Travel Log
Hey,
I was just thinking about how much I miss sitting there at the West Desk and I wanted to let you all know that I was alive and well. I'm currently on a "Walkabout," as my Dad is calling it. We (my father, brother, and I) flew down to Florida yesterday (thank you, Southwest Airlines)so we could pick up a car and drive it back. I figured I'd do a bit of a travel log here on the West Desk, just for fun.
Day 1 - We spent the first night in Miramar with our former foreign exchange student, Thais. She is the girl who is moving to Utah to get married and we're driving her car back to Utah for her so she can fly with her dog, Oliver on a plane. (That's the background). She cooked a dinner, which was a scary aspect, but it was actually pretty good (beans and rice and chicken).
We were all tired from the flights (why is it you get so tired from just sitting around) so we decided just to go to bed after dinner (at around 9:00 MST). My brother and Dad slept in the guest room and I slept in Thais' room. Don't worry, she slept in her parents room (who weren't home). But there was a GIANORMUS picture of her on the dresser that stared at me all night. That was a little freaky. And also her cat came in around 4 am and began to claw me and paw at me for the rest of the morning until I finally got up around 7:00. It's hard to play with a cat when you're half asleep.
Day 2 -- I actually went downstairs and crashed in the guest room for a while when my Dad went to get ready. We ate bagels, and watched Xuxa (a Brazilian children's show -- Did I mention that the ONLY channel they got on their TV was a Brazilian station?) and then left around 11. We drove all the way up to Orlando and ate at a place called Firehouse Subs. I highly recommend it. Good stuff! I hope they get those in Utah soon.
Oh, her car doesn't have cruise control, so my foot got tired during my 3-hour driving shift. We arrived in Mobile, Alabama around 8:30pm or so and ate at a place called Felix's. I tried fried crab claws (not bad, except for the bits of shell), oysters on the half-shell (GAG! I can't believe those are an aphrodisiac!) and turtle soup. It's really moist here in Alabama. Right now we're in Daphne at the Microtel Inn. It's got free internet for all so I figured I'd check in here.
The rest of the travel log I'll just put in the comments section, just so I don't bother everyone by making a bunch of large, pointless posts. But let the adventure begin.
posted by The Former 786 @ 8:46:00 PM
10 Comments:
Day #3 -- Today was spent mostly in Daphne, Alabama. My Dad and brother had a business meeting, so I just sat in for a while and read/surfed the net while they talked.
Then I went to lunch with them. We went to a place called The Oyster House and I got cheese covered shrimp. It was really good. Also, I tried grits for the first time. I also heard about how many hurricanes actually hit that area. I'm glad I live in Utah.
Around 5:00 we drove, and drove. We ended up detouring through Burbon Street in New Orleans, LA. That's quite the interesting area. If I ever go off the deep end, that's where I'm going. Vegas has nothing on that sinful city. But it was cool to be there.
We ended our day here in Breaux Bridge, LA. We ate at a Cajun place called Mulate's. There were business cards lining the ceiling and Cajun music blasting from a live band. I tried fried alligator -- and liked it. They'd better not mess with me anymore, I've aquired a taste for them.
Now I'm sleepy, and you're bored with this entry.
Day #4 -- We woke up in Lousiana and decided to start our Journey (like the band) through Mississippi to Texas. We went to the Tabasco factory and saw how the sauce was made (did you know they let the peppers ferment for THREE YEARS after they mash the peppers up? -- I didn't) and we got to try a variety of tobasco flavors, including jalapeno flavored ice cream -- yuck.
Then we got caught in Houston traffic (Uh...Houston, we have a problem) it was pretty bad until we found the HOV lane. Yea for carpools! We ate lunch at The Waffle House (they don't have those in Utah) and we did our best to get to San Antonio so we could meet up with the missionaries. I'm taking the discussions again.
Actually, they're missionaries from our home town serving in Texas. We dropped by to say hi and give them gifts from home. It was cool. We decided we weren't going to make it to Dallas that night, so we camped out at the Quality Inn and ate at La Fogata's. Good Mexican food. Finally, no more seafood!
Day #5 -- We woke up in San Antonio and then went to Austin to meet up with yet ANOTHER missionary from home. We took them out to lunch (Smokey J's BBQ -- where the servers grab the food with their bare hands) and while we were there I found out a girl from BYU (Mark, you saw me walking into the library every Monday and Wednesday with this girl) whom we'll call "Heather" ('cause that's her name) lived nearby. So she came and picked me up and took me to her house.
I hung out there for a little bit, and then my Dad and brother found me (thanks to GPS technology)and we continued our journey through Waco (psychos) to Dallas. There we arrived at my sister's house and surprised the kids (they didn't know we were coming) and then we had a nice, home-cooked dinner (it's about time!) and chilled out for a while before going to bed on my inflatable bed.
And that's the way it was.
Day #6 -- I played with the kids for most of the day. My brother-in-law was aerating the lawn so we couldn't play in the yard. My little nephew is obsessed with Star Wars so I played that with him for a while. I'm always amazed about the rules the kids make up as the game goes along.
My sister lives in a nice neighborhood, they have a country club here and everything, so we went swimming in their pool with the kids. The deepest part was about 5 feet, so I didn't get much excercise. Oh well, at least I got to swim.
We had ribs and brisket for lunch. Yum! It was really good! So good, in fact, that my little nephew ate so much that he threw up. That's good food.
We played some board games at night and then went to sleep. It was a nice, low-key day.
Day #7 -- Sunday. They have church at 9:30 here, but it ends at noon. Because they have 5 wards meeting in the same building, they had to cut the meetings down to two and a half hours.
The thing is, though, you know how awkward it can be when you're visiting a ward and you have to go to Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society without anyone that you know. So when my niece broke out in a rash during sacrament meeting, I was first in line to take her home. :) I love church, but there was a zero hottie count so I didn't want to stick around after sacrament meeting.
Came home, took a nap, and then hung out with a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. That's right! I had dinner with a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader! She's actually a girl (Mikelle) from our ward back in Layton who just made the team two weeks ago, but still, this gives me some bragging rights, right?
We (the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and I....and my brother, sister, and brother-in-law) played card games and goofed off. Then we watched the Season Finale of Survivor. I was happy with the results. And that was Day #7. One week on the road.
Day #8 -- Hub, you need to be more specific on your posts. I wanted to know which movie you watched. Anyway, we started our day in Corinth, Texas with my sister and her kids, and then we left around 12:30 to start our journey to Nebraska.
This is NOT an exciting drive. There's nothing around you for miles and miles. The last time we drove up here there was a tornado on either side of us, so that was cool. This time, no such luck. Although we bought Dan Brown's Angels and Demons book on CD (did you finish that yet, 729?) to help kill time. We're on chapter 50 now and it's ok. I still prefer the Da Vinci Code.
We stopped in Edmond, OK to eat. It was a place called Shorty Smalls. It wasn't that good. I had deep-fried ribs and deep-fried Twinkies. I felt like a chub (with clogged arteries) after that. And I felt bad for the waitress. It was her first day (I'm guessing) and it was not going well for her, the manager was on her back all the time and she kept forgetting things. We left a big tip to help her feel a little better.
I slept through most of Kansas. Then we finally hit Nebraska and saw THE WORLD'S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE in Cawker City!! Yes, my life is complete.
We got to Kearney, Nebraska just after midnight and chilled with my aunt and uncle. I can't wait to get back to Layton tomorrow. It feels like I've been gone forever.
Why go on vacation? You could stay here and "surf". I think its sad that your, so called, "walk about" involves so little walking. When were our lives taken over by computers. Please "the former 786" stop using the internet and enjoy your vacation.
One thing you obviously failed to notice, Anonymous, is that I didn't have a computer for most of the days out here. I'm not surfing the net all day. I'm just using a computer at night and writing about my day. Kind of like a journal. Just because one writes in a journal, doesn't mean one has it a book in front of their face all day. So I am enjoying my vacation, thanks for your concern...and you're an idiot.
And it doesn't include a lot of walking, it's true, because we're DRIVING across the country. The pioneers already walked across it so that's old hat.
And Day #9 was spent mostly driving. We hung out with our relatives in Kearny, Nebraska for the morning/afternoon and went to lunch with them at a Mexican food place. Who would have thought you could find good Chile Verde in Nebraska?
Then we drove and drove and drove. We hit a mini-tornado near the border of Nebraska, I'm glad I wasn't driving.
We listened to Angels and Demons most of the day, it's a pretty entertaining book. There's not much to see on the drive through Nebraska and Wyoming. Lots and lots of rolling hills. But it was good to see mountains again.
We ate at a gourmet pizza place (Grand Avenue) in Laramie, Wyoming. It was a college town and once again I'm amazed about how alike college towns look.
I had the last shift of driving for the night, and took us from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Layton, Utah. We pulled in to our driveway at 1:30am and I was wasted. So I just crashed on my bed in my clothes. And we still have 3 discs to go on Angels and Demons.
So that's it. I'm home in Layton. I'll be back in Provo on Friday and life will be back to normal. Oh well. I had a good time, how about you?
Hey, anonymous!!!
You're a coward!!! Tell us who you are before you go off saying CRAP!!! And if your not one of us let me tell you this
GET OFF MY DOOR STEP FOO!!!
I noticed you said a whole lot of nothing about Kansas, 97. Did you drive through good ol' "Wichitar?" See any signs for Derby? (That is a place dear to my heart, 97. If it ever works out between us...)
You didn't stop at Braums? Take a side trip to see the Largest Prairie Dog ever? Visit Old Brutus at the oil mine? Dorothy, Toto, the Lolipop Guild, and the Wicked Witch of the West...apparently they still live there! There's so much excitement in Kansas, not to mention the overly expansive fields of wheat and sunflowers! I just can't see why you wouldn't take a second to write about it!?!
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