Al and Mare’s Road Trip #2: The Deep South 2004
We started out on a Wednesday morning, the 2nd of June, leaving from Newark, NJ. Shortly thereafter, we hit heavy rains, which pelted us on and off the whole way. As we exited a highway in Pennsylvania, we encountered an overturned truck on our side of the road, facing us! The driver obviously could not handle the turn, crossed the center divider, and rolled over. If we had left even 15 minutes earlier, we might have been in his way! Thanks mom, your prayers paid off. We traveled about 10 hours to a place we’d been before, Cincinnati, OH. Actually we just went a few miles south in Fort Mitchell, KY. We went to visit Jason and Mike, a couple of Al’s online investment buddies. We arrived around 9 pm, and were greeted by the 17 year cicadas as we made our way to the hotel room. It was difficult to navigate through the carcasses on the ground while trying not to be assaulted by the ones flying through the air! A little while later we met up with the guys at Jason’s bar, were we had good conversation, great steaks, and tried some new drinks that were favorites of the locals. We had a great time, and wished we could have stayed a little longer. But the highway was calling…
The next morning, we began our journey to Graceland. We started out traveling south through Kentucky, passing through Louisville on the way. We entered Tennessee, heading south through the middle of the state. We got off the main highway and drove along some winding roads into the back woods country. We arrived at our halfway point of the trip (about 6 hours away), the Jack Daniel’s distillery, in Lynchburg, a small town of about 5000. Just as we pulled into the parking lot, the rain let up, and it was a good thing it did, since the tour we were about to take would be mostly outdoors. The tour began with a little history of the business, showing us some of the offices and memorabilia of the man behind the whiskey. The tour then took us through the process of how the whiskey is made, and the smells were overwhelming and wonderful. We got to see the vats of sour mash, the mellowing process, and the aging facility. Unfortunately, we could not get a taste, but we were able to buy some whiskey in souvenir bottles that you could only buy at the manufacturing plant. They are collector’s items!
As we departed Lynchburg, the rain began again. Must’ve been mom’s prayers again, keeping us dry long enough for our outdoor sightseeing break! We drove another 5 hours that evening, to the western edge of Tennessee along the music highway, where even the rest stops were named for legends such as Chet Atkins and Patsy Kline. We arrived in Memphis around 10 pm, hungry and exhausted. We found a Burger King and checked into the hotel. The next morning we began our tour of Graceland at 10 am. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures, but we got some good views in post card form. Graceland was amazing, even if you are not the world’s biggest Elvis fan. We learned about his music and movie career, his military service, his love for his parents and family, and his kindness towards those who were down and out. The mansion itself was grandiose and gaudy at times, but it was at the pinnacle of style for the 60s and 70s. There were horse stables, a racket ball court, and the meditation gardens, where The King is buried, along with his mom, dad, and grandma.
After Graceland, we hit the road again for the shortest leg of our journey, a 6 hour trip to New Orleans. We arrived in The Big Easy and settled into our hotel around 7:30 pm on Friday the 4th, and it was not long before we discovered the reason for the nickname. We were in NOLA for four days, since Maryann had to attend a conference there for work. Saturday Mare was at the conference all day, so Al chilled out at the hotel, sleeping in and getting a good workout at the gym. Saturday night was a different story. We decided to venture out to Bourbon St., eating some southern barbecued chicken, jambalaya, and yes, folks, some deep fried gator! It tastes like fish, with a slightly chewy texture. Not half bad, but I wouldn’t make it a dietary staple! We then moved on to a famous nightclub called the Cat’s Meow, where we had drinks on the balcony and watched the people go by below. All types of people; anything goes on Bourbon St.! You can even carry your beer or drink out with you, and there are small walk-up doorway bars were you can get a refill and go. We shopped for some souvenirs, earned some beads, and saw some jazz bands through the open doorways that line the street. We made our way to the next venue, the Famous Door, where we stopped to see a cover band that did everything from Janis Joplin to Journey. That’s where Mare got a taste of a hurricane, one of the famous local drinks. She needed some federal relief after that one!!!
Somehow, we managed to find our way back to the hotel before 1 am, and miraculously, Mare got up at 6:30 for the conference the next morning. It was a rough session, but she made it through. She had a break for a couple hours that afternoon, so we hopped on a streetcar (like the famous one named desire) and headed into the Garden District for lunch. Al had the spiciest bloody mary ever, and we headed into the 90 degree heat to take a walking tour of the mansions. Beautiful southern architecture! The gardens and foliage were awe inspiring as well. We took some photos by Anne Rice’s house, one of Mare’s favorite authors. We headed back in time for Mare’s evening session at the conference. Afterwards, we had dinner at the hotel and decided to check out the Harrah’s casino across the street. We lost a whopping 15 cents, playing the nickel slots with the change in our pockets. We’re not big gamblers, as you can tell, but the casino was a sight in itself.
Monday morning there was more conference time, but that afternoon was free, so we went on a tour of the swamps and bayous. We had a Cajun tour guide, born and raised in the bayou. He knew his way around, and had a pretty heavy accent…we only got about 80% of what he said! The bayou was magnificent, and we got up close and personal with blue herons, snakes, and yes, folks, even those alligators! We saw a 14 footer, and numerous smaller ones. Our tour guide even grabbed the big one by the tail and dragged it part way up on the boat (he hunts these guys for a living, so he knows what he’s doing)! What an awesome sight! Back at the dock, we saw some turtles, raccoons, and nutria (or swamp rat). We headed back to the city for dinner, tasting more of the local flavors of muffaletta and diaquari. We then headed out on a Ghosts and Spirits tour that evening. Our tour guide took us through the streets of the French Quarter giving us some history and telling us about all the ghosts that are believed to inhabit the city. We saw the houses used in the movie “Interview with the Vampire”, heard tales of murder and restless spirits, and learned how protective fathers kept the boys away from their daughters. We ended the tour at O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub, where we watched the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup while listening to a comedic folk singer.
Tuesday morning was the last day of the conference, and we headed out on the road before noon. We traveled over 800 miles that day, only making 3 rest stops and reaching our destination in about 12 hours. We arrived at Al’s sister’s (Robin’s) house in West Palm Beach, FL just before midnight. A beautiful neighborhood with the sounds of the tropics permeating the night air. The house was lovely, with high ceilings and modern décor. On the lanai was a dinner table and outdoor bar, and the pool was a pleasant 85 degrees. We relaxed by the pool and enjoyed a barbecue on Wednesday. Thursday was for the beach, where the water was reported to be 78 degrees, but it felt even warmer than the pool!!! The water was turquoise and the beach had beautiful soft sand. There was an abundance of seashells, and we viewed the casino ships from a distance. We had dinner at an outdoor beachside restaurant called “Coconuts”, tasting key lime martinis and pina coladas. That evening we again relaxed in the pool, reminiscing about old friends and childhood antics. We took fresh coconuts and grapefruits from the trees in their backyard as souvenirs. Yum!
Friday morning we continued our journey, this time heading north. We again had a long day, spending about 12 hours on the road. At a fuel stop in Georgia, we noticed a roadside stand selling tree ripened Georgia peaches. Mare could not resist! She bought a dozen as well as a small watermelon. Wow, were they good! As we were about 100 miles from the North Carolina/South Carolina border, we started seeing signs for “south of the border”. Eventually, these billboards appeared every 2 or 3 miles, with different funny sayings and bright colors. We wondered what this place could be. It turned out to be a huge rest area with several restaurants, gift shops, rides, and a motel. We stopped for an enchilada but continued on; the place was a bit seedy. We stopped for the night in Fayetteville (near Raleigh) North Carolina. We saw some spectacular heat lightning, which was later followed by severe thunderstorms. Lucky we stopped when we did! A little further north and we would have been in the tornado warning zone! I think those prayers were working again…
Saturday would bring us to the last leg of our journey. We once again headed north, with the destination of Newark, NJ on the agenda. However, we did plan to take one break to pay our respects at the new World War II memorial in Washington, DC, nearly 5 hours from our starting point. This past week encompassed the ceremonies around the passing of former president Ronald Reagan, so we were wary about going into DC the day after it was all over. Turns out it was not bad at all; traffic was OK except for one accident on the way, and once we got there we found street parking almost immediately. We were about a 15 minute walk from the WWII memorial, and when we got there, it was a sight to see. There were people everywhere, reading the inscriptions, taking in the pictographs, and wading in the fountain. The children were playing in abundance. The memorial was full of life, and I am sure those who gave theirs would have been proud to see their childrens’ and grandchildrens’ generations enjoying the freedom they fought so hard to preserve.
A little under three hours and we would be in Newark, but we had been delayed in some traffic crossing Chesapeake Bay, so we made it in close to four. On the way we marveled at the song of the 17 year cicadas. We had experienced these on the first day of our trip, as we arrived in Kentucky, and to close the circle, we heard them on our last day. As we drove along the highway, wind roaring past the windows and radio playing oldies, we still were able to hear a faint, rhythmic chirping sound. We turned down the radio, and sure enough, it was the cicadas. We saw some evidence of them on the side of the road. What a natural wonder!
We arrived back in Newark, NJ around 8 pm on Saturday the 12th. We had a great trip, lots of fun and new experiences. We have now visited a total of 33 of these United States, and we hope road trip #3 will bring us across the northern plains. See ya next time!
