ROAD TRIP TO NYC - DAY 9

We got up pretty early the next day cause we knew we were only gonna have one night in Nashville, so we wanted to get there as early as possible. Driving out of New Orleans, is quite the drive. Driving over these huge bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain and looking out at Lake Borgne with these huge rain clouds in the distance is just a cool sight.

From New Orleans to Birmingham, where we planned to stop for lunch, was also a really pretty drive. Just pretty overcast so the colors don’t really show through in the pictures. We decided to stop at a sandwich place in Birmingham called Brick & Tin. Well, Mal and I rolled out in our driving clothes (shorts, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and flip flops) and started getting stares. Cause you know, its raining. Well, as we started walking toward Brick & Tin, Mal reached into her jacket and says, “Oh my god.” 

That is me destroying the card that we thought we lost back in Colorado. When we got gas before the worst drives of our lives, she used my card and I went in and paid with cash for some water. She took the jacket off and hadn’t worn it since. Already cancelled, all funds transferred. Ugh. Luckily, Brick & Tin, provided us with an amazing sandwich, awesome decor, and good tunes. With Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, and Zero 7 playing in the background I enjoyed their Florentine sandwich. Which is roasted chicken, sweet peppers, lemon & rosemary ricotta, and a mixed salad. Really Really good.

The drive up to Nashville was unreal. So many colors and bright blue skies. We were so happy that we got to drive it when we did. 

Our good friends Prentice and Jordan live in Nashville and offered to show us around the town for the night we were there. And boy did they. Started off at Jack’s BBQ. Christ. So insanely good. I think what really made it stand out wasn’t so much the food, but the sauces. I was going nuts with 4 different ones literally just pouring them over everything. Even things that don’t need sauce. I sauced it. We took zero pictures of the food cause it was devoured so fast. But there was this.

After Jack’s we wanted to wet our whistle so we went to what was basically an indoor trailer park called Paradise Park. Enjoyed a pitcher of local beer and were on our way.

It just so happens the night we were in Nashville, the CMA’s were going on at Bridgestone Arena. So the town was hoppin.

Mal and I are big fans of hand made cocktails. And we heard the place to go in Nashville, was a place called The Patterson House. Kind of hard to find (just like every hand made cocktail place) but it was definitely worth it. Of course with the hand made title, you are gonna pay a little more for the drinks, so we each just got one. I got basically a Manhattan, but was by far one of the strongest things I had ever drank, and was oh so good. Unfortunately the pictures of the drinks we took are just a little too dark. This is the only one of my drink that you can kind of see. 

I would highly recommend this place. After that we were all kind of toasty so the pictures don’t really exist, but we went to a dive bar on the east side of Nashville called Red Door East, which through and through was a dive bar. Including the 45+ year old guy workin the bar who looked like he wanted to be 22 again. So sad. But a good brew selection. We made plans for breakfast in the morning, and Mal and I went back to our shady ass hotel and passed out. 

ROAD TRIP TO NYC - DAY 5

PREFACE: We are in New York. Been here since yesterday. I know I am behind. Hopefully I will be caught up in the next few days. 

Fuck day 5. I hate to use horrible language, but day 5 of our road trip was 98% terrible, 1% ok, and 1% good. We woke up at 5:15 AM, loaded the car, ate an apple, said our goodbyes, and we’re ready to really start our road trip. Cause up until that point, we had been living pretty easy. Well, we were not prepared for what was to come. First issue, it’s snowing. Like sleet. So no chains required, but still, in pitch black weather (sun doesn’t come up till 6:30 AM, or at least thats what we thought). This is what it looked like for the first half hour of our drive.

Mal convinced me to finally turn around (glad she did) and head back into my grandparents town and wait for the sun to come up. We did. Normally, from my grandparents house to Santa Fe, NM, it takes 3 hours and 37 minutes. It took us almost 7 and a half hours. Driving through snow is not fun. Especially in a Toyota Yaris. 

Finally we got out of the snow, and realized we had barely made it into New Mexico. Gorgeous yes, but still, New Mexico. 

After finally making it to Santa Fe, we had to get some grub. We already figured at this point we weren’t gonna make it to Austin by tonight anyway, so we decided to eat at a highly recommended place. Bobcat Bite. Literally a bungalow on the side of a mountain, it did not disappoint. Though I did get a nice grease burn.

The rest of the drive through New Mexico was actually kind of nice. The sky and plains together are gorgeous.

As for the rest of Texas down to Austin. It was terrible. I mean absolutely terrible. For many reasons. The biggest? I lost my debit card. At some point in the day, I lost my debit card. No idea where, but it was lost. Shit. After a nice screaming session, Mal convinced me that there was nothing I was gonna be able to do. Considering it was Saturday and the bank at home was already closed. Till Monday. Again, shit. On top of realizing my debit card was lost at 10 PM at night in the middle of nowhere at a Subway that looks like it was run by the “bad guys” from The Hills Have Eyes, we were driving through deer country. At 11 PM at night. In the pitch black. That means, on a freeway where the speed limit is 70, we go 30, and slam on the brakes every 200 feet. Not exaggerating. But alas, at 2:13 AM (suppose to be at 9:30 PM) we arrive at our 2 day sublet in Austin, TX. Where we proceed to lay down on a Tempur-Pedic kind size bed, and pass the mother f out. That is all for today. It upsets me to talk about this...