JAN 10, 2009 ::: Pete called this morning from the Grand Canyon. I told him not to get so close to the edge. He and Gray are heading for L.A. today and should be there tonight.
I started packing today. It's easy to take a huge suitcase for just one person and not have to worry about flying back home. Road trip!
Hooray for Hollywood...
JAN 11, 2009 ::: ...they hire fellahs whose physiques are good!
Pete and Gray arrived in L.A. last night. They'll stay with Gray's sister until Gray moves into his apartment in Burbank on Tuesday.
Pete and Gray arrived in L.A. last night. They'll stay with Gray's sister until Gray moves into his apartment in Burbank on Tuesday.
Gate B79
JAN 13, 2009 ::: Waiting for my Virgin America flight to L.A. Got an early start, leaving the house at 5:29 am. Flight is about half full so they assigned me my own row.
Waking up in San Diego
JAN 14, 2009 ::: My flight from Dulles was great... nearly empty and I had my own row of seats. We also arrived nearly an hour early, so I was able to make my way to the Flyaway Bus to Union Station to pick up the rental car (the airport fee for car rentals is nearly a hundred bucks!). The bus driver, Johnny, kept me entertained the entire way with stories and complaints. It was great.
Picked up the car and found that I had been upgraded to a Sebring convertible. Fun to drive, but we haven't figured out how to get the top down yet. I found Pete and Gray at the Big Boy in Burbank and we made our transfer there of Pete's stuff from Gray's car to mine. It was great to see him and he was happy to be starting the new leg of the journey.
We left right away for San Diego and made one stop to see Laguna Beach. A beautiful town with an amazing bright blue ocean. We wound our way to San Diego and found our hotel in Old Town. We walked through Old Town last night and the ate at the hotel-clerk recommended Old Town Mexican Cafe. Yummmm.
I was in bed asleep by 7:30 Pacific time. I got up at 4:30 Eastern that morning, so I was beat. As you can see from the time stamp here, I'm still on Eastern time. Now it's time to find a Roadfood recommended breakfast spot, tour a little bit of San Diego and then head off on "Historic Route 80" to Yuma, Arizona.
Coffee cake...
JAN 14, 2009 ::: Breakfast at the Hob Nob Hill restaurant in San Diego was great. Famous for their coffee cake... Homemade jam too.
Yuma to Tucson
JAN 16, 2009 ::: We are staying in this great hotel called the Hotel Congress, open since 1919. It's famous for the capture of John Dillinger in 1934 during a fire at the hotel. The place has a great, funky feel to it and the rooms are docorated much like they would have been in 1934... no TV, just an old-timey radio.
We left Yuma yesterday morning after breakfast at the Mad Greek's and then a stop at Roxaboxen. The place isn't much and doesn't even mention what it actually is, but we sensed a deep emotional feel there... like it's a monumnt to children playing throughout the ages. We brought the book with us and compared the pictures and the houses are still across the street, although in a more-suburban setting than rural.
The drive through the desert was spectacular and we spent much of it on the smaller roads with the top down. We finally spotted Seguaro cactus and then they took over the landscape. We still haven't seen a cloud in the sky since we left L.A. and the temps have been in the high 70s, except for on the mountain passes, when they dip down into the high 60s.
We arrived in Tucson around dinner time and had a fabulous dinner in the hotel's restaurant, where we chatted with a fellow who was dining alone who turned out to be the club's entertainment (2Mex, "The hardest working man in underground rap," or as he told us... Alex).
We couldn't get into the club or even sit outside in the patio area because Pete is under 21. So we wandered across the street into the old train station, where we found a small gourmet grocery that was technically closed. The owner showed us around, sold us a couple of Mexican Coca-Colas in glass bottles (real sugar!) and let us sit out on his patio and watch the trains go by. The Tucson Amtrak station is still there, but the passenger trains arrive in the middle of the night. Several freight trains went by while we sat and talked and enjoyed the cool evening and great company (each other!).
Today we're off to Bisbee and Tombstone, Arizona, and then up to Truth or Consequences, N.M. We may dip into Mexico... at least that's our plan.
Tucson to Truth or Consequences
JAN 19, 2009 ::: We left Tucson after checking out of the hotel and found a roadfood breakfast spot outside of town. We got off the Interstate as soon as we could and traveled through some great desert scenery south through Tombstone to Bisbee, Arizona, a coal-mining town set into the mountains. Kind of reminded us Harpers Ferry, WVa. We spent a good amount of time there walking around and visiting antique malls. We talked to folks about the inauguration (they all assume we're traveling to get away from busy DC).
We were sorry to leave Bisbee, but it was getting very late and we still had a few hours of travel and wanted to get down to the border town of Douglas, Arizona, and cross into Mexico for a short visit. So... we headed down to Douglas and stopped at the visitors' center for info on crossing the border. We met a nice old woman there who told us about the history of the town and told us where to park and walk across to Mexico.
So we did... After a great Mexican dinner in Douglas, we parked the car, payed a buck to a kid running the lot and then walked a block or so through a turnstile (the kind you exit through in the NYC subway) and we were in Mexico. No guards, no questions. Then we walked in an arc back to the US Border, where we passed through a building and had to hand our passports to a border guard who scanned them into a computer. Somewhere, someone in the US government knows we've been to Agua Prieta, Mexico.
Back on the road, the sun was setting behind us over the beautiful mountains of Mexico. We drove north in the pitch dark for four hours, with absolutely no idea what we were passing, to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We stopped in the middle of nowhere to get out and look at the stars... it was amazing... more stars than sky.
We arrived at the Red Haven Motel at 10:30 pm and fell into bed, ready to hit Texas in the morning.
We were sorry to leave Bisbee, but it was getting very late and we still had a few hours of travel and wanted to get down to the border town of Douglas, Arizona, and cross into Mexico for a short visit. So... we headed down to Douglas and stopped at the visitors' center for info on crossing the border. We met a nice old woman there who told us about the history of the town and told us where to park and walk across to Mexico.
So we did... After a great Mexican dinner in Douglas, we parked the car, payed a buck to a kid running the lot and then walked a block or so through a turnstile (the kind you exit through in the NYC subway) and we were in Mexico. No guards, no questions. Then we walked in an arc back to the US Border, where we passed through a building and had to hand our passports to a border guard who scanned them into a computer. Somewhere, someone in the US government knows we've been to Agua Prieta, Mexico.
Back on the road, the sun was setting behind us over the beautiful mountains of Mexico. We drove north in the pitch dark for four hours, with absolutely no idea what we were passing, to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We stopped in the middle of nowhere to get out and look at the stars... it was amazing... more stars than sky.
We arrived at the Red Haven Motel at 10:30 pm and fell into bed, ready to hit Texas in the morning.
Texas
JAN 19, 2009 ::: We backtracked down from Truth or Consequences, through Las Cruces, to El Paso, Texas, where we stopped at the El Paso Saddleblanket, a big touristy place filled with blankets, saddles and lots of crap made in China that looks like it comes from Indians and from Mexico. There's a big sign inside that says "These items are not Indian produced, an Indian product or the product of a particular Indian, Indian Tribe or Indian Arts and Crafts Organization as defined by 25 USC, 305 et seq."
We got a couple of $1 hats for ourselves (the sun is bright in the convertible!) and a $4 t-shirt for Pete. Then we headed back onto the road toward Pecos, Texas. We crossed through some pretty desert and crossed over some big mountains until the land got flatter and scrubbier. We saw several armadillos waddling alongside the road and some antelope on the range, mixed in with a cow or two. We arrived at the Swiss Clock Inn in Pecos and did our laundry in their free machines and had dinner in their restaurant.
We left Pecos after breakfast in the hotel restaurant and headed down to Fredericksburg, Texas. The land got less deserty and more hilly and full of farms mixed in with the ranches. We stopped in Mason, Texas, at some antique malls and had fun talking with the people there. We made it to Fredericksburg at dinnertime and had a German dinner in the restaurant next to our little Dietzel Motel. We finally realized something: we don't really like German food.
We had breakfast in Fredericksburg at the Hill Country Donut and Kolaches, a tiny little carryout place run by an Asian couple. The owner was very talkative and I told him that my sister lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He asked if there were lots of Germans in that part of Virginia. I noted that he didn't seem German and asked where he was from. He told me he was Germanese. A very funny guy.. delicious breakfast and enjoyable stop.
We headed down to San Antonio and made a stop at a very important historical location... the site of the Great Helotes Mulch Fire.
San Antonio was wonderful. We visited the Alamo, of course, and met a wonderful docent who spent a lot of time answering our questions and telling us history about the state and the Alamo that wasn't included anywhere else.
After the Alamo, we walked over to the Riverwalk, which is beautiful. We were getting hungry but didnt' want to eat in one of the chain restaurants there, so we asked a hotdog vendor where we could get
some good Texas BBQ in San Antonio. He and a fellow customer told us to go to Augie's Barbed Wire BBQ "near the zoo." Wow... it was certainly worth it.
Got back on I-10 and headed to Houston. We are now in a Sleep Inn in Baytown, just east of Houston. Tomorrow we head to New Orleans. Stopped at Sonic for a quick dinner in our room... We're now watching the re-broadcast of the We Are One concert from the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. We want to be on the road early so we can listen to the inauguration in the car.
We got a couple of $1 hats for ourselves (the sun is bright in the convertible!) and a $4 t-shirt for Pete. Then we headed back onto the road toward Pecos, Texas. We crossed through some pretty desert and crossed over some big mountains until the land got flatter and scrubbier. We saw several armadillos waddling alongside the road and some antelope on the range, mixed in with a cow or two. We arrived at the Swiss Clock Inn in Pecos and did our laundry in their free machines and had dinner in their restaurant.
We left Pecos after breakfast in the hotel restaurant and headed down to Fredericksburg, Texas. The land got less deserty and more hilly and full of farms mixed in with the ranches. We stopped in Mason, Texas, at some antique malls and had fun talking with the people there. We made it to Fredericksburg at dinnertime and had a German dinner in the restaurant next to our little Dietzel Motel. We finally realized something: we don't really like German food.
We had breakfast in Fredericksburg at the Hill Country Donut and Kolaches, a tiny little carryout place run by an Asian couple. The owner was very talkative and I told him that my sister lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He asked if there were lots of Germans in that part of Virginia. I noted that he didn't seem German and asked where he was from. He told me he was Germanese. A very funny guy.. delicious breakfast and enjoyable stop.
We headed down to San Antonio and made a stop at a very important historical location... the site of the Great Helotes Mulch Fire.
San Antonio was wonderful. We visited the Alamo, of course, and met a wonderful docent who spent a lot of time answering our questions and telling us history about the state and the Alamo that wasn't included anywhere else.
After the Alamo, we walked over to the Riverwalk, which is beautiful. We were getting hungry but didnt' want to eat in one of the chain restaurants there, so we asked a hotdog vendor where we could get
some good Texas BBQ in San Antonio. He and a fellow customer told us to go to Augie's Barbed Wire BBQ "near the zoo." Wow... it was certainly worth it.Got back on I-10 and headed to Houston. We are now in a Sleep Inn in Baytown, just east of Houston. Tomorrow we head to New Orleans. Stopped at Sonic for a quick dinner in our room... We're now watching the re-broadcast of the We Are One concert from the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. We want to be on the road early so we can listen to the inauguration in the car.
Louisiana
JAN 25, 2009 ::: "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
We walked down to the Corner Grocery to get muffulettas but it was closed, so we wandered into Tujagues Restaurant and had a fabulous fixed meal.. apps, salad, soup, entree and dessert and coffee. Then we walked over to Bourbon St where we each got a very strong Hand Grenade drink. We moseyed back to the hotel while drinking our drinks and finished them while enjoying the courtyard at the hotel before crashing for the night.
Pete and I listened to Barack Obama's inauguration on the radio while leaving Texas. How perfect is that? We arrived in New Orleans late in the afternoon and checked into the Frenchmen Hotel, at the east edge of the French Quarter. Our room was two levels.. a loft with a bed upstairs and a pullout couch and bathroom on the bottom floor. It was great... like having a little apartment. We entered from a walkway above the courtyard that held a pretty pool and garden.
We walked down to the Corner Grocery to get muffulettas but it was closed, so we wandered into Tujagues Restaurant and had a fabulous fixed meal.. apps, salad, soup, entree and dessert and coffee. Then we walked over to Bourbon St where we each got a very strong Hand Grenade drink. We moseyed back to the hotel while drinking our drinks and finished them while enjoying the courtyard at the hotel before crashing for the night.
In the morning, we slept very late and made our way back to the now-open Corner Grocery and had our muffulettas. Yum. Then we walked over to the Cafe Du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait. After finishing up, we drove around New Orleans.. down St Charles through the Garden District and found the apartment and house Doug's mom used to live in. We had dinner that night with our friends John and Susan Seip and another great cup of cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde with them.
We got up the next morning and headed toward Dauphin Island, Alabama.
Dauphin Island to Charlotte
JAN 25, 2009 ::: We arrived at Bill and Slavica Harper's wonderful cottage on the Mobile Bay around lunchtime, and were greeted with freshly made bread and lentil soup. And great stories, of course. 
We stayed in the Willow Tree Cottage B&B, the cottage they have next door to their own house (joined to their house by the long deck), which was like paradise. Slavica came home with fresh oysters and shrimp and had made a delicious Mousaka. The dinner was wonderful.
We woke up in paradise, had a few cups of Bill's great espresso and got back in the car to head for Atlanta.
After a grueling drive to (and through) Atlanta, we arrived at our hotel on the Perimeter. We were hungry and thinking about going back out to look for Chinese food after checking in and getting settled. Lo and behold, in our room on the floor was a menu for Hong Kong City, so we called for delivery and enjoyed our delicious dinner in our PJs, lounging comfortably in our room.
We were awakened at 7:30 a.m. by a call from Doug and got on the road quickly to head to Charlotte. I dropped off Pete at the Queens campus and headed on over to my friend Sally's house. Sally and I got back in my car after a short rest and we drove out to the mountains. They have a great cabin in Blowing Rock, N.C., perched on the side of a mountain with a view of one of the many skiing resorts in the area. We went to a concert at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock and saw The John Cowan Band, a mixture of bluegrass with everything else. It was great.
I woke up once again in paradise, this time with a gorgeous mountain view. We got up and headed out to the pancake breakfast at the elementary school in Blowing Rock, then Robert and Sally took me on a tour of the area, including a drive along the viaduct at Grandfather Mountain (on the Blue Ridge Parkway). Sally and I did a little shopping in Boone, N.C. (home of Appalachian State University) and then we all drove back to Charlotte.
I'll pick up Pete in the morning and we'll be heading home.
We stayed in the Willow Tree Cottage B&B, the cottage they have next door to their own house (joined to their house by the long deck), which was like paradise. Slavica came home with fresh oysters and shrimp and had made a delicious Mousaka. The dinner was wonderful.
We woke up in paradise, had a few cups of Bill's great espresso and got back in the car to head for Atlanta.
After a grueling drive to (and through) Atlanta, we arrived at our hotel on the Perimeter. We were hungry and thinking about going back out to look for Chinese food after checking in and getting settled. Lo and behold, in our room on the floor was a menu for Hong Kong City, so we called for delivery and enjoyed our delicious dinner in our PJs, lounging comfortably in our room.
We were awakened at 7:30 a.m. by a call from Doug and got on the road quickly to head to Charlotte. I dropped off Pete at the Queens campus and headed on over to my friend Sally's house. Sally and I got back in my car after a short rest and we drove out to the mountains. They have a great cabin in Blowing Rock, N.C., perched on the side of a mountain with a view of one of the many skiing resorts in the area. We went to a concert at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock and saw The John Cowan Band, a mixture of bluegrass with everything else. It was great.
I woke up once again in paradise, this time with a gorgeous mountain view. We got up and headed out to the pancake breakfast at the elementary school in Blowing Rock, then Robert and Sally took me on a tour of the area, including a drive along the viaduct at Grandfather Mountain (on the Blue Ridge Parkway). Sally and I did a little shopping in Boone, N.C. (home of Appalachian State University) and then we all drove back to Charlotte.
I'll pick up Pete in the morning and we'll be heading home.
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