Browsing Secondhand Clothes Inspires My Destination Planning
Will I Go to Florida, Hawaii or Missouri?
By Anna Krejci
Recently I browsed the racks of a local thrift store and
found garments with place-names featured on them. The garments were my size and
in good condition, so I bought some. I pictured myself traveling to such destinations
as I looked at place-name clothes others might have purchased while on their vacations.
It is interesting to see what people are willing to part with. On the other
hand, I perhaps saw the desirable places where people collected souvenirs. I
found a T-shirt bearing the name of Pensacola Beach, Fla; a sweatshirt bearing
the name of Waikiki Beach in Hawaii; and a long-sleeved hoodie showing the name
of Branson, Mo. I researched a few sites in each place that I would love to see
and I share them below. I also picked the destination among the three that I am
most likely to visit.
Pensacola Beach, Florida
Pensacola Beach is on Santa Rosa Island. The beach property
belongs to Escambia County and is on the gulf shore in northwestern Florida. I
am not a fan of swimming in natural bodies of water like gulfs, which is a
prominent feature of this beach. I still find activities I would enjoy. Musicians
perform live concerts on the beach. Taking a charter boat ride to see dolphins
or other marine wildlife would thrill me, too. I would like other things about
visiting this area. I love hiking, so I would be sure to visit Gulf Islands
National Seashore, a national park. Tourists like me can learn about fort
history as well as observe wildlife. I would prefer to book a flight to
Pensacola as opposed to driving.
Sources
The county’s website has live beach and bridge cameras you
can view, in addition to information about how to pay a toll to access Santa
Rosa Island. It is found at https://myescambia.com/ .
Escambia County links to https://www.visitpensacola.com/beaches/pensacola-beach/ where I found a lot of information about this tourist area.
Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
I would love to sit on Waikiki Beach and take in the view of
the sand and water. I might find a luau and watch Polynesian dancing, a unique
experience on a beach vacation. Yet,
more than that I would want to see Pearl Harbor National Memorial, which is just
13 miles away from Waikiki. If I travel as far away as Hawaii to see a beach, I
most definitely will travel on to see the lives honored of those who died in
the Pearl Harbor attack of Dec. 7, 1941. I’d see the USS Arizona Memorial, the
USS Battleship Missouri, The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum and the Aviation
Museum. I’ve learned more about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany than I have
about the aspects of World War II concerning the Japanese. Travel is a great
opportunity to fill in some knowledge gaps. I would obviously book a flight to
travel to Hawaii.
Sources
The National Park Service has information about Pearl Harbor
National Memorial on its website https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm .
More information can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/ .
Branson, Missouri
Branson offers shows, amusement parks, shopping, dining and
many lake-related activities like boating and swimming. The city is in the
Ozark Mountains in southwestern Missouri. It is near the border with Arkansas.
I went to Branson at a young age when I loved visiting the theme park, Silver
Dollar City. This park is designed to give visitors an impression of life in
the Ozarks in the 1880s. If I were to return, I’d find a good show to see, take
a spectacular water cruise and revisit Silver Dollar City. I’d go to Table Rock
State Park to hike and maybe ride a bike. Branson strikes me as being a place
that rivals Las Vegas in terms of the variety of shows offered, only I wouldn’t
have to travel as far to get there. Branson
appeals to me as someone familiar with the Midwest; it is much easier to get to
from a place like Illinois or Indiana. Visitors can travel there by car as
opposed to flying. I’d take a two-day car ride from Ohio.
Source
The following website has substantial explanations about
what visitors can do in the area. I used it to judge how much I’d enjoy it
there.
https://www.explorebranson.com/
Branson Is on My To-See List
If I choose between Pensacola Beach, Waikiki Beach and
Branson for a vacation destination, I will visit Branson. For one, I do not
enjoy swimming, and two out of three choices involve beaches. Having said that,
Pensacola Beach and Waikiki Beach look beautiful online, and I found activities
there besides swimming to interest me. Hawaii is much too far, and Florida is
neither my favorite nor most familiar region of the country – no offense.
Branson would be my No. 1 choice because it is still in the Midwest, a region
with which I’m familiar, and I could go boating and see shows. The Ozark
Mountains would make a lovely setting. Table Rock State Park might be the top
draw for me and a nice contrast from being on the developed land.
Helping the Environment by Shopping Secondhand
I love shopping secondhand for clothing. It is a choice I
make because it is more affordable, and my closet becomes a home for these nice
garments that might unjustifiably end up in the landfill. I think it is better
for the environment. Slowing the production of new clothing saves natural
resources, and it has been reported in the media that the world has a surplus
of clothing. I routinely donate clothes to resale shops or give them away to
friends, family or nonprofits. I enjoy buying new T-shirts that show the names
of the places I visit, and I plan to continue because I like to treat myself
sometimes. I want to buy used clothing most of the time.
Additional Resources
I looked at the following report to see how much extra
clothing exists around the globe.
“10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics.” Earth.org, 21
Aug. 2023, https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/ .
I read the following article to see another viewpoint, but I
still believe that I do a good thing for the environment by purchasing
secondhand. I think saving the environment is an urgent need.
Buchanan, Joy. “Fast Fashion, Global Trade, and Sustainable
Abundance.” Cato Institute, 28 Nov. 2023,
https://www.cato.org/publications/globalization-fashion .
