Get your red hots!!

I went to an Angels/A's Spring Training game on Sunday with some SoCal friends who were in town for the weekend. You may or may not know that the Valley is the home to several pro ball clubs during their Spring Training. I lived here 14 years from '84-'98 and never attended a game. I'm here 2 months and there I sit with a cap on my head, sun on my knees and a hot dog in my mouth. Since I'm writing on my food and travel blog you are probably waiting for my rousing description of the hot dog and various other ball park eats but you'll be disappointed.


Something occurred to me during the course of the game and as usual I decided the best course of action was to write about it. I don't like baseball. I'm a hockey fan. Red Wings to be specific. I was born and raised in the Motor City until I was 10 and in my Italian family we bleed red...um...well duh but you get my drift. We're all big hockey fans. (There's no other team to really root for in Detroit now is there?!) I love the action, the fights, how an octopus can bounce on ice!! Baseball is dull or so I thought. Our guests, Bedazzle and Geronimo (I change names to protect those I love from my writing) are HUGE baseball fans. I sat next to Bedazzle and she gave me a running commentary on every player, hit, play, foul balls (which I asked wasn't there a spray for that) and run. It was fascinating to say the least. Thankfully she helped me when I clapped too. I seemed to think I was at the theater and every time someone clapped I happily joined in. I was an equal opportunity applauder. At a hockey game I would have gotten my tookus handed to me by a zealous Wings fan but in baseball I just got piting looks. I'm ok with that.


Ok, now to my point for writing about baseball in a travel blog: When you are trying something new it helps to have someone along that can explain to you when you should clap and when you should sit there with a hot dog in your mouth. Clear enough for ya? No? I delve deeper. I didn't really care one way or another about the ball game at first. I was just excited to have Bedazzle & Geronimo in town to visit me and the Hubbs but experiencing the game with people who love it made my experience so enjoyable that I'd do it again in a heart beat.


My point is this, everywhere we travel in life isn't going to be the dream locale with soft sand and cold margaritas. But everywhere we go there will be a person who loves that place more than anywhere else on this planet and by experiencing the town through their eyes you can see what it has to offer regardless of how you ended up there. Finding that person may be a challenge but you can still see their home through their eyes by eating what they eat, participating in their traditions and seeing what makes that town special.


Case in point; NE Ohio. The Hubbs' grew up in a small town about 50 miles NE of Cleveland. There are 5 stop lights in this entire town and the closest Nordstroms is 45 miles away! I love going there to visit and in fact we got married in Akron. He laughs every time we have a reason to travel Ohio because I get excited...really really excited. For 3 reasons: 1) Several people I love dearly live there 2) I eat myself silly every time I'm there and 3) though I was in Detroit for 10 years the bulk of my life has been in the West and Ohio is as green as AZ is brown. It never ceases to amaze me how lush and gorgeous the Midwest is. Now do I ever see myself living there? Oh heck no! I have an allergy to snow and lack of sushi. But I can enjoy it while I'm there and always look forward to going back.


There is one place that I will recommend to you if you happen upon Ashtabula County Ohio during the months of Aug 15 thru Nov (Thanksgiving), Brant's Apple Orchard.


http://brantsappleorchard.com/


My MIL & FIL (that's mom in law and father in law from here on out) took us to Brant's on one of my first visits to Ohio shortly after the Hubbs and I got engaged. This orchard and shop will transport you back in time to a simple place where sitting in an old chair by a pond, drinking hot or caramel cider, and noshing on a piece of pie is the definition of pure heaven. Can you hear the birds chirping and the cool breeze across your cheek? *sigh* It's lovely!


So in conclusion what have we all learned today? First, that just because someplace or food isn't on your list of "places or eats I must experience before I crook" doesn't mean that you can't experience something divine and delicious. Second, find the one thing or tradition in a town that defines it and try it for yourself. You may not like it but hey then you can blog a humorous anecdote about it! Finally, I learned that just mentioning Brant's Orchard can make my mouth water from 2000 miles away!


Get out there and experience your world!
Happy travels friend!