Think Globally, Travel Locally

Milli Thornton — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:38:12 +0000

By Milli Thornton

WHEN WE SAY travel, we tend to think of world travel—or at least going to another county or state. But most of us travel every day without giving it much thought. Sure, we might be more conscious these days of the cost of gas (and its impact on the environment), but how much do we know that our local travel can make a big impact in other ways?

Do you have a beaten path to Wal-Mart, Target, Starbucks, etc. that you could almost drive in your sleep? I’m not suggesting you never shop in those places, but adding some new travel habits to your routine could prove life-changing.

Thanks to online friend Judy Clement Wall of Zebra Sounds, I’m now a member of the 3/50 project: Saving the Brick and Mortars Our Nation Is Built On. Have a look at these numbers from their site:

Get behind the 3/50 project!
3 – Which three independently-owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared?

50 – If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally-owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the impact if 3/4 of our employed population did that.

Below are my picks for the 3/50 project. I already have fun spending at least $50 a month between them, so my extra push is to feature them online with a link to each business.

My 'serene' route for errands

Also, I take the scenic route through Mill Creek Park whenever I can. This keeps me calm and serene for driving and feels like I’m treating myself.

Brian tells me I’m saving gas because I’m driving slower (35 mph) and not doing the Stop-Go for traffic lights and stop signs. I get to share the road with walkers, joggers and bike riders instead of maniacs in SUVs.

Peaberry’s Café & Bakery

4350 Boardman-Canfield Road, Canfield, Ohio 44406, Ph: (330) 702-9230

Having a local coffee hang-out is essential to my writer’s lifestyle, and Peaberry’s meets my stringent criteria. The coffee’s always perfect (I drink double-shot breves), the service friendly, and I can sit in one of the quiet back booths to write.

Peaberry’s also makes killer gourmet sandwiches. My favorite at the moment is the #9: Cucumber with Asiago Peppercorn, Red Onion and Muenster Cheese on Croissant (I ask for turkey to be added). Yum!

The Flaming Ice Cube: Vegan Shoppe & Café

1449 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite 260, Boardman, OH 44512, Ph: (330) 726-4766

I *love* this business! I’m not vegan so I’ve only eaten in the café once, but I do love to shop in the eco-friendly New Age half of the store. I have bought candles, aromatherapy, books, a water fountain, CDs and other treasures. I found an agate candle-holder-cum-bookend that was just what I needed for a shelf in my office.

Cool merchandise: The Flaming Ice Cube

For Christmas, I shopped ahead for my busy husband, and then all he had to do was go pay and pick up my items. I still use my “surprise” Christmas gift—a Himalayan Crystal Salt Lamp—in my office every day.

Fittingly for the theme of this article, the sign in the picture reads:

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

Health Food Center of Youngstown
(new Website coming soon)

6015 Market Street, Boardman, Ohio 44512, Ph: (330) 965-1515

I buy a lot of herbs and supplements, and I’m fussy about the quality of what I consume. This shop not only feels inviting as you walk inside, they do stock many items I was buying online.

I’ve also bought organic bananas for my organic banana bread, neem toothpaste (Do you read your toothpaste label? Do you know what you’re putting on your gums?), herbal shampoo, almond milk for my protein powder and more.

Which three businesses will you (or do you) support in your local area?

Visit the 3/50 project for more inspiration!

————-

MILLI INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE 30/50 PROJECT ON WKBN:

[See post to watch Flash video]

Story by Steve Pacer of WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio. Thanks, Steve!

Collective Soul at the House of Blues, Cleveland

Milli Thornton — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:30:59 +0000

TODAY’S THE DAY Collective Soul’s playing at the House of Blues in Cleveland. Sadly, this will have to be included on my list of travel bummers.

Not that we’d have to travel far: Cleveland’s only an hour from us here in Youngstown, Ohio. It’s just that I badly wanted to see that show! But when Brian checked on ticket availability, all the seats had been sold out.

There were some tickets left for “standing room only.” But I’m at the age where standing up at concerts is not really my bag anymore.

Plus, we were weighing the cost of those tickets against our need to save more spending money for our trip to Quebec in early July.

(I reckon the Montréal Jazz Festival will be some heavy compensation for missing Collective Soul.)

Meanwhile, please enjoy this 6-minute documentary about Collective Soul performing live in Morocco.

Millivers Travels » Ohio

Think Globally, Travel Locally

Collective Soul at the House of Blues, Cleveland