Every
year millions of people fill out applications at the post office for a
passport. They clamor to tie up loose ends and put the final touches on their
trips. They will have stamps from visa check points at Charles De Gaulle,
Heathrow, and Leonardo Di Vinci International. They like many tourists will
seek excitement, culture, and adventure in the major cities of the
international world. Also like many tourists they will miss all of the beauty
here in their own backyard. Don’t get me
wrong I love to travel internationally. I could go on and on about the beauty
of the world abroad. As a seasoned traveler it is my belief that everyone
should experience the major cities for themselves. But I am also aware that
people believe that there is little to no culture to be experienced outside of
the major cities of the world. As if the small towns of America are somehow
lacking. I don’t judge though, I was at one point one of them.
For all
intents and purposes I thought that small town America was backwards, uncultured
and had nothing of value to offer anyone other than rest stops and gas
stations. This all changed my senior year of high school. My friends and I
decided to take a road trip instead of heading to Ocean City for senior week
like everyone else.
Our
first stop was Newport News Virginia. Newport News was gorgeous; its streets
were adorned with beautiful art work. The entrance to downtown was marked with
a beautiful miniature Arc De Triumph, surrounded by what I can only describe as
the world’s most beautiful garden. The city center was the most magnificent
water fountain I have ever been to. The circular masterpiece covered about a 8th
of a mile. It was filled with crystal clear water that reflected beautiful rays
of sunlight. Evenly spaced apart in the fountain were spouts that shot water
far into the air. Each spout worked in conjunction with the others creating
what looked like a choreographed dance number.
The
Newport News Living Museum is absolutely wonderful. The zoo is filled with
native and exotic creatures form land, sea, and air. The museum embodies the
very philosophy of Thomas Jefferson. It is informative, educational and filled
with inquisitive young minds. My personal favorite exhibit was the sea turtle
tank. The majestic creatures swam through the water like birds fly through the
air. They occasionally swim over to the
glass to greet the people at the outside of the tank.
Newport
News’s culinary culture is that of every down south town. They served well
prepared, home cooked meals. The Hampton roads area of Virginia is world famous
for its food trucks and Newport News is no exception. Stuft a Mexican food truck is probably the most famous in the area.
The aromas wafting from the vents of the truck lore in hundreds of patrons a
day, I was one of them. The mobile kitchen is pulled by a silver pickup truck
and operated by a chef with a perpetual smile on his face. The best part about Stuft is the fact that they serve beer
on the truck. That’s right. You didn’t miss read that. They serve an array of
Mexican beers to compliment each dish. Their meats are slow cooked, the food is
made to order, and the salsa and spices are homemade. Stuft is by far one of my favorite restaurants and is probably is
the best culinary experience in the area.
The city is small, and had it not been for our
road trip I would have never visited. The beauty of the small town is that
every bit of the culture is real. It has not been watered down or gentrified to
seem appealing. Newport News will forever remain a vivid memory in my
mind.
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