I’ve been an Outlander

I spent last weekend in Scotland with some time in Paris. The weekend before that, I camped out with my new friends in the highlands of Scotland. OK, I have been binge watching “Outlander” on STARZ subscription channel. If you know me, then you will get how this isn’t like me. Husband and I unplugged about eight years ago and announced we were done with television. We weren’t going to pay to have people talking and acting like that in our living room. We kept the TV for movies, travel shows and documentaries about world destinations or discovered some wonderful ways to use our time besides flipping through channels and griping about the choices or lack thereof.

Then my friend, Pam introduced me to the Outlander series. She had season 1 on DVD. And like a drug dealer, she let me watch the first few, and introduced me. I got to know the characters and the plot line. I was always surprised that each episode ended on a cliff-hanger. I found myself mumbling “I’ll just watch one more, just to see what happens.” Hours and the entire series later, I knew I was hooked. Dang that Pam.

But if you know me, you know I love to travel. You know I love going far enough that the language, the culture and the scenery changes.  That’s what the word outlander means, a foreigner. I love learning history by being where it took place. And if I can’t be there, a good drama, loosely based on history, makes me feel Good to Go. Add in my love of theater and realism in acting, oh, my, I’m addicted. I sit as close to the screen as my mother would have approved and scan the scenery wondering if I’ve been there. I’ve Googled to see where the scenes were filmed. I’ve had memories come rushing back filled with the smell of peat bogs and clothing that the damp, misty air clings to. I want to freeze frame crowd scenes and study the beautiful costumes. I notice the details the designers have taken, the Scottish tartans of the kilts, the weapons, the true to the period dresses.

I wonder if they researched some of the same museums and attractions that we have visited in our travels. Clans, kinsmen, and clashes trigger little memories of stories that our tour guides have shared with us. Of course, that beautiful Scottish brogue makes me want to get back to Scotland sooner rather than later. I’ve always been a Braveheart fan, that was until I saw a picture of the real William Wallace. Mel Gibson wore the kilt better. But now, I’m banding with a new highlander, Jamie Fraser. This 37-year-old actor hails from New Galloway, Scotland and is very easy on the eyes, says I. There’s some other people in the show, but who cares about them. (Hee hee)

I feel better confessing my addiction. If there is anyone else out there that thinks a trip to Scotland to enjoy the scenery is a good idea, email me. Another great reason to travel- should it bring back memories, Scotland is a better place to revisit than “Orange is the New Black.”

Mark my words.

What’s There to See?

I have a jillion pictures of me or some of my travel friends posing in front of some iconic piece of art in a city. I have pictures with the Chicago Cows, which led to animals all over the USA including Bartlesville Buffalos and Tulsa Penguins. I can flip through snapshots and know exactly where we were by the statue, such as Molly Malone with her cockles and mussels in Dublin, and the bull on NYC Wall Street. In today’s age of a camera in every phone and a phone in every hand, the insatiable need to take selfies and post to the world where in the world one is, makes it important that tourist destinations have something iconic. We all wish we had an Eiffel Tower, but until then, what can we create, support, endorse? (Oh no, here she goes again….)
 

Miami has the beautiful Coleman Theater, and a picture shot at the right angle can capture this Rt 66 splendor. With some luck, the reader board will even give Face Book followers and Instagram investigators even more info on where and when the photo was taken. Those that make their way down the Ribbon Road of 66 don’t want to miss the chance to take a pic of their feet with that famous interstate 66 image painted on the narrow asphalt.

Every community needs something that says this is “us.” More than a name etched on a water tower, towns that invest in art invite visitors to slow down and get out and look are also inviting visitors to spend money. The free publicity that goes along with all those selfies that wing their way onto the World Wide Web is pretty effective, too. I’ve had the opportunity to see many cities’ art. Some of it, I loved. Some wasn’t too impressive (that’s art!) but the point is, that art was part of the tour that the city wanted us to see as we visited. 

In Northeast OK we do have some iconic backdrops, the big McDonalds over the turnpike, the long span of the Pensacola Dam and the many bridges we have crossing the rivers and lakes. They are symbols of Green Country, but pretty darn hard to photograph without an aerial view. HarBer Village offers some great structures that are recognizable, but that is seasonal and not always available. I looked around Groovy Grove today for art. I know the Angel of Hope in Lendonwood exists as that is one of my favorite places for visitors to discover, but it takes some effort to find.

Nope, the only art I found was the giant metal giraffe chained by the back leg to the sign in front of Cheapo Depo. Well, and his friend the giant rooster. Somehow I’m not really crazy about the idea of tourists doing selfies in front of high in the hindquarters giraffe and posting “I’m in Grove on Grand Lake!” I’m not sure that is the image we want to be identified with.

Grove has an opportunity to become home to an amazing aircraft, the F-4 Phantom, which could become an iconic image for our town. If you haven’t heard about it, start reading the Grove Sun! There was a wonderful article in Tuesday’s paper. Or, talk with a member of the Grove Rotary, Dave or Beverly Helms of Grand Prosthetics in Grove. I hope our local folks rally to make this happen.

This will be a piece of history that will invite travelers to stop, look and learn… and that is something to see.

Attention Business Owners!

In case you noticed the Cherokee Hard Rock Casino van cruising the streets of northeast Oklahoma one day last week, I have details. No, you didn’t miss the casino trip; it was just me and several of my peers from Green Country Marketing on an educational trip. I was asked to present a tourism workshop and since I like to take my “show on the road” the invitation invited those in hospitality-type businesses to come and “Treasure Hunt” with me. I wore my favorite pirate attire and we discussed and shared great ideas which are very valuable in this crazy business.

I talked about group tours and how groups have changed over the last couple of decades. Sometimes businesses, whether a restaurant or a hotel, overlook obvious deal breakers like motor coach parking and adequate restroom facilities. I’ve been honored to do presentations many times on this topic, I’ve even traveled to other states to speak on why “the bus won’t stop here.”

We explored ways to share and combine destinations. It’s interesting that people get a bit tunnel vision and can’t see a way to cooperate with fellow businesses.

We discussed who the “front line” folks really are, as it usually isn’t the ones that attend the travel show or answer the telephone at the Chamber of Commerce. To prove my point, we went on a scavenger hunt at some local sporting goods stores, convenience stores, dining establishments and shops. The assignment was to find out what there was to do in town. They were to ask prices and directions. Our “secret tourists” were to gather information as if it were their first time in the area. Because we all know not everyone goes to a Visitor Center or gets brochures from AAA. The results were very interesting! Of course it was just a random sampling, but still very, much like what happens every day with visitors to our area.

I think it was a bit of an eye opening experience for our “visitors” as they began to wonder what folks on the front lines in their cities were telling tourists. We had some great examples of what to do, our crew carried circled maps, and brochures. They were told great places to eat breakfast and the best margaritas in town. Our “treasure hunters” found a couple of jewels at the Grand Lake Sports Center. They were very impressed with the warm welcome and information they received.

But then… there were many that came back without much information. The employees had never been to Har-Ber village, they had no idea where to fish on the lake, or what there was to do. WalMart was suggested as a way to spend time in NE Oklahoma. One clerk at a convenience store was so unhelpful and lacking in local knowledge, a young customer offered to “Google” the answers for them. Ouch. Tourism pays a lot of bills around these parts. My mantra is “We are in the memory making business, not the money-making business. But people will pay money to make memories.” We all agreed being a local ambassador starts at the top and has to be encouraged by employers.

With that thought, I challenge all owners of businesses that employ people that are the front line, the first impressions of the community, to educate their help. Provide resources for what is going on locally on a bulletin board or file. Point out brochures, rack cards and materials that are displayed for tourists to pick up. Encourage employees, especially those new to town, to get out and explore their new area. When someone is excited to tell others what they love about the place they are living and working, it makes a memory! When they don’t know and obviously don’t care, that makes a pretty big impression, too.

I hope this reminder can be shared around the lake, as one never knows when it’s a real tourist ready to spend money on a memory.

Summer Goeth Before the Fall

Wow! Can you believe it?!? Back on Sept. 22 Fall began for the year 2017. What happened? It seems only a month or two ago that husband Doug & I were enjoying our trip to Thailand and Vietnam. Only a few weeks ago that the Good to Go Gang was enjoying a cruise to Germany, Denmark and other countries once roamed and conquered by the Vikings. Now… football season is about half over and we are seeing Christmas decorations popping up in stores all over our nation.

Often overheard are conversations like “Can you believe this year is almost over?” Yes. We can. It’s because we fill our lives with activities that make the time appear to speed by. When we are asked “What are you up to/doing?” or “How are you?”, we often answer “Busy.” Trying to coordinate a free day for a family get-together seems an insurmountable task due to work, school, sports, holidays, and a multitude of other time intensive events. It’s amazing how little time we seem to have or, maybe it’s like the old saying “Life is like a roll of toilet paper: the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.”

We were told years ago how much we, as a society, would benefit from all these new-fangled gadgets and their time-saving capabilities… In that regard, it appears as if we bought, and continue to buy, a bill of goods. While computers, smart phones, fitbits and more do provide a great benefit to us, they can also steal a disproportionate amount of time and energy from our lives. We were originally told computers would enable us to do our jobs so effectively that we would only have to work four days a week. The reality was it enabled us to do so much more, companies saved billions by having just one employee do the work of two. Making us even busier than ever.

Have you ever stopped to calculate the amount of time we spend on our “time-saving” devices? Doug voluntarily stopped posting on social media several months ago and has already had extra time to do shows in Dallas and Kansas, clean out the garage and convert what had become a storage room back into a guest bedroom. Now, I’m certain he would have rather spent time kibitzing with his friends online than clean the garage, but as we prioritize our time, we both understood that “something had to give” and he opted for “Doing” rather than “Posting”. Six days of experiencing life rather than arguing politics, seeing what someone had for dinner and wishing “happy birthday” to casual acquaintances. It proved to be a good decision and a more productive use of time and yielding tangible results.

This certainly points out just how much total time was spent in brief 5 min., 30-min. and longer sessions online. It also points out how easily we can become distracted from what’s going on around us while we are engrossed in watching a baby elephant walk for the first time… or whatever current video/photo is “trending” on the internet.

Take time to visit a friend. Enjoy a cup of coffee and read an actual newspaper from beginning to end without glancing at your iPhone every time it beeps, giggles or snorts. Go for a walk. Watch the sun set. Balance your online life with your real life because before you know it, summer is gone and it’s already Fall.

Mountain Mission

I wish I knew how to speak Spanish. Heck, I wish I could speak any foreign language but, after being in Mexico for the last week, especially Spanish. I was volunteering at the Medical Missions Hospital, a small place in the vast mountainside of the Sierra Mountains. The hospital offers health care to local Mexican families with special attention for the indigenous Tarahumara Indians that live in remote “villages” (a few huts) in the mountains. 

The people that live here continue life as it has been for centuries for their culture. Dirt floors, tin roofs, no running water and small fields of corn and beans to live on year to year. There world probably wouldn’t know they even existed except the hikers that find them or a catastrophe that brings them down to the rural towns.  I had the chance to help return a woman mother and her young child back to their village. The baby had been to the missionary hospital for surgery on his club feet. He was put in straightening casts and ready to go home until the next procedure. The four of us are going home in a two-seater Carbon Cub plane.

Brent, our pilot, has been flying in the mission fields for 20 years.  The last several years he has been a pilot for UIMA, for United Indian Missions, created to help establish native, local churches among the indigenous people and Hispanics in Mexico. Sure they fly missionaries, but they also deliver supplies, assist remote medical clinics, and evacuate patients. By providing humanitarian aid, they reach the unreached. Brent and his family live in the airport hangar, ready to taxi the gravel runway on the top of the mesa when the call comes.

The sun is rising as we pack into the tiny plane. The eastern sky is a canvas of pinks and oranges with wisps of white fog suspended on the canyon walls. Brent makes the final preparations and the young momma signals to me she needs to use the restroom before we start. I hold the baby and point her to the outhouse that certainly is “a room with a view” as it sits, without a door, on a cliff overhanging the canyon. The little guy begins to whimper, and I’m sure my pale face, strange words and smell are a bit scary for him.

Our hour+ flight ranges up to 10,000 feet. In the time we flew, we only went over one high electrical line that I saw. Buildings were just tiny shiny squares of tin that clung to the mountains. My farm girl eyes could identify small patches of cultivated corn and beans amidst the massive pine trees. 
After landing on a remote airstrip and unloading our passengers, we made an airdrop. Brent had a letter to be delivered to Johnny, head of a Mennonite group in the canyon.  He was being requested at a meeting involving the aggressive takeover of these very passive people’s land and livelihood by some people with bad intentions. Brent gave me a practice run. The second time over, the family was outside waiting for me to drop the weighted sack out the open plane door. I was relieved to see him grab the sack and swing it above his head, and that it didn’t land in a tree or get tangled in our aircraft.

 Brent had thought to put in candy bars for his kids. I felt a bit like Santa Claus on a covert operation.
Telling my brother-in-law about the all the third world conditions (poor, dirt floors, unclean water, poor diets, etc.), he asked me “Yeah, but what did they say about the NFL taking a knee?” We laughed and then got quiet with the sobering reality of what we consider first world problems. It really helped put things into proper perspective.

I arrived back into the United States with a deep sense of respect for people that give up comfortable lives for others, these folks that are on a mission.