Time in Tejas

After dropping Ariel off at the airport I tried to get to the Tabasco factory but they were closed. The plant and the ecological preserve on Avery Island seemed well worth a stop so I'll add it the the massive list of things to see for next time I'm crossing the country. I continued through Louisiana and into Texas where, given my strong aversion to setting up a tent in the dark that night, I found a rest area outside of Houston and hunkered down in the car. You can imagine it's not the most comfortable sleep to be in the passenger seat of a vehicle on a balmy Texas night so I woke up a few times throughout the night. Each time I was surprised how many people were either resting as well or had stopped for a bathroom break. Families and and all sorts of people were busy at 1 am, 3 am, and 7 am when I got started and left for Austin.

Austin turned out to be the fun city it's advertised as. I met my sister's friend Natalia for lunch when I got in town and she recommended Barton Springs so after some food I checked it out, hoping to beat the heat. The $3 entrance fee was well worth it and I enjoyed swimming and wading in the cool water of the springs that have been corralled into a nice public pool. People were doing flips off the diving board and laughing, all around it was a great time. I then drove over to Natalia's and showered before heading back out to explore the town. We met up again for pizza and some local brews and she gave me a few directions to wander such as Sixth Street which is the main attraction and it has a few different elements. There are sports bars and live music clubs and venues near the downtown, and then some hipster bars and interesting eateries on the east side of the interstate. It was still a little early in the night so most music hadn't gotten started so I pretty much just wandered.

After doing a little Facebook browsing I found out that Al from NOLA was having a "hurrication" here in Austin with a couple of her friends to avoid Hurricane Isaac which was supposed to touch down that night. I sent her a message and the four of us met up at a bar with a couple others. It was nice to see a couple familiar faces since my hostess for the evening was busy in band practice, and we had a couple beers and chatted.

Later on in the night the music picked up and I was pretty thrilled with the overall scene. It's called the "Live Music Capital of the World" and I can now see why. I'm not sure I could live in Austin for the lack of recreation outside the city and the stifling heat, but it sure was fun to spend some time in such a vibrant night scene.

 

Fantastically Hedonistic New Orleans

Ariel and I spent three nights and close to three days in the Mardi Gras capital and I'll preface the story of our time with the fact that in New Orleans it's legal to have an open alcoholic beverage in public. For those of us used to the customs of normal states this news came as a bit of a shock and we were certain to take full advantage of the liberties given in this city.

We got in a little late but after meeting our hostesses Dani and Allyson we went out to Frenchman St. This area was described to us as the "Bourbon St for locals." We got a couple drinks and listened to a funky, jazzy brass band. Then we simply walked outside with our drinks and down to the next bar with live music! All down the street was live music, cheap drinks, and people having fun in the sticky warm nighttime air. The music scene here was thrilling and I couldn't get enough of it. We would be watching a band and in the middle of an instrumental jam some seemingly random guy would walk in with a trumpet or sax or trombone and start jamming with them. These gypsy musicians typically had just left their own band's gig down the street and popped in to jam while walking by. I could've stayed at these bars all night and day for the whole weekend but we had much to see.

The next morning we got brunch at a cafe and ordered Bloody Marys from the bar next door. The food was delicious, especially the grits, and when we left we got another Bloody for the road. We just couldn't believe it was legal to walk down the street with a cocktail in hand and made the most of it. Although legal, we did find out that people find it odd when you do this in a residential neighborhood on a Saturday morning, as evidenced by the hair dressers in a salon laughing as they saw us strolling by.

We explored the river front and Audubon Park and returned to the apartment to get ready for Midsummer Mardi Gras which just happened to fall on this Saturday that we were here. Dani has a great costume trunk and Ariel and I were able to pull together some killer outfits before heading out. We got to the parade beginning and joined the roughly thousand other people with daiquiris in hand. There were some hilarious costumes and floats, like Bar-2-D2 which rolled by with drinks. We paraded for a bit and ended in a park with everyone else where we enjoyed hanging out and garrulously chatting with others until we stumbled back home for the night.

Sunday we ventured out for another brunch which was of course delicious. Then, feeling the richness of the food wearing on us, we went for a run down the streetcar tracks as many do. It was hot and absurdly humid and when we returned from our several mile jaunt and stopped creating our own breeze, starting sweating profusely. Ariel showered first and I just stood in the kitchen over the floor mat so as not to create a flood on the hardwood. I don't think I've ever sweat as much, I was completely soaked as if I'd fallen in a pool and then when I got out a pool had fallen on me. There was no end, even after I showered, and both of us ended up laying on the bed under the ceiling fan for awhile to cool down.

Once we had gathered ourselves we ventured out to check out Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. The area was really fun and we saw some live music at House of Blues and wandered the Quarter. There were many street artists and cute storefronts, and we did some souvenir shopping along with Cafe Au Lait and beignets at Cafe Du Monde and then searched out some oysters. Everyone had recommended Acme Oyster House but there was a line and we had a show to go to soon. The decision to go across the street to Felix's was a great one and the guy behind the oyster bar immediately shucked us 7 oysters each even though we were only ordering a dozen. He showed us how to efficiently and safely shuck oysters and we enjoyed the low key nature of the guy and place. The Po' Boys were good and the guy even gave us a couple pieces of the slice of cake he had been given by the kitchen.

We paid and hustled off to a show that Steph had helped us find after fruitlessly searching on our phones. What she came up with was a Mario Brothers themed burlesque show! It was the last night they were performing so we took this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was my first burlesque show and it was a mixture of hilarious and sexy, with emphasis on the former. They got the crowd into it and we were all laughing throughout the hour. After the show we walked back to Bourbon Street and got a beer at Lafitte's, the oldest bar in America having been founded 15 years before our country. It doesn't seem to get too crazy since it's at the end of Bourbon but it has a great atmosphere. We were stunned by all the activity on Bourbon on a Sunday night and the live music was great.

Monday morning was our last and we started it with a swamp tour. The Louisiana swamp was stunning and wild and we saw upwards of a dozen alligators which the guide coaxed right next to the boat with the promise of hot dogs. We learned some local history, saw turtles, herons, and miles of Spanish moss. Afterwards we returned to NOLA and had a luxurious yet good priced lunch at Commander's Palace which, during weekday lunches, can be accompanied by tasty 25 cent martinis! Being the driver I only had one but since Ariel would soon be hopping on a plane he was good about consuming a dollars worth. The mood about the place was interesting since Hurricane Isaac was nearing and most businesses had their windows boarded up. It was fortunate that Ariel's flight was today because tomorrow the storm would touch land and all flights were cancelled. But unfortunately the coming of a hurricane prompted many to voluntarily evacuate and it took us and hour and a half to drive the 15 miles to the airport. He left his luggage with me to avoid the time to check a bag and I dropped him off with less than an hour until takeoff, thankfully he made the flight.

I've been fortunate to have friends and loved ones who have met me along the way on this long journey and Ariel's company through the past week was the best way to drive a couple thousand miles. We had some boring stretches but overall the music was thumping and we had a fantastic time seeing the South and nearly literally drinking in New Orleans.

Across the South

Ariel and I had the grand goal of waking up to be able to see the sun rise over the ocean instead of always seeing it set over water back home. We got up in time, drove to the beach, and found that the sky was too cloudy to actually see the sun. A little disappointed, we went for a run down the beach, came back and packed up, and headed for Atlanta. The Outer Banks were a lot of fun, even for just a night, and I'm sure I'll make it back here for longer to have fun with their many recreational opportunities like kayaking, surfing, parasailing, and just swimming in the relatively warm waters of the Atlantic.

The driving was scenic and we couldn't believe just how lush and green the scenery was in the Carolinas. Just before exiting the freeway we got pulled over again and got the same response. You can't drive without registration. Wow that's an amazing story. Expect to get pulled over again. At this point I started a contest with friends on Facebook, the prize being a beer on me, to correctly guess how many time I get pulled over on the 4000 miles of driving back to home. I got some good guesses and now I won't be blogging about being pulled over until I get back.

We stopped for lunch with a friend in Raleigh, South Carolina where we had some really delicious BBQ. Liz is a friend of Steph's that Ariel knew as well so it was fun to meet her. Raleigh also seemed like a cool town but we wanted to reach Atlanta so we hopped back on the road and pushed on to Georgia.

We arrived at our friend Amanda's place just outside Atlanta and it was great to catch up with her after several years and have a couple beers. It was also awesome of her to wait up so late and have an air mattress ready! To top it off, her boyfriend James made us breakfast in the morning! This trip has been full of nice people, strangers and friends alike, and it's never lost on me when someone helps me out so much. Thanks guys!

After breakfast and goodbyes Ariel and I drove into town and stopped at the Coca Cola museum. I'm not much of a soda drinker, let alone Coke, but we wanted to see it after hearing it was interesting. After videos, a little bit of history, and tons of lights, cheery people, and visual/audio stimulation we left completely overwhelmed. The entire thing was like a giant ad to buy more Coke, which I shouldn't have been surprised about since their main strength as a company is their marketing. Some of the old ads and merchandise they had were interesting, and it was fun to taste some of the international soda brands they own and some different flavors like apple soda from Mexico and pineapple kiwi soda from South America, but overall it was kinda crazy to have all these exhibits and features and entertainment for just a soda.

We continued on with New Orleans as the destination for the night. Alabama and Mississippi went by quickly and we only stopped for gas and a bite to eat before entering Louisiana and finally NOLA where we would be staying at a friend of my sister's for the next three nights before Ariel flies back and I finish this journey.

Showtime in DC, on to the Outer Banks

Our first day of driving together started off with a quick succession of new states, all of which needed pictures with jorts. We dipped into Delaware quickly, then Maryland and finally DC. We first stopped at Bob and Sharon's, Steph's great uncle and aunt with whom we'd be staying for the night. They had a lunch spread ready for us and it was great to meet them. We eventually took the subway into town and stopped first at the Air and Space Museum. It was really amazing to see all the aircraft and spacecraft, especially the Wright Brothers exhibit.

A couple ridiculous, and by that I mean awesome, pictures were taken on the Mall and we headed to Dupont Circle to meet a friend for dinner. We killed time walking down Embassy Row which was really interesting to see so many countries represented and their flags. We had some good sushi then headed over to Hank's Oyster Bar for oyster happy hour where they were 50 cents each! Another drink and we caught the last subway back to Bob and Sharon's.

The next morning we made them breakfast in appreciation of their hospitality and headed back to the Mall for some more sightseeing. We were decked out in all patriotic gear and it was humbling and inspiring to see the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, and the sculpture garden. I wasn't surprised when the car with no plates that we were driving around the country's center of power was pulled over. The first officer gave me a bit of a hard time about driving an unregistered vehicle, but while he ran some checks his partner got the story of my trip and we had a great conversation including the story of his dad riding a fixed gear bike from Boston to Pennsylvania when he was 11 1/2. This cop understood the journey and was excited for me. I'm not sure if that had any bearing on the outcome but the first officer came back with only a warning ticket and told me to expect to get pulled over again before I got home. I said thanks and we moved on, amused because it was obvious that he thought it had to be illegal somehow but hadn't gotten any clarity from dispatch and really wasn't sure what to do so the warning sufficed.

After having our fill of monument and police, Ariel and I drove past the ominously massive Pentagon on the way out of town and entered Virginia. Our destination was the Outer Banks in North Carolina and we made it just barely before dark. The whole area was really pretty and we enjoyed a good meal and beers at the local brewery. On the way back to our campsite we came across one of the coolest stores I've seen all trip, the Brew Thru. It's a gas station and market but you drive through the building and place your order from the car. The beer and wine are lined up against the driveway so you can see your choices and tell the cashier what you want, then they'll get it for you. Sure it's lazy but the idea of buying beer while still in the car is great and we got some fun souvenirs too.

Back at camp we settled down for what would be the first and last night camping with Ariel on the trip, and he was a little surprised at how small my tent was that we were sharing but we were roommates in college for four years so it was no big deal. We made the mistake of opening the tent flaps for a little bit too long to adjust the fly, and spent the next 30 minutes finding and killing the dozen or so mosquitoes that made their way into the tent before finally getting some sleep.

The Boys Meet in Philly

After getting mixed up on the NJ Turnpike a little I finally made it down to Philadelphia. A quick stop along the way provided me with a pair of gym shorts, a small cooler, and a Nalgene water bottle for the road. I picked up Ariel at Reading Terminal Market where he'd been waiting since arriving earlier in the morning. The first reaction was a solid bout of laughter at the car I rolled up in and we threw his luggage in the trunk. We had all day to hang out in Philly so we started off with a stop at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Our Hall tour guide was an interesting character and provided some unintentional comedy to the historically informative tour. It was pretty inspiring to be in the same room that the country's founders sat in while they crafted documents of tyranny.

Next we met up with one of Steph's friends, Allan, at whose place we'd be sleeping that night. He gave us a spare key and some great recommendations so we set off back to Reading Terminal Market. We indulged in the mandatory cheesesteak which was fine but reminded me of how little I enjoy the taste of red meat on its own, especially when there's nothing else on the sandwich but some onions and mediocre cheese. A walk was necessary and the course of parks on the way to the Stallone Rocky statue and the Museum of Art provided a great relief from the cheesesteaks. We even got to see a grown man of questionable sanity playing in one of the fountains. He was obviously having a great time in his swim trunks, sticking his chest into the high velocity fountain jets and yelling at random people so we stayed to watch a few minutes.

We found our way to the subway and rode down to the Phillies ballpark where we had tickets for the game that night. The sports complex there is like nothing I've ever seen, with stadiums for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey all in one area with one of the biggest sports bars either of us had ever set foot in right in the middle of it all. The game was fun and the park was really nice but it's hard to cheer on a game when you don't care about either of the teams playing. But since I've been starved of Giant's games this season it's been great to be able to see a few games on the road. We hit up a pizza joint on the way back and then settled down for the night. Thanks again Allan for letting us crash in your room while at work overnight!

NYC, Act II

I met Armin and Steph at Armin's apartment since he was nice enough to carry my stuff from the Google office where it had been stored for the day. He shares a nice place in Lower Manhattan with a few guys and soon the three of us were heading out to dinner and drinks in the East Side with his friend Erica. It was a lot of fun to hang out in NYC with someone who really knows the place and we had a beer at a bar that caters to SF Bay Area sports teams and such so I got a taste of home. I also got a taste I wasn't expecting with the newly popular "pickleback" drink. It's a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. Certainly not conventional but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. We hopped to and through a couple bars before it started pouring, pushing us to catch a cab back. One last stop at the nearby dive bar resulted in a quick dance on the bar by one of us (I won't name names but with two guys and one girl you can probably guess who it was) and the free shots that were payment, then we called it a night.

Saturday started out with another delicious bagel and lox before we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. Although the bridge was under construction it was still fun to see the iconic structure and turn back for a vista of the Manhattan skyline. Armin, Steph, and I walked around Brooklyn a little and then trained over to Williamsburg for some satisfying beers at Brooklyn Brewing Co. The destination in this area was the free concert at Williamsburg Park and we walked over to listen to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I've loved her music for a few years now and was blown away by their live show. It was fantastic to share such fun music and dancing with Steph and Armin and we had a great time. After the show we got some amazing pizza at a hole in the wall place and headed back to sleep.

Sunday started off in the best way, with a mouth watering brunch at Chop House. The food and Bloody Marys were fantastic and the three of us enjoyed a walk along the gorgeous High Line and listened to a good jazz trio playing for tips. Steph and I checked into the luxurious Standard Hotel fornight the night and took their complimentary bikes out for a ride down the waterfront trail. We walked around Greenwich Village awhile and picked up some pizza and side dishes which we brought back to the room. A tasty but quiet meal with just the two of us was the perfect way to end a fantastic week together, especially when capped with cocktails and dessert from the room service menu.

The next day we said goodbye for a couple weeks and I made my way uptown to get the car. I found another "no plates" ticket but at least it started up again and soon I was on my way across the GW bridge to meet Ariel in Philly.

Romping Around NYC, Act I

We got into NYC a little later than expected which caused me to push back a lunch date with a friend. I met Ben for coffee later on and it was fun to catch up after nearly 6 years. I also walked the trail along the Hudson and around the World Financial Center and the Freedom Tower being built. This entire area was very impressive with all the global power that's concentrated here. I met Steph when she got off work and we hauled our bags through the pouring rain and thunder uptown to a friend Rachel's place. Although we arrived soaking she welcomed us in and proved to be a great host for the next two nights.

After drying off we ventured back out to meet one of my best friends Matt for Ethiopian food. Matt and I had our fair share of adventures in middle school and high school and it was really fun catching up with him over dinner and later drinks.

The next day I made myself busy with the following: eating an amazing bagel with lox, snacking at Chelsea Market, walking Central Park, and exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Central Park was beautiful, perhaps the grandest city park I've ever seen, and the Met was so much fun to explore. I could have spent another several days there but just seeing what I did was enough to make me awe and also inspire me to try some new pottery ideas when I get back.

Steph had a surprise in store for us and she took me to the Frying Pan, a tasty restaurant on a barge docked in the Hudson. After dinner we went to Say No More, a kind of interactive play. I'll try not to give too much away but it was basically a modern rendition of Macbeth which is acted out throughout the many rooms of a mansion. While the actors are running around in their roles, you as an observer can rifle through the prop letters and rooms and follow the actors as they silently act out their parts, all while wearing an anonymous mask and saying nothing. It was a really interesting experience and we both had a lot of fun being a part of it.

Friday morning we went for a run which we both needed. A lot of eating and drinking can be exhausting, especially since I hadn't exercised for five days now. The run gave me a ton of energy but we had to make it quick since I had a meeting. I took the subway uptown to meet Marco and buy his car. I had looked around and decided that if I had to deal with the DMV and such it would be better to buy the car here in NYC when I had a couple days. The '95 Corolla isn't much to look at but after a test drive it seems to roll fine. It has several new components in the last two years and it's almost the same car I learned to drive a stick on so I'm really comfortable with it. We ended up settling at $1200 and I feel pretty good that this beast will get me home! The downside to buying a car here is that in NY the plates belong to the person not the car so Marco took them. Now I'm driving around in a car that has no license plates and it's sure to attract attention. Within the first hour of owning it I had parked in the wrong area and gotten a ticket for that as well as for having no plates. But on a positive note my insurance didn't increase one cent due to a multi car discount and low value, and my insurance lady informed me that since I'd be registering it in CA, which has a 30 day grace period after purchasing the vehicle, I wouldn't need to register the vehicle until I get back!

I was pretty excited and spent the next several hours checking out the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was really interesting to hear the audio tours about how the meaning of Lady Liberty has changed over the years and see the whole process of immigrants entering the USA. My great grandmother entered this country through Ellis Island and it was really exciting to see what she and millions others might have gone through. After this it was time to meet Steph and my friend Armin whose apartment we would be staying at, so I'll leave the coming adventurous nights for the second act.