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5 July 2006
Terry's travels
This time it's all about me
By Terry Riley
In this space, I’ve written about Clark Gable, Willie Nelson and Thomas
the Tank Engine. This time ‘round, however, this column is all about me.
So if you don’t want to read about me waxing eloquent in self-reverence,
now’s the time to click on your browser’s “Back” button.
Waiting ….
Still here? OK, here goes. It’s my turn to tell you about me.
This is a nice airport to get to and from in an airplane, but it is a
horrible airport to get to and from in a car. It has been undergoing
construction for what seems like forever with no end in sight. It seems
like every month there is either a change in the airport access roads, the
parking shuttle bus stops, the location of the rental car agencies, the
line for checking luggage—or all of these.
When the connections aren’t so bad and the fares aren’t so dear, I prefer
this nice, quiet little depot with a few flights and reasonably priced
parking within a short walk of the terminal.
To me, all major airlines are pretty much alike. (I can say the same for
all major hotel chains and, with the exception of Enterprise, which to me
is a cut above, all rental car companies too.) I favor this airline only
because it doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. It doesn’t claim to
provide a retreat in the sky where I can relax or share a blissful journey
with an all-too-attractive-and-interesting seat mate. It is what it is:
basic air transportation that gets me from point A to point B, usually on
time.
My favorite domestic, small town destination:
Cayucos, California.
This small seaside community’s motto is “The Last of the California Beach
Towns,” and it’s probably true. My hometown, Santa Cruz, could have
competed for that title until the rise of Silicon Valley brought the
construction of beachside McMansions here. Cayucos, too, is changing. Big,
honking houses are replacing cozy cottages and not too long ago the town
changed its name to “Cayucos by the Sea,” a sure sign that it sees itself
moving in the “already discovered” direction.
My favorite foreign, small-town destination:
Nerja, Spain.
Though located on the popular Costa del Sol, this is still a quaint and
charming little town. When visiting in the summer, take in a concert in a
cave. It’s a trip.
My favorite domestic, big-city destination:
Chicago.
Art, culture, food, entertainment, easy transportation and the Cubs. This
city’s got it going.
My favorite foreign, big-city destination:
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Clean, friendly, relatively safe, steeped in history and the residents
speak nearly the same language as I do.
My most welcome accommodation:
Phantom Ranch, Grand
Canyon, Ariz.
OK, sleeping in a bunk bed in a prefab box with a dozen snoring guys in
their jockey shorts (at least their jockey shorts, one hopes) isn’t my
idea of luxury accommodation. Heck it isn’t even my idea of a
middle-of-the-road accommodation. But there are few sights more welcome
than the Phantom Ranch after a day’s hike into the Grand Canyon. And the
scenery on the way there? Wow!
My favorite B&B: La Zarzuela,
Tucson, Ariz.
What makes this place very special are the hosts. They don’t just greet
you, send you to your room and then disappear. Lew and Cliff feed you,
wine you, entertain you, offer you advice and make you feel like a part of
their family.
My worst vacation: Second Wind Charters (mercifully out of
business). Our bareboat charter from this company was more ordeal than
vacation. The boats were old, beat up, and maintained just well enough to
get them out of sight of the dock, where the staff cheerfully waved
goodbye, then promptly shut the doors and turned off the marine radio and
phone.
On the other hand, when I was in Road Town, Tortola, purchasing hardware
to keep us afloat, I overheard two women “complaining” to an agent of The
Moorings, another yacht-charter company, that the dinner plates on their
boat didn’t match. That exchange lead me to ….
My best vacation(s): The Moorings
yacht charter company.
This outfit has all the things that Second Wind Charters didn’t:
well-maintained boats, good food, excellent service and a staff that likes
what they do.
My other best vacation(s):
Bike Vermont.
Substitute “bikes” for “boats” and I can say the same for Bike Vermont
that I said for The Moorings—and I don’t get seasick the first day out.
My favorite travel companions: Linda, my wife, and Corkie and Nemo,
our mutts.
Their presence in the car means that we are traveling someplace fun and
won’t be venturing anywhere near the San Jose airport.
© 2006 Applied Psychology
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