Saturday, July 28, 2007
Side Note
I think that it would be really funny to plan a trip around the Johnny Cash song, I've Been Everywhere. Maybe next time! :)
Atlanta, GA
We officially crossed our last time zone this afternoon and are once again traveling on Eastern Standard Time. There’s something a little sad about being back on Eastern Standard Time; I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly though.
When we were driving through Florida and Alabama I saw signs all over the place for boiled peanuts, and it made me think of my grandfather. Every Saturday morning he used to go to the flee-market and eat free samples the whole way. Whenever someone would visit he would take them to the flee-market and pretend that boiled peanuts were some great delicacy. Unknowingly we all tried them and immediately realized they were not very good at all! Meanwhile my grandfather would be standing there with a grin on his face laughing.
Today I was reading one of our guidebooks and now have a better description of the Hostel in New Orleans for you. The guidebook describes it as bohemian and says that it used to be a brothel. I’m sure this helps paint a better mental image. Upon arriving at the Atlanta Hostel I learned that it too was once a brothel. Interesting.
When we checked into the hostel the girl at the desk told us to bring everything in from the car and then as we were emptying the car some random guy walking by warned us as well. After being warned twice, I’m going to take that warning very seriously. Having a stolen/broken into car is never a good time.
For dinner we went to Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken and Waffles Restaurant, and it was the full southern experience. I decided to have sweet tea, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, and peach cobbler. Mmm Mmm good! It was my very first plate of fried green tomatoes and they were served with remoulade sauce. I don’t know exactly what remoulade sauce is, but I’m a fan of it! My stomach isn't thanking me so much for so much fried food, but my mouth sure did as I was eating it.
When we were driving through Florida and Alabama I saw signs all over the place for boiled peanuts, and it made me think of my grandfather. Every Saturday morning he used to go to the flee-market and eat free samples the whole way. Whenever someone would visit he would take them to the flee-market and pretend that boiled peanuts were some great delicacy. Unknowingly we all tried them and immediately realized they were not very good at all! Meanwhile my grandfather would be standing there with a grin on his face laughing.
Today I was reading one of our guidebooks and now have a better description of the Hostel in New Orleans for you. The guidebook describes it as bohemian and says that it used to be a brothel. I’m sure this helps paint a better mental image. Upon arriving at the Atlanta Hostel I learned that it too was once a brothel. Interesting.
When we checked into the hostel the girl at the desk told us to bring everything in from the car and then as we were emptying the car some random guy walking by warned us as well. After being warned twice, I’m going to take that warning very seriously. Having a stolen/broken into car is never a good time.
For dinner we went to Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken and Waffles Restaurant, and it was the full southern experience. I decided to have sweet tea, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, and peach cobbler. Mmm Mmm good! It was my very first plate of fried green tomatoes and they were served with remoulade sauce. I don’t know exactly what remoulade sauce is, but I’m a fan of it! My stomach isn't thanking me so much for so much fried food, but my mouth sure did as I was eating it.
Crestview, FL
This morning we woke up and ventured back to the French Quarter. We had breakfast in the Cafe Du Monde. I had the most amazing warm beignets! Oh man, it was heavenly. After our yummy breakfast (I really wanted to have more gumbo for breakfast but refrained) we took a buggy tour. I'm really glad we did that because I learned a whole bunch about the history of the city and learned of a place to have lunch. One of the guys on the tour wanted to know where Angelina Joli and Brad Pitt's house was located, so the tour guide drove the buggy past their house. It's nothing overly impressive. I loved looking into the courtyards of the houses; they were incredible! After our tour we had lunch, and I definitely had more seafood gumbo. It wasn't as good as the gumbo last night, but it was still really good!
As we were driving out of the city I couldn't help but imagine what a nightmare it would be to evacuate New Orleans. There are so few roads out of the city and they are all running over water. I can understand how a lot of chaos would ensue. I wasn't ready to leave New Orleans and would love to go back. Even with really humid weather, the city won over my heart!
The drive through the rest of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and into Florida was pretty uneventful. We hit rain and traffic, the usual these days. Oh, and we really did play Sweet Home Alabama when crossing into Alabama.
Tonight we went out to dinner with my Aunt Pauline, Uncle Judd, my cousin Tamara, and her boyfriend. We went to Destin which is right on the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was setting as we were driving there and it was pretty to watch. We ate at a restaurant called Osaka Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar. It's one of those places where they cook the food right in front of you. It was the first time I've ever been to one and the guy heard me, leading me to be the one that got picked on. I really enjoyed the food and even forgot about how much I wanted to be eating gumbo!
As we were driving out of the city I couldn't help but imagine what a nightmare it would be to evacuate New Orleans. There are so few roads out of the city and they are all running over water. I can understand how a lot of chaos would ensue. I wasn't ready to leave New Orleans and would love to go back. Even with really humid weather, the city won over my heart!
The drive through the rest of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and into Florida was pretty uneventful. We hit rain and traffic, the usual these days. Oh, and we really did play Sweet Home Alabama when crossing into Alabama.
Tonight we went out to dinner with my Aunt Pauline, Uncle Judd, my cousin Tamara, and her boyfriend. We went to Destin which is right on the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was setting as we were driving there and it was pretty to watch. We ate at a restaurant called Osaka Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar. It's one of those places where they cook the food right in front of you. It was the first time I've ever been to one and the guy heard me, leading me to be the one that got picked on. I really enjoyed the food and even forgot about how much I wanted to be eating gumbo!
Friday, July 27, 2007
New Orleans, LA
Yesterday we drove into a crazy rain storm. I ended up driving through a ton of water and hydroplaning a little bit; it was the scariest experience ever. My hands were definitely shaking afterwards. We ended up getting off the highway and spending about an hour in this random casino somewhere in Louisiana to let the rain pass.
The hostel in New Orleans is rather "interesting." I'm not sure I can describe it to you completely, but it's like a flashback to the 60's and 70's. They also only take cash, no credit cards. Don't worry though, they have an ATM conveniently located for your use near the kitchen with a $2.75 fee. Overall, the people are generally pretty friendly and it's a cool place.
The hostel is conveniently located right off of Canal Street and it's very easy to catch one of the trolleys. Last night we took the trolley down to Bourbon Street and the surrounding area. I had my very first cup of seafood gumbo for dinner and it was the most amazing thing I've ever tasted! I wasn't sure if I'd like it at first so I only ordered a cup instead of a bowl, and after one spoonful I was wishing I had ordered the bowl! I also had the best mojito I've ever tasted. The guy put a lot of mint leaves in the bottom.
After dinner we headed over to Bourbon Street. I can only imagine what this place must have been like before the hurricane; I wish that I could have experienced it. I would love to come back to New Orleans, possibly for Mardi Gras at some point in my life. However, I think that I might fail out of grad school if I were to move here and go to Tulane.
Today we're going to spend some time in the city and then hit the road for Florida to visit my Aunt and Uncle. I'm kind of excited to drive through Alabama so that I can play the song Sweet Home Alabama.
The hostel in New Orleans is rather "interesting." I'm not sure I can describe it to you completely, but it's like a flashback to the 60's and 70's. They also only take cash, no credit cards. Don't worry though, they have an ATM conveniently located for your use near the kitchen with a $2.75 fee. Overall, the people are generally pretty friendly and it's a cool place.
The hostel is conveniently located right off of Canal Street and it's very easy to catch one of the trolleys. Last night we took the trolley down to Bourbon Street and the surrounding area. I had my very first cup of seafood gumbo for dinner and it was the most amazing thing I've ever tasted! I wasn't sure if I'd like it at first so I only ordered a cup instead of a bowl, and after one spoonful I was wishing I had ordered the bowl! I also had the best mojito I've ever tasted. The guy put a lot of mint leaves in the bottom.
After dinner we headed over to Bourbon Street. I can only imagine what this place must have been like before the hurricane; I wish that I could have experienced it. I would love to come back to New Orleans, possibly for Mardi Gras at some point in my life. However, I think that I might fail out of grad school if I were to move here and go to Tulane.
Today we're going to spend some time in the city and then hit the road for Florida to visit my Aunt and Uncle. I'm kind of excited to drive through Alabama so that I can play the song Sweet Home Alabama.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Texas
This morning I'm definitely feeling the time zone change. We are currently in Austin on Central Time, but my body feels like I just woke up on Pacific Time. Every time locals say Austin or South Austin with an accent, my ears keep hearing Boston and South Boston.
The hostel is pretty nice, minus the fact that the hot water heater is broken. :( Normally that wouldn't be a big deal but the other night I decided not to wash my hair and now it's going to feel really gross all day. I just couldn't get myself to stick my entire head under the cold water. I met a very nice older lady last night while in the bathroom. She was just talking my ear off. She was friendly and I enjoyed talking to her. It seems like there are a lot of people living in this particular hostel.
Last night we had dinner and hung out with Brandi and Colin. It was so refreshing to see them! Brandi has been in Austin visiting Colin for a few days, and it was definitely great to be able to see both of them.
Yesterday we did a lot of driving like normal. The open road without many cars and not much scenery leads to my mind wandering a lot. I've been thinking about where I want to live after I graduate in May. In my head I've been thinking of the pros and cons of each place, and places are definitely getting eliminated based on the weather! I've decided if I get to pick where I'm going, I'm going to be more picky this time around. I don't want to walk outside in the winter and instantly feel my snot freeze, and if possible I'd like to escape the humidity.
While we were driving out of El Paso we had to go through the Border Patrol. It was the silliest thing I've had to do. The guy had me roll the window down and asked if I was a US citizen and I responded yes. Then he pointed to Ilona in the passenger seat and asked her if she was a US citizen. She just nodded her head yes without saying a word and he let us drive on. I think you could say we experienced some racial profiling.
There are A LOT of churches in Texas. You can see them all as you drive along the highway and it's hard to tell at first glance which buildings and signs are for churches and which ones are for stores. All the churches are large buildings with giant flashing neon signs out front, and they are all located really close to one another. My other observation about Texas is that the gas here is the cheapest I have seen it in the entire US. Coincidence maybe?
This morning I think we're going to drive around Austin a little bit, have breakfast, and hit the road to New Orleans.
The hostel is pretty nice, minus the fact that the hot water heater is broken. :( Normally that wouldn't be a big deal but the other night I decided not to wash my hair and now it's going to feel really gross all day. I just couldn't get myself to stick my entire head under the cold water. I met a very nice older lady last night while in the bathroom. She was just talking my ear off. She was friendly and I enjoyed talking to her. It seems like there are a lot of people living in this particular hostel.
Last night we had dinner and hung out with Brandi and Colin. It was so refreshing to see them! Brandi has been in Austin visiting Colin for a few days, and it was definitely great to be able to see both of them.
Yesterday we did a lot of driving like normal. The open road without many cars and not much scenery leads to my mind wandering a lot. I've been thinking about where I want to live after I graduate in May. In my head I've been thinking of the pros and cons of each place, and places are definitely getting eliminated based on the weather! I've decided if I get to pick where I'm going, I'm going to be more picky this time around. I don't want to walk outside in the winter and instantly feel my snot freeze, and if possible I'd like to escape the humidity.
While we were driving out of El Paso we had to go through the Border Patrol. It was the silliest thing I've had to do. The guy had me roll the window down and asked if I was a US citizen and I responded yes. Then he pointed to Ilona in the passenger seat and asked her if she was a US citizen. She just nodded her head yes without saying a word and he let us drive on. I think you could say we experienced some racial profiling.
There are A LOT of churches in Texas. You can see them all as you drive along the highway and it's hard to tell at first glance which buildings and signs are for churches and which ones are for stores. All the churches are large buildings with giant flashing neon signs out front, and they are all located really close to one another. My other observation about Texas is that the gas here is the cheapest I have seen it in the entire US. Coincidence maybe?
This morning I think we're going to drive around Austin a little bit, have breakfast, and hit the road to New Orleans.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Arizona and New Mexico
Today we left CA and drove through Arizona, New Mexico, and stopped for the night in El Paso, TX. We lost an hour when we crossed New Mexico. I don’t like the idea of gaining time back, or losing it, depending on how you look at it.
I keep picking up wireless internet signals from the highway, but we’re traveling so quickly that there isn’t enough time before I lose the signal. I think it would be really funny to use the internet from the car; almost as funny as using it in my tent in the middle of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Nothing overly exciting to report today. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch because Ilona had never been and wanted to see what it’s all about. Cracker Barrel is one of my grandfather’s favorite places to eat, so I’ve definitely been to my fair share of Cracker Barrels before.
I don't understand the weather in the southwest.
Today I saw a highway exit sign that had, "Correction Facility," written above it and, "Camping," written below it. Why in the world would you ever camp near a correctional facility?! I think it's rather funny since all along the highway in Nevada there were signs that read, "Correctional Facility in area, don't pick up hitchhikers." Nevada doesn't want you to pick anyone up while Arizona and New Mexico encourage you to camp near their facilities.
I keep picking up wireless internet signals from the highway, but we’re traveling so quickly that there isn’t enough time before I lose the signal. I think it would be really funny to use the internet from the car; almost as funny as using it in my tent in the middle of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Nothing overly exciting to report today. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch because Ilona had never been and wanted to see what it’s all about. Cracker Barrel is one of my grandfather’s favorite places to eat, so I’ve definitely been to my fair share of Cracker Barrels before.
I don't understand the weather in the southwest.
Today I saw a highway exit sign that had, "Correction Facility," written above it and, "Camping," written below it. Why in the world would you ever camp near a correctional facility?! I think it's rather funny since all along the highway in Nevada there were signs that read, "Correctional Facility in area, don't pick up hitchhikers." Nevada doesn't want you to pick anyone up while Arizona and New Mexico encourage you to camp near their facilities.
LA & The Desert
Our stay in California is about to come to an end in the morning. I'm feeling a little bit sad about it for numerous reasons. It's going to be really weird following highway signs that say East since we were going West for so long! I'm not looking forward to heading back east and facing the humidity again, yuck!
While in LA we spent some time in Hollywood and Santa Monica. In Hollywood we visited the church of Scientology and took a tour. It was rather interesting. I think that they have some valid points, but overall think it's strange that L Ron Hubbard wrote science fiction before creating a religion. We had lunch at In N Out Burger; I feel like it's something you're obligated to do when visiting CA. We also visited the Hollywood sign to take pictures and walked along the walk of fame looking at stars. The next day we just hung around Santa Monica and picked up copies of Harry Potter. For dinner that night we tried fish tacos, and they weren't half bad. I love the weather in LA a lot.
After leaving LA we traveled 2 hours south east to the Palm Springs area and visited my other cousin, Andi, and her girlfriend, Julie. We went to eat at the restaurant where Julie is the chef, and that was fun. I was impressed because the bartender remembered who I was from when I visited in December. I got so excited because I got to eat white chocolate ravioli for dessert! After dinner we spent a little time playing the slot machines. I managed to leave with $16 more than I walked in with. I was very excited about that! This evening we went out to the Palm Springs Airtram. You take a rotating tram car 8,000 or so feet up the side of the mountain. I loved the view going up and down the mountain in the car.
I'm getting sick of packing and unpacking the car on a daily basis. Tomorrow we're going to start our trip towards Austin. We'll be stopping about half way, but I'm not exactly sure where yet. I'm really looking forward to Austin to visit with a few old friends!
While in LA we spent some time in Hollywood and Santa Monica. In Hollywood we visited the church of Scientology and took a tour. It was rather interesting. I think that they have some valid points, but overall think it's strange that L Ron Hubbard wrote science fiction before creating a religion. We had lunch at In N Out Burger; I feel like it's something you're obligated to do when visiting CA. We also visited the Hollywood sign to take pictures and walked along the walk of fame looking at stars. The next day we just hung around Santa Monica and picked up copies of Harry Potter. For dinner that night we tried fish tacos, and they weren't half bad. I love the weather in LA a lot.
After leaving LA we traveled 2 hours south east to the Palm Springs area and visited my other cousin, Andi, and her girlfriend, Julie. We went to eat at the restaurant where Julie is the chef, and that was fun. I was impressed because the bartender remembered who I was from when I visited in December. I got so excited because I got to eat white chocolate ravioli for dessert! After dinner we spent a little time playing the slot machines. I managed to leave with $16 more than I walked in with. I was very excited about that! This evening we went out to the Palm Springs Airtram. You take a rotating tram car 8,000 or so feet up the side of the mountain. I loved the view going up and down the mountain in the car.
I'm getting sick of packing and unpacking the car on a daily basis. Tomorrow we're going to start our trip towards Austin. We'll be stopping about half way, but I'm not exactly sure where yet. I'm really looking forward to Austin to visit with a few old friends!
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