Adventures Revisited: Decorating A Travel Tree

One of my favorite traditions is to collect Christmas ornaments from the amazing places I go in this world. Each ornament gets its own postcard or tag with a trip memory written on the back. Then both the ornament and memory are displayed on a tree devoted only to my travels.

Sometimes the ornaments are actual Christmas ornaments. More often than not, they’re things that I purpose into an ornament.

A stuffed buffalo from Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, a toy plane from the day my dad and I saw the Memphis Belle together (that was our first big adventure just the two of us), a glass sun catcher from a trip to Wytheville, Virginia with my mother and a Canadian flag from Toronto are part of this collection.

Most items are new but a few are vintage like a souvenir pennant from Hollywood. When I visited back in 2004 I wasn’t collecting ornaments and I recently found this vintage piece in an antique store.

I decorated that tree this week and had a fun time reminiscing about my adventures. It was especially rewarding reliving this year’s fun with friends – Utah with Johnna, Fallingwater with Meria, Pittsburgh with Nichola and Virginia with my mother as well as the solo adventures I had this fall made me smile.

There are a few ornaments that I was careful not to read the tags or think about too much when I pulled them from the tote. Some memories are bittersweet enough they’re best left undisturbed. Maybe next year I’ll be ready.

But this is an overwhelmingly happy tree to decorate and enjoy throughout the season. Seeing the Biltmore decorated for Christmas was a bucket list item that I checked off a few years ago. Memphis is where I paid my respects to Elvis and where I saw BB King play in his club on Beale Street. A vintage toy train reminds me of my solo road trip through rural Indiana while a toy soldier reminds me of the morning I watched the sun rise over the George Rogers Clark Memorial and the tour I had inside the memorial – just me and a National Park Service Ranger. That Hollywood pennant reminds me of one warm Easter Sunday spent at Venice Beach. That was the only Easter I’ve spent away from home. A decorative Santa Claus tells the story of road tripping through Canada and finding the unexpected in Toronto last year.

I’ve never regretted taking a trip or the occasional sacrifice necessary so I can afford to do so. This tree is a testament to why.

Travel enlightens. It reminds us of our place in this world and how small we are. It teaches us about other people, their traditions and values. It gives us a release, an opportunity to escape reality and have fun.

It’s good for us.

I’m already dreaming of the next adventure and wondering what memories I’ll add to the tree next year.

 

A Dip In The Great Salt Lake

When you think of Salt Lake City, you probably think of the Great Salt Lake and the Morman Tabernacle Choir. We didn’t get to hear the choir sing but we did spend a day roaming around Antelope Island which is in the Great Salt Lake.

The Lake is nearing historic lows and it’s pretty obvious when you walk around a bit. Antelope Island is accessible via a causeway and is about 45 minutes from where we stayed downtown. One thing that impressed us both is the sheer number of birds everywhere you look here.

The Island is a story unto itself as it boasts hiking trails, an historic ranch, wildlife, kayaking and other fun things. We set out that day  intending to hike but it was extremely hot and we got a late start (not to mention the triple berry pancakes with whipped cream and syrup were slowing me down a bit) so we opted to do several short walks that kept us close to the car. After all, there is essentially no shade here and there was high heat every day.

One of the trip highlights for me was taking off my shoes and wading in the lake. It’s just one of those things you should do at least once.

Please understand that this was a bucket list item for me but it isn’t necessarily the most pleasant experience in the world. From one parking lot there is a paved sidewalk that will take you down to the shoreline. We parked in a lot where you wade through deep sand to reach the water. I was fine with this as it adds to the experience and makes it seem more authentic.

However, something that doesn’t add to the experience is the smell. The lake smells a little bit like rotten eggs. There’s also flies and brine shrimp to contend with. However, if you can get past these things (I’m laughing as I’m typing), it really is a peaceful place and one that is beautiful for its stark simplicity. It’s lovely really, especially once you get used to the odor.

I know this doesn’t sound so appealing but we really did have a great time! Wait till tomorrow when I tell you about the ranch at Antelope Island.