Day 22

Sadly, I woke up not ready to complete this final day of the road trip. We said our goodbyes to Tim, Chum, Lucas and Sadie, posed for some pictures, and were on our way. This final day was not about sightseeing, not about the scenery, or photographs, it was about getting home. There were many aspects of home that came to mind such as friends, Cambridge, our nice apartment, the cats, and sleeping in our own bed. But I couldn't help but also think of the less-preferred aspects of home which consist of work, bills, school, and responsibility. One of the reasons I love traveling so much is that it allows me to focus on the present, not the past, not the future, but the now. Life is on pause while my sole responsibility is to focus on the experience. So as we drove up 95 through Maryland, through New Jersey, through New York City, through Connecticut, and lastly the Pike to Boston, I found myself longing for more of the road, more of the adventure, more of the exploration despite the fact that I was sick of road food and spending money. We arrived home in the mid- afternoon after a traffic-free drive up the east coast, which was surprising considering we were traveling through the metropolis of the Northeast! We timed our departure perfectly in that we were never traveling in a rush hour situation and made it home only to stop at rest areas and toll booths. Toll booths were a rare sight out west, but on the east coast they were abundant and expensive! I had forgotten to bring my Fast Lane Transponder so we had to rifle through our bills and change every few miles to gain entry on the what should have been gold-paved roads! We arrived back home around 4 o'clock, unpacked our car, and greeted our cats. It was great to see them, great to be home, but the realization that the adventure had, in fact, ended made my heart heavy.


After settling back into my life here, relaxing at home and seeing friends, people began to ask what my favorite place was and where I would I like to go back to. Of course, I could not come up with just one place as that was not how I thought about the trip. The experience came with the wholeness and thrill of driving from one coast to another and to be able to do it with such special people in my life. Places I would love to return would include Bryce, Zion, Death Valley, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and many more places. I realized that our country is a huge place with such varying terrain, people, and climate, so in reality it is hard to believe that it is all the same nation and even the same planet. Obviously, I strongly suggest doing a trip like this if you ever get the opportunity. Lastly, I want to thank Uncle Paul, Jess and Wheeler, Aunt Diana, Aunt Penny and Uncle John, Jen, Devon and Jason, the Ben Dixens, and Tim and Chum, for graciously hosting us, showing us around and making our trip possible.

Day 21

I was excited for the day as I would finally get to explore the nation's capital, which I had not been to since I was 3. We decided to drive into the city rather than take the train so I was hopeful to find some decent parking, which I knew would not be an easy feat! As we drove through the suburbs to get to the city, I was impressed by area as it seemed like a safe, nice place to live. The Washington Monument soon came into view as we entered D.C. We slowly drove down the streets, taking in the sites and managed to find parking very close to the Smithsonian museums! Luckily, we had lots of quarters to get us through the next couple of hours. We decided to check out the Natural History museum so we could see the dinosaurs and other animals. Strolling through the displays, it was very hard to believe these massive creatures could have roamed the same land I was standing on! The T-Rex looked particularly vicious as they had it fixed in a menacing pose. We saw the rest of the dinosaurs and then made our way to the Mammal section. It was awesome to see so many different animals from different continents all made to look so incredibly alive and vivid. I think being a taxidermist would have to be a disgusting profession but they did an awesome job with the animals! Our favorite was this strange African fox with gigantic ears! After seeing many different mammals of all shapes and sizes, we changed gears and headed upstairs to see the exhibit on gemstones, rocks, and minerals. We were amazed to see rocks that looked like they were from a different galaxy. We also saw lots of beautiful diamonds, emeralds, and other precious gems. The famous Hope Diamond was on display as well. It is the world's largest blue diamond and is well-known for its tumoltuous history.

We left the museum and headed outside immediately noticing the return of the heat and humidity, which had been noticeably absent from the last few days of our trip. We found a lunch stand in which we could enjoy some hot dogs, salads, and fries on the grass of the National Mall. We were all very impressed by the cleanliness and organization of the city. Many of the Government buildings are all congregated in one area where as the shopping areas and restaurants are in a different area which made it easy for us to find what we were looking for. After lunch, I ran back a few blocks to the car to feed the parking meter before rejoining the girls for some more sightseeing. We walked along the Mall until we made our way to the Washington Monument. It is quite impressive to see up close as it must have been quite a feat to build. I was interested in going up to the top but prior preparation would have been required as reservations were needed. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave was our next stop as we wanted to see the most famous house in America. The White House was cool to see and I had a strong urge to jump the fence and see how long it took before I was taken down, but of course I ignored that urge! I was actually surprised at the length of the lawn because I expected it to be perfectly manicured but in fact it seemed a little shaggy. After separating ourselves from the other onlookers, I begrudgingly waiting while the girls bought their postcards at a nearby souvenir stand. We slowly walked back to our car while admiring the architecture of these grand buildings which communicated the importance of this city as the capital of a world superpower.

Washington D.C has a parking ban on many of its streets from 4-6pm to create another travel lane, which meant we had to move our car as it was nearing rush hour time. We spent a long time exploring the city from our car driving by many places that I would love to have visited such as the Holocaust Museum, Air&Space Museum, Jefferson/Lincoln Monuments, and the Capitol. Again, because we were on a road trip I had to make a mental note to come back to D.C for a much longer visit! We found a parking spot near the Spy Museum so we attempted to go in but realized that $18 was a bit too much to spend at this stage in our trip. At this point, we decided to leave D.C and head back to Tim and Chum's place, which was not the smartest decision as it was the middle of rush hour. The traffic wasn't too bad actually and the drive was a lot less frustrating than a typical Boston experience. We all agreed that we loved this city and was one of the few places on our trip that we would actually consider living.

Once Tim got home from work, we decided to go out for Sushi. I enjoyed a wonderful meal of shrimp and vegetable tempura as well as miso soup and a refreshing salad. The others liked their meals as well, especially little Lucas, who adventourously enjoyed yaki soba and even tried sushi! We ended the night like the one before, gripped to the T.V watching the Olympics.

Day 20

A marathon driving day was planned today as we would be navigating our way from Louisville, KY to Washington D.C. After a delicious breakfast made by Mrs. Ben Dixen, we were on our way. The drive took us from Kentucky, through the green hills of West Virginia, and into Virginia. We stopped only for gas, food, and to empty our bladders. 10 hours later we arrived at Tim and Chum's house in a D.C suburb in Virginia. I went to college with Tim and Chum and was excited to see them for the first time in a couple years! It was also the first time I was able to meet their adorable son, Lucas. Lucas was just waking up from a nap so he was not very sociable at first. But he perked up after awhile and showed off his "post office" in the living room. Tim and Chum also recently got a new puppy so, although cute, it was a handful! We spent some time playing with the puppy, Sadie, admiring the smarts of Lucas, and catching up a bit before heading out for dinner. We went to a Greek restaurant which was a welcome change after our limited food selection on the drive from Louisville. I enjoyed a delicious dish of the Greek version of baked Mac and Cheese (the name escapes me). It was great to watch Tim and Chum interact with Lucas. They seemed to have found a great balance of discipline and fun in the way they raise him. He was saying "please" and he is not even 2!

We spent the rest of the evening watching the Olympics which consisted of Phelps winning more medals and the men's team gymnastics competition. We enjoyed watching the men overachieve and win the bronze. But we found it quite tasteless the way they were pounding their chests, constantly yelling into the camera, and letting everyone know they were awesome. It seemed like unusual behavior for gymnastics and in my view everyone will know they are good by their performances and not their camera-hogging antics!

Day 19

We left Nashville early as we wanted to get to Louisville so Monica and Emily could have as much time as possible with their friends. We dropped off Monica at the Ben Dixen's, who were old friends from Vermont, and then headed to see Emily's college friend Devon who lived nearby. We greeted Devon, her fiance Jason, and their cute baby Kairi and then headed out to lunch at a local restaurant. The first thing Emily and I noticed was the fact that this 8 month old did not stop smiling. She just kept grinning ear to ear the whole time and laughed playfully with any attention. Emily and Devon did a lot of catching up while we ate and after stuffing ourselves we headed into downtown Louisville. Our first stop was the famous Louisville Slugger factory where we saw the GIANT bat which dwarfs the building, searched through the gift shop (of course they were out of mini Red Sox bats thanks to Red Sox Nation!), and looked at some of their historic memorabilia. We didn't feel like shelling out the 10 bucks for the official tour so we soon left and walked along the waterfront, which featured the Ohio River separating Kentucky and Illinois. Devon pointed out the hilarious fact that the Illinois town on the other side of the river had built a huge, expensive, clock to help enhance the look of their waterfront. The problem, however, is that the clock faces out to the river and in doing so gives Louisvillians a great view of the time but not to the Illinois residents who paid for the thing! We continued to walk along the water seeing the Spirit of Louisville steamship, enjoying the mild weather and sunshine. Louisville was bigger than I expected and had more going on than I had expected as well as a safe, clean feel. We then headed to Churchill Downs, where we got to view the track and get a flavor of the wealth and tradition that make it so famous. After visiting this playground for the rich, we headed to Devon's parent's house to feed their dogs. I was shocked to see a small horse running around their yard! But wait...it was not a horse but in fact the largest dog I have ever seen! The dog turned out to be a friendly, affectionate but gigantic Great Dane! After visiting with the dogs and seeing her parents house, we headed back to their apartment and said our goodbyes.


Our next destination was back to the Ben Dixens where we would crash for the night. We had a fun night visiting with their family and Monica enjoyed catching up and exchanging old stories from the Vermont days. The Ben Dixens were an interesting family who were originaly from Denmark, had moved to Vermont, back to Denmark, and then down to Louisville. It was amazing to hear the drawls while the kids spoke as they had only lived in the area for 4 years! Mrs. Ben Dixen was a very gracious host who took a keen interest to us and was enjoyable to converse with. We sat outside for a long time on their porch talking the night away, before heading down to the basement for some pool. I was happy with my play despite the fact that i had not touched a pool cue for a long time! We stayed up later than we should have but a fun time was had by all.

Day 18

We turned the car northward bound for Nashville, TN! We left Louisiana, and found ourselves in Mississippi. Green scenery was constant through this leg of the journey as well as southern drawls and Waffle Houses. We cut through the southeastern section of Mississippi and into Alabama. I noticed that every stop we made in Alabama was one in which we were encountered by friendly, welcoming people. Sure we passed the occasional pickup truck with over sized tires, a gun rack, confederate flag bumper stickers, and some mean-looking S.O.B's in the cab but our drive through Alabama was a pleasant one that led us into Tennessee. We arrived in Nashville, found a cheap hotel on the outskirts of town, and all agreed that we were ravenously hungry! Now that we were out of the Southwest we figured that we could probably find some Thai food which ranks as one of all of our favorite foods. We skimmed the hotel restaurant guide before settling on a Thai restaurant on the other side of the city. We did not realize that the Tennessee Titans (NFL team) had a preseason game that night (Football season already!??!) so sat in a bit more traffic than our growling stomachs had hoped for. The meal was absolutely delicious and hit the spot with the freshness and unfamiliarity with the flavor after such a long absence. After dinner we did what one might expect you would do in Nashville, searched for some good live music! We headed downtown to Broadway which boasts a strip of bars all with music blasting out of their doors. Literally, live music, was heard every ten feet we walked coming from every direction. The strange part was that i felt like the music was able to remain separate and distinguishable and not mix into a strange indecipherable mess. Before listening to any music, we enjoyed some ice cream (“Death by Chocolate” was my choice as usual). We then headed into a place that did not look too crowded but with a lively energy to signify some good music and a good time. We navigated our way through the crowd of cowboy hats, high heels, and belt buckles before finding some seats in the back of the bar. I am not usually a fan of country music but in this environment with a talented band, an eager crowd, and being in Nashville, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself listening to the honky-tonk playing cowboys. I was surprised to see so many men in the crowd singing along to the songs. Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" was not the surprising part, it was a slow soulful ballad in which men all around were belting out the lyrics looking sullen, which surprised me. The sensitive cowboys of Nashville entertained these road trippers!

Day 17

We pointed our car to N'awlins (New Orleans) and left Texas. Texas is obviously a gigantic state but I feel like we broke up our time really well with driving so it never felt that huge to us. I can't imagine trying to do the drive all at one time! We rolled into New Orleans around dinner time and spent a long time trying to find a hotel. We figured that it wouldn't be that crowded due to the effects of Katrina and lost tourism. But most of the hotels in the French Quarter were booked. Frustrated, we kept searching until we found a La Quinta Inn for a very reasonable price and a great location just blocks from Bourbon Street. We did the customary unloading of our stuff, relaxed on the beds for a bit, and then headed into the French Quarter. Bourbon Street was jammed with people as it was a Saturday night. We gawked at the people who came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of sobriety. The overwhelming theme I noticed was one of positivity. Everyone was there to have a good time and whether they were locals, tourists, or fit into some other category, there was a smile on most faces. We wanted to experience some authentic southern food so we browsed some restaurants before finding one that seemed to fit the bill. I enjoyed some delicious crawfish pies which consisted of crawfish folded inside some doughy shells, yummmmmm! After dinner, we watched some live blues taking place outside next to the restaurant and then navigated our way down Bourbon Street. Emily and Monica took an interest to the many stores selling tons and tons of Mardi Gras beads of all colors, size, shape and theme. Red Sox, cows, ducks, mermaids, golf balls, and much much more were available. Well they sifted through mountains of beads, I stood outside and took in the sites. Businessmen were standing up on the balconies throwing down beads to young women they deemed pretty enough, families on vacation were cautiously walking down the street not sure what they had gotten themselves into (why in the world would you bring a young child to this place!!) , many tourists and foreigners were strolling ,curiously, taking in the sites, as well as some of the local poor doing whatever they could to transfer the tourist's dollars into their pockets. It was sad to see young African-American boys competing with each other tap-dancing to gain the attention of the white passersby. It reminded me of minstrel shows of the past. The flavor in the air was one that seemed authentic. The Riverwalk of San Antonio seemed very touristy and almost manufactured. In N'awlins I felt like the experience was real and felt welcomed and charitable spending my money to help revitalize this great city, which was absolutely crushed by Katrina. We found our way to a bar to listen to some more live music. We listened to a lively group playing with such instruments as a wearable washboard, accordion, and traditional guitar/drums. When the band went on a break we headed back to Bourbon Street and spent the rest of the evening walking up and down the street, listening to more music, and ignoring the occasional whiffs of vomit which were inevitable in this town. Overall, we all agreed that we felt very welcomed by the locals, loved the energy and vibrancy of the area, and the relaxed nature. The next day as we drove through the outskirts of town we saw more of the depressing aftereffects of Katrina and a failed government response. Many buildings were still uninhabited and condemned and I am certain we were not even near the worst hit areas which I hoped we would not be places that we accidentally found.

Day 16

Remember the Alamo! We headed to the Alamo in the morning before driving on to Houston. The story of the Alamo is a remarkable one that is filled with themes of heroism, bravery, tragedy, stupidity, and a true David vs. Goliath tale. The Texans held out for days barricaded inside the Alamo with thousands of Mexican troops surrounding them. We walked around the grounds seeing old buildings, memorials, artifacts, and profiles. I eavesdropped on a tour guide giving an abundance of information about the event. I learned a ton as I had not really studied the Alamo very much.

We drove to the Houston area and began our journey there at the NASA Johnson Space Center. We paid our admission and headed into the park. This place seemed like a heavenly area for kids to play as they had huge playground structures inside the museum. We did some space shuttle simulations, saw the cockpit of a shuttle, and walked around a bit. I was disappointed at the fact that certain areas required more money than the 18 dollar admission fee we paid! We decided to do one of the space center tram tours that departed every few minutes. We chose the “Blue” tour which allowed us to see the original Missile Control Center from all of the Apollo missions. It was great to see the old- school monitors, rotary phones and other outdated technology that they successfully used to guide humans to the moon! We also got to see a Saturn V rocket which was the type they used in most of the Apollo Missions. The one we saw was inside a huge hanger and I was completely blown away by the size of this thing! By the time we returned to the main museum area the other exhibits were closed so we did not get to see all that we wanted to despite it only being 4 o'clock. We perused the gift shop and I bought some astronaut freeze-dried ice cream before we left and headed back to Houston. We met up with Emily's good friend and old roommate, Jen, at her favorite restaurant in Houston called El Tiempo. It was great to see Jen as she was so enthusiastic about showing us a good time in Houston! This place was very lively and packed when we arrived so we waited a bit for a table. The Mexican fare was delicious and consisted of yummy nachos, a gigantic beef taco, and a tasty margarita. Jen then took us to her favorite bar where we hung out outside with a packed crowed for a Thursday night. I couldn't help but do more people-watching as it was interesting to see how well-dressed everyone was here despite the fact that we were just at a bar in the outskirts of Houston. It was a different scene then what you might see in Boston where people seem more casual.