Joel and I woke up early this morning as we had a long drive to Atlanta and there was a time difference that would make us lose an hour. Joel also wanted to make a stop at the Jack Daniel's Distillery This would bring our total driving time to 6 hours. Whew! What a long day! So we headed out of Nashville around 8 a.m. and took the freeway south. When we started driving it had started to snow! We were definitely not expecting that!! The snow continued for most of the day, although it was not very hard or very big flakes. It did mean that we were quiet chilly in the car however.
After an hour or so we detoured off and headed towards Lynchburg where the Distillery was. We eventually got to this very small town which consisted of a couple buildings and a giant distillery. One of the ironies that we learned when we were here was that the county that this town is in is a dry county. Meaning that the sale of liquor is officially illegal. Jack Daniel's gets around this by selling bottles, that are conveniently filled with whiskey. But officially people are paying for the bottle and not the alcohol.
When we got to the Distillery we headed inside to the Visitor Center. There was some interesting information inside the center and you could sign up for a tour. So we decided to talk the hour and a half free tour that was provided. There was also a tasting tour, but you needed to be 21 for that and unfortunately Joel is not quiet there yet. Luckily I am not a big fan of Jack Daniels so I was not so upset. The tour itself was very interesting and we learned all about the process and history of Jack Daniels. We also learned that every single drop of it is made in this particular distillery. That is a lot of Jack Daniels! Our tour guide was a very Southern American and very entertaining. he regaled us with stories of his work in the area and even his travels abroad to promote Jacks.
After about an hour and half we headed back to the car (after some free lemonade) and bundled up. Most of the tour had been outside and it was still quiet cold! I grabbed a blanket and woolen socks and got comfy. We still had a couple hours of driving.
After we finally crossed the border we decided to stop for some food. We eventually food a sonic, although I was really no longer in the mood for fast food! We had so much of it already... But I got a hot fudge shake and that was delicious. So we ate our food and headed on down the road again. Eventually we did get to Atlanta and we had to drive through it during rush hour to make it to my aunt's house which is about 30 min south. There was quiet a bit of traffic and lots of cars leaving the city. It was quiet hectic.
We got to my aunts house at about 6 and luckily she was already making dinner! After getting shown around we unpacked and settled into our new house for the week. It was nice to be in a set place again. We have a bed and a shower and food for the next week. It will be nice to be able to rest and use the internet and a TV for the first time since Vegas!
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Day 34: Country Music
We woke up this morning and decided to head to downtown Nashville for the day. Before we went there though we thought it would be nice to see the Parthenon. There is a complete replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, which was closed on Sundays, but still nice to take a look at. Our first stop however was a Taco Bell to use the bathroom and get Churros. Which was delicious, covered in sugar and cinnamon.
After the Parthenon we headed to downtown Nashville. Our main dilemma was finding somewhere to park without spending tons of money. We were driving around trying to find a parking garage when we stumbled upon an open street parking. And since it was Sunday it was free parking! Definitely a lucky break.
We headed first to the Tennessee State Capital, which once again was closed, but very pretty on the outside. From there we headed to the World War One Memorial which was right next door. There was some sort of photo shoot there but we pocked around for a bit. This building was very nice, with huge columns and a definite influence from Greek Architecture. Something that seems common in many American buildings.
From there we went to the Museum which (as the theme for the day was) was not open. So we headed to downtown to the tourist area! Our first stop was the visitor center, which was next to the areaa. We quickly checked if there was a Predator (Hockey) game tonight so we could see it, but alas Maroon 5 was playing. So now we are not doing that tonight! We walked around looking at all the tourist stores and poking our heads inside some of the bars. We also took lots of pictures and considered buying some new cowboy boots. However since we didn't have a couple hundred dollars to spare we decided against it....
After walking around downtown for a while it was starting to rain and we were starting to get hungry, so we headed to Honkey Tonk Central. We pulled up two seats at the bar and ordered some burgers and drinks. We sat down and listened to the live country band that was playing. We spent the next three hours, eating, drinking, and listening. As well as watching the basketball game that was playing. This was exactly what I had wanted out of Nashville. Just some chilling and listening to good country music. The band played some of their own music as well as some cover songs, definitely a nice combination. After the game ended (and the rain) we headed back outside and towards our home for the night. We did make a pit stop at Dick's Last Resort for a brownie. Having never been there we didn't know what to expect. But in the end we were not overly impressed with it. Apparently the point of the restaurant is that the servers are obnoxious. And rude. How very American. We ate our brownie and left pretty quickly after that...
We got back to our hosts house and spent the night watching Arrested Development and talking. He had invited some friends over so it became a party of about 6 or 7. Very fun and entertaining. Overall a nice evening, but we are ready to head to Atlanta tomorrow and have a nice break while we stay at my aunt's house for a week!
After the Parthenon we headed to downtown Nashville. Our main dilemma was finding somewhere to park without spending tons of money. We were driving around trying to find a parking garage when we stumbled upon an open street parking. And since it was Sunday it was free parking! Definitely a lucky break.
We headed first to the Tennessee State Capital, which once again was closed, but very pretty on the outside. From there we headed to the World War One Memorial which was right next door. There was some sort of photo shoot there but we pocked around for a bit. This building was very nice, with huge columns and a definite influence from Greek Architecture. Something that seems common in many American buildings.
From there we went to the Museum which (as the theme for the day was) was not open. So we headed to downtown to the tourist area! Our first stop was the visitor center, which was next to the areaa. We quickly checked if there was a Predator (Hockey) game tonight so we could see it, but alas Maroon 5 was playing. So now we are not doing that tonight! We walked around looking at all the tourist stores and poking our heads inside some of the bars. We also took lots of pictures and considered buying some new cowboy boots. However since we didn't have a couple hundred dollars to spare we decided against it....
After walking around downtown for a while it was starting to rain and we were starting to get hungry, so we headed to Honkey Tonk Central. We pulled up two seats at the bar and ordered some burgers and drinks. We sat down and listened to the live country band that was playing. We spent the next three hours, eating, drinking, and listening. As well as watching the basketball game that was playing. This was exactly what I had wanted out of Nashville. Just some chilling and listening to good country music. The band played some of their own music as well as some cover songs, definitely a nice combination. After the game ended (and the rain) we headed back outside and towards our home for the night. We did make a pit stop at Dick's Last Resort for a brownie. Having never been there we didn't know what to expect. But in the end we were not overly impressed with it. Apparently the point of the restaurant is that the servers are obnoxious. And rude. How very American. We ate our brownie and left pretty quickly after that...
We got back to our hosts house and spent the night watching Arrested Development and talking. He had invited some friends over so it became a party of about 6 or 7. Very fun and entertaining. Overall a nice evening, but we are ready to head to Atlanta tomorrow and have a nice break while we stay at my aunt's house for a week!
Monday 25 March 2013
Day 33: Welcome to Tennessee
Day 33: Welcome to Tennessee
We woke up this morning in a very nice bed! What a great change. Our host ha arrived home late last night after I had already gone to sleep. Luckily Joel was still up to welcome her home. We had woken up during the night a couple times as well since an enormous storm had passed through around 5 am. I haven't heard lightning like that in a while. Luckily we were warm and cosy inside!
We spent the morning talking to our host and exchanging stories. She even made us an amazing breakfast of French toast sandwiches. Which was two pieces of French toast with a mixture of brown sugar and sour cream in between! They were covered in powdered sugar and were absolutely amazing!
We finally headed off at around 12 because we had to be in Nashville at 5. We drove pretty much straight. Only stopping once for pizza at Little Ceasers and some gas. Other than that we headed right on up.
We arrived at Cafe Coco where we were meeting our host for the next two nights. We sat down with our books and a piece if chocolate cheesecake. After a while a man approached us and asked if we were his surfers, turns out it was the man who had been ahead of me in line! We had both been waiting for about twenty minutes, good thing he came up to us!
We hung around there for a while talking. He was a professional cello player so had lots of interesting and fun stories. We also managed to squeeze in some talk to politics and social issues.
After that he took us to a really nice coffee place where there was some live music. We hung out there listening for a couple hours. I had a giant hot chocolate with whipped cream, it was amazing. :)
We then headed back to his house where we spent some more time talking and watching Arrested Development. It was quite late before we finally fell asleep, me on the couch and Joel in the car (his decision). And tomorrow is country time in Nashville!!!!!
We woke up this morning in a very nice bed! What a great change. Our host ha arrived home late last night after I had already gone to sleep. Luckily Joel was still up to welcome her home. We had woken up during the night a couple times as well since an enormous storm had passed through around 5 am. I haven't heard lightning like that in a while. Luckily we were warm and cosy inside!
We spent the morning talking to our host and exchanging stories. She even made us an amazing breakfast of French toast sandwiches. Which was two pieces of French toast with a mixture of brown sugar and sour cream in between! They were covered in powdered sugar and were absolutely amazing!
We finally headed off at around 12 because we had to be in Nashville at 5. We drove pretty much straight. Only stopping once for pizza at Little Ceasers and some gas. Other than that we headed right on up.
We arrived at Cafe Coco where we were meeting our host for the next two nights. We sat down with our books and a piece if chocolate cheesecake. After a while a man approached us and asked if we were his surfers, turns out it was the man who had been ahead of me in line! We had both been waiting for about twenty minutes, good thing he came up to us!
We hung around there for a while talking. He was a professional cello player so had lots of interesting and fun stories. We also managed to squeeze in some talk to politics and social issues.
After that he took us to a really nice coffee place where there was some live music. We hung out there listening for a couple hours. I had a giant hot chocolate with whipped cream, it was amazing. :)
We then headed back to his house where we spent some more time talking and watching Arrested Development. It was quite late before we finally fell asleep, me on the couch and Joel in the car (his decision). And tomorrow is country time in Nashville!!!!!
Friday 22 March 2013
Day 32: Welcome to Alabama
We woke up this morning safe and sound. It was nice. We were, for the first time, at a rest stop. We had never slept there before since many people talk about horror stories from these areas. But we found a nice and safe one in Mississippi where there was a security guard. And although it said no overnight parking, she let us know that it was ok and she would keep an eye on our car! So we decided it would be fine and it was!
One thing that I have grown a great appreciation for is the security in knowing where you are going to sleep that night. This is something I have taken for granted, but now that we are on the road, we usually don't know where we are going to end up or even if we can find somewhere safe. Sometimes it isn't until 8 at night that we a place to stay! And if we can't find a place we need to keep driving till we find a Walmart of Target, which is not as safe as we wish. But knowing that you have a bed every night, well that is a nice feeling. And now we are set until next Sunday! That takes such a load of my mind!
Anyway, I digress. We headed out early this morning for several reasons. One was the reason mentioned above, not sure about the area so it was best we headed out early and secondly we had a counch surfer for tonight in Birmingham Alabama. We needed to get there before she headed off to work at around 3. Since we were at least 4 and a half hours away we needed to leave on time! So early morning we headed out and then went back into Louisiana only to leave about 30 min later to re-enter Mississippi! Two states in one day already. But we were not done there, we eventually left Mississippi and entered Alabama, our state for the day. While we were driving through here it was clear that we had left the swampy marshy lands of the Bayou and were now in a more forested area.
We stopped once for gas at possibly the nicest gas station we had stopped at yet. There were not only laundry machines, but hot showers for truckers. And the bathrooms were so clean and nice! If only all gas station were as clean as that one.
We made it to Birmingham safe and sound, although Joel was less than impressed with the driving of certain American drivers. Something about not using blinkers. And then there was the 30 min traffic jam that had us literally stopped on the highway for no reason. There was only one cop car and another car on the shoulder. No reason for everyone stopping! But Joel will get used to that, it is pretty normal in the more populated areas of the states.
We headed to a McDonald so we could get into contact with our host via e-mail. Unfortunately we needed to give them a call (we don't have a phone) but luckily we found a pay phone. After struggling with it for about 5 min (who knows how to use those anymore?) a nice lady offered me her cell phone. Thank god for humanity being decent! Who knows how long I would have been standing there? Well we called, got an address and headed to her house.
When we got there she was so friendly. Showed us around her house, let us use everything including a fully stocked bar and kitchen and then she headed off to work! The trust that some people have in humanity astounds me! And when we talked about it, she said, well if people rob me I will have less stuff and if a couch surfer kills me I just won't write him a good review. Seriously, some people say they have lost faith in humanity, but just try couchsurfing and you will regain much of it! People are friendly and trusting and let you eat everything! Very nice.
So Joel and I then spent the next couple hours watching TV, eating, showering, and everything else people take for granted when they are home. It was definitely nice. And tomorrow we are heading to Nashville! I can't wait, definitely the city I am most excited for in America!
One thing that I have grown a great appreciation for is the security in knowing where you are going to sleep that night. This is something I have taken for granted, but now that we are on the road, we usually don't know where we are going to end up or even if we can find somewhere safe. Sometimes it isn't until 8 at night that we a place to stay! And if we can't find a place we need to keep driving till we find a Walmart of Target, which is not as safe as we wish. But knowing that you have a bed every night, well that is a nice feeling. And now we are set until next Sunday! That takes such a load of my mind!
Anyway, I digress. We headed out early this morning for several reasons. One was the reason mentioned above, not sure about the area so it was best we headed out early and secondly we had a counch surfer for tonight in Birmingham Alabama. We needed to get there before she headed off to work at around 3. Since we were at least 4 and a half hours away we needed to leave on time! So early morning we headed out and then went back into Louisiana only to leave about 30 min later to re-enter Mississippi! Two states in one day already. But we were not done there, we eventually left Mississippi and entered Alabama, our state for the day. While we were driving through here it was clear that we had left the swampy marshy lands of the Bayou and were now in a more forested area.
We stopped once for gas at possibly the nicest gas station we had stopped at yet. There were not only laundry machines, but hot showers for truckers. And the bathrooms were so clean and nice! If only all gas station were as clean as that one.
We made it to Birmingham safe and sound, although Joel was less than impressed with the driving of certain American drivers. Something about not using blinkers. And then there was the 30 min traffic jam that had us literally stopped on the highway for no reason. There was only one cop car and another car on the shoulder. No reason for everyone stopping! But Joel will get used to that, it is pretty normal in the more populated areas of the states.
We headed to a McDonald so we could get into contact with our host via e-mail. Unfortunately we needed to give them a call (we don't have a phone) but luckily we found a pay phone. After struggling with it for about 5 min (who knows how to use those anymore?) a nice lady offered me her cell phone. Thank god for humanity being decent! Who knows how long I would have been standing there? Well we called, got an address and headed to her house.
When we got there she was so friendly. Showed us around her house, let us use everything including a fully stocked bar and kitchen and then she headed off to work! The trust that some people have in humanity astounds me! And when we talked about it, she said, well if people rob me I will have less stuff and if a couch surfer kills me I just won't write him a good review. Seriously, some people say they have lost faith in humanity, but just try couchsurfing and you will regain much of it! People are friendly and trusting and let you eat everything! Very nice.
So Joel and I then spent the next couple hours watching TV, eating, showering, and everything else people take for granted when they are home. It was definitely nice. And tomorrow we are heading to Nashville! I can't wait, definitely the city I am most excited for in America!
Thursday 21 March 2013
Day 31: Gumbo and Jambalaya
We woke up this morning safe and sound. Which was a little bit of a relief, although the area was safe I was not sure if we were actually allowed to be there! But all seemed well and we even saw Guy that morning on his phone, without any comment to us. Guess we were fine! We headed out fairly early to make sure we had enough time in New Orleans. Since we couldn't snag a couch surfer for two nights (or even one) we only had one day there. We wanted to make sure we made it count!
We headed down the road and towards something to eat. We also needed to stop and find internet so we knew where we could park for the day! After doing that (and discovering the slowest McDonalds in history!) we headed to New Orleans and a day filled with lots of yummy food! We started out by inadvertently stumbling onto the Visitor Center where we were directed to a cheap parking lot. Perfect! Only 5 dollars for the whole day, good stuff! But we did totally trust the area, so we made sure to take everything valuable with us.
We headed to the French Quarter and walked around. Once again we stumble onto a cooking class that we decided to sign up for! We didn't need to be there until 2 p.m. so we walked around for a bit. Our first and probably most important stop was at Cafe Du Monde where we had beignets! We each had a helping of three which were absolutely covered in powered sugar. They were like little bunnies in a snowstorm, you could barely see them under all that delicious sugar. After scarfing those down and licking our fingers we headed to Jackson Square and the Mississippi River. My hands were sticky for a long time after that!
We walked around Jackson Square for while and admired all the art. Then we followed our guidebook and took a walking tour. We wandered around looking at the old buildings and all the Mardi Gras decorations that were still up. Several times we stopped and listened to Jazz music with the musicians literally playing in the middle of the road. It was a really pretty city. I could see myself wandering around those small streets, getting lost, and suddendly fiinding music and then a garden and then a sunny patch to sit and read in. But none of that was to be, we had to somewhat rush to our cooking class.
As we settled into the class at the New Orleans School of Cooking we were surprised to see that we were th youngest, but at least 10 or 20 years. But no matter, we ended up at a table with two couples from Virginia (small world!) who both had children our age. They were very impressed with our journey and very nice and interesting to talk to. The class was really a combination history lesson and observatory cooking lesson. And although we didn't get to make the food oursleves we had a fun time watching our cook make the food. Very educational and interesting. While cooking he told us all about the history of the area, and how food had helped shape it as well as be shaped by it. Our three courses were: Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Pralines. Each more delicious than the last. All in all I had two bowls of Gumbo, two plates of Jambalaya and two Pralines, as well as a 2 hour cooking/history lesson, all for 24 dollars! (Oh and we had beer....included!) Not too bad! It was a really fun class and we had a delicious time!
From the class we headed back to the streets and walked around. Originally the plan was to stay in the area, but that was not to be, and since we couldn't find any cheap and safe accommodation in the area, we headed towards the Mississippi border and a campsite we found there. Unfortunately we only had one day in New Orleans, but it was tons of fun! And it is definitely a city I plan to return to, maybe for Mardi Gras some time?
We headed down the road and towards something to eat. We also needed to stop and find internet so we knew where we could park for the day! After doing that (and discovering the slowest McDonalds in history!) we headed to New Orleans and a day filled with lots of yummy food! We started out by inadvertently stumbling onto the Visitor Center where we were directed to a cheap parking lot. Perfect! Only 5 dollars for the whole day, good stuff! But we did totally trust the area, so we made sure to take everything valuable with us.
We headed to the French Quarter and walked around. Once again we stumble onto a cooking class that we decided to sign up for! We didn't need to be there until 2 p.m. so we walked around for a bit. Our first and probably most important stop was at Cafe Du Monde where we had beignets! We each had a helping of three which were absolutely covered in powered sugar. They were like little bunnies in a snowstorm, you could barely see them under all that delicious sugar. After scarfing those down and licking our fingers we headed to Jackson Square and the Mississippi River. My hands were sticky for a long time after that!
We walked around Jackson Square for while and admired all the art. Then we followed our guidebook and took a walking tour. We wandered around looking at the old buildings and all the Mardi Gras decorations that were still up. Several times we stopped and listened to Jazz music with the musicians literally playing in the middle of the road. It was a really pretty city. I could see myself wandering around those small streets, getting lost, and suddendly fiinding music and then a garden and then a sunny patch to sit and read in. But none of that was to be, we had to somewhat rush to our cooking class.
As we settled into the class at the New Orleans School of Cooking we were surprised to see that we were th youngest, but at least 10 or 20 years. But no matter, we ended up at a table with two couples from Virginia (small world!) who both had children our age. They were very impressed with our journey and very nice and interesting to talk to. The class was really a combination history lesson and observatory cooking lesson. And although we didn't get to make the food oursleves we had a fun time watching our cook make the food. Very educational and interesting. While cooking he told us all about the history of the area, and how food had helped shape it as well as be shaped by it. Our three courses were: Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Pralines. Each more delicious than the last. All in all I had two bowls of Gumbo, two plates of Jambalaya and two Pralines, as well as a 2 hour cooking/history lesson, all for 24 dollars! (Oh and we had beer....included!) Not too bad! It was a really fun class and we had a delicious time!
From the class we headed back to the streets and walked around. Originally the plan was to stay in the area, but that was not to be, and since we couldn't find any cheap and safe accommodation in the area, we headed towards the Mississippi border and a campsite we found there. Unfortunately we only had one day in New Orleans, but it was tons of fun! And it is definitely a city I plan to return to, maybe for Mardi Gras some time?
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| Rammy taking a look around New Orleans! |
Day 30: Welcome to Cajun Land!
This morning Joel and I woke up after a night which turned out to be pretty cold. And although the mosquitoes had been bad all night, we did need our sleeping bags in the end! So that was good! I was done being baked alive! Joel got off a lot worse than I did, he was bitten tons, and I was only bitten a few times. Luckily that was the worst of the night so we packed up the car and headed down the road towards New Orleans.
We headed to a campsite outside of New Orleans, but stopped a couple times along the way. Our first stop was for some food as well as internet to figure out what else we could do during the day. Our second and major stop for the day was Lafayette. This is a really nice town with several important stops. We stopped at the Acadian Cultural Center Here we learned all about the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada and how they moved down to Louisiana and become known as the Cajuns (the word itself comes from the original Acadian). We also learned about the Bayou and the marshes and rivers in the area. From this center we decided to picnicked by the river and dine on some Reese's Pieces and Peeps. Delicious! We then read for a bit and I fell asleep in the sun. It was so warm and nice. And the grass was so spungy and soft!
From the Acadian Cultural Center and my little nap we headed to dinner. And this was so amazing. I had this amazing pulled pork bun with a garlic sausage on top and dripped in amazing BBQ sauce Apparently this restaurant is a staple in the area, and we even got a discount for being students! It was really delicious. The only complaint I had was there was not more of it! We sat outside on the patio where we could enjoy the sun and the food. We were the only people there at the time and it was nice and quiet. What a peaceful and delicious way to have a meal!
From there we headed out to our campsite. It was a middle of nowhere place. It was really dirt road and lots of people fishing! So seriously no where! We were trying to find the campground that we had found online with no luck (almost getting stuck in the middle of nowhere mud pile). Finally we stumbled into a fisherman who was packing up for the day and he kindly lead us to a somewhat camping area. Not sure if we were allowed to sleep there but he told us it was safe and no problem and the man working in the area, named Guy, would be totally OK with it. After checking with us that we knew how to get back to the Highway he headed off and we were left alone. It was nice and quiet, some mosquitoes but not too many so that was good! All in all a nice place to camp. There were camping tables so that made us feel better. And we soon fell asleep excited for the next day which is New Orleans!
We headed to a campsite outside of New Orleans, but stopped a couple times along the way. Our first stop was for some food as well as internet to figure out what else we could do during the day. Our second and major stop for the day was Lafayette. This is a really nice town with several important stops. We stopped at the Acadian Cultural Center Here we learned all about the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada and how they moved down to Louisiana and become known as the Cajuns (the word itself comes from the original Acadian). We also learned about the Bayou and the marshes and rivers in the area. From this center we decided to picnicked by the river and dine on some Reese's Pieces and Peeps. Delicious! We then read for a bit and I fell asleep in the sun. It was so warm and nice. And the grass was so spungy and soft!
From the Acadian Cultural Center and my little nap we headed to dinner. And this was so amazing. I had this amazing pulled pork bun with a garlic sausage on top and dripped in amazing BBQ sauce Apparently this restaurant is a staple in the area, and we even got a discount for being students! It was really delicious. The only complaint I had was there was not more of it! We sat outside on the patio where we could enjoy the sun and the food. We were the only people there at the time and it was nice and quiet. What a peaceful and delicious way to have a meal!
From there we headed out to our campsite. It was a middle of nowhere place. It was really dirt road and lots of people fishing! So seriously no where! We were trying to find the campground that we had found online with no luck (almost getting stuck in the middle of nowhere mud pile). Finally we stumbled into a fisherman who was packing up for the day and he kindly lead us to a somewhat camping area. Not sure if we were allowed to sleep there but he told us it was safe and no problem and the man working in the area, named Guy, would be totally OK with it. After checking with us that we knew how to get back to the Highway he headed off and we were left alone. It was nice and quiet, some mosquitoes but not too many so that was good! All in all a nice place to camp. There were camping tables so that made us feel better. And we soon fell asleep excited for the next day which is New Orleans!
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| Rammy and Us Driving Down the Back Roads! |
Day 29: Houston We Have Liftoff!
We woke up this morning at 6 am so we could make it to Houston. We wanted to get there early enough that we could spend the day at the Houston Space Center. So we got up when it was still dark and quietly left our couch surfers house. He was still asleep and we didn't want to deprive him of the sleep we were depriving ourselves.
Down the road we went all the way to Houston. Our only stop was to get gas at one point, but other than that it was a straight 4 hours. When we did get to Houston we decided to stop for some Texas BBQ. We had checked Yelp and found a good place near the space center. So we headed there first
It was delicious! The BBQ sauce was amazing! I had brisket and Joel had ribs. We lathered both of them in so much sauce! We used almost a quarter of a bottle! Yummy :)
After stuffing ourselves we headed to the space centre to see some moon rocks! The centre itself was pretty cool. They had lots of interactive activities that the younger kids (and me) could play with. There were also several shows and movies explaining and demonstrating some of the main features of the American space program. We saw a presentation, for example, on the new mars rover called Opportunity. (We think). We also got to tour around the Johnson Space Centre which is the active space centre. This is where the current projects are being made and perfected. Very cool. We even got to see the original mission control where all those famous scenes took place.
After spending a couple hours at the space centre we headed to our campsite for the night. It was a small campground/ park of the highway. Very cute and tucked away from the world. Only three minutes from the highway an no one would have any idea!
We sat in the car with all the doors open for a while breathing in the fresh air. There was a river near by as well. Which was nice until the Mosquitos came and swarmed us! We quickly shut all the doors and killed as many as possible. The problem was it was quiet humid as well, so by closing everything is got really sticky. Not the best conditions to fall asleep to, but eventually we did, hoping that it would cool off that night. This was the first time we hadn't used sleeping bags, it was much too hot!
Down the road we went all the way to Houston. Our only stop was to get gas at one point, but other than that it was a straight 4 hours. When we did get to Houston we decided to stop for some Texas BBQ. We had checked Yelp and found a good place near the space center. So we headed there first
It was delicious! The BBQ sauce was amazing! I had brisket and Joel had ribs. We lathered both of them in so much sauce! We used almost a quarter of a bottle! Yummy :)
After stuffing ourselves we headed to the space centre to see some moon rocks! The centre itself was pretty cool. They had lots of interactive activities that the younger kids (and me) could play with. There were also several shows and movies explaining and demonstrating some of the main features of the American space program. We saw a presentation, for example, on the new mars rover called Opportunity. (We think). We also got to tour around the Johnson Space Centre which is the active space centre. This is where the current projects are being made and perfected. Very cool. We even got to see the original mission control where all those famous scenes took place.
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| Rammy Wants to be an Astronaut! |
After spending a couple hours at the space centre we headed to our campsite for the night. It was a small campground/ park of the highway. Very cute and tucked away from the world. Only three minutes from the highway an no one would have any idea!
We sat in the car with all the doors open for a while breathing in the fresh air. There was a river near by as well. Which was nice until the Mosquitos came and swarmed us! We quickly shut all the doors and killed as many as possible. The problem was it was quiet humid as well, so by closing everything is got really sticky. Not the best conditions to fall asleep to, but eventually we did, hoping that it would cool off that night. This was the first time we hadn't used sleeping bags, it was much too hot!
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Day 28: Malls and Downtown Streets
Joel and I headed to Dallas today to do some important western wear shopping. But before we headed off, we were lucky enough to get another great breakfast from our host! Definitely getting spoiled!
After a delicious meal we showered (got to get that in as much as possible!) packed and headed down the open road to Dallas (which is only like an hour away!)
The driving was on major highways which meant lots of cars and lots of fast food. Not really the open road we were getting used to....
We stopped three times. Once for a mall, where we just pocked around. Second and third were western stores. Joel was looking for a new western belt and a belt buckle. I was looking for a pony from the Trail of Painted Ponies. Joel found what he wanted, I did not. It was still fun to look at all the boots, hats, and plaid!
When we got to Dallas we were still a little early to meet up with our coach surfer for the night so we went to mega mall in downtown. It was a big and gorgeous mall. We walked around and looked at all the stores we had missed for so long!
When it was about 6 o'clock we headed to our coach surfers house for the night. He was a nice guy, very chill. It was a night of Internet and tv. Some talking and exchanging stories. We learned about Mars-One, a Dutch project to see people to live on Mars ( go Dutch!). We headed to bed at about 11, we had an early morning tomorrow because we are headed to Houston and the Space Center!
Monday 18 March 2013
Day 27: The Stockyards
This morning Joel and I woke up to a delicious breakfast. Not only did we get tea, but also yogurt, warm break, half a grapefruit, eggs and sausage (southern style with cheese, peppers, and onions!). This was very different from our usual dinner of a granola bar and a smushed peanut butter sandwich. We ended up talking at the breakfast table for a while. Not a early day today! But that was ok, with good food and good company who needs to leave the table early?
When we finally did start the day we headed to the famous Fort Worth Stockyards. A Western tourist part of town. We got there around noon and walked through the street which was filled with lots of little tourist shops. Including a candy shop, which I was sure to stop at, and some other fun tourist things to look at. We then headed back down the street to take a look at some of the Western wear clothing stores. Joel is particular is looking forward to buying some good plaid. Although we didn't find anything at these clothing stores, we did find a longhorn cattle stuffie that would join us on our trip! We headed to the pens where the longhorns were kept to try and find him a name. After discussing all the possible names of the ones they had there (including a Joel :p) we decided on Maverick.
We then headed to the Love Shack, a famous burger joint in the area which is owned by a food network star. We both had the Love Burger which was a total of 10 dollars for both burgers, not too bad! And although it was not the best we had yet. And as Joel put it, we are now burger experts.
After the burgers we headed back to the main street of the Stockyard because at 4 o'clock they run the longhorns down the street! Using real cowboys and horses. We were pretty excited. Unfortunately it was done at a very slow walk, but because of the kids we did understand. Not quite the exciting "running of the bulls" I was expecting. Still neat though!
After the stockyards we headed back to our hosts house, with a quick stop at a bookstore. We were welcomed home by our two big new friends (the dogs) and a dinner being cooked. After a delicious stir-fry and some nice conversation we headed to bed. Not before Joel had a major playing sessions with the two dogs. Guess he got himself some new best friends!
Tomorrow we are off to Dallas and some more Western shopping! Hopefully we find something!
When we finally did start the day we headed to the famous Fort Worth Stockyards. A Western tourist part of town. We got there around noon and walked through the street which was filled with lots of little tourist shops. Including a candy shop, which I was sure to stop at, and some other fun tourist things to look at. We then headed back down the street to take a look at some of the Western wear clothing stores. Joel is particular is looking forward to buying some good plaid. Although we didn't find anything at these clothing stores, we did find a longhorn cattle stuffie that would join us on our trip! We headed to the pens where the longhorns were kept to try and find him a name. After discussing all the possible names of the ones they had there (including a Joel :p) we decided on Maverick.
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| We Found a Longhorn Named Joel! |
We then headed to the Love Shack, a famous burger joint in the area which is owned by a food network star. We both had the Love Burger which was a total of 10 dollars for both burgers, not too bad! And although it was not the best we had yet. And as Joel put it, we are now burger experts.
After the burgers we headed back to the main street of the Stockyard because at 4 o'clock they run the longhorns down the street! Using real cowboys and horses. We were pretty excited. Unfortunately it was done at a very slow walk, but because of the kids we did understand. Not quite the exciting "running of the bulls" I was expecting. Still neat though!
After the stockyards we headed back to our hosts house, with a quick stop at a bookstore. We were welcomed home by our two big new friends (the dogs) and a dinner being cooked. After a delicious stir-fry and some nice conversation we headed to bed. Not before Joel had a major playing sessions with the two dogs. Guess he got himself some new best friends!
Tomorrow we are off to Dallas and some more Western shopping! Hopefully we find something!
Saturday 16 March 2013
Day 26: Couch Surfing Round 2
We started this morning a little slowly just like the last. Although that was not our intention. However with the sun shinning through the window warming you up and a comfy bed with pillows, why would you want to get up?
We did however eventually get up and head out to Fort Worth which was our end goal for the day. A four hour drive which all in all is not too bad! We stopped only a couple times. Once to get Internet so we could get the address for tonight's couch surfer, once to get lunch at Sonic. Sonic is a really cute fast food place where you drive in and the food is brought out to you. Joel and I both got burgers and large milkshakes. And we were thinking perfect that is enough food! Little did we know that a large milkshake was not simply large but a litre of milkshake goodness! Topped with whipped cream and a cherry! We were pretty sick after that stop!
Our final stop was to pick up some dog treats for our host and a quick stop to look at the local bookstore. Definitely missing reading all the books at home. Although I am well into les miserables now and I really am enjoying it!
When we got to our hosts house we were welcomed with open arms and slobbering tongues. Our host is the 77 year old proud owner of 2 fairly large dobbermans. Both of them are very friendly dogs and Sam is only 6 months old! Cute little rascal that he is!!! Our host also had another couch surfer and together they had prepare us a really Irish meal to celebrate Saint Patrick's day! With us, the other couch surfer, our host, and our hosts sister in law it was a real party! The dinner was delicious but the company was even better! We had lots to discuss and everyone was friendly and sharing. That's what this trip is all about, sharing stories, meeting people, and learning about the United States and Canada! As well as eating lots of good food! Which we have done :)
So clean and well fed (with both food and company) we headed to bed content with the day and ready for the next. (As well as the promise of a breakfast and laundry!)
We did however eventually get up and head out to Fort Worth which was our end goal for the day. A four hour drive which all in all is not too bad! We stopped only a couple times. Once to get Internet so we could get the address for tonight's couch surfer, once to get lunch at Sonic. Sonic is a really cute fast food place where you drive in and the food is brought out to you. Joel and I both got burgers and large milkshakes. And we were thinking perfect that is enough food! Little did we know that a large milkshake was not simply large but a litre of milkshake goodness! Topped with whipped cream and a cherry! We were pretty sick after that stop!
Our final stop was to pick up some dog treats for our host and a quick stop to look at the local bookstore. Definitely missing reading all the books at home. Although I am well into les miserables now and I really am enjoying it!
When we got to our hosts house we were welcomed with open arms and slobbering tongues. Our host is the 77 year old proud owner of 2 fairly large dobbermans. Both of them are very friendly dogs and Sam is only 6 months old! Cute little rascal that he is!!! Our host also had another couch surfer and together they had prepare us a really Irish meal to celebrate Saint Patrick's day! With us, the other couch surfer, our host, and our hosts sister in law it was a real party! The dinner was delicious but the company was even better! We had lots to discuss and everyone was friendly and sharing. That's what this trip is all about, sharing stories, meeting people, and learning about the United States and Canada! As well as eating lots of good food! Which we have done :)
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| Joel Made Some New Friends! |
So clean and well fed (with both food and company) we headed to bed content with the day and ready for the next. (As well as the promise of a breakfast and laundry!)
Post 25: A Day of Rest
Day 25: A Day of Rest
After our late night last night we decided to spend the day relaxing. I woke up at 10 30 and ready my book in the sun until Joel woke up. We then headed to Subway for lunch. Then to the public library for some Internet and quiet book time. I finished two books today! After the library we headed to the park again to make a healthy dinner of Mac and cheese. When the sun finally set at 8 o'clock we headed to the car and our bed. Tomorrow we couch surf again and get out first showers since Vegas!
After our late night last night we decided to spend the day relaxing. I woke up at 10 30 and ready my book in the sun until Joel woke up. We then headed to Subway for lunch. Then to the public library for some Internet and quiet book time. I finished two books today! After the library we headed to the park again to make a healthy dinner of Mac and cheese. When the sun finally set at 8 o'clock we headed to the car and our bed. Tomorrow we couch surf again and get out first showers since Vegas!
Friday 15 March 2013
Day 24: Bye Bye New Mexico
Day 24: Bye Bye New Mexico
This morning our plan was to head to Clovis on the edge of New Mexico (note plan WAS). Unfortunately on our way to our couch surfer I realized he lived in Clovis California (not where we were going). So we decided that we would head to our backup campground for the night in Texas!
We headed down the road to Albuquerque where we stopped at the Standard Diner another recommendation from our friend Guy. Once again Diners Drive-ins and Dives got it right! I had country friend tuna with an amazing green chile pesto sauce. And Joel had a bourbon butter burger! That was really good too! The butter on the burger was amazing!! And my tuna was to die for!
After Albuquerque we headed down the road again. We stopped at a McDonald so we could tell it coach surfer we wouldn't make it to California to tonight! Oops :)
Then back on the road and onward to Texas! We drove a long time to Texas. Crossing the border at a small town called Texeco. Most the this part of Texas was pretty run-down definitely nothing spectacular. Our backup campground was not exactly what we were looking for so we headed to the town of Lubbock and our second backup campground for the night. We were driving through Lubbock at about 7:45 when we saw a drive-thru movie place and decided hey! why not! So we pulled in and watched a double feature of the new movie Oz and Safe Heaven. We bought some popcorn and chilled in the car while watching the movie under the big Texas sky. All in all a pretty cool experience. The only problem was that we were not done the movie till about 12:30 and we still needed to find a place to stay!
So we got some more gas (twice in one day again!) and headed to a town park that we had found. Once we got there however we decided we didn't like the look of this either! So that meant another hour long rive to our third and final back-up spot. Which was a free camping ground in Lamesa. We finally arrived at about 2:30 am. And sleepily rearranged our car so we could sleep in the back. And I can honestly say it was probably the fastest and deepest I have slept on this trip. I was exhausted! And I hadn't even done much driving! Poor Joel! But I let him sleep till 11:45 the next morning so it all worked out :)
This morning our plan was to head to Clovis on the edge of New Mexico (note plan WAS). Unfortunately on our way to our couch surfer I realized he lived in Clovis California (not where we were going). So we decided that we would head to our backup campground for the night in Texas!
We headed down the road to Albuquerque where we stopped at the Standard Diner another recommendation from our friend Guy. Once again Diners Drive-ins and Dives got it right! I had country friend tuna with an amazing green chile pesto sauce. And Joel had a bourbon butter burger! That was really good too! The butter on the burger was amazing!! And my tuna was to die for!
After Albuquerque we headed down the road again. We stopped at a McDonald so we could tell it coach surfer we wouldn't make it to California to tonight! Oops :)
Then back on the road and onward to Texas! We drove a long time to Texas. Crossing the border at a small town called Texeco. Most the this part of Texas was pretty run-down definitely nothing spectacular. Our backup campground was not exactly what we were looking for so we headed to the town of Lubbock and our second backup campground for the night. We were driving through Lubbock at about 7:45 when we saw a drive-thru movie place and decided hey! why not! So we pulled in and watched a double feature of the new movie Oz and Safe Heaven. We bought some popcorn and chilled in the car while watching the movie under the big Texas sky. All in all a pretty cool experience. The only problem was that we were not done the movie till about 12:30 and we still needed to find a place to stay!
So we got some more gas (twice in one day again!) and headed to a town park that we had found. Once we got there however we decided we didn't like the look of this either! So that meant another hour long rive to our third and final back-up spot. Which was a free camping ground in Lamesa. We finally arrived at about 2:30 am. And sleepily rearranged our car so we could sleep in the back. And I can honestly say it was probably the fastest and deepest I have slept on this trip. I was exhausted! And I hadn't even done much driving! Poor Joel! But I let him sleep till 11:45 the next morning so it all worked out :)
Thursday 14 March 2013
Day 23: Welcome to New Mexico
Day 23: Welcome to New Mexico
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the lake where we were camping. We were not as cold as the night before but still a little bit chilly. However definitely did hit below zero! We headed down the road back into Winslow for some Internet and bread. McDonald and Safeway were our two stops.
Then it was onwards to New Mexico! But before we got there we drove trough the Petrified Woods National Park. It was a 28 mile drive through something that reminded me a lot of drumheller. Our first stop here was at the Crystal Forest which was a short walk. It was really cool! We walked through hundreds of petrified wood. The colors were amazing, reds, purples, and pinks. The though that these rocks had been wood and were still shaped as piece I wood was astounding. And although we originally not going to stop here it really is a must see in Arizona.
We kept driving down this road and eventually ended up driving next to these stunning red rocks. It was absolutely amazing. And only a maybe a mile away from the highway! And all these people were missing it! Just driving right by, such a waste!
We then crossed the border into New Mexico where we stopped in Gallup for food and gas. We ended up at a Denny's for a couple hours where we did some serious planning and couch surfing requests.
We then went to our campsite for the night in El Murro National Park. We took a wrong turn thanks to our GPS and ended up at the Sandstone Bluffs, very pretty! And after quickly contemplating heading to Albuquerque for the night we decided to keep looking for our campground. As it turned out it was the next turn on the left! Lucky us :) It was a nice campground surrounded by cliffs and not to many people. The sun set later now that we crossed time zones so we had some more time to workout and do Spanish. After watching Argo we headed to bed once again under the stars! Not a bad life at all!
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the lake where we were camping. We were not as cold as the night before but still a little bit chilly. However definitely did hit below zero! We headed down the road back into Winslow for some Internet and bread. McDonald and Safeway were our two stops.
Then it was onwards to New Mexico! But before we got there we drove trough the Petrified Woods National Park. It was a 28 mile drive through something that reminded me a lot of drumheller. Our first stop here was at the Crystal Forest which was a short walk. It was really cool! We walked through hundreds of petrified wood. The colors were amazing, reds, purples, and pinks. The though that these rocks had been wood and were still shaped as piece I wood was astounding. And although we originally not going to stop here it really is a must see in Arizona.
We kept driving down this road and eventually ended up driving next to these stunning red rocks. It was absolutely amazing. And only a maybe a mile away from the highway! And all these people were missing it! Just driving right by, such a waste!
We then crossed the border into New Mexico where we stopped in Gallup for food and gas. We ended up at a Denny's for a couple hours where we did some serious planning and couch surfing requests.
We then went to our campsite for the night in El Murro National Park. We took a wrong turn thanks to our GPS and ended up at the Sandstone Bluffs, very pretty! And after quickly contemplating heading to Albuquerque for the night we decided to keep looking for our campground. As it turned out it was the next turn on the left! Lucky us :) It was a nice campground surrounded by cliffs and not to many people. The sun set later now that we crossed time zones so we had some more time to workout and do Spanish. After watching Argo we headed to bed once again under the stars! Not a bad life at all!
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Day 22: A Hot Sunny Red Rock Kinda Day
We started the day much like yesterday as almost frozen sleeping bag burritos. Literally the only part of me not completely covered by my sleeping bag was my head which was poking out for air. We actually got up on time today, early enough to see the world covered in frost.
We headed out to Flagstaff and Sedona today via the Grand Canyon. We really wanted to see the Desert Viewpoint which was a little out of the way, but doable. So we went there and climbed the 86 steps it took to get to the top of the tower. Very nice view. Each window in the tower was designed to ensure the viewer got a specifically chosen viewpoint. We spent some time up there looking around the down the stair and through the gift store to our car. In the gift store was this gorgeous painted horse I wanted to buy. But at 57 dollars it was not in my souvenir price range. It was part of the trail of painted ponies... Apparently this big art thing where local artists paint horses and auction them off. So I spent about 20 min debating with myself whether to get it or not and I decided no. It was breakable, inconvenient, and too expensive. But it was so pretty!
From the Grand Canyon we headed to Sedona through Flagstaff. The drive out there is spectacular. The trees and a I gave way to a beautiful landscape of red rocks and hot Arizona sun. Sedona itself was as Joel put it "the biggest disappointment yet". We expected a town filled with Indigenous art and spirituality, as apparently this is considered on of the most sacred places in the US. What we got was a tacky cowboy town filled with tourist shops and ice cream stops. We found out the most things in the area cost money, tours and anything that would really be nice. So we headed back to Flagstaff for a lunch/dinner.
We stopped at a place called Salsa Brava, a restaurant on Route 66 that we heard about from diners, drive-ins, and dives. And this place was a gem! So delicious. I had stuffed something or another. A delicious combination of bread, chicken, cheese, and refers! So yummy! We also got chips and salsa, which came from a salsa buffet. You got a small bowl and could pick your own salsa! Mine was the mild one but the tomatoes and cilantro were so fresh and delicious!
After dinner we headed to Winslow to gas up and then 5 miles outside of town we found a free camping spot near the lake! Very nice and quiet. We sat in the sun for a bit as I worked on my Spanish and Joel organized the car ( he won't let me help with that! Apparently I don't organize well :) ) then we razed in the back of the car as we watched the sunset and the birds play in the water. Pretty lucky! Now the stars are up and it is time to head off to bed! Hopefully the night will be warmer here!
We headed out to Flagstaff and Sedona today via the Grand Canyon. We really wanted to see the Desert Viewpoint which was a little out of the way, but doable. So we went there and climbed the 86 steps it took to get to the top of the tower. Very nice view. Each window in the tower was designed to ensure the viewer got a specifically chosen viewpoint. We spent some time up there looking around the down the stair and through the gift store to our car. In the gift store was this gorgeous painted horse I wanted to buy. But at 57 dollars it was not in my souvenir price range. It was part of the trail of painted ponies... Apparently this big art thing where local artists paint horses and auction them off. So I spent about 20 min debating with myself whether to get it or not and I decided no. It was breakable, inconvenient, and too expensive. But it was so pretty!
From the Grand Canyon we headed to Sedona through Flagstaff. The drive out there is spectacular. The trees and a I gave way to a beautiful landscape of red rocks and hot Arizona sun. Sedona itself was as Joel put it "the biggest disappointment yet". We expected a town filled with Indigenous art and spirituality, as apparently this is considered on of the most sacred places in the US. What we got was a tacky cowboy town filled with tourist shops and ice cream stops. We found out the most things in the area cost money, tours and anything that would really be nice. So we headed back to Flagstaff for a lunch/dinner.
We stopped at a place called Salsa Brava, a restaurant on Route 66 that we heard about from diners, drive-ins, and dives. And this place was a gem! So delicious. I had stuffed something or another. A delicious combination of bread, chicken, cheese, and refers! So yummy! We also got chips and salsa, which came from a salsa buffet. You got a small bowl and could pick your own salsa! Mine was the mild one but the tomatoes and cilantro were so fresh and delicious!
After dinner we headed to Winslow to gas up and then 5 miles outside of town we found a free camping spot near the lake! Very nice and quiet. We sat in the sun for a bit as I worked on my Spanish and Joel organized the car ( he won't let me help with that! Apparently I don't organize well :) ) then we razed in the back of the car as we watched the sunset and the birds play in the water. Pretty lucky! Now the stars are up and it is time to head off to bed! Hopefully the night will be warmer here!
Monday 11 March 2013
Day 21: A Giant Hole in the Ground
Day 21: A Giant Hole in the Ground
We woke up this morning frozen. Well we didn't freeze but the water in our water bottles did! Brrrr!! Lots of frost and maybe a little new snow on the car. Because it was so cold we decided to seek more heat in our sleeping bags and sleep in an extra hour.
When we final dragged ourselves out of our warm beds we quickly gobbled breakfast and went in search of the sun. Luckily it was not hard to find and we warmed up quite fast! We were only 2 miles from the Grand Canyon. So we stopped at the visitor center on our way over.
We then headed to the amazing Grand Canyon. We first parked at the visitor centre inside the park and walked along the Rime View Trail for our first view of the Canyon! And it was spectacular, albeit a little covered in snow which Joel and I did not expect!
From there we headed to the Grand Canyon village where we did not see much of anything. So back to Yavapia Geology museum we went. From there we hiked/ walked about 1.4 miles to a trailhead that lead into the canyon. This was a slippery slope! There was still plenty of ice and mushy snow and it was constant switchbacks! We decided to hike to the 1.5 mile rest stop and then back up again. It was tough going and we almost quit a couple times and also almost fell and died (well maybe that's a little drastic but it was very icy!)
We did make it to the rest point and found a nice sunny patch to rehydrate and eat some trail mix. After a nice break we headed back up the trail! We were worried we would be stuck down there after sundown but the hike up went so much smoother than the one down! In no time we were at the halfway point and then before we knew we were at the top! And this was quite a climb not some little stroll!
We headed back to our car, another 1.4 miles on already tired feet. The sun was starting to lower in the sky which was amazing because the shadows being cast on the rocks became stunning. The contrast of the red of the rocks and the black of the shadow was so sharp!
After hoping into the car and seeing some nice elk and deer we ended the day at McDonald's for some food and Internet. All in all a successful day. With full tummies and sore legs we head back to the same campground for another cold spring night :)
When we got there we decided that we would attempt to make a campfire with just the sticks around us and the snow covered firepit. After lots of attempts and working very hard we did eventually get it to work! One of my proudest moments on this trip! The pit was wet, the grass was wet, and the sticks were wet yet we made fire!!! Good stuff :)
We woke up this morning frozen. Well we didn't freeze but the water in our water bottles did! Brrrr!! Lots of frost and maybe a little new snow on the car. Because it was so cold we decided to seek more heat in our sleeping bags and sleep in an extra hour.
When we final dragged ourselves out of our warm beds we quickly gobbled breakfast and went in search of the sun. Luckily it was not hard to find and we warmed up quite fast! We were only 2 miles from the Grand Canyon. So we stopped at the visitor center on our way over.
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| Rammy Climbing on the Grand Canyon Sign |
From there we headed to the Grand Canyon village where we did not see much of anything. So back to Yavapia Geology museum we went. From there we hiked/ walked about 1.4 miles to a trailhead that lead into the canyon. This was a slippery slope! There was still plenty of ice and mushy snow and it was constant switchbacks! We decided to hike to the 1.5 mile rest stop and then back up again. It was tough going and we almost quit a couple times and also almost fell and died (well maybe that's a little drastic but it was very icy!)
We did make it to the rest point and found a nice sunny patch to rehydrate and eat some trail mix. After a nice break we headed back up the trail! We were worried we would be stuck down there after sundown but the hike up went so much smoother than the one down! In no time we were at the halfway point and then before we knew we were at the top! And this was quite a climb not some little stroll!
We headed back to our car, another 1.4 miles on already tired feet. The sun was starting to lower in the sky which was amazing because the shadows being cast on the rocks became stunning. The contrast of the red of the rocks and the black of the shadow was so sharp!
After hoping into the car and seeing some nice elk and deer we ended the day at McDonald's for some food and Internet. All in all a successful day. With full tummies and sore legs we head back to the same campground for another cold spring night :)
When we got there we decided that we would attempt to make a campfire with just the sticks around us and the snow covered firepit. After lots of attempts and working very hard we did eventually get it to work! One of my proudest moments on this trip! The pit was wet, the grass was wet, and the sticks were wet yet we made fire!!! Good stuff :)
Day 20: Farewell to the Lap of Luxury
This morning it was an early wake-up not only cause we needed to check out but also because the clocks were set ahead an hour! Man that meant that both Joel and I got an hour less sleep an after a final late night in Vegas that was not what we wanted!
After some groceries for the coming days and our first gas up in a week (our second came later today :p) we headed, once again, down the open road! I was a little sad to see our comfy life in Vegas go but very excited for the next couple weeks! And excited to sleep in the car again under the stars!
Our first main stop for the day was the Hoover Dam. Very big dam. It was nice, the weather was nice and we walked around for a bit. Unfortunately we got sucker into paying for parking before the dam even though it is free after the dam! Dam it! But it was only a couple dollars so we let it slide. We also decided to drive up to the view point which was quiet nice. Not too many people up there so that was good :)
After the dam we headed to the Grand Canyon where we were going to sleep for the night. We found a really good little free camping spot right before the Grand Canyon in Kaobau National Park. It was a long drive! Especially because we were both so tired. I was driving and when I started to get too tired we stopped for some lunch and more importantly caffeine! After a fair amount of coca cola we headed back on the road. The land was flat!
We detoured from the highway to drive on the world famous Route 66! Lots of fun. We stopped to take some pictures, listen to music with the windows down, and listened to Rascal Flatte "Life is a Highway". All and all a good detour. We also stopped to add stickers to our growing water bottle sticker collection. At this stop we met a nice dog named Max... Hmmm what a fun name ;)
We stopped one more time before our destination for some serious bathroom needs and a second gas run. Then we kept trekking to the Canyon. The trees went from little bushes to small trees to big trees. It was as if we were watching them grow, pretty neat!
After a harrowing experience down a dirt/mud road. ( I don't do back roads... Or at least not anymore) we got to our lovely secluded campsite! It was so pretty and in the trees! No one else was in sight! And there was even still snow on the ground! What a nice place to stay for the night! Vegas hotels have nothing on this kind of camping! Dinner and a movie and the sleep time! And tomorrow is the Grand Canyon!
After some groceries for the coming days and our first gas up in a week (our second came later today :p) we headed, once again, down the open road! I was a little sad to see our comfy life in Vegas go but very excited for the next couple weeks! And excited to sleep in the car again under the stars!
Our first main stop for the day was the Hoover Dam. Very big dam. It was nice, the weather was nice and we walked around for a bit. Unfortunately we got sucker into paying for parking before the dam even though it is free after the dam! Dam it! But it was only a couple dollars so we let it slide. We also decided to drive up to the view point which was quiet nice. Not too many people up there so that was good :)
After the dam we headed to the Grand Canyon where we were going to sleep for the night. We found a really good little free camping spot right before the Grand Canyon in Kaobau National Park. It was a long drive! Especially because we were both so tired. I was driving and when I started to get too tired we stopped for some lunch and more importantly caffeine! After a fair amount of coca cola we headed back on the road. The land was flat!
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| Rammy Exploring Route 66 |
We detoured from the highway to drive on the world famous Route 66! Lots of fun. We stopped to take some pictures, listen to music with the windows down, and listened to Rascal Flatte "Life is a Highway". All and all a good detour. We also stopped to add stickers to our growing water bottle sticker collection. At this stop we met a nice dog named Max... Hmmm what a fun name ;)
We stopped one more time before our destination for some serious bathroom needs and a second gas run. Then we kept trekking to the Canyon. The trees went from little bushes to small trees to big trees. It was as if we were watching them grow, pretty neat!
After a harrowing experience down a dirt/mud road. ( I don't do back roads... Or at least not anymore) we got to our lovely secluded campsite! It was so pretty and in the trees! No one else was in sight! And there was even still snow on the ground! What a nice place to stay for the night! Vegas hotels have nothing on this kind of camping! Dinner and a movie and the sleep time! And tomorrow is the Grand Canyon!
Friday 8 March 2013
Day 14- 19: Las Vegas Baby!
Since we are staying Vegas for a week it seemed silly to make a post every day about the things we did. Most of what we did was showers, lots of showers, and internet, and TV, and learning Spanish. We also did some laundry and tons of sleeping! As for the actual Vegas experience we did some of that as well, but not too much! Mostly we chilled, very nice after all that time on the road being smelly!
The next night we headed to the rainforest cafe for some delicious burgers and the most amazing cake/ice cream extravaganza ever! It was quite delicious and we didn't even finish half of it! But we sat next to a waterfall and watched the gorillas and other animals all night :)
Our final night in Vegas we spent walking around the strip at night looking at all the different free shows. From the sirens of TI ( definitely not kid friendly, although they claim it is) to the fiery volcanos of the mirage and the beautiful fountains of the Bellagio! A great way to end our time in Vegas!
So we packed up and got ready to head back on the road, onwards to the Grand Canyon!!!!
Our first major Vegas experience was walking the strip during the day. Very fun, but tiring! Definitely had some sore feet after this. We went in lots of the hotels and poked around the casinos. My favorite was the Excalibur and Joel enjoyed Ceaser's Palace, although he pointed out some inconsistencies in the theme (Greek statues or vases or the like) We spent a couple hours doing that so it was very nice, we stopped and got Slurpees at one point cause it was SO hot out, at least I thought it was :) We also spent some time watching an artist make gorgeous paintings, I thought about buying one, but where would I keep it?
During our time in Vegas we also spent some time going to shows. After all it is Vegas. We picked out two really cool ones. The tournament of Kings which was an early birthday present from Joel. Tons of fun, lots of banging on the tables and shouting! We were impressed at the skill of the horses as well as the knights that rode them. We were sitting in the Norway section so we got to cheer for that knight. Once again TONS OF FUN!
The next night we decided to go see KA one of the cirque de soleil shows that perform regularly in Vegas. I have seen a fair share of Ciruqe shows at this point and I have to say it was not what I expected. There were a lot less acts that had me on the edge of my seat like so many other shows. But there were some amazing choreographed battle scenes, one which took place completed vertically! Very cool. And lots of funny moments, probably the funniest cirque I have seen. Also the music was amazing! Considering putting it on my i-pod. But definitely not what I was expecting. Still I love Cirque so that was tons of fun too!
The next night we headed to the rainforest cafe for some delicious burgers and the most amazing cake/ice cream extravaganza ever! It was quite delicious and we didn't even finish half of it! But we sat next to a waterfall and watched the gorillas and other animals all night :)
Our final night in Vegas we spent walking around the strip at night looking at all the different free shows. From the sirens of TI ( definitely not kid friendly, although they claim it is) to the fiery volcanos of the mirage and the beautiful fountains of the Bellagio! A great way to end our time in Vegas!
So we packed up and got ready to head back on the road, onwards to the Grand Canyon!!!!
Monday 4 March 2013
Day 13: Welcome to Sin City
Joel and I woke up several times during the night in this new campground, once I remember was because of the howling coyotes outside. I have no idea how close they were, but by the sound of it....pretty close! At least we were safe and sound inside the car, which for the first time in this trip was pretty hot for me! I don't think I even zipped up my sleeping bag....
When we got up I decided to go for a run, gotta make sure I don't put on too much weight this trip! Joel wanted to come along, but somewhere along the trip we had misplaced his running shoes, guess we are going to need to buy new ones in Vegas! The run was nice, as the weather was not too hot yet and there were several other people out and about. I ran to a gas station which had gas selling for almost 6 dollars per gallon! By far the most expensive gas we had seen yet this trip!
When I got back from the run Joel and I headed out to Vegas with several stops in between We stopped three times in the park. Zabriski Point was our first stop, which had an amazing view of the badlands, something I am very familiar with, thanks to Alberta. But it was really beautiful as the colors of the land changed, leaving streets of black and white. I personally thought it looked like chocolate vanilla ice cream swirl. Another stop was for Dante's viewpoint, which is a gorgeous view of the entire valley. One that shows all the Badwater Salt Field and more. We walked around there, on top of the mountains for a while, but the wind was blowing so hard that eventually we retreated to the car. We also went through the twenty mule canyon, a windy road that leads through the mountains, something that is supposed to show you how the mules would take the Borax, which is a mineral out of Death Valley, and although this isn't the actual path they took, it was similar. Quiet a beautiful drive, we took it very slowly as there was no one behind us, so we enjoyed it immensely.
We finally exited the Park and headed across the state line into Nevada. Our first stop was for food, McDonald and internet in a town called Pahrump . This was only the second time we had a full meal there and I was not impressed. I had a ranch burger, one of the first times I have had a burger at McDonalds, I usually eat the nuggets. It will also be one of the last times I do this....Gross. We e-mailed a couple people that we were ok and headed to get some cheap gas. I think it was about 3.72 a Gallon, much cheaper than in Death Valley!
We then headed to Vegas! We got to our hotel a little early hoping for an early check in, unfortunately that did not occur so we sat down in the games room and read/played games on the computer. At 4 o'clock, our check-in time we headed back to the desk.... unfortunately still not ready. We weren't really willing to go anywhere because we didn't want to park the car with everything in it somewhere in Vegas, so we went across the street to Subway for an early dinner and a Shop 4 Less for some chips for tonight.
When we got back to the hotel at 5 the room was ready. So we parked the car and headed up to our suite. Very nice room indeed. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, dinning room, and very nice bathrooms! Much nicer then the accommodation we have had the last couple nights in the back of our car! We got unpacked, settled in, and decided to watch movies and shower tonight. We have plenty of time to do Vegas in the next couple days! Tomorrow we are heading to a dealership to get our car checked out, hope that this goes well!!!
Sunday 3 March 2013
Day 12: A Day in The Hottest Place on Earth
We woke up this morning with the sun rise. It's weird how normal it is to get up at 7 30 now. I usually don't even feel that tired! Maybe it's because I am looking forward to the day so much.
We headed out of Wildrose campground this morning after a healthy breakfast of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. We decided to explore the areas that were most famous in the area, at least the ones accessible without 4 wheel drive.
Our first stop was Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. This was exactly what I had expected from Death Valley. Lots of sand dunes. Unfortunately this is hardly what Death Valley looks like. Most of it is badlands and rocky mountains and hills. The dunes were fun to play in, but it got very hot very quick and when we back to the car I must have poured an entire sand dune out of my shoes!
From there we headed to the Harmony Borax Works where we learned all about the mining of this mineral in the area. It was a really interesting little trail with lots of ruins and some information.
We headed to the town of Furnace Creek and the interpretive centre there. We got more information from the rangers about where we should go for the night and what to do with the rest of our day. From there we headed towards Badwater Basin.
On route we stopped at the Devil's golf course and the natural bridge. Both involved a little hike and a lot of pictures of the beauty surrounding us
Around two o'clock we got to te Badwater basin and took a look around. This is the lowest point in North America. 288 feet below sea level! Pretty cool. We walked around the salt flats for a bit, but then retreated to the car as it was getting quiet warm!
We then headed back to Furnace Creek and our campground for the night. Before setting up camp we went to the general store which was in a very quite little western resort. Everything looked very western! At the general store we bought some Ben and Jerry's to celebrate a nice warm day :) another first for Joel!
With a pint of Ben and Jerry's in my lap we drove to our campsite. After some talking and driving around we finally found an open campsite and sat down to eat our delicious "Half Baked" ice cream, filled with cookie dough and brownies! Yummy :)
We set up camp and made another delicious dinner on our camp stove. Everyone else was very friendly and people kept coming up and talking to us. As the sun set and the campfires started to get lit we spent some time under the stars talking. Then we headed to bed! We have another big day tomorrow, Vegas!
Day 11: Death Valley
We woke up with a nice sunrise at Isabella Lake. After snoozing for a while,because we we can do that, we headed to Death Valley.
On the way we stopped in Ridgecrest to get some gas and stop at McDonald for some Internet and Coca Cola. We emailed a couple people including my father asking about a check engine light which was been going on and off for a couple days. After some discussion we decided to get the car checked in Vegas because if something was wrong we could get it repaired and we had lodging.
Back to the car we went, which was now covered in bird poo because Joel had parked under a light. We then headed into Death Valley. Man it was hot! Joel was totally fine with the weather but me, I was dying! We drove through some very nice scenery including salt flats and a very rundown looking factory town. We finally got to our campsite for the night, Wildrose. Parked the car and got comfy. Joel went for another hike while I worked on my Spanish some more. We then sat down for dinner which we cooked for the first time on the trip. Mmmm! We made KD on my camping stove and then used the leftover water to make noodle water tea. Very yummy.
Friday 1 March 2013
Day 10: Farewell to New Friends
We woke up today feeling tired and sore. After a late night hanging with our hosts and meeting some of their friends we were finally ready to leave. After many goodbyes and promises to stay in touch Joel and I hoped back in the car to continue on to Vegas.
Our main goal today: get to Isabella Lake in Sequoia National Park. It was about a four hour drive. Mostly highways. We spent lots of time talking and listening to music. After passing through Bakersfield we realized that this might be last civilization we see for a while so we turned around and got Subway and Gas.
While stopping for subway we went to the dollar store, which was amazing! We bought lots of candy and some cleaning supplies, which would have cost us much more in a regular store, same brand name, very cheap!
We did eventually get to Isabella Lake which was close to several towns, guess we didn't really need to go back to Bakersfield! The lake itself was beautiful! It is surrounded by mountains and deserts which makes it all the more special.
Joel and I parked on a National Recreation Area which means free camping for the night! We hoped out and took a look around. Joel went for a walk and I lazed in the back of the car reading and soaking in the sun. When Joel came back he took a nap while I worked on my Spanish. Then I watched the sunset and woke Joel up. We later both took a nap and after waking up at around 8 had dinner. Definitely another relaxing day! Our dinner was nowhere near as nice as the last three dinners our hosts had treated us to... Guess we missed Madesto a bit!
Joel and I then watched a movie and admired the stars! The moon was also quiet stunning and although there was wind, the weather was not too bad! We the resigned ourself to sleeping in the car again. No more comfy bed for us! But the papasan was once again there for us and was once again very comfy! Tomorrow is Death Valley!
Our main goal today: get to Isabella Lake in Sequoia National Park. It was about a four hour drive. Mostly highways. We spent lots of time talking and listening to music. After passing through Bakersfield we realized that this might be last civilization we see for a while so we turned around and got Subway and Gas.
While stopping for subway we went to the dollar store, which was amazing! We bought lots of candy and some cleaning supplies, which would have cost us much more in a regular store, same brand name, very cheap!
We did eventually get to Isabella Lake which was close to several towns, guess we didn't really need to go back to Bakersfield! The lake itself was beautiful! It is surrounded by mountains and deserts which makes it all the more special.
Joel and I then watched a movie and admired the stars! The moon was also quiet stunning and although there was wind, the weather was not too bad! We the resigned ourself to sleeping in the car again. No more comfy bed for us! But the papasan was once again there for us and was once again very comfy! Tomorrow is Death Valley!
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