Dinner for Yasmeen

Tuesday evening, we make it to our ultimate destination, Atlanta, Georgia. We are staying at the Clarion Inn, near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The whole heat/humidity thing is no joke in the South. The antiperspirant is working overtime down here. When we got our room, it was supposed to be a suite with two queens and a sleeper. We enter the room to see a couch (presumably the sleeper), a refrigerator and a small bathroom. No beds. No room for beds. It turned out that there was a corridor behind the door to the room, which led to a pretty big room with beds, desk, TV, and a second, bigger bathroom.

We didn't really feel like venturing out, so we ordered delivery from the Slutty Vegan. I waited downstairs for the order and it was taking a really long time. After a while, a guy came into the lobby with a bag of food. I waved at him, he asked my name and I said Steven (although through a mask). He handed me the bag and left. I was walking toward the elevator and I realized the bag seemed pretty light. I looked at the receipt attached and saw that it was from a different restaurant and for Yasmeen. I quickly shuffled outside but he was gone. After a few minutes, he came back. He then tried to find Yasmeen. Because he cleared the order, he didn't have access to her phone number and was on hold with customer service when my order did show up.

The order was still incorrect, though. Bryan's Fussy Hussy was missing, as well as my sweet potato pie. I split my One Night Stand with Bryan (which was amazing, by the way). There was an extra order of fries, though. So I filled up on those. This was pretty easily one of the best burgers I've ever had (which happened to be vegan).

We made it to Atlanta. This was really our goal and for the first time on this trip, had two nights planned in the same location. We had picked up some Bang Hard Seltzers at Buc-ee's and those were our night cap. They were kind of yummy and about as classy as you would expect. Of course, I went to bed early again because that's what I do.

Unplanned Stop!

Alabama had a lot to live up to after Mississippi. My hope was to maybe not stop in Alabama. The scenery was still beautiful but it wasn't exactly the same.

After a while, we stopped at a Love's for a quick break and I think some of us grabbed lunch. I was wearing a Piff shirt and the cashier was very excited to see that because she LOVED Piff. Of course, who doesn't, though?

In Birmingham, I needed to change from I-22 to I-20. Of course, I exited one exit too soon and we got to go through a slight tour of the city itself. It's really quite pretty and frankly, it wasn't that hard to find our way back onto the interstate.

At this point, we've now driven I-20, I-40, I-70 and I-80. My mom lives just off of I-10 in Arizona, so of the major east-west interstates, the only one I haven't been on this year is I-90. We'll have to remedy that.

As we left Birmingham, I think Jason and Linda were dozing in the backseat. Their eyes were closed, anyway. Then I saw a billboard I did not think we would see this trip. A cartoon beaver let us know that nine miles ahead at exit 140 was Buc-ee's. I let everyone know that there would be an unplanned stop. There was some confusion as I declared that we HAD to stop at this gas station. We didn't need gas. We didn't really need snacks. We probably could have gone a bit longer before relief. But stop we must.

I really recommend checking out a YouTube video on Texas based Buc-ee's but I'll try to describe it. First, it really is a gas station of enormous proportions. This particular location has 120 gas pumps! The store is the size of a small Walmart (53,525 square feet). Inside, it is the perfect stop on a road trip. Every kind of souvenir/gift you can think of. Clothing, stickers, beach gear, kitchen decor, everything. Every kind of snack is represented: a full bakery counter, a deli counter that is nothing but different kinds of beef jerky. There was fudge, made right on the store, all kinds of roasted nuts, and all kinds of hot deli items featuring Texas barbecue. There was probably 50 different kinds of fountain pop.

The restrooms in a Buc-ee's are second to none. Huge, private stalls that are always being cleaned. Sanitizer everywhere. Go once when you get there and once as you are getting ready to leave.

I called home to ask Garrett what kind of souvenir he would like. He wanted beef jerky. So I got him some garlic variety, souvenirs, some treats and tried to make the most of the experience. Of course, I had to get the photo with Buc-ee outside. All in all, a memorable pit stop. And we didn't even get gas.

Before leaving the state, we encountered the first reason to actually use the wipers. Possibly remnants of tropical depression Fred, we drove through a little rain shower but it was pretty light and only lasted a few miles.

Onward and eastward!

TCB

The breakfast at the hotel Tuesday morning had a few options but it was kind of hard to tell because the kitchen was blocked off with a table and you had to ask for what you wanted. I did get a pretty good cinnamon roll but since I was up before everyone else, I went to Waffle House to get hash browns for everyone. They were pretty good. I hadn't even been to one before but they were cheap and good.

After breakfast, a local P3er (friend of Puddles), Shannon, met up with us before she headed to work. It's always fun to catch up with others that love that clown. She didn't have much time before she had to run (and we needed to head out, too).

We left Southaven on I-69 (nice) until we could head east on I-22. An hour or so into the day's drive, we stopped in Tupelo, Mississippi. I expected that Elvis's birthplace would be a plaque next to a house with maybe a place to park. What we found was a rather large park, museum, exhibits, and frankly, impressive stop. Tupelo more than made up for missing Graceland. I highly recommend it to anyone passing near the area.

To be completely honest, I've only ever had a negative perception of Mississippi. Much of that is justified by history but as a traveler, it was the nicest roads by far. It wasn't when close. It was also beautiful, lush and green scenery. The few people I encountered were warm and friendly. The one knock I have is that the weather was warm and humid. Yuck.

I really hoped to see America in a new light on this trip. I now know what a beautiful state Mississippi is, and I only saw the corridor that cut across the northern part of the state. I hear it has beaches, too.

Wild Chicken and Barbecue Pork

Monday morning, we picked up Linda, got some gas and got on I-70 heading east. I should note that the breakfast at Drury Inn was excellent. An hour or so into the day's drive, we stopped at a Casey's General Store for a break and a chicken greeted us in the parking lot.

We took a bypass route that took us south of St. Louis. You could get a sense of how big the St. Louis metropolitan area is by how long the bypass was, going through a lot of the suburban towns. It was interesting to still see signs indicating that we were on the Lewis and Clark Trail, despite being so far from home.

I-59 took us south, just west of the Mississippi River. This continued into Arkansas. I think it's safe to say the flattest land we've seen so far wasn't in Wyoming out even Nebraska, but in northeast Arkansas. You can see for MILES. I guess that doesn't sound impressive but it was flat.

The interstate through Arkansas was okay. Better than Iowa but that's about it. I was driving at this point and hit I-40 East.

It wasn't long before we were finally crossing the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee. To the left of the bridge was a giant glass pyramid that said Bass Pro Shops. I don't know much about it and couldn't really look more than that. I drove right through the city to check into our hotel in Southaven, Mississippi.

After check-in, we headed to Graceland, hoping there would be some late activity related to Elvis Week. Since it was August 16, it was the 44th anniversary of Elvis's death. When we got there, though, everything was closed. We were able to kind of see the buildings and planes but not able to visit the Meditation Garden or exhibits.

For dinner, we went to Marlowe's, one of the many famous barbecue joints around Memphis. The smoke smelt amazing. I think Jason got a full order of proper barbecue but I had an amazing black bean burger. It was fun, fast, good, super friendly. I'm pretty sure Elvis ate there. Slightly touristy but well worth it.

After dinner, everyone wanted treats. So, we walked from our hotel to an Aldi. Like the German grocery chain. I'm not sure why it was there in Mississippi but it was. I had some lower cal ice cream.

As has become tradition on this trip, I went to bed long before everyone else. I need my beauty sleep.

Missouri Loves Company

Missouri has really nice roads and it took no time before the scenery was much more interesting than anything we had seen in a while. Waze told us we were better off going directly into the heart of Kansas City, so we did. It's pretty fortunate that we had good navigation because it would be easy to get lost in the maze. Think Portland but much worse. And because many highways start there, the exit numbers are all low and need letters to keep the clear. Like Exit 2L. We did not dip into Kansas, as far as I could tell, so that's another state saved for a future trip. We must have been pretty close, though.

We checked into the Drury Inn and Suites in Blue Springs. I had never heard of the chain but it was really nice. When I checked in, they let me know there was still twenty minutes we could grab dinner and drinks. We ended up not getting anything but that was partly because Bryan didn't hear me say that you could get a beer. Honestly, I think I'm future trips, I would lean toward this chain. It's not Sheraton or Hilton but in many ways, it was pretty close. And the rate was reasonable, right on the average for this trip.

Then we headed over to Linda and Darwin's. Darwin knew we were coming. Linda did not. She was a little late getting out of work. I had messaged her to let her know some kid sized KISS masks would be delivered soon. She asked what I was up to. I said that I was hanging out with Jason and Bryan, which turned out to be a mistake. If I wasn't busy, she would have called and chatted on the way home. It worked out, though.

We went to the Walmart and passed a few minutes. I should note that EVERYONE in the store was wearing masks. Pretty impressive and not what I was being told about Missouri. We decided to just head over to their house and wait. We visited Darwin and their son. He's a pretty cool, smart, athletic, energetic and kind six year old. He liked the masks, as that is his favorite band.

When Linda got home from work, I kind of hid around the corner in the living room. I could hear her react as she noticed that the same Bryan and Jason that I was hanging out with were sitting in her kitchen. She quickly found me and there was a long and tight hug as she started crying. Bryan and Jason were also treated to very nice hugs. I think she was crying because she was happy but I'm not entirely sure how these things work.

She did ask how long we were in town and we had to detail what was up and that we were only there for the night. A plan was quickly hatched, a flight was booked, kitty medicines were organized and Linda would be to join us in the morning, at least for a few days.

With that figured out, we set to order dinner. This is when we realized their quiet little suburb closes shop early on Sunday evening. We ended up going to a drive through Italian chain called Fazoli's. It was okay, had vegetarian choices, was inexpensive, fast, but most importantly, available.

After a few hours of celebration and catching up, we returned to our room. Barely 48 hours into our road trip and it was already epic.

Breakfast with Tiffany

As we entered Oregon on I-205, the sun glowed a strange red from the wildfire smoke. It was so thick you could pretty much look at it. I think we determined that you're not really supposed to, though. We stopped by Boardman for gas it was the first time actually out in the air. It was pretty unhealthy.

Bryan drove through eastern Oregon while I rode shotgun. I've been through there on I-84 a few times but for some reason, I didn't really remember how curvy it is. Coming through at night is interesting. Fortunately, Oregon has great freeways and they were in great shape. We crossed into Mountain time while still in Oregon but it wasn't long before were in Idaho.

The first thing you notice when entering Idaho is the speed. Oregon has always resisted higher speed limits and only reluctantly increased to 70 in the rural areas the past few years. Idaho welcomes you with 80 mph. That makes for ticking off miles at a good clip. At least, that's how they start you out. Boise and they surrounding areas have had tremendous growth the past twenty years and it wasn't long before we encountered construction. That 80 dropped to 55. I should say there wasn't any work happening but there was slower speeds and lane reductions.

In Nampa, Idaho, we met up with someone we worked with years ago in theater. Because of the nature of plays, you end up getting to know people of all ages, younger and older. Tiffany was just a teenager when she acted alongside us in several Driftwood shows. Truth be told, I think she preferred to spend more time hanging out with the adults than the other teenagers, though. Since then, she has become an actual adult, moving for a few opportunities and just recently settling into the Boise area.

I had let Tiffany know that "we" would be passing through on a road trip and it would be great to catch up over breakfast. On arriving, I pointed out that I hadn't really defined who "we" were. Then she noticed Jason and Bryan behind me. She seemed genuinely happy and surprised. Her husband wasn't able to join (yeah, husband, she's really a full adult these days) as he's been putting in long hours for lineman school.

We had a nice breakfast (okay, the restaurant wasn't great but it was open) and caught up a bit. We were a bit tired but it was still nice. We teased her a bit about not having been back to Grays Harbor at all since leaving. Truth be told, though, I don't blame her. Her parents don't live on the Harbor anymore and there really isn't a lot of reason for her to come down. I don't go back to where I went to school very often and it's always strange.

We struggled with lighting for a photo and it really shows. But we got to visit and that was the important part. I really wish for a happy future for Tiffany and Jacob (her husband has a name and everything). She seems happy, which is wonderful.

We continued on across Idaho and I would elaborate on its remarkableness but it was Idaho. It was smoky, there was a lot of construction that wasn't actually being worked on, and rolling farmland.

The theme continued into Utah, except the roads were a little nicer and there wasn't quite as much construction. Stopping at Maverik station, we needed to put the sunglasses on. By now, on the north edges of the SLC area (I'm sure it has fancy name like Milk & Honey Valley or something), we could see mountains to the east. Real mountains. I-84 continues into those passing through some real beautiful landscapes. We made to the end of 84, having driven its entire length, except the first 9 miles back in Portland.

We joined I-80 shortly before entering Wyoming. This is my first time in Wyoming, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it would be like a big mountain pass and that really hasn't been the experience. It's a lot more like Nevada or even Arizona or dare I say it, California. You can see for miles and miles across rolling hills and buttes. So many buttes. Scrubland that is mostly grasses.

We got gas at Little America, which is a big gas station, hotel and souvenir shop. I would have maybe got souvenirs but there was a lot of people and I didn't want to be around a lot of people. You wouldn't think that would be a problem in Wyoming. Roadwise, Wyoming has a lot of construction. It may not be a populous state but there is a ton of traffic coming across. The air has cleared up and we are past the smoke.

We've stopped in Laramie for the night, exhausted from a LOT of driving. The elevation changes haven't helped, either. Laramie sits at 7,165' and I can feel it. I don't do well with pressure changes and there has been a lot. I'm doing okay but looking forward to settling into some flatter land. I passed out before 8:00. Good thing, as I'm excited for this next leg of the trip.

Under Where?

We are under way! Jason is driving and I'm riding shotgun. Bryan has supplied the opening tunes, a collection of Norwegian death metal and Fall Out Boy. A fine way to start out. We picked up Jason from work, threw up the horns🤘 and departed Raymond.

I would say it's a beautiful warm day in Western Washington but the orange tinge to the sky is a little ominous. I'm afraid the wildfire smoke will only get worse as we continue. I-5 has some volume but not unexpected for a Friday evening. We are headed south and will be in Oregon soon.

I've got an early lead in the license plate game but Bryan may challenge that. Many states yet to come.

Friday the 13th

Have you seen the commercial for insurance that warns that they can't protect you from becoming your parents? Specifically, I'm thinking of the one where they are at the airport. Overpreparation. I feel called out. 

Sure, we're driving instead of flying, but I've jammed a lot of stuff into a duffle bag, a pretty big backpack and two reusable shopping bags. I'm sure I've still managed to forget something. Oh well. There are very few things I can't just buy on the road. Prescriptions, really, and I am sure I could get those if I have the time and patience. I actually nearly forgot one.

While I've packed nearly everything I could think of that would be useful, I haven't really coordinated some of this with my travel mates. I assume that they are bringing their own clothes, toiletries and phones. But they are a lot like me, in many ways. Do you think all three of us brought a CB radio for the car? Did we all download CW McCall's Greatest Hits for when that CB wakes up? Maybe these things are just what I would bring and the others have packed different road trip toys.

I will say that I've realized that packing for a road trip is a bit different than flying somewhere. A lot of my thinking has been around how do I keep myself from forgetting anything, as we move from hotel to hotel. I don't have to worry about TSA. I don't want to forget my shaped pillow somewhere, though. I bought the ugliest quilted sham I could find at Walmart. Emily just keeps commenting about how hideous it is. I just say "yeah! Isn't it great? It will never get left behind!"

Packing for a pandemic means making sure I have enough masks. I'm also making sure that I've got filters for my cloth masks, as I'm sure we'll be driving through wildfire smoke somewhere. We've also got camp chairs so that we have our own place to sit outside. That is the one thing we coordinated on so we didn't end up bringing 9 chairs.

We leave Friday evening, so I'm staying up way past my bedtime in the hope that I will sleep in. That is often easier said than done. We shall see. I'm 90% packed, so I'll probably call it a night pretty soon.

It's just after 2 am Friday morning. We leave in 16 hours.

Untitled Buddy Road Trip Movie

A few months back, I got a dumb idea to take an epic road trip. Not just a few hours but really put some miles in. I talked to Bryan and Jason to gauge how they felt about a road trip that involved more time in the car than at the destination. I expected them to say that they really weren't interested but they were enthusiastic.

We talked about where we could go, how much time we could take off from work and other responsibilities, and came up with a plan. It turns out that we only have one week plus the weekends. We can take off Friday evening, right after Jason gets off work. Bryan and I will connect and get a ride to Raymond, where Jason works. From there, Jason's 2020 Toyota Corolla will be our steed.

We set the trip for the middle of August to allow for the country to put the global pandemic in the rearview mirror. Vaccinations are available everywhere and infection rates were dropping dramatically. All three of us are vaccinated and have been for some time. That should protect us, if we were exposed, from the severe cases that have hospitalized and even killed so many people. Then July came. Only about half of the US is vaccinated at this point. Cases have been spiking dramatically and people are dying.

This more virulent Delta variant doesn't seem to hospitalize the vaccinated at a higher rate, but does spread much more easily. Even though we are protected, we can't travel with business as usual because that would increase the chance that we spread the virus. What is our obligation to protect strangers that don't "believe" the virus is real? I don't know but kids under twelve and those unable to get the jab for health reasons deserve to be protected.

So, we'll get to see America. The geography, the art, the beauty. But we'll spend less time getting to know the locals than we would have liked. Fully masked with the good masks. We do have some people to visit, but we'll be pretty strategic about that.

So where are we going? Stay tuned. We do have a detailed itinerary but the destinations aren't as important as the journey. It will be epic, though.

It's Tuesday morning. We leave in three days.