Posts

Showing posts from July, 2020

Destinations and Drive-Bys - The New Way to Travel

Image
By  Phillip Anderson ,  Life off the Highway  and What’s Up 24/7 Why do we travel? Visiting family and friends, escape, learning, connecting or all of the above.  How far do you have to go to ‘travel?’ There is an actual definition for traveling — 50 miles one way for pleasure. For the more curious, there is the art of ‘wandering’ or Life Off The Highway as I call it. To me wandering is, Finding a place or space that changes your rhythm, moves your feet, clears your head, and touches your soul.   I teach Cultural Heritage Tourism in Indiana University’s Tourism, Event, and Sports Management Program. We spend a lot of time assessing the cultural assets that already exist in our communities and are worth promoting. Having a product doesn’t create an audience. The key question is “What are we seeking to accomplish by traveling?” There are all kinds of responses but the core answer is the same. We seek rich experiences of all shapes and sizes. For example, my family and I recently took a

10 Fort Wayne Food Trucks to Eat at This Summer

Image
Unfortunately, the restaurant world was turned upside-down in 2020. There have been new policies, and new hours, and sadly many restaurants closing their doors due to the pandemic. If you're wanting to support local and eat out this summer, while still feeling safe--a food truck might be your best bet! I surveyed Fort Wayne residents about their favorite food trucks, and I've rounded up the top 10! Keep reading to hear about each of their menus and where you can find them this summer. Photo by @thatsjustwill 1. Mercadito Taqueria Let's start with the truck that was recommended the absolute most! Mercadito means “Little Market” in Spanish. Mexican grocery stores will often have a taqueria tucked in a corner where shoppers can stop by for traditional tacos and tortas. The taqueria serves as a gathering place for people of the community to share stories and chismes (gossip). Our offerings will encompass some Los Angeles street style fare and other globally inspi

Living in a 360º World

Image
By Phillip Anderson ,  lifeoffthehighway.com  and What’s Up 24/7  Do this exercise.  Look at a map and ask yourself: how far do you typically drive from home to work? From how far away do you hire service providers? What about shopping for groceries or other necessities? Where do you go for leisure? Do you commute to school, take care of parents, or cart kids around to their activities?  Now pick the farthest distance you regularly travel (in miles or minutes) and use that to draw a 360º circle from your house. Next, identify the valuable resources, opportunities, and activities that exist in your circle. Like me, you will be amazed at what’s available for living, learning, working, and playing. *** If there is one thing we are learning in this pandemic , it is that we crave human interaction . It is critical to our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. For many, the pace of life has slowed and we are catching our breath. Instead of jumping back into the mindless rat race