Whales, Cheddar, & Juggling Panhandlers

We got to talking about traveling and tourist attractions. Not the big ones like Yellowstone Park or Denver for a Rockies game, but rather little mom-and-pop places whose entire advertising budget is one billboard that you see 20 miles before you get to their town.

In Wyoming, for instance, I've seen the signs for Chugwater Chili, but I've never stopped there. That's because I used to road trip just like my dad. His road trips started with "If you have to go to the bathroom, go now because we're not stopping until we need gas." So, there was rarely a time when we'd hit some touristy joint unexpectedly.

So, now I try to stop more because my daughter wants to see some things that I would normally blow right by. Also because my bladder has downsized how many miles I can drive between stops. Getting old is awesome.

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We went to the Oregon coast a few years back and decided to be very touristy. It was refreshing. We watched the whales through a telescope in Newport. And made a special trip to have lunch at Tillamook in "The House Cheddar Built." It's a beautiful area.

And the guy who was panhandling at Walmart was a juggler. And he was really good. But I still asked that my daughter find a different way to make a living.

I just went to Phillipsburg last year for the first time. Another pretty drive. The only downfall is that the candy store isn't open on Saturdays.