“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” (John Muir)
There was a time in my life when a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains offered a daring adventure of inner tube rides along a wildly running river or an arduous hike to the top of a steep mountain. But this other world of youthful physical exuberance has now vanished as Ruth and I pondered a more subdued experience in visiting this popular National Park on our 2020 road trip visit on the first weekend of June. Most assuredly then, these picturesque mountains would now entice us with easier hiking exertion as well as a much desired mental escape from the past three months of pandemic quarantining.
Regretfully, however, so many other tourists in Gatlinburg, Tennessee appeared to have the same thought in mind as we drove through the busy downtown. With heavy traffic gridlock into the park thus arising as a potential problem, we realized that our next morning plans to visit here might have to be changed. It seemed that a timely road turnoff or an empty picnic table would become our less ambitious reality on this day visit if parking near hiking trails could not be found. Good fortune, however, would strike us today as we found two hours of easy hiking bliss along the “Fighting Creek”Nature Trail on our way back to Gatlinburg. For those of you who are tired of those lengthy periods of pandemic isolation, the following photographs might provide you with some outdoor emotional therapy.
“Few people go to art exhibitions nowadays, the art comes to them! “(Chris Geiger)
June 3 -4
When we arrived in the picturesque region of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains in mid afternoon Wednesday, we anticipated finding a plentiful amount of remote “country” serenity. Yet it seemed unsettling for us to hear about expected pandemic/protest concerns in nearby Asheville and then encounter a strange National Guard presence at our next motel. So as we continued our strategy to “play outdoor tourist” at this second stop of our road trip, racial unrest/social distancing would also be firmly on our mind.
On Thursday morning, we then began a two mile, loop walk in downtown Asheville intending to observe designated sites along the well marked, “Urban Trail.” Unlike “antebellum” preserving Savannah, our casual encounters with a series of creative artworks along today’s walk revealed that while Asheville remains equally proud of its historic past it seems heavily committed as well to progressing forward for a more modernistic image of “New South” values. I would also notice today that on few occasions amidst the quiet of this still heavily quarantined city, racial protest flared noticeably as small crowds of demonstrators gathered on street corners to draw attention to their impassioned cause or to artistically present their latest banners.
In the following photographic display, then, I hope to “feed your head” with the idea that Asheville “on the outside” can be a safely fun stopover in conjunction with any current visit to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and/or Smoky Mountain National Park. Next stop: Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
“Savannah is a lovely, gentle, sad old city. You can walk through the shadowy, cobbled streets of the town on a tranquil Sunday morning and feel the atmosphere heavy with the burden of lost greatness and relaxed by quiet decay” (Mills Lane)
If you ever want to visit an American city that seems to be little changed from colonial America in the late 18th century, then the historic center of Savannah, Georgia fulfills your request quite well. Originally founded in 1733 along the south bank of the Savannah River, the historic center of this town remains a uniquely authentic setting of stately aristocratic mansions, tranquil public squares, towering Christian churches and heartwarming statue remembrances. Sadly, however, we anticipated that our tour options of Savannah’s historic past would be somewhat limited as we realized that many sites in the city would be closed during the duration of our three day stay because of the Covid 19 shutdown.
So we would thus opt for a walking tour on this inaugural Monday morning of our 2020 road trip to provide us with an exclusively outdoor glimpse of the old town area. For the next two hours, as we sauntered along Old Savanna’s wide avenues seeking tree shaded cool from oppressive summer heat, we were fortunate to discover so many surviving vestiges of Old Savannah’s glorious past. After regaining our energy with a a leisurely lunch stop in the City Market vicinity of Old Town, today’s tour would resume along the River Street pathway for a cobblestone look at seafaring, colonial times I thus invite you to travel back in time as I share with you an authentic glimpse of Old Savannah in the following photographic showcase. For my political enthusiasts , I note that anti-police protests had recently taken place in downtown Savannah minutes before we arrived. Yet I observed no evidence then of vandalized property destruction or enhanced law enforcement security.
Ruth and I will begin our 2020 summer road tripon Saturday, May 31 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our first stopover of this two month journey will take place in Savannah, Georgia. USFMAN looks forward to posting his weekly blog postings/photos for red dot areas we will visit on the above reposted map. I would also welcome your health/safety comments that pertain to any of these pinpointed regions. Thank you for continuing to find interest in “Snippets of the Traveling Mind.” Stay well and Namaste.
Flaneur – “Someone who walks around not doing anything in particular but watching people and society” (Cambridge Dictionary)
Many of us now grow weary of the enduring idleness at home because of the Corona pandemic lockdown. So let us “turn the tables” and imagine that today represents the first time since this self quarantine began that you felt safely willing and able to venture outdoors for a refreshing walk around your neighborhood. Since you are already in slowdown mode from being cooped up inside, it suddenly feels more natural to stroll casually rather than “ramp up your hiking pace today. Although there are familiar surroundings that you will obviously observe in your neighborhood then then, you may also notice unexpected images which you have never seemed to recognize before: perhaps the colors of a blossoming tree, the shape of a street sign, the smell of a rain gutter, the touch of a fallen leaf, or the sound of a flag flapping in the breeze.
As you continue on your path to such unexpected encounters, you begin to romanticize innocent memories of your youthful past. It begins to rain but you seemingly don’t care today about getting wet. Only the refreshing cool of the falling drops on your body enters your mind now. Your walk then quietly ends as you take a seat on a lonely park bench feeling a calm appreciation for the beautifully fresh greenness that surrounds you now.
Welcome to “Flaneuring” or the intentional act of aimless wandering, as outlined in Erica Owen’s novel , “The Art Of Flaneuring – How to Wander With Intention and Discover a Better Life.” So many of us today thrive on time driven, task deadlines to move from point A to point B. Yet Owen teaches us the personal value of finding slower times during our day to be outside simply for the sake of being outside. He accordingly recommends that we must maximize use of all of our human senses as we venture out to discover self- revelations of the unexpected moment encountered during such aimless wanderings.
So let’s practice our “Flaneuring” skill potential in more of an urban-like setting. Imagine you are traveling to Paris, France on your first post-pandemic vacation. As you feel relieved to be on the outside again, you’ve reasoned it best to take your time on a leisurely walk around the city. Now observe any thoughts/emotions that arise as you conduct this imagined walk via one or several of the places presented in the video below. I recommend as well that you stop and restart the tape as needed to give yourself additional time to jot down brief notes about such mental images observed for any particular photo of interest. Perhaps you will be surprised then by a strong sense of a certain color, taste, smell, sound, or even the warmth or coldness of touch. For a further challenge, you might try meditating in silence for a few minutes about a particular photo and visualize how this setting provides a positive impact to your current emotional state now. Stay safe and healthy this summer. Namaste .
“It takes a great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it.” (Oscar Wilde)
When Ruth and I returned from India at the beginning of March, we seriously wondered if we had placed our health in jeopardy on this vacation by being exposed to the spread of the Corona Virus. After all, we had flown back from Kochi to Miami on two long flights filled with primarily Asian passengers. So although we in fact remained healthily free of the virus, fear of exposure and resultant home quarantine became our daily norm.
Almost three months later, any thoughts of cruising or plane travel in the near future are quickly dismissed as out of the question now with social distancing firmly embedded in our mind. Yet our enduring isolation has created a powerful need to explore open spaces of the great outdoors again. So these two former teachers will resume our latest road trip adventure from Fort Lauderdale west in June/July with a counterclockwise, loop itinerary as shown in the map photo above.
So tell me fine readers why are two restless wanderers willing to “roll the dice” and get on the road again amidst life’s health uncertainties now? Is it simply too soon? Yet if you settle into the lyrics of this iconic “Traveling Wilburys” song below, I suppose you will hear strongly our answer. “Well it’s alright.”
“Well it’s alright. Even if you’re old and gray.”
The nostalgic spirit of youthful curiosity will never grow old for us along Route 66 and other historic roads “off the beaten track.”
“Well it’s alright. Even if the sun don’t shine.”
Rock and Roll, Indians/Browns sports and a tranquil walk along Lake Erie are always a happy combination to visit in any kind of weather for this Cleveland bred man.
“Well it’s alright. As long as you lend a hand.”
The environmental movement reigns strong in the Pacific Northwest and we are often willing to lend a “go-green” hand there to preserve and protect the fragile natural environment.
“Well it’s alright. Sometimes you gotta stay strong.”
Anticipating those challenging road trip hikes like the deceptively steep gullies at Utah’s Goblin State Park provides plenty of motivation for us to be more mindful of staying physically fit as “baby boomers” throughout the year.
“Well it’s alright. Riding around in the breeze.”
Experiencing the vast expanse of wide open spaces as we traverse the dry deserts of the American West provides an exhilarating feeling of personal solitude and freedom.
“Well it’s alright. If you live the life you please.”
To stand in awe amidst the towering vortexes of Sedona, Arizona radiates the positive energy of peaceful contentment of a life well served.
“Well it’s alright. As long as you got somewhere to lay.”
Breathe in the fresh air of a free flowing, mountainside river that lulls you to sit awhile in lonely solitude. Now that’s the sort of social distancing that I can live with well.
“Well it’s alright. We’re going to the end of the line.”
Traveling over 3,000 miles from Atlantic to Pacific shores by car typically manifests for us as an arduously long marathon. At the end of our journey, you might expect then we would find this spectacular view over a “Big Sur” cliffside to be the ideal spot to bask in the success of what we have accomplished.
“Well it’s alright. Remember to live to let live.”
You might wonder why I would hug this California Redwood tree. Very simply, both of our species are united as living earth companions who share an enduring will to survive.
“Well it’s alright. If you got someone to love.”
Any thoughts of experiencing Corona pandemic loneliness as we travel along the road are banished as so many of our friends welcome us into their lives again in person.
“Well it’s alright. The best you can do is forgive.”
History teaches me to never forget that the lessons of the past often repeat in the present. I thus stand solemnly on our road trips by such important historical monuments as this Gettysburg Address Memorial hoping to find time tested ways toward becoming a uniter rather than a divider of both friend and foe.
“There is a charm in solitude that cheers.
A feeling that the world knows nothing of.
A green delight the wounded mind endears.
After the hustling world is broken off…”(John Clare)
Let’s face it. Covid -19 has required an immense personal sacrifice for over two months now. As each day’s routine now seemingly feels the same, I’ve thus dutifully followed the recommended plan to stay wisely at home, stop non-essential travel, trust shopping online, and make use of “virtual” mediums to avoid direct human contact. Yet in spite of these safeguards, increasingly it seems that I feel trapped like a prisoner in my own home. How about you?
So many puzzling questions thus quickly arise about easing the strain of my semi-quarantine status. How can my wife and I avoid infringing on each other’s personal space to conduct our own private lives? By what means can I effectively deal with my “cabin fever” which festers negative mind distractions that are psychologically harmful? What steps can I take to avoid eating out of idle time boredom ? How can I energize my daily routine to avoid sitting in sedentary laziness on my living room couch?
So with social distancing firmly in place now and for the unforeseeable future, I’m determined to shift my awareness to finding more productive opportunities outside. Picture me then taking up bike riding again as I often did as a restless teenager seeking new adventures growing up in South Florida. Yet a spirited ride for me as I continue to endure this health crisis rut will serve as a much needed escape from home to new places of solitude/silence. I’ve thus thankfully discovered that the visually stimulating grounds of nearby Nova Southeastern University serves as an ideal destination for my daily biking endeavors. For here I can pleasantly “soak in” the subtropical natural beauty of South Florida as spring time emerges as well as reviving my “happy day” passions of my youthful college past. So join me in my quest for serenity as I pedal quietly around NSU’s main campus on a gorgeously sunny weekday morning in the following photograph display.
The NSU Taft and Rosenthal University Centers normally bustle in daytime with campus life. But as I passed by these impressive looking landmarks, the soothing presence of flowing water from a “Shark” mascot fountain seemed to take center stage” in my attention today.
This statue of famed South Florida entrepreneur Wayne Huizenga sitting under a pleasantly shaded tree tempted me to sit contentedly next to him for awhile on this shaded bench.
In the late 1980s, I taught freshman college classes as an adjunct English professor in the Parker Building below. Being no longer “caught up” in the time driven dash to and from class from those days, I discovered a freshly new outlook of these environs by conducting a pleasant walk along these lush vegetative corridors.
The current Miami Dolphins training facility prominently stands out along the northerly perimeter grounds of NSU. Yet the eerie silence emanating from these locked facilities provided a stark reminder that spectator sports might soon become for me a much more solitary hobby.
The diverse ecosystem of tropical flora at NSU’s Medicinal Healing Garden nearby the Parker Building provided a secluded place for me to quietly unwind from Corona’s life challenges. Good idea that I brought my insect repellent here today.
Self meditation also provided an inspiring activity at the NSU Healing Garden as I found the perfect flower to focus my full attention on.
I often stopped to read at benches set along a picturesque loop path overlooking Gold Circle Lake near the NSU Administration Building and Law School complex.
Plenty of hungry reptile and aviary life also congregated at Gold Circle Lake to keep me company. I never realized that iguanas love bananas.
This inviting park bench area outside the NSU bookstore provided positive memories of my youthful energy to embrace the act of serious textbook study sitting outside as a graduate student in the past at NSU. Incidentally, the need to find Wi-Fi access was not a big issue back then.
Does this open green at NSU look like a nice place to unwind from a stressful day in class? Does anyone feel like throwing me a frisbee?
“There’s no place like home.” (Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz)
“Every person is different, every home is different, every item is different, and we all have to decide how best to approach the clutter in our lives and homes based on our own values, sentiments, circumstances, and priorities.” (Taylor Haskins)
Ok let’s face it. Since Ruth and I have been “cooped up” in our home because of the Corona Pandemic, we now spend considerably more time familiarizing ourselves more deeply with our room interiors. Witness my wife’s practical attitude that the current slowdown the Corona slowdown provides an excellent time to diligently rearrange the location of furniture or remove/add objects from tables/desks in our condo at least once a week. I, however, find a more “inner” connection to the current isolation I face in my home’s physical surroundings. For in such semi- quarantined living conditions now, I’ve become inspired by a Getty Art Museum Challenge to test my artistic talents as I express my current mental state in these matching photographs that follow.
To gain more personal benefit from this blog, I recommend you create your own home version of this Getty Museum Challenge. To get started, click on the You Tube link below
The downtrodden pose of this elderly man reminds me that there are so many victims of the pandemic’s wrath who desperately need more government help now. Everyone deserves a safe cocoon from the airborne spread of Covid -19 now.
With shades of Mahatma Gandhi in mind as I face the extended “downtime” pandemic, I look forward to these simpler times of quiet reflection and extended silent reading.
I struggle now to replace the soothing slowness of a Major League Baseball Game with a worthy replacement activity at night to equally occupy my attention.
Where is Francisco Lindor’s infectious smile and brilliance as a baseball hero these days when I need him?
The loss of human touch seeps sadly in to my mind in this era of social distancing. So a quick squirt of sanitizer on my hand and I can imagine a world of such closeness again.
When “cabin fever” sets in, I pedal outside to feel the fresh air caress my face and embrace the passing glory of wild nature.
I’m saddened by the teenager depicted in this picture who will likely face the loss of peer social interaction with imminent school closures. Yet the slowdown seems to be an ideal time for him/her to reach out to others by volunteering.
I wonder about fulfilling the challenge of using my breathing mask and maintaining a social distance wherever I travel in the future?
“That’s the thing about time travel. You’re always moving forward, even when you go back.” (James A. Owen)
I’ve always embraced a lifelong passion to read about history which has often revealed to me a meaningful cause/effect connection between the past and the present. So as I closely examine my book cabinets at home today, the historical impact of three writers I have extensively read in my life immediately come to mind. I should first single out James Michener for his informal story telling abilities infused with unique, local settings which inspired my lifelong interest in studying community relics/cultural behaviors. I will also grant special praise to Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose intimate portrayals of the public/private lives of U.S. Presidents have provided me with so many sound ideas for fulfilling my role obligations as a U.S. voter and informed American citizen. A final “shout out” must be given as well to a lesser known writer of historic fiction: Harry Turtledove. For his alternative plot versions of famous events in U.S./ World History stimulated me to think more open-mindedly about controversially politicized issues in contemporary times.
Along with such “bookworm” passions for biography and other past event based readings, I have often traveled with a historic mindset to help me deal with life’s current moment to moment challenges. You might further have noticed that my travel blogs often flashback in time to find relevant human insights from unexpected historic places encountered at unexpected times. You might say then that my writing style sometimes seems reminiscent of “time travel” in the movie “Back To The Future” as if I were Marty McFly imagining myself adapting to what it would really be like if I lived in randomly chosen years before. So step inside my time machine and travel back into the past as I present ten “then vs. now” examples evidenced in the following historic photographs from our world travels.
Walking along the main road of the ancient ruins of Ostia along the coast of Italy west of Rome, I positioned myself behind this casually posing, masculine sculpture. Placing my head on his body facing the vast expanse of marble baths, enormous temples, and multistory apartment remnants, I felt an odd sensation of wealthiness and power amidst this important center of trade in the Roman Empire.
Soccer unquestionably reigns throughout the United Kingdom as a popular favorite in the athletic realm. At the History Museum in Southampton, England, I proudly took my place posing with this trophy replica and absorbed the winning spirit among the giants of soccer stardom.
The opportunity to hold an authentic Revolutionary War musket at the Powder Magazine in Charleston , South Carolina, I obsessed on the the stressful act of colonial times weaponry as demonstrated by the slow loading and firing of this ponderously heavy weapon used then in the heat of battle.
The lighthearted presence of Charlie Chaplin along the lakeshore in Montreux Switzerland invited me to join in with his comical antics to politely tip my hat and dance merrily as he often did during his silent movie career.
I shared matching Hawaiian shirts and the mellow spectator vibe pervading the stands during an Oakland A’s baseball game in posing with this fun loving mascot sculpture during a visit to Jack London Square In Oakland, California.
Before boarding a mid 19th century passenger car to experience a scenic ride on the “Heber Creeper”, a steam driven railway In Heber City Utah, we ducked behind these costumed figure mannequins at the depot to recreate the elegant formality feel of an affluent family traveling 1st class during these Victorian times. Along this slow train ride through the spectacular Wabash mountains, we also sang along merrily with authentically dressed volunteers to favorite tunes of the Old West.
My bumpy journey steeply uphill on the back of a sad looking elephant along the walls of the Amber Fort in Jaipur, India alerted my senses that I would have been physically unsuited for this slow and ponderously dangerous ride during this fort’s “heyday times. Moving forward to the complex’s present, I also felt distinct distaste for such physical abuse of these giant mammals for the sake of capitalistic tourist profit.
The Royal Guard ceremonially protects the queen and her family entourage at Buckingham Palace in London all year around. In posing stoically behind this Guard replica, I realized that I had joined into the patriotic public spirit that the “Changing of the Guard” ritual meant for the continuance of the British imperial crown.
Cellphones seemed no match for a traditional British phone booth for calling home during a Canadian cruise visit to Market Square in Saint John, New Brunswick. For who wants to talk on the cellphone in public view when you can enjoy the traditional British custom of embracing privacy by isolating yourself inside this time tested red box?
As a serious trombone player in the past, I felt a strong urge to join into a cool jazz session in Bourbon Street style as I posed with my wife amidst three music greats performing together in this statue in downtown New Orleans.
Note: In the current era of social distancing demands, I discovered that many of these sites described above are closed or severely restricted in attendance. How then can history help us to adapt to these current touristic challenges in the future?
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the Earth.” (Henry David Thoreau)
How much do you already know about Earth Day? Click on the quiz links below to find out.
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day happens this week. Yet I sense there lies a greater challenge in my life this year to feel the natural blessings of our land, air, and water on this global wide holiday. For I remain physically confined in our condominium, feeling sensory starved “cabin fever” now as a result of the Corona pandemic. Clearly, it seems sensible for me as this crisis lingers on to reconsider how Earth Day might assist me to stay healthy. It also seems to be an opportune time for honestly assessing the extent to which my current routines at home truly support Earth Day’s life-sustaining values. For I strive to act mindfully EVERY day now to be in sync with protecting our earth’s living environment.
So in observance of my “Inner Earth Day”, this year, I’ve decided to undertake a “walking archive” of each room in our South Florida condominium to determine how much I commit to the Earth Day initiative. The following question in this effort should immediately arise. To what extent do I “buy in” to the idea of reusing and/or recycling what I consume? What objects in my home motivate me to honor our earth’s livability for the future? Do I understand how to make efficient use of light, water, and power energy? Am I fully aware of how much I waste in what I buy? What changes should I make to our our annual “Spring Cleaning” rituals to make “Earth Day” more meaningful this year?
In the remaining sections of this blog, I thus present ten self -observations compiled from my Earth Day Walking Archive. Hopefully you will find this information useful for dealing with your present Corona pandemic challenges.
MY INNER EARTH DAY RESULTS
1. I’m riding my bicycle more around my neighborhood to simply get out of the house and stay safely distant from others. I observe that by doing so, I am saving energy in energy consumption and becoming more more passionate about preserving the natural beauty that surrounds me.
2. Buying bottled water these day means exposing myself to potential virus concerns in supermarkets. So I’ve started to use a refillable water bottle with filters instead for safety reasons. I also realize that I might remind myself to drink water more efficiently by filling up a measured quantity in my filtered bottle.
3. A “white noise” machine and “plug in” waterfall sculpture not only help me sleep sounder in this time of Corona stress but they also reawaken my outdoor sensory perceptions each night to the relaxing effect of free flowing water.
4. Similarly, I am utilizing my “New Age” nature music collection more as a tranquil background setting when I conduct my yoga practice each day for meditative concentration.
5. We may have to live in a condo cocoon all day now, but at least we are comfortably cool. Yet we normally set our air conditioning thermostat to save energy by not running the system continuously all the time. Similarly, we make ample use of our ceiling fans atop each room to recirculate the blowing air.
6. A few years ago, my wife and I decided to replace our shaggy carpet look around our unit with wood-resembling , laminated floors. I realize this design comes in handy now since we do not wish to drag into our house unhealthy dust, bacteria, and viral material now that typically clings to a carpet laden floor.
7. Eating earth friendly, sustainable products makes life healthier as we transition to more of a vegetarian based diet these days. By going organic, we also seem to be doing our part to help conserve vital meat based products for those Corona victims of need.
8. Our economy is in free fall decline with so many store closures now. Thus, this is not the time to indulge in energy sucking devices like digital TVs, music boxes, and the latest laptop computers we don’t really need now. So I am noticing simpler ways to pass the time now like snuggling up in a homemade blanket with a soothing cuppa coffee while indulging in a favored electronic book now for hours at a time.
9. I surely can appreciate the free oxygen emitted from our indoor plants as I combat the virus hazards of those breathing around me. Nurturing plant life in our home also becomes a pleasant mind diversion in these confusing times now.
10. I would be remiss if I did not mention the Earth Day benefits of wearing my face mask throughout the day in this scary time of Corona. For this is not the time for selfishness , as the risk of airborne spread illness critically threatens the survival of our human species in the future. Stay well.
Snippets of a Traveling Mind 
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