It Really Is About The Journey

Many of you know that I travel often, especially when finances allow. Running has allowed me to to do even more traveling for races.

Last weekend, I traveled to Myrtle Beach for the Myrtle Beach Mini (Half) Marathon. Now as many in the Carolinas know, there are several routes to get to the beach and everyone swears theirs is the best. Many like to take routes to stay on the interstate as long as possible or to avoid small towns where police will nail you for speeding.

Either way, the journey down there is awesome.  You pass through many beautiful parts of the state, cotton fields, the Darlington Motor Speedway, Coastal Carolina University,and several different beautiful parts and memorable roads leading to the coast.

I am starting to see that despite my many travels, some people love going to the beach for that simple nostalgia and peace. I enjoy a good road trip myself and any route to Myrtle Beach is one of the best. Chances are you have traveled it so often you look forward to certain attractions that are upcoming. It puts me in the mind of Clark Griswold from the National Lampoon's Vacation movies. Griswold wanted his family to have the best time and see all the attractions possible. 

My friend Jesef travels a lot also and he follows this philosophy when taking pics along and at his destination. He likes to get signs welcoming you to the state and famous landmarks. He had one of the best eyes I have seen for this sort of thing.

All of this shows that the journey anywhere in life is often the most exciting part.  We should take time as we would on a road trip to sit back, reflect and relax a little more.

Now to look back at some of my own photos and relive some journeys.

Saturday Morning Cartoons/downtown Blacksburg

Ok Saturday morning cartoons died in a similar way that downtown Blacksburg SC did. Gradually from about the early 90s and succumbing to big government, changing audiences and technology among other things. 

One is on the comeback, another could be.

Blacksburg has a new mayor for the first time in 28 years, along with some different council members and new innovative business owners. They have some good short and long term plans to revive downtown. Getting rid of the bats in many of the attics was a huge step. Now more businesses are expected to come soon, including a Mexican restaurant and a motorcycle shop. Then you can build around these and possibly get a bar/grill going, perhaps where Ben's Amusement once was.

These changes will come slowly but can happen with some different faces and determined citizens.

Bringing back Saturday morning cartoons is a little trickier but also doable. You will need to target one or two of the big four local networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, or FOX) and showcase one or two fresh cartoons. You stay within government regulations, get more clever, aggressive marketing, and perhaps a company such as Marvel or DC to make this happen. Anime is also an option. Not unlike downtown Blacksburg, there are many options for watching cartoons and getting your feels. However you can slowly make it a landmark day again.

Many networks do it for news, sports, and other entertainment. You set a certain budget, draft a couple of up and coming cartoons, throw in a classic and you can draw a decent audience. The appeal can be so great that you want to watch it live and you want to avoid spoilers on social media.

Both fights will be long and hard but with the right crews and game plans, they can become reality.

Top 15 Cartoon Theme Songs from various eras

Saturday Morning Cartoons are becoming a hot debate, especially given the way in which they evaporated. Theme songs are also. The 80s had the best in my opinion but the 70s also brought some strong ones.

Here's my top 25 of cartoon theme songs from the 80s (with some other eras)

1. GI Joe
2. Ducktales
3. Galaxy High
4. Inspector Gadget
5. Talespin (90s but still)
6. TMNT
7. M.A.S.K.
8. KIDD Video
9. Gumbi Bears
10. Muppet Babies
11. Fraggle Rock
12. SilverHawks
13. Scooby Doo
14. Superfriends
15. Flintstones