A must-read for high school students is novelist John Steinbeck, author of short, powerful novels like “The Pearl” or “Grapes of Wrath.” Some people also still read his “Travels with Charley,” a personal voyage of discovery of America in his camper “Rocinante” with his sidekick small poodle, Charley.
Dog owners everywhere can identify with Charley’s ability to make friends for his owner, and our yellow lab Bella has that same charm.
Travels with Bella mean carrying some extra supplies and making more stops. But rather than being a nuisance, they bring more discoveries, and force us to slow down. We stop at the roadside rest stops, look out at the view and read the historical markers we would normally whiz past. We tend to take more picnics, enjoying the fresh bread and fruit and the warm dappled shade.
The American Automobile Association triptiks will give you the fastest, most direct and most scenic routes. Bella tends to take us on the latter. We see the Route 1 and other roads that used to link America before the huge interstates. That’s where you see fewer fast food and chain restaurants and more one-of-a-kind spots. You can also find the kind of eateries that have picnic tables outside near grassy spots a dog could enjoy.
We play a lot of fetch when we are on vacation with Bella, who especially loves to retrieve balls from the water. Her joy and relaxation are contagious.
And when we come back home, we begin to see it with new eyes. Merrick Road really is a great alternative to the Southern State, with lots of special shops for travelers to discover. Our “Gateway to Jones Beach” has bait and tackle shops and restaurants that are chock full of personality, near marinas and docks that are beautiful. Freeport’s Nautical Mile can rival tourist spots around the world.
As Bella would say with her wagging tail as she gallops through the back gate: It’s good to be home too.