they probably should stop that “tomahawk chop” thing.
jbg:
today was all about getting from richmond to atlanta by 7pm for a braves-mets game. we hit the road earlyish, dismayed at some morning showers. but those cleared up swiftly and we found ourselves spending 8 hours or so on 85-S, also known as “jeremy’s favorite highway ever.” sparse traffic for most of it (though a little congested near durham, nc), and relatively little confusion.
85 unleashed jeremy’s personal speed demon and the rookie driver reaches speeds of 80+ before turning the keys over to brian for the remainder of the day.
at 5:45pm we hit a wall of traffic outside of ted turner’s stomping grounds and wound up going from “very early for the game” to “we might not make first pitch at 7:10.” on top of that, it is damn near impossible to find turner field using either a) road signs, b) a GPS or c) common sense. we almost found it by accident — but never quite found the parking for which we pre-paid. we did find other parking for which we paid… again. and rushed to make the 7:10 start time.
which was moot — rain delays kept the game from starting until 8:50pm. we were safely under cover in the upper deck for the early part of the storm and were treated to some lovely visuals of dark clouds and lightning. then, the levees burst and we got fully dumped on: rain, wind, thunder, wrath of Ted, etc. got nice and soaked for a solid 15 minutes.
then, a rainbow.
then, baseball.
then, we left after the 7th inning stretch.
turner field was full to maybe 19% capacity. and yes, they still do that “tomahawk chop” business which is really fairly inappropriate.
but hey, guess what they have at turner field? veggie burgers! so, that was a bonus.
now we’re at a best western outside atlanta with a wake-up call scheduled for 7:30am.
tomorrow: new orleans and baton rouge!
CDs logged: mix by jay; mix by brian; graceland (paul simon - yes, again); deja vu (csny); blonde on blonde (bob dylan); stand by me (soundtrack); sticky fingers (rolling stones); bat out of hell (meat loaf).
May 21st, 2008 at 1:18 am
Since you are doing a lot of the route that my wife and I did two scant months ago, may I recommend a few things. Go to White Sand National Park in New Mexico (I think you would have to detour a bit). It is pretty cool. If you can bring a sled, do so. You can sled on the sand. Also, in New orleans, go to an area called the French Quarter. Okay, that was a joke. But go to a restaurant called Cochon. Amazing food. It does mean pig, and your veggie burger comment makes me think you are a vegetarian, which makes you a GIANT pussy, but they have great veggie food as well. And the baked oysters are amazing, as are the rabbit and dumplings. Also, why no Austin? The LBJ museum is really cool and you should go see a film at the Alamo Drafthouse. And drive as fast as you can this that shithole known as Texas. See you guys when you get to LA.
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May 21st, 2008 at 8:52 am
i lobbied for austin but somehow it was left out of the itinerary. we’ll see if i can’t convince taskmaster — er, TRIPmaster — brian to make the halftime adjustment.
we’ll look into cochon. i am not a complete vegetarian, as i eat fish. so i’m desperate for some crawfish in louisiana (the other la). if possible, will try the baked oysters.
and i’ll check the overfilled trunk for a sled. but i may have left rosebud at home.
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May 21st, 2008 at 11:45 am
I’ll second the recommendation for White Sands. When Vanessa and I traveled across the country, White Sands was definitely one of the highlights. I think there’s a fairly brisk black market of people buying and selling sleds in the park, so you might get lucky.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 am
Austin is the only part of Texas I would consider stopping in, absent some sort of financial incentive. Well, I guess San Antonio might be OK, but the other major cities are shit holes ringed by soul-less suburbs full of Jesus freaks and catty Junior Leaguers and crappy chain restaurants. By contrast, Austin is full of freaks and geeks. And the place is too huge for you to not stop anywhere at all. So go to Austin.
Signed,
Still Traumatized By Living in Texas Suburbs for 15 Months
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