East, West and Inbetween

I've been cruising through some different blogs I like to read and came up with a question for myself.

Over on the Pondering Pig's blog are some nice shots his lady love took at Pisimo Beach, CA. Then, a meandering to Foghorn Leghorn's spot shows scenes from a Florida beach.

I've spent some time on both coasts and had very different experiences. I'm wondering whether the difference had more to do with who I was with, what I was doing and what stage my life was at at the time or if it was due to inherent differences in the two locations.

I have lived in the Southwest, the Midwest, and am now in the Pacific Northwest. I have found along the way that the whole world is NOT like my back yard...there are distinct differences in the ways people approach each other and life in general based on regional flavor. Yet, at the same time, I've found that people are people where ever I go - we all love, we laugh, we cry, we worry and pretty much do what we can do make our way in this crazy world.

One of the reasons I hate most malls is because they tend to LACK regional flavor. They export the same-old, same-old homogeneous commercial America that always leaves me feeling annoyed and anxious. I far prefer to seek out little downtown enclaves or pockets of mom-and-pop stores that may offer up some surprises. The selection and the service at these out of the way spots is not always GOOD, mind you, but at least they are original!

I guess I still miss the old days when my little town in the Verde Valley of Arizona had "Verde Lee Dairy" where we bought our milk in glass bottles, a butcher shop where we got our meat, a green-grocer for vegies and fruits, and a hardware store that was not a chain outfit. There was a shoe repair shop (IMAGINE! FIXING shoes rather than throwing them away when they started to come apart) Lillian's cafe, an old saloon, a clock shop and a feed store. We got to know the proprietors at each place, so doing business held much more sense of community back then than the fluorescent efficiency of supermarkets can offer.

So now days, when I travel, I love looking for little shops or restaurants that I have no idea what to expect when I walk into. Sometimes they are lousy or overpriced. Sometimes they are GEMS! (Like the Clam Chowder I had the Firehouse just south of Heceta Lighthouse or the Pizza at someplace north of Seaside) I remember some dynamite red beans and rice and great blues in New Orleans before the Katrina floods turned that part of town into a war zone. I had a fantastic sandwich and listened to some jazz just outside of Denali park in Alaska and some pretty fine Indian food in Salt Lake City...

HMMM what's with all this food reverie? I must be hungry. Time to go grab a snack.