In what seems like a lifetime ago, I took a cruise to Alaska. It was my first cruise so I wasn’t sure what to expect. For the most part, it far exceeded what I thought it would be. The food was delicious, having a balcony overlooking the ocean was incredible and the ship itself had so much to do. What was unexpected were the ports of call. Specifically, the shops and the merchandise contained within.
Depending on the length of the cruise, you’ll stop at 3-4 places along the way and/or on your way back to the port you departed from. The towns/cities you’ll stop in can be large (Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska) or smaller (Skagway, which is a smaller Alaskan town). Regardless of where you stop, you’ll almost always see the same jewelery and high end fashion stores.
Something else you’ll see is a plethora of “cheap collectible” stores. Imagine picking up a Wings beach store and placing it in the middle of Alaska and you’ll get an idea of what I mean. This isn’t necessarily surprising as America is full of cheap stores with useless merchandise. What is surprising is the number of people who not only shop at these stores but spend hundreds of dollars on cheap memorabilia.
It’s possible I’m just an oddball, but I’ve never seen the purpose of even going into these stores. Why would I buy a shirt that says “Alaska” on it that was made in China? This has zero correlation to Alaska itself, except the long shot chance of the screen printing having been done down the road. Since there’s really no way of knowing that, it doesn’t make any sense to buy the shirt in the first place.
“But I want something to remember the trip.” Never mind the 50 pictures of random birds, sunsets and kids in beach hats while you’re on vacation (don’t feel bad, we all do it). Is this not enough to remember your time together? You need to take a trip to the Wings equivalent and plunk down $200 on beach shirts, flip flops and chairs?
I have a better idea. If you feel the need to make a purchase, put down the shirt made in Bangladesh or the Chinese sunglasses emblazoned with “Hilton Head, SC” on them. Buy something local. Not only will you be helping out the local economy, you’ll actually be buying something that’s unique to the area.
My wife and I visit Beaufort, SC as often as we can. We were married there and love it like it’s our second home. We also love the fact it’s quiet and devoid of pretty much all of the commercial trappings you’d find at a traditional seaside/beach getaway.
Two of the stores we like to frequent are the Carolina Cider Company and Lowcountry Produce. Both are local to the area and provide unique and moderately priced items that you can take home with you. Although most are food related, they also have kitchen and house items that are locally made in case you wanted to watch your belt line.
Before you say it, I realize Lowcountry Produce has soups and other items that can be purchased throughout the state. They’re actually available locally at The Peach Stand among other places. Although this is true, the mothership locations are always going to have more selection from which to choose. This is certainly the case when it comes to both of these stores.
Spending your hard earned money on something local will provide you the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping a small business while providing you with a lasting memory of the place you visited.
Still want the shirt? Let me run down to Wal-Mart and pick it up for you. In the end, there’s really no difference.
