Side Trips During Business Travel

When I used to travel for business I took every opportunity to get out on my own to explore wherever the particular trip took me. Seeing just the hotel and meeting locations got old fast, and being introverted, I needed time to myself so I could exhale and re-charge. Sometimes though my side trips included a few members of our group who shared my interest in whatever the adventure was.

My first side trip occurred in Detroit when I was in town with my boss and his parents (family-owned company) for a tradeshow. The Red Wings were playing the Blackhawks in the playoffs at historic Joe Louis Arena and I not only wanted to see the game and the arena, but I needed time away from the family. I scored a standing room ticket, grabbed a beer (which was still affordable back then) and found a place along the concourse to watch the game. The guy next to me was a die-hard Wings fan and as the 3rd period started he spotted 2 seats at ice level and told me to follow him. What a way to see the last period!

This side trip got even better – and a bit stranger – on my walk back to the hotel. As I was walking past City Hall I laughed at the statue in front as it was surrounded by scaffolding and draped in canvas in a way that looked like it was taking a shower. At that moment the security guard came out and heard me. We started talking and he invited me in for a tour of the building. He even let me sit in the mayor’s chair. A unique experience and one that I still chuckle about. It was also the start of my quest to find fun stuff to do on business trips during off time.

While with the same little company I did a lot of travel to the South and Midwest that entailed long drives. At every opportunity I took detours to see more than just the freeway or facility I was visiting. One detour was my introduction to Route 66 in Indiana which inspired me to want to drive the entire route (just waiting for Covid hysteria to subside). Others were to state parks, national monuments, Civil and Revolutionary War battlefields, or stops in random small towns. Thanks to that job I saw a lot of areas not on the top tourist destination lists and experienced several states on my way to getting all 50.

A few trips with others from the work group stick out in my memory. The first adventure occurred when I took a couple of foreign office associates to their first hockey game – to see the New Orleans Brass, at that time an ECHL team. Seeing the game was my escape from day-long meetings and introducing the guys to hockey was a blast. Getting out broke up the monotony of meetings and gave us a chance to bond in a way not possible in a conference room.

Sticking with the hockey theme, during Six Sigma training that took the class to Philadelphia for 2 weeks, Chicago for a week, and Seattle for a week, I needed a break from all the team activities. First up was arranging tickets for a Philadelphia Phantoms game at the Spectrum. A small group jumped at the chance to see a game and we had a blast. On to Chicago and as luck would have it the NJ Devils were in town to play the Blackhawks that week. The same crew jumped in a cab for a ride across town to see that game in the just-opened United Center. Another chance to bond over hockey and a few beers and to blow off some steam after days of intensive training.

I was lucky to travel internationally as well and had many fun adventures getting away from the conference or meetings. In Munich I walked many miles through the streets with stops at several beer gardens and historic spots. All that walking came in handy when my wife and I went for Octoberfest as I knew a lot of off-the-tourist-path places to eat, drink, and soak up Bavarian culture. Brussels by night was another walking tour. I paid the price the next day for not getting much sleep, but seeing the city in all it’s lit splendor was worth it. One other memorable side trip was thanks to a local associate who took a few of us in his car to the point where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany come together. We all got our picture taken being in 3 countries at once. The memory is still clear but sadly the picture has been lost.

Still more side trip memories were made during travels with the last company I worked for. Visiting the Alamo and meandering along the Canal Walk in San Antonio made for a fantastic break between meetings. While in Phoenix – which at that time, much like Atlanta, pulled in its sidewalks once the office workers went home – I got to see a Phoenix Roadrunners hockey game (an ECHL team at the time), met Dan Majerle formerly of the Phoenix Suns at his bar near our hotel, and got to walk around the Diamond Backs stadium after grabbing a beer at the TGI Fridays attached to the stadium. That was a much better way to spend an evening than hanging out at the hotel bar with the work crew!

A couple more to round out this post: Thanks to heading down a couple of days early to explore Charleston before meetings, I toured Fort Sumter, got to a Charleston River Dogs game (Yankees minor league affiliate at the time) and stumbled into the “party” at the hotel bar after where I met the gentlemen whose wife was being treated for cancer that you read about in Travel Memories from March of 2021. Lastly, while playing in the Johnson & Johnson Hockey Tournament in Toronto, raising money for spinal injury and concussion research, not only did I get to meet and hang out with several retired NHL players who participated in the event (some of whom I grew up watching!), I also made time to visit the Blue Jay’s stadium to get a pin for my wife’s collection, check out the locomotive roundhouse near the hotel, and sample a few pints at a local brewery. While not a side trip, since our tournament was held at the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility, we got to skate on the rink they skate on and got to meet a couple of the players as they were coming in for practice. For a hockey fan and player that was pretty cool!

These are just a small sample of the side trips I took while traveling for business. Little adventures that made business travel more fun and provided a treasure trove of memories. It’s funny, when speaking with others about such adventures there are two types of responses; either the person can’t understand why I would wander off, or he/she becomes animated and shares similar stories. If you are in the former group, I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities for little side trips. You’ll be glad you did. If you’re in the latter group, keep on exploring!

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com 4-18-2022