I traveled my butt off during the '70s and '80s, and to this very day can't find my ass. But B & Ms were pretty much everywhere. Whenever I found myself in a motel in a strange town, I'd look through the Yellow Pages (remember those?) to locate local tobacconists. If any looked interesting, I'd plan a visit for the next morning. No reason, other than to see what the place looked like and to absorb a bit of the local atmosphere. Almost always got cigars and maybe a pipe. I must have visited hundreds, it seems like. My favorite was the one down by the old riverfront in Savannah, GA., though it wasn't the most extensive. Houston had a couple of really good ones. Detroit, etc. Little towns in between. Wish I'd kept a log.
Anyhow, I can't remember any terrifically knowledgeable owners or personnel in any of those places even back then, with one exception, and he was local. I always got the impression I was being bullshitted. Many times, I was absolutely certain. My point is that I don't really miss talking with "experts" in a tobacco shop. What I do miss is the sometimes vast array of briar and cigars on display. Yours to be had for mere money! And the scents, the scents that made life worth living! (Yes, I'm a scent frotteur.)