“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

When I was a senior in high school, the youth group at the First Baptist Church in Maryville took several weeks studying the other religions in the community. They visited each church where the youth in those churches presented information about their beliefs.

It impressed me that young kids (and their leaders) were interested in knowing what others believed.

It was also exciting to share what I believed with kids in my high school, so they could hear it from us and ask questions about what they had “heard” we believed or thought they knew about us.

That experience struck me in a way I have never forgotten. It has also helped me to value a good source of knowledge and truth as a journalist. And more importantly, it instilled deeply in me a love and respect of all people and their beliefs.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “It is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If we are to respect others’ religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world’s religions is a sacred duty.”

I love this. Why should we expect to be respected if we don’t show that same consideration? And how can we do this if we don’t understand or are misinformed?

This is one of the reasons for a new series I’m starting in today’s paper on religions in Nodaway County. Surveys were sent out to approximately 50 churches, asking their leaders to answer a few basic questions about their church organization and religion. Questions about their basic beliefs, what people misunderstand about them and so on.

In the coming weeks, I hope this series will help enlighten readers (and myself) about the different religious offerings in our community, hopefully in an effort to build mutual respect for one another.

Gordon B. Hinckley said: “Each of us [from various religious denominations] believes in the fatherhood of God, although we may differ in our interpretations of Him. Each of us is part of a great family, the human family, sons and daughters of God, and therefore brothers and sisters. We must work harder to build mutual respect, an attitude of forbearance, with tolerance one for another regardless of the doctrines and philosophies which we may espouse.”

From the information I have gathered, most Nodaway County residents practice Christianity, so that’s what this series will focus on; however, I would hope that it might be a spark that provides us the desire to learn about other world religions. Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism… to embark on a journey of understanding not dissimilar to that of “Siddhartha,” where Hermann Hesse wrote:

“It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.”

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki Wood

Unlike any road trip I’ve planned before, this summer’s adventure to Washington DC involved implementing as many technological goodies as I could get my hands on.

We would’ve been lost, literally, without our iPhones and Google Maps, which provide step-by-step instructions to your destination, no GPS device needed, and a map view that follows your location automatically.

There are so many apps available. And so easy to download new ones along the way, like a SmartGuide for the National Mall and another for the US Capitol.

For several years now, one of my most used tools has been Gas Buddy, where you can find the most recent gas prices in a particular location. My favorite feature is the gas price heat map, which allows you to see prices on a map of the entire country or specific region. I use it to figure out where to stop along a 300-mile stretch of the interstate, not just the most inexpensive place in town.

A new app I downloaded this year was Best Parking which helps you find the cheapest and most convenient parking near you or a certain location.

Road Trip Tweet: Just used the Best Parking app for the first time. Found a great place to park. Very easy, too. Highly recommend.

I also used my iPhone to tweet about our road trip, update my Facebook status, check the weather on the Weather Channel’s app and take photos. We didn’t even take a camera, just used our phones and the iPad, which took beautiful pictures. I also used Instagram, which real photographers say they hate, but I loved being able to play with how the photos looked.

Another app that got a lot of use was foursquare which helps you make the most of where you are by checking in at a certain location. You can receive discounts at restaurants and shops and also read tips from others. This was helpful at the Tomb of the Unknowns during the Changing of the Guard. After checking in, I read a tip that suggested standing in a certain location for the best view of the ceremony. And it was right.

At the Flight 93 Memorial, I used my QR Code Scanner to listen to informative messages that enhanced the displays at the site. It enabled us to learn more of the stories about those involved.

During my planning, I also used Pinterest to get a few new ideas. I mentioned the snack boxes in a previous column. They were a huge hit. I also created travel books that included games, paper for journaling and drawing and maps of our route. I broke these down into 1-2 hour segments so the kids could follow along. You can find these and other ideas on my Pinterest “road trips” board at pinterest.com/nnlreporter.

One last app I want to mention, released just two weeks ago, is the Food Network on the Road app. We love visiting places featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and this app contains restaurants from it and other Food Network shows. You can search by location, chef or show. I can’t wait to use it on our next trip.

And speaking of food, we were treated to some great finds.

As recommended in a DC travel guide, we hit Ben’s Chili Bowl. Described as a Washington landmark, it’s served a multitude of celebrities including Bill Cosby, who now has a menu item named after him: Bill Cosby’s Original Chili Half-Smoke. It was heavenly. The place was crazy busy and was a cultural must-see for me.

Two Triple D restaurants were also planned. The Tortilla Cafe, serving Salvadoran food like pupusas, was a disappointment for us, especially since we can get really great pupusas at La Paz in Marshall. However, Tune Inn Restaurant was wickedly (read: unhealthy) delicious. The mozzarella sticks were the size of my hand and the french fries were perfect and crispy. The deep-fried burger (yes, I did say this was an unhealthy stop along the way) was amazing. And we topped it off with fried cheesecake.

We usually order a few things and then everyone shares. It may not be proper etiquette to pass around dishes but we feel it’s more important to experience the food.

We also ate at Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria with Larry’s nephew and family. Serving Colonial food since 1770, the tavern was frequented by presidents like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison and James Monroe.

Road Trip Tweet: Gadsby’s, old town Alexandria: food was good (not great) but experience was phenomenal & “John Wall” was delightfully entertaining.

It was a fun atmosphere which included a roaming Colonial character named John Wall whose extensive vocabulary required a dictionary to understand his humor. I ate “George Washington’s favorite meal” of duck, scalloped potatoes, corn pudding and rhotekraut (a cabbage, current and apple dish), Larry had the prime rib and Yorkshire pudding and the kids had fish and chips.

There were a few familial bumps along the road, but this summer’s trip was indeed monumental. And tons of fun.

Our next family trip is just around the corner. We’re driving to South Bend, IN, in October to watch BYU play at Notre Dame. Experience of a lifetime for me. I can’t wait. Go Cougars!

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki  Wood

“Think about what you saw.”

Those words hang on a banner outside the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It can be found on posters throughout the building and on T-shirts, pens, magnets and other memorabilia inside the gift shop.

Their slogan tries to get you to act upon what you saw during your visit. And I love it. But for our family, it actually encompassed much of what we did on our annual summer road trip.

Our destination: Washington, DC. History, government, visiting family and eating good food was on the agenda.

Our journey: Memorable. Monumental, even, mostly because I saw more monuments in a week than I probably have in my entire life, not just in DC but Gettysburg, too.

In the weeks since we’ve been home, I haven’t been able to get that phrase out of my mind.

Think about what you saw. We saw a lot. We crammed a lot into each day. It affected us in many different ways. Not just at the Holocaust Museum but everywhere we went. And it started in the car as we began the trip east.

Road Trip Tweet: We’re listening to The Diary of Anne Frank while driving in preparation for visiting the Holocaust Museum later this week.

I spend a good amount of time making a detailed agenda prior to each road trip, doing a lot of research and getting ideas from others who have been there before. And this time was no different.

But you know one of the things I like most about road trips? Flexibility. The ability to change it up a bit. And we did that on more than one occasion this summer.

Driving through Indiana, my husband saw a sign for the Hoosier gym where my favorite movie, “Hoosiers,” was filmed. So we pulled off to see it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open yet; fortunately, Larry stopped again on our way home when it was open. We took a tour and I even got to shoot baskets in the gym where Coach Norman Dale inspired those players on that legendary team.

We had another amazing opportunity to veer off our path when we saw a sign for the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, PA. The new national park memorializes the passengers and crew who bravely overtook the 9/11 hijackers when they learned what was happening in New York and at the Pentagon on that dreadful day.

I had no idea we would be anywhere near the site. It was a very emotional experience for me, remembering back to that day and the courage shown by those 40 individuals.

Road Trip Tweet: An unplanned but memorable and moving stop along the way @ Flight 93 National Memorial.

Take the 14-mile drive off of I-70. You won’t regret it.

It set us back a bit and we didn’t see as much as we intended, but it was worth it and we’re already making plans for our next trip.

Our first stop in DC was the US Capitol Building. Someone suggested we contact our senator or representative for a tour beforehand. We did and our tour was much more personal and in-depth than the masses around us.

Other highlights of the week included Arlington National Cemetery and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the National Air and Space Museum (Hunter was in heaven).

One of the things I found fascinating was all of the quotes on the monuments and walls everywhere we went.

As I try to reflect and “think about what we saw,” perhaps the one quote that impressed me most was one I’d never read before.

It was at the Air and Space Museum next to a portrait of World War II Tuskegee Airmen Commander Benjamin O. Davis Jr., who said:

“The privileges of being an American belong to those brave enough to fight for them.”

Part 2 will include our fun food finds and the many technological helps we used along the way.

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki Wood

As a little girl, I remember my mom popping popcorn and placing it in bread bags in preparation for our summer vacation. We all loved to eat it, my dad especially, and he would snack on it late at night to stay awake while driving.

Food is an important aspect of any road trip and can be divided into two parts: what you eat while driving and what you eat when you arrive.

While some parents insist on giving kids only healthy snacks while traveling, I’m a believer in special treats they don’t normally get at home.

We didn’t have a lot of junk food growing up, so a couple of our annual road trip food traditions included a big bag of Brach’s assorted candies and Pringles.

Today when we all travel together, we’ve replaced the candy with Red Vines but we still love popcorn and Pringles.

What else to pack? We go with breakfast items like granola and protein bars, fruit, yogurt, and occasionally pop-tarts (which we never have at home), and then sandwiches, chips and raw veggies for lunch. These can be eaten while driving or at a rest area or park when a little stop along the way is needed.

I came across a new idea on Pinterest while planning this summer’s road trip which I can’t wait to try on my kids. They are these cute, little travel snack boxes that can hold a variety of food items. I found the ones I’m using in the craft section and they have 18 tiny compartments.

The idea is to give your children a variety of sweet and salty food options — nuts, dried fruit, Goldfish, Cheerios, gummi bears and the like — so they can choose for themselves.

An example of our food while traveling from our most recent road trip…

12/23/11 road trip tweets: visiting family in Florida

“Back on the road to Atlanta at 7:30. Headed to the Jimmy Carter library and museum. Kids are eating poptarts and gogurt.”

“On the road again, heading south and eating sandwiches in the car.”

“Gas in Wildwood, FL. Enjoying freshly squeezed Florida OJ there.”

Once we’ve arrive at our destination, we plan one special meal each day, frequenting local restaurants (not chains) that are popular in that community.

If we’re someplace we’ve traveled before, we usually stop at our favorite places but also try new things, too.

When we go to the Branson/Springfield area, we always stop for sweet treats at Andy’s Frozen Custard. My favorite is the James Brownie Funky Jackhammer.

When we’re in Los Angeles, where my husband is from, we break our rule of no chains by eating at In-N-Out (one of the best burgers around) and El Pollo Loco (fabulous flame-grilled chicken and tortillas).

We also make a special trip to Olvera Street, the oldest part of downtown LA, just for the taquitos at Cielito Lindo. The sauce is amazing and the taquitos are unlike any others. We first took our kids there when Hannah was just 11 months old and she loved them (still does).

In my last column, I talked about places featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and highly recommended Victor’s 1959 Café in Minneapolis. Last summer while in LA, we hit The Oinkster in Eagle Rock for their pastrami and pulled pork sandwiches. That’s one palatable pig.

You can search for them at flavortownusa.com.

12/27/11 road trip tweets: heading home via New Orleans

“Larry & I found the restaurant we ate at on our honeymoon 14 years ago. The Market Cafe. Alligator, muffaletta, shrimp po-boy, red beans & rice, gumbo, shrimp creole, and Jambalaya.”

“One last treat before the final leg home. Andy’s in Springfield.”

I’m sure there are a lot of great food places in New Orleans, but The Market Cafe (at Decatur and St. Peter’s streets in the French Quarter), serves fabulous Cajun and Creole cuisine accompanied by live jazz music.
 Sometimes we find a place that serves really good food. And sometimes, well, not so much. But you’ll never know if you like it unless you try it (thanks, Dr. Seuss).

We drove to Dallas a few years ago for the BYU/OU football game. We tried a Salvadorian restaurant, Gloria’s (which was divine), and a Peruvian restaurant (which was not). But the next time we’re in Dallas, I’m sure we’ll stop at Gloria’s again and also try something new.

Try it. Try it all. And like Anthony Bourdain, host of No Reservations, said, try everything at least once: “Do we really want to travel…eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat… I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki Wood

At the encouragement of my husband, I’m venturing out on a new excursion. And while I may not be an “experty expert,” I have a lot of experience and love for traveling as a self-proclaimed road trip enthusiast.

I love the adventure that awaits a summer trek to Quebec or finding joy in the journey to Raleigh.

So I’m starting a new column — this column — “Wandering alongside the Woods.” I’m not sure where this expedition will take me, or you, but I’m excited to explore the possibilities.

So here goes… I hear it all the time: parents who say they can’t road trip because they have kids.

Why would you want to cram a two-year-old into a car and drive for 22 hours? And how can you keep him entertained that long? (And no, the answer is not a DVD player or a Nintendo DS…although I believe they do have their place).

My parents threw me in the back of their car when I wasn’t even a year old and took me to a family reunion in Colorado. They did it every summer. New places, new faces. My husband grew up the same way. So when we got married, it was what we knew. We took our first road trip with Hunter when he was just seven months old.

It’s been a great way to see the country. It also offers flexibility and freedom and is an easy vehicle to teach our children more about history, people and cultures.

When Hannah was about four years old, we drove to North Carolina. Soon after crossing the state line, we stopped at a gas station to refuel and use the facilities. While waiting in line, we overheard the cashier say, “Y’all need a bag?”

Hannah had apparently never heard anyone speak like that before, with a Southern Appalachian/Smoky Mountain English dialect. And when we got back in the car, she repeated the phrase sounding just like the cashier. It’s been a fun memory for us.

In the last 13 years, we’ve taken our kids to 38 of the 50 states and each trip has produced wonderful memories like the one above.

Have there been times when I’ve wanted to yell, scream, spit and pull my hair out? Yes. Of course. It’s not going to be all fun and games. But those memories fade and the wonderful ones, the good experiences, remain.

Prior to taking that trip, I had come across a children’s book called “Freedom on the Menu,” which tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement and the Greensboro sit-ins through the eyes of a child. I knew we could venture off our path a bit to Greensboro to visit the Woolworth’s store where the sit-ins occurred. What an amazing teaching experience for our small children.

So now that I have you reconsidering road tripping (hopefully), I want to share a little about a recent trip to the always popular family-vacation-destination, Mall of America. I, personally, would never plan a trip around shopping because I hate shopping. But, to each his own.

Anyway, after a family reunion in Colorado in 2010, we headed north. This trip was also my first attempt at tweeting some of our travels.

Mall of America was on the agenda — because you can’t go to the Twin Cities and not see a mall of that magnitude — but there were other things to see and do first.

On our way, we passed by the World’s Largest Holstein Cow in North Dakota (didn’t stop, but fun to see). As we ventured farther east, I tweeted: “I’m loving the beauty of Minnesota and its 10,000 lakes (my first time here).”

We’ve read the “Little House on the Prairie” books, so we traveled to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN, which includes both historical pieces and items from the TV series. We made sure we also visited the Ingalls dugout site where Laura and her family lived along the banks of Plum Creek, a beautiful area surrounded by towering trees.

Something else on every road trip agenda is to eat good, local food. In recent years, we try to find one that’s been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” So in Minneapolis, we chose Victor’s 1959 Cafe, a cute little dive that serves oh-so-good Cuban food. I loved the Picadillo a la Cubana.

We also took part of a day just to travel over to Wisconsin to eat some squeaky cheese (cheese curds) at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. Well worth the drive. Upon our return to Minneapolis, we took a tour of the Guthrie Theater and visited the Midtown Global Market, a diverse area of international food shops, art, jewelry, flowers and more.

And last but not least, we took on the mall.

That morning I tweeted: “Got my walking shoes on. Mall of America today. This is so not me, but I love my kids.”

The LEGO store was a hit with Hunter where he probably spent a couple of hours creating and building with other kids. He and Hannah also enjoyed the rides and characters at Nickelodeon Universe. And for my enjoyment, Larry and I just happened to see a mall cop riding a Segway a la Paul Blart. Hilarious. Best part of the day for me.

So this is how the Woods road trip. When I’m planning beforehand, I make sure every trip has these three things:

1. Something educational.

2. Good, local food.

3. Let the kids pick something they want to do.

And one last thing. If you’re brave enough to road trip, and if in the midst of your travels it’s not going so well, just remember what Winston Churchill said: “If you are going through hell, keep going.”

It’ll make a funny story. Someday.

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

The results of the study didn’t really surprise me: today’s young people are selfish.

Millennials, or the Me Generation — those born after 1982 — are less interested in community issues, politics and the environment according to the March issue of Journal of Personality and Society Psychology.

Researchers surveyed nine million young adults and concluded they are “less likely to embrace community mindedness and are focusing more on money, image and fame.”

They see little of the world around them and engage in a variety of behaviors that accompany a YOLO (you only live once) attitude, taking risks in something they normally wouldn’t do, regardless of the consequences.

But earlier this month, after attending a Youth Cultural Celebration at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, I was reminded there are many Millennials out there doing good, giving of themselves and moving beyond the borders of this generalization.

The cultural celebration was part of several events leading up to the dedication of the new Mormon temple and included over 3,000 youth ages 12-18 from the greater Kansas City area. They came from as far away as Springfield, Branson and Joplin, Warrensburg, Topeka and Salina, KS, and from right here in Maryville as well.

My 13-year-old son chose to be a part of it, and while many hours were exhausted driving back and forth to rehearsals in Kansas City and practicing songs and dances each week at our local church building, it was truly a blessing for him and for us.

I’m not sure what I expected as we entered the auditorium that evening, but it definitely wasn’t what was presented.

Like I said, over 3,000 youth participated in the event, so just the sheer number of people involved was quite ridiculous. And what I experienced was simply inspiring.

The celebration began with those thousands of youth crammed across the auditorium floor, around the walkways and even up the stairs. They were everywhere. A story of the area’s history accompanied them on the jumbotron throughout the event.

Then smaller groups performed individual pieces. And by smaller, I still mean hundreds of kids singing and dancing together. They shared music and dance from other cultures that were associated with where they came from.

A young Bluegrass band from Branson played alongside dancers from the Olathe, Salina and Topeka areas.

Teens from Kansas City, Liberty and Platte City danced the Charleston (including my son…it was so cute). A smaller subgroup performed “Basketball Rhythm” complete with dribbling basketballs, shooting hoops and even dunks in a very High School Musical-esque performance.

Those from the Springfield area performed a patriotic number as well as George Strait’s hit song, “Heartland.”

Youth from Independence, where there’s a large Polynesian community, performed several island dances (so cool). Kids from Lenexa shared their Hispanic heritage and those from the Warrensburg area did a European medley.

I was surprised that the evening included a little bit of everything including a techno number, a fun children’s song and even Cotton-Eyed Joe.

But the most touching aspect of the night, for me, came when the youth from Joplin took center stage. A year since the devastating tornado hit their community, the youth performed “Rise Up,” a tribute about all of the helping hands who volunteered and assisted in the rebuilding, which continues today.

As I watched these young people literally raise up a building frame there on the auditorium floor, I realized these very teenagers lost their church building, their high school, and probably some even lost their homes and loved ones.

What amazing stories of faith and courage.

And as they paid tribute to those who had flocked from all over the country to help them rebuild their lives, I also realized how many volunteers, both young and old, from Baby Boomers to Millennials, traveled from right here in Nodaway County to selflessly give of themselves.

The crowd gave them a standing ovation, and deservedly so, as tears streamed down their cheeks (and ours) in a very emotional number.

So back to this study… I’m sure the results about Millennials were right on. But I also know there are so many out there who are breaking the status quo.

I love the quote from Elaine Dalton, who said: “Don’t let the low standards and expectations of the world and others cause you to aim beneath your nobility and ability — dream big!”

It’s great to see so many youth changing the “you only live once so enjoy it while you can” definition of YOLO to the “you only live once so make the most of it” YOLO.