career choices definitely expanded that, as most of my professional career has been in marketing for restaurant equipment companies, with many of the world’s largest and many of the finest restaurants as customers. At one point, I had a group of demonstration chefs reporting to me, and thus was a fortunate participant in a number global culinary exhibitions. Plus, my company was a sponsor of the Bocuse de Or global culinary competition, which, of course, required my personal attention!

The fusion of those two passions are the inspiration of OurTravelCafe.Com. My hope is to share a menu of travel experiences that reflect my personal journeys. As I’m fortunate to have a global network of friends in the communications, restaurant and travel industries, I’m hopeful they will contribute as “guest chefs” to this travel and culinary gumbo.

Beyond that, OurTravelCafe.Com generally is written from my personal perspective — that of a 50-70-year old, upper-middle-class Southern American Baby Boomer traveling for work and fun. These days, my best trips include my wife and our adopted teenage son, and occasionally our grown children, their families and our grand children. My wife and I enjoy active travel, so you can expect lots of references to hiking, biking, exploring historical and natural sites and similar activities. We also like to cruise, though we prefer to plan-our-own port activities rather than taking the standard cruise line offered excursions. When we travel on our own, we enjoy walking tours of city centers and driving excursions through the countryside, always keeping an eye open for local markets featuring local cuisine, merchants and goods.

We’re not budget travelers though we do enjoy a good bargain — especially my wife. Neither are we high-end, luxury aficionados, but you will occasionally find some attention devoted to that segment when we are lucky enough to splurge. Thus while you might find an occasional tip on travel bargains and deals or visit to high-end luxury properties, usually I’ll focus on the destinations and activities rather than cost.

We also love road trips through our (new) home state of Georgia, and along our path as we visit family and friends. Though we like cities, museums, arts and such, we also love to find quaint, quiet and quirky spots in small towns and out-of-the-way destinations that let us escape the distractions of everyday life. We often take day trips from our base near Acworth, GA, in the foothills northwest of Atlanta. Occasionally, we’ll wander around more of Georgia on overnight and weekend excursions that most often include parks, hiking, biking or boating. On a very rare occasion, we may even write about experiments in camping, though for years my idea of camping has been staying overnight at a Holiday Inn without room service.

On our family vacations and other travel, we tend to make extended visits to remote destinations, with the belief that if it takes a long time to get there, you should spend sufficient time to explore. Some of our recent trips have included cruises with ground extensions in the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Scandinavian areas; a self-guided city and train adventure into Bavaria, Munich and Vienna; and a month-long cruise, train and driving exploration of Alaska, Vancouver, Oregon and Washington. Upcoming in 2018 we’re planning a week in the Northeast from Boston to Maine, then an African safari in 2019. There’s lots more on our future “to-do” list (as I refuse to think of exploration as a “check-it-off-the-bucket-list” activity).

One more thought. As more of us aging baby boomers are focused on activities, exercise and health, I’ll also include some general fitness observations or health details in my posts. I am a devoted user of Garmin’s VivoActive HR fitness watch and tracker. I try to ride 50 miles per week on a bicycle or the equivalent of that at my local gym on exercise bikes. My outdoors riding speed on flat ground is 15-18 mph, and I’ll average 20 mph on the LifeCycle upright bike at my local gym set on a random program at level 11. So, if I do something more on the strenuous side, I’ll likely include some of the data and readings provided to help readers evaluate how certain activities might affect them.

Rather than going on here, I invite you to look around. We’ve organized the site as a menu, and hope you find that convenient. We would also love your feedback on the articles, topics, style and anything else. I hope you enjoy OurTravelCafe.com, and that you will come back frequently to check out our ever-changing menu of travel experiences.

E-Mail: Contact@OurTravelCafe.com