While I’ve never been a prankster, I can appreciate a good joke and take the humor in stride. That is why I am ok with sharing 3 embarrassing travel stories with you, and the lessons that go along with them.
I definitely can laugh at myself… and by hitting “publish” on this post, perhaps share a couple of laughs and pass on a tip or two that will save you a few moments of embarrassment 😊. Note: If you make a purchase through links in this post, I may get a commission – thanks for your help!
Embarrassing Travel Story #1: Congaree National Park and the Bad Day for Photos
Conagree National Park is Lovely!
We loved our visit to Congaree National Park in Hopkins, South Carolina. This park is one of the less well-known National Parks and is one of the smaller of the National Parks featuring old growth hardwood trees in an area that regularly floods.
When I look at pictures of this park from accomplished photographers, I am reminded of the beautiful shaded boardwalk that winds through the park and feel like I am there – walking among the cool flora and fauna and smelling the sweet scent of all things fresh and natural. I can even see the awesome lager head turtles that we watched play in the flowing waters just below us, and hear the birds chirping pleasantly all around. When I think of Congaree, I think of balance and freedom in this nicely kept and not-so-crowded park.
Perfection!… until… I realize that I have only two photos of my own from this glorious day that are even worth sharing! Then, I remember how my absent-mindedness and lack of preparation resulted in the single most horrible National Park sign picture that sits in my treasury.
What was I thinking?
When we visited Congaree, we drove to South Carolina from our home in Ohio. We stopped for the night in the nearby city of Columbia, South Carolina, and drove to the sparsely populated town of Hopkins early in the morning when we got up. It was a cool day in May 2012, and I was super excited for us to see our 7th National Park Unit (and only our 3rd with a National Park designation). I was happy, and it was looking to be a beautiful day, so I thought it would be a nice day to wear a light dress. (Ok, I’m already laughing at myself – who would wear a dress to go and walk around a forest? I mean, even to walk on a boardwalk… this is not something that I would suggest that anyone do – ever… what was I thinking!?!?!)
Nevertheless, I was happy to be on an adventure – the first stop on our South Carolina / Georgia Lowcountry trip! Woohoo!
Before we got to the park, we thought that we were lost because we kept driving further and further away from civilization. I think that I might have even seen Big Foot emerge from a line of trees behind an abandoned shack on the way – but we eventually arrived at our destination.
We went to the Visitor Center and got our passports stamped (another one for the record books!), and stopped by the restroom before venturing into the park. Upon returning our passport books to be stored in the car while we took our walk, I spotted a neat, orange and yellow, fuzzy and slow-moving caterpillar. I grabbed my camera, certain that I was about to snap a National Geographic worthy shot of this spectacular creature! I went to zoom for the perfect capture… and blink, blink… close! My camera shut down automatically for lack of battery. Not believing that this was possible (I had just charged the camera before we started our trip – or so I thought), I tried again… and fail! I didn’t have enough battery power to zoom. Great!
I then was reminded that I had my first Smart Phone… my “fabulous” Droid Eris stashed in my pocket. Now, if anyone out there remembers the Droid Eris (or perhaps was the proud / not-so-proud owner of one themselves), let’s just say that the photos that this first generation “smart phone” took were pretty horrible. Among a host of other issues that were associated with this phone, the camera which was promoted as a 5 megapixel camera had a horrible zoom and a pixely output. Let’s just say, the National Geographic moment had expired!
Lessons Learned at Congaree
Now, all of these years later, I look back with fond memories on that excursion, but have carried with me the following two lessons: 1) don’t wear a dress to hike around a National Park that is outdoors – opt instead for shorts / pants that are breathable and that will keep you dry, and 2) make sure that your camera is charged to record the memories of your travel experiences!
(As an aside, I have also had a couple of other camera / recording faux pas – one that I wrote (from a different perspective) in this post. I basically missed out on a great coyote hunt at Wind Cave National Park by thinking I was recording when I had actually turned the recording off. Rookie recorder? Pure goof moment? Probably the latter.)
Embarrassing Travel Story #2: Hell is Where Heat and Lack of Preparation Collide
It was a hot, hot day…
Applause erupted and a chorus of cheers broke the deafening silence left in the wake of the B2 Stealth Bomber’s thunderous fly over.
If you’ve never seen a B2 Bomber, or witnessed stealth technology, add this to your bucket list immediately! Identify an air show or ball game where a fly over is done. Perhaps you can even check out the Dayton Air Show, one of the best shows around which is exactly where I was in June 2012, the day that I almost dropped from overheating and dehydration!
I think that most folks will be able to relate to experiencing at least once in your life the feeling of being so incredibly hot that it feels as though your skin is on fire. Heat that surrounds you, that pounds on your head from above, and radiates up from the ground as if to consume you and melt you into component parts of bone, flesh and soul. There is no hiding from such heat! No baseball cap can protect you. No sportbrella can provide you with shade. No Popsicle can quench your thirst nor ice cream cool you down. You ultimately have to prepare yourself with hydration and a thick layer of SPF 100+ sunscreen to stand a chance to survive it!
What I Remember
There are a lot of things that I remember from this day. I remember the stunt planes, and the Blue Angels performance, and of course, the awesome B2 Stealth Bomber fly over that emerged unannounced and shook the earth in its wake. I also remember the heat, and Jason (my husband and travel companion) asking me multiple times to drink some water, and the medics clamoring to get to people that, despite their best efforts to beat the heat, were dropping like flies in the field of blankets, coolers and people – melting to the ground while looking skyward.
There were a couple of times during the day that I thought about leaving, or at least taking a break to go and cool off in the car. But stubborn me, I didn’t want to miss anything, and thought that having a bottle of water or two would replace the gallons that I was no-doubt losing to the environment. I made it to the end of the show though, and with effort, got to my feet to make the (maybe half-mile to mile) trek back to the car…
I remember taking several steps, and then feeling the sinking feeling like I was being sucked into quick sand as it became a laborious task to lift my feet to take successive steps. I remember as the world shifted from color to black and white around me. I remember Jason pulling the cooler behind me just as I “sat down”… and I remember the cold feeling of water on the back of my neck after being unaware of passers by for an unspecified amount of time – unconscious of the world around me.
Lesson Learned from Nearly Dying of Heat Exhaustion
I prioritize staying on top of my hydration every day! I now carry Nalgene water bottles with me everywhere I go – literally, they are with me at home, in the car, at work, literally everywhere. Don’t let yourself get dehydrated! Prepare, especially when you will be in the heat, and make sure that you drink enough water. Also, don’t be stubborn when you need a break. Your body will typically tell you what it needs. You just have to listen.
Embarrassing Travel Story #3: Junk Luggage Is No Fun
I’ll keep this story short, but please be smart about the luggage that you carry. Don’t do like we did and pack most toiletries and personal items in plastic grocery bags to go to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In short, having 20 bags of randomness means wasted time and the likelihood that you will leave something behind.
And don’t be like me and carry your dad’s retro, dry-rotted behemoth of a bag with miniature uni-direction wheels all the way to China. **Newsflash** old patched up bags break! (Thanks for lending me your 70’s luggage Dad, and sorry that I didn’t bring it back with me after it literally ripped and spilled 50 lbs of contents all over the airport – I definitely learned a lesson or two on that trip, so I guess it was worth it? – love you!)
Lesson Learned from Carrying Junk Luggage
Good luggage with thoughtful organization and functioning hardware can make your trip more efficient and worry-free. Take it from me, I’ve traveled a lot for both work and pleasure. I tried to be cheap about it at first, but there is a reason that good bags can cost a lot. Do invest in decent luggage. (I’ll write more about travel gear in the future – but for now, just hold onto the thought that it is worth the financial investment).
Wrap Up
Hopefully you’ve picked up a tip or two (along with a few laughs). I have definitely had some fun putting these memories down on paper / the screen 😊. And I certainly have more stories of my own stupidity to share. If you would like, let me know, and I’ll share some more soon.
I know that I cannot possibly be the only one that has been the perpetual fool… I want to hear your story too! Drop me a note or leave an experience that you’ve had in the comments below.
Happy Exploring!
