Thursday Tidbits

Posted on October 30, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Antiques galore

“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

I’m not sure who gets credit for this oft quoted adage but there is a great deal of truth in it. Not everyone subscribes to this.

Many people are in such a rush to get to their destination, that they sometimes forget to take time to appreciate the scenery. And I’m not just talking about mountains and rivers. People start wishing for Friday on Mondays. They spend all of their lives dreaming about the day they can retire, instead of embracing each day. And when it comes to travel, the shortest distance between two points seems to be the goal.

I should know. I have been guilty of all these things at one point or another.

The picture above was taken in downtown Bangor. No one goes to downtown Bangor. Everyone in the Maritimes drives or takes bus tours to Maine. The objective is to either bypass Bangor altogether or, if they are going shopping, a trip to the Bangor Mall is a must.

We decided to take a break from the driving and “take the road less travelled” and go into downtown Bangor.

The Antique Marketplace and Café has to be one of the most interesting places that I`ve ever been. It has acres of antiques and knick knacks and a wonderful old fashioned café with terrific food. I had a chat with Leann, the waitress who has been doing this line of work forever. We came to the conclusion that veterans like her are a mixture of weather people, travel agents, psychologists, doctors, financial advisors and mothers to the many people who pour out their hearts to these “grand dames. I thought this might be a great story idea so coming soon, look for “Counter Culture.”

You knew that I would be writing about our trip to Florida and I certainly wouldn’t want to disappoint you. At the end of day 2, we found ourselves hunkered down at the Comfort Inn in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ( technically, it’s Pittson PA ). Now Wilkes- Barre is best known for three reasons: it is the home of Planters Peanuts, hurricane Agnes ravaged the city in 1972 and one of its beloved hockey heroes is our own Dennis Bonvie.

We checked in at the end of a long day and were met at the front desk by Bobbi and Becky. I asked for the senior’s rate and for some inexplicable reason, they didn’t ID me! We were only in our room a short time when we received a call from Becky. She wanted to make sure everything was satisfactory with the room and invited us for a complimentary buffet at suppertime… manager appreciation day. Nice touch. I met the general manager Eliza briefly and gave her a copy of my new book to share with the staff.

Well I don’t know too many Maritimers who will pass up a free meal of brown beans and pulled pork especially when there is complimentary wine and beer. We even sat around with some of the staff after the meal, including the sales manager, “Princess Stephanie.” Later in the evening, Betty called the front desk to see if they had a separate room that she could get. I overheard something about the aftermath of the brown beans.

It’s funny how some places you stay have the knack of making you feel right at home. I highly recommend this place if you happen to be driving through Sidney Crosby country.

Glad you enjoyed “ Trouble in Paradise.”

Have a great week.

Easy on the Halloween candy.