During our first trip to Seattle in 1995, a friend and his wife met us at the airport to show us around. They were from California and very familiar with a coffee place that first started in this, the Emerald City. We went to the original, the first store of its kind (shown above). I had no idea what to order. My friend suggested a Cafe Mocha. I was hooked. Now there are Starbucks everywhere, not just in this country but across the globe. But once upon a time there was one.
A few years later, I had to travel to Atlanta once a month for work. The closest restaurant to my hotel an hour outside of the city was a little place called Cracker Barrel. I had never heard of it, but liked it instantly. The gift shop is dangerous in that you can always find something you “need” as sure as you will have time to kill browsing while waiting for a table. Slowly, Cracker Barrel expanded, coming north. The initial location near my home was 30 miles away; now one can be found within 20 miles. Just a tiny bit more convenient than Georgia.
In 2002, a national sales and service meeting found me in Salt Lake City, Utah. On the last night, only a core team of us remained on-site, having stayed behind to tear down and pack up all the signage, equipment and displays set up around the property. A friend called me to tell me that the whole crew was going out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I am not very adventurous when it comes to food so I wasn’t thrilled about this choice. I went, though, and it was great food. There were 12 of us, all seated at one long table, and we ordered just about everything on the menu to be shared family style. It was the perfect introduction to PF Changs. At the time, the chain was only found in cities and states surrounding its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. As they branched out, when my husband and I traveled to Orlando, Seattle and San Diego, we would follow the scent of lettuce wraps and eat there. Finally one arrived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, 90 minutes away, over the bridge. We would make the pilgrimage, often taking other couples with us to meet General Chang. A year or two later, a location was built an hour away, now there are three within 30 minutes from home.
I love to sample the local wares when I am on a trip, but there is something comforting about seeing a familiar restaurant or store in a place that is foreign to you. When I visit a Starbucks, Cracker Barrel and PF Changs near where I live, it makes me think of travel, reminding me that exploring the world can introduce you to some of your favorite first things . . . at home.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindtraveler #travel #starbucks #crackerbarrel #pfchangs #theseareafewofmyfavoritefirstthings
