Day Tripper




On Saturday the 10th, a sleepless night brought on a day off from work as I cashed in a personal day.  Not wanting to waste the day off, once I gained some much-needed sleep of course, I set my sights on Denton, Texas.  What exactly was in that cozy North Texas municipality that made me want to visit that day?  Who knows, but I figured the mystery of the unknown was worth the half-hour trek.  In the end, I only spent about two hours exploring the town, but it was a visit full of discovery and personal enrichment.  First on the list was a place to eat in order to level out my spiking blood-sugar.  Rounding the corner of the block after parking on a side street, I immediately spied J&J's Pizza.  Wanting more than the traditional pie, I ordered a pepperoni calzone.  The price was in line with what the dish should be, and the meal certainly didn't disappoint.  It was absolutely delicious!  (Memories of Nikki's Roma Pizza in Victoria, Texas flooded my mind.  The owner would always make my calzone hand-fresh.)  Once I felt better able to take in the scenery, I simply began to walk the downtown square and courthouse area.  What appeared to be a bookstore caught my attention, and I proceeded to check out Recycled Bookstore.  Initially, I was kind of disappointed as the interior looked like it was more music store than anything else.  Then I noticed the downstairs portion of the establishment.  Descending the stores, I was overwhelmed by what appeared to be endless rows of reading material, books in every nook and cranny, and the opportunity to get lost in various offshoots of the main room.  Remembering the two-hour limit at the parking meter, I figured it was time to scurry on to the main event...the courthouse!  There were the usual historical markers, cornerstones, and other assorted landmarks.  Do I even need to mention I've been fervently snapping pictures since my arrival in Denton?  Recalling something I read about a Confederate Memorial near downtown, I asked a peace officer where it was located.  The response quickly poured forth, "Well, it used to be located..."  Quickly cutting off their response, I simply commented "Enough said...how sad!"  (Cancel Culture apparently made inroads in this North Texas town.)  Sauntering off rather sulkily, I figured the cherry on top of my day would be a visit to West Oak Coffee Bar.  The cashier patiently answered the few questions I had concerning country of origin and roasting method employed by the business.  Noticing a line forming behind me, I quickly ordered an El Salvadoran drip coffee.  No regrets here!  The acidity was ultra-smooth, and I downed it as if it were the last cup of coffee I would ever drink.  Knowing I had found a real gem, I grabbed an iced tea to enjoy on the return trip to Fort Worth.  By the time I returned home, I was so glad to have spent the day taking on something new.  Honestly, I don't know if I've ever been to Denton or why it took me so long do so.  Nonetheless, I'm glad to have scratched this off my bucket list.





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