The Carolina's and Virginia

I left South Carolina this morning after being filled with toast and eggs by my gracious host. Bidding Katie and George farewell, I headed back out on the open road. The pines thickened, as North Carolina quickly came and went. Crossing into Virginia felt a bit like coming home. My grandmother's family has been here for generations, of which familial roots intertwine tightly with the history of the state it's self. Tinker and Pat welcomed me into their beautiful home, which sat nestled under a thin canopy of deciduous trees. Tinker took me out to see a local civil war museum, which had been painstakingly filled with artifacts by a family that saw the historical significance of the battle site remnants back in the sixties. While most farmers were plowing over the remains of old encampments, they were out there hauling back everything they could find. The displays hold some of the most complete and plentiful collections I have ever seen. Among the displays was a picture taken at Belle Plain of roughly 10,000 confederate prisoners. Tinker took me to visit the site as it looks today. You can see from the pictures how little the scenery has changed. This is not uncommon, and is one of the most haunting and beautiful aspects of Virginia.

I have only known Tinker and Pat for a short time, but they already feel like family. Connecting with my Virginia roots alone made this trip worthwhile, and I hope to return next summer, but for a couple weeks instead of a day.

Tomorrow I will be veering wildly across Maryland and Pennsylvania, shaving off the top of New Jersey, before finally careening into the middle of Connecticut. This is a deviation from my original itinerary and will set me back a day (I will update the itinerary on my blog tomorrow), but will also allow me to see two more states than I originally planned.

While this journey has been immensely rewarding and exciting, I am eagerly looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family at home. Absence is nothing less than bittersweet, and certainly makes the heart grow fonder.

Dad, I threw in this picture of a mechanical bear. It is Pat's and looks a lot like the one that you kept from your childhood.

Georgia

I enjoyed a beautiful drive through Georgia today. A series of winding rural highways took me through small towns, and unadulterated countryside. The journey was a mottled array of new and old. Small houses from the 1800's dotted the landscape, preserving the vestiges of a bygone era. Some might consider these an eyesore, a bleak reminder of the kindred cruelty of years past, but I view them as the skeletal remains of the valiant south. A footprint that lingers through the years, like the roots of the swamp cypress. I don't claim to be in support of what was made on the backs of fettered men, but rather the aspirations of the ambitious and the hopeful. These homes embody the blood and tears of men that hoped for more, but instead left a carcass, swiftly swallowed by the ravenous vines, and beaten by the harsh weather.

Katie A, a friend of Katy's (and consequently my own) greeted me in Columbia South Carolina. We enjoyed a couple bottles of my IPA, and met up with a large group of her undergrad friends at some local haunts. First, we visited the 'Flying Saucer' for a couple of drinks, then moved on to 'Five Guys' for some burgers, and wound up in a bar I can't recollect, that happened to serve beers for a dollar a piece. She has some of the sincerest and kindest friends I have ever met. Matt bought me a drink at the bar, and gave me the warmest southern welcome I have had to date. Annie from Minnesota entertained me with stories of her childhood road trips west, that never went further than Montana. Back at Katie's house I was greeted by George (her pug) who quickly challenged me to a tug of war with a stuffed hedgehog. I have been promised eggs and toast tomorrow, which is a welcome relief to hotel breakfasts. This part of the journey left me in awe of southern hospitality. I am anxiously looking forward to visiting family tomorrow. It will be nice to see a 'familiar' face on the opposite side of the country. Today, I feel blessed.

Alabama, Florida, and Georgia

I will be honest. It was really hard to leave New Orleans. I woke up this morning two hours later than I should have, and lay there soaking in the sounds of the city, imagining that this was my home, and I was getting ready to join the chatter outside. I could live here in a heartbeat. There is a warm and wholesome feel about the French Quarter that I will not soon forget.

The drive through Alabama felt like an extension of my previous day's drive through Louisiana, but heading into Florida, I was soon greeted by occasional Palm trees and bridges spanning small extensions of the Gulf. My plan was to stay in Tallahassee, but that was quickly derailed when I saw a sign for Seminole Lake. I left the highway, and the miles began to add up. Seminole Lake is beautiful, sitting on the border of Georgia and Florida. There were Blue Herons, and flocks of little black water birds everywhere. I hoped to spot a gator, but was met only with impostors in the form of logs and muddy outcrops. Instead of going back to highway 10, I called Katy and asked her if she could find an interesting place to stay in Georgia. While she was busy with the research, I decided to wander aimlessly around the town. I ended up at a park. My license plate piqued the interest of a gentleman sitting on a bench, reading a newspaper. He came up and introduced himself. As we were chatting, he mentioned that he had been out of work for two years. He looked off into the thick pines, paused, and said "I'm pretty much homeless now.....there just ain't no more work". I could see what he meant. The opportunities for work in the area don't seem to go beyond gas stations, the dam facility, and a factory miles off in the distance. Strange how a short conversation with a stranger can be humbling.

Katy soon called and pointed me towards Thomasville. Meandering down back roads and small highways, I was surprised at how well the scenery fit what I had imagined. Rustic old mansions, partially obscured by moss-drenched live oaks, separated by remnants of old cotton fields, and thick forest.

Nothing fancy tonight. A gourmet dinner presented by Whataburger, and guest accommodations provided ala Best Western. I have also included a picture of the Mississippi that I forgot to post yesterday. You will have to forgive me. It was 1 AM on my last post, of which I had to type with one eye closed to keep the text from spinning. I blame it on the beignets....

The rest of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana

I had such a great time today. Driving through the bayous and swamps of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana was an experience that I would not want to have missed. Meryl was kind enough to take me around the French Quarter tonight. I enjoyed a rabbit Jambalaya at Coops (that is Meryl in the picture) that put my Jambalaya to shame. It had flavors that I can't even attempt to identify. Next we went to a bar next door, which was equipped with a cat that visited the patrons. At one point the owner put some of it's treats in a plastic cup. The cat ravenously plunged it's head into the cup and proceeded to tear through the bar with it stuck to it's face, spilling it's treats all over the floor. Next was Cafe Du Monde for fresh beignets and hot chocolate, followed by a quick tour of Jackson Square. I have also included pictures of this old hotel I am staying at, which really fits with the whole atmosphere here in New Orleans! Tallahassee, you have big shoes to fill tomorrow!

Last tidbits of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas

Left Amarillo at 5:15 Central time this morning. I saw the moon rising over the horizon. It was a deep orange sliver that was magnified by its position in the sky. Oklahoma came up quickly, and the flat, dry landscape of Northern Texas quickly yielded to rolling hills, and hibernating trees. From Oklahoma to Arkansas, the beauty of the landscape was peppered with new kinds of road kill, the likes of which I have never seen before. There were two porcupines, some sort of hawk, and of all things...a beaver. I guess all of nature's creatures need to cross busy interstates. Really wish I had seen live specimens though! I did spot one of the healthiest looking coyotes I have ever seen, smartly darting across the highway, adorned with his magnificent winter coat. The dialects and thick accents of the Midwest have made me painfully aware of the 'flatness' I hear in my own voice. The people I talked to in Texas are some of the most friendly, polite, and accommodating people I have ever met. Oklahoma was on par, and Arkansas has, at the very least, a killer BBQ shack, that has some of the most flavorful, smokey, peppery ribs I have ever had. Staying by a lake tonight, and looking forward to shrimp creole and beignets tomorrow!

Oops!

Forgot about this one

New Mexico and Texas

New Mexico is beautiful. Got a chance to go and take pictures of some of the pueblos, which I was hoping I would be able to do. I was also surprised by the amount of snow in Grant. Snow and ice were layered on the road, and it was a white-knuckled drive for about an hour. Growing up in California, I am used to always seeing mountains. Texas is the first place I have been to where you can look all around you and see nothing but fields in any direction. I was so distracted that I took a wrong turn off the freeway, and had to drive through a grassy ditch just to get back on again (long story). Ended up here in Amarillo, and had an awesome dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ. I had ribs and a Shiner Boch. I love IPAs, but i think the Boch might make me a convert. I had to stop typing this half way through to clean BBQ sauce off my phone, so that should be a testament to the ribs. While I miss my friends and family, today proved to be a wonderful experience!