In the mid-70's my family drove from Montreal to Miami and on the way we stopped at Pedro's South of the Border (North Carolina/South Carolina border as I recall). I remember my Mom buying enough linens to supply our household for a lifetime. When I asked her today, she said she still has tea towels from Pedro! I've checked the websites for Pedro's and it looks like it's grown bigger and even more tacky than I recall.

A friend of mine always travels with Curious George and another travels with Mr. Pickle. Their travel pics feature these two characters in exotic places they've visited. These stuffed animals open up worlds for them. The closest we've come to this kind of encounter is when wearing t-shirts that say "Montreal Canadiens" or "Upper Canada Brewing Company" and people have stopped us to chat and ask about Canada.

Kitsch can be useful at times. Any kitschy travel stories you'd like to share?

Lucy, Toronto, Canada