Off the beaten path

A bit ago I posted some pictures from our trip to the coast. The ones from the boardwalk/wharf weren't unexpected; the boys wanted to hear the sea lions before we went home, and we knew what we'd find there.

But the train tracks, the two (completely opposite) bike shops right next to each other, even the great little Starbucks tucked back off the road were not expected. They're all on a road that I've been on before. I haven't lived in that area for years, but I used to work less than a mile from that spot. But I didn't know any of those things were there.

Even so, we didn't intend to be there. We only stopped because Boo was falling asleep and we were trying to postpone that in hopes of salvaging some sort of civilized bedtime.

So we took the first exit off the freeway and stopped at the first place that looked like we could entertain the troops long enough to get them to stay awake for the rest of the trip.

And that's where we found all those other delightful surprises. I've been on plenty of trips like that in the past, and I love finding something I didn't expect to find because I've landed someplace I didn't expect to land. Some family members are a little harder to convince though.

I'm all about the journey. Yes, it's good to get where we're going, but sometimes a detour can be filled with delights that more than makes up for the annoyance of getting 'off track.'

Are you all about the destination? Do you prefer to stick to the designated path, aiming to get where you're going, no matter what interesting things can be found along the way? Do you take the time to look out the windows and notice the scenery?

Summer days can be the perfect time to make a plan and then get off the path and see what surprises you may have otherwise missed.

Have you had any memorable detours? Have you set off on a path not knowing where it would take you in the end? What was the best surprise you've found in a place you didn't expect to be?