Going to California

Stephanie and I are currently in the planning stages of honeymoon. At first, we decided a trip to Napa & Sonoma would be nice, so we went to our local bookstore and bought a couple of books on traveling in the region. After reading the books and conducting some exhaustive Internet research, we decided that the region might be a little stuffy for our tastes, so we looked south on the map, down the California coastline and decided on Santa Barbara, a region that appears to offer a little more than fine wine and gourmet food. Yesterday, we purchased a couple of travel books on Santa Barbara and I couldn’t help but to notice a common theme throughout these books and the ones I purchased on Napa/Sonoma–California is fragile.

Electrical shortages, droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, tar on the beaches and the overwhelming fear that one more molecule of carbon dioxide may forever destroy their eco-system were all discussed in detail in the books I read. It reminded me of the first time I heard the term “eco-anxiety,” anxiety brought on by the fear that one is bringing on the end of the world by their lifestyle.  Indeed, buried within the words in these books was the admission by the author that they played some role (and the allegation that we the reader played a role) in causing all of these problems plaguing California, including the earthquakes.

The real anxiety is the anxiety created in the mind of the reader by the authors. If I get a rental car that is not a hybrid, will the locals try to drag us through the city streets and place us in the stocks for the rest of the natives to throw rotten (organic) vegetables at us. If I take a 10 minute shower, will a gestapo like agent show up our hotel door demanding to know why our water usage is twice that of the average California resident. If we choose to use the air conditioner, instead of opening our windows, will we be verbally assaulted? If we use more than one square of toilet paper, will Sheryl Crow and Laurie David show up to protest?

I am looking forward to our trip out West. Santa Barbara seems like a wonderful place to visit and I know it will make a great honeymoon location; however, I don’t think there could be a place in the continental United States more drastically different than my native Texas than coastal California.

Texans love their land as well, but we don’t fear it and we don’t let it control our lives. While residents of Santa Barbara continue to fight oil companies drilling off their coast line, Texans understand the positive impact drilling can have on an economy and understand the minimal impact it has on the local environment. Indeed, drilling continues to this day on Caddo Lake, one of the most biologically diverse wetlands in the United States.

Texans learn to live with the whims of Mother Nature as well. While earthquakes are uncommon (legend holds Caddo Lake was formed by an earthquake), we live in the middle of “tornado alley” and face nature’s wrecking ball every spring. We accept it as part of living in this part of the country and we don’t blame the personal habits of other people for these natural disasters. Before the threat of power outages became a reality in Texas, we began addressing the problem and discussing our options. We managed all of this and still have one of the best state economies in the United States.

When we invite tourists to our great state, we remind them to be good stewards and “don’t mess with Texas,” but we do so without fear or intimidation. Perhaps authors writing about California travel should adopt the same philosophy.

Vacation Talk

Stephanie and I returned from our Florida vacation yesterday.  After a rough two hour flight, we stepped off the plane and walked out into the welcoming heat of Dallas, Texas.  I missed a few things: Rangers baseball, Mexican food, and the comfort of our own bed, but the vacation provided much needed relief in our lives.

This was my first vacation in over five years, so it was a major adjustment. It began like any other hectic day, waking up at 4:30 AM on Thursday morning to catch a 6:45 AM flight out of Love Field.  I learned that not only would we have to switch planes in Tampa, but also we had to make a stop in New Orleans before even making it to Tampa.  Stress set it in. However, by the time we landed in Tampa, got a Nathan’s hot dog, I began to remember what vacation is all about. We finally arrived in Jacksonville later that afternoon and I learned a lot over the next few days.

Beach side is not always the best side For approximately $300, we got three nights at an ultra hip  boutique hotel (and 3 day car rental).  Situated in a brand new mixed-use development, the hotel featured a post-modern design and furnishings, was centrally located to the major thoroughfares and attractions and all of the usual amenities. Everything in the hotel, from the laundry bags to the key cards, from the “Do Not Disturb” sign to the lounge menus were written in haiku and our room featured a serene view of a scenic lake.

Our other friends, lured by the prospects of beach front lodging, opted for rooms at a more expensive            establishment. Their rooms lacked the character and charm that our rooms had and none of them had actual views of the ocean from their room. Sure, they had easy access to the beach, but they were well removed from the venues of our other festivities. None of their hotel’s literature was written in haiku.

In my opinion, we spent less and got more out of our hotel.

Not until you get away for a while, do you realize just how fast-paced Dallas can be! Dallas has a reputation for being a laid back city. However, after visiting Jacksonville, I wonder if this reputation is really accurate.

For one, Jacksonville is much easier to get around.  We saw virtually no traffic while in Jacksonville and the roads are “user friendly”. Noticeably absent are the congested freeways, mix-masters and annoying toll roads that make driving in Dallas such a hassle. U.S. Highway 1 is a major road in the Jacksonville area. It runs the complete length of Florida and connects Jacksonville with the tourist haven of St. Augustine.  In Dallas, a highway like this would consist of six lanes, entrance and exit ramps, with strip malls and gas stations dotting the side of the road. Although U.S. 1 is four lanes and divided by a media, the 20 mile stretch in between Jacksonville and St. Augustine looks more Louisiana State Highway 1 in between the Texas border and Shreveport with its pine trees and bayous.

In Dallas, everyone wants to be a star; it’s the land of the $30,000 millionaire. People live well above their means to have designer lifestyles complete with the right face, clothes, cars and home. I didn’t really seen any of that in Jacksonville. People were happy with that they had and didn’t try to be someone they were not. It was very refreshing.

Jacksonville residents love their tattoos A lot of people have tattoos, which can be concealed rather easily for day-to-day activities. However, residents in Jacksonville aren’t content with a single tat on their bicep, small of their back, or ankle. Jacksonville residents, both male and female, love the look of the full sleeve and the 3/4 sleeve tat. Apparently, it is acceptable in the Jacksonville business community, because you see them on people of all walks of life.

How the hell did Jacksonville host a Super Bowl? Their airport is about the size of Love Field. As I mentioned earlier, there are few major highways that run through Jacksonville. From what I could tell, most of the lodging is beach based and located well away from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.  From my understanding, cruise ships were brought in to serve as extra “hotel rooms” for Super Bowl visitors.

The NFL usually chooses cities with a night life to host Super Bowls. Things start to shut down in Jacksonville around 10 PM EST. Seriously, the bar in our hotel had last call at 10:00 PM on the dot. Most restaurants start shutting down around 9 PM or 10 PM as well. How they were ever able to service the teams, fans and media, I will never know.  I’m still amazed that Jacksonville has a NFL team, let alone ever hosted a Super Bowl.

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Now playing: Ernest Tubb – Waltz across Texas (Album)
via FoxyTunes