I chose the southern route through the US. Thank god because there ended up being tornados and hailstorms in the midwest through the entire week I was driving! I am truly blessed I chose to go the way I did, not only for not getting crushed in a storm, but I was able to meet up with some fantastic people along the way! Here's a breakdown of the stops:
- The first night, I arrived in Virginia at 4:30 AM. Had the pleasure of staying over with Aunt Ann & Uncle Jim (who was getting up for work when I was just arriving), and even saw Renee, Joe & the kids the next day!
- Next night, I was able to stay over with Kathy and Paul Gilchrist at their Georgia lake house. Kathy is one of my mom's best friends from high school & college, and hopefully our meeting will inspire them to get together again soon (here's lookin at you, ma!...your move!).
- By the third day, I had arrived in New Orleans! Met up with a few friends who were also making a cross country trip and split a hotel room. We hit a local seafood joint then wandered Bourbon St., grabbed a hand grenade, and ended up at a touristy blues club, where the main attraction was the 450 lb "Big Al" and his "Blues Masters" band. They really put on a great show but at one point I think Big Al fell asleep on stage for 15-30 seconds while the band was jammin!
- The fourth action packed night was in Galveston, TX. Galveston is on the Gulf of Mexico and used to be a real hot spot, so much so when they were designing Bourbon St. in New Orleans, they modeled it after the center of town in Galveston. Galveston fell off a bit after the deadliest storm in history. Anyways, one of my good friends from college, Kurtis, is getting his PHD in some kind of biochemistry I can't even pronounce at UTMB. He's been in Galveston for about a year now and was able to show me some great spots and introduce me to some real cool heads. Any night hitting the town with Kurt is a late, crazy one, and this one was no exception! I didn't get on the road til 8pm the next day, but I wouldn't change a thing...
- After Galveston, I said hello again to 8 to 10 hour days of driving...alone! Don't let me fool you though, I loved every second of it! I got to blast whatever music I wanted, sunroof open, windows down...I probably would have choked someone out if I had to be in the same car with them for 10 hours a day for a week!
Irregardless, my next stop was at a little hole in the wall motel. About 2 miles off the freeway, with metal bars over the office window, you know, the type you see in movies...movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre! OK, OK so it wasn't that scary, but definitely not the safest thing I've ever done in my life. And to top it all off, they didn't even have a shower big enough for me! I mean, I know 6'2" is sorta tall, but what's up with a shower this height!? Definitely never trying to save 15 bucks for a cheap motel again...
- The last legs of the journey were a little less exciting and spontaneous than the first half. I mean, I was on the same road for 1,900 miles. Yes, NINTEEN HUNDRED MILES. That wonderful road is Rt. 10, and in Texas alone, it has 890 exits!! (check out the exit number in this pic if you think I'm lying)
Speaking of road signs, here are some of the other great ones I saw (yes, they were all taken by me while I was driving 75+....sorry ma)
- This sign made me very happy :)
- It is possible?
- They may exist?
- So much for 'STOP SNITCHIN'
- How Texans feel about the war (they'd probably outfit all troops with shotguns if it was up to them)...
- Not quite the same spelling, but hey, I had time on my hands, I took the pic anyways...
- Only Hyundai manufacturing plant in the US. (It's in Alabama)
- I'm sure this isn't the only Budweiser plant in the US!
- So I'm confused...people are allowed to blow dust in certain areas of the state?
- OK so this is a napikin, not a road sign, but how does this even happen!?
- If anyone needed even more evidence that the US is the #1 obese country in the World, take a look....yes, KFC buffets do exist
- Maybe this sign will serve as inspiration for Jenn to get off her lazy butt and get her license!
- Stoughton in the house! Proof that god was with me on this trip...R.I.P. Grandma Mason
- Just do it.
- Like I said, I had long driving days through the southwest. After stops in San Antonio, El Paso, and Phoenix, AZ...I finally saw my first sign to really say I was close...
- Next, was MILE ZERO! I had at least made it to the border! A quick trip through east California was all I was left!
I'm definitely looking forward to a new future in Cali, but definitely not forgetting where I've been and where I come from. I see this friendly reminder of Magnolia everyday!
I'm really here! It's nuts, but I have a good feeling about this...stay tuned for more...
No comments:
Post a Comment