Things I've noticed so far....
Random post about things I've noticed during my drive from Portland to New Orleans (about 15% of my journey down and heading to Texas tomorrow).
1. Country music....it's EVERYWHERE! I've been trying to listen to different radio stations along the way to get a taste of what is played locally and the majority of what I find is country music (not my favorite) and/or religious stations. I'm sticking to podcasts unless I think a tornado is heading my way.
2. I have to remember that time zones change in the middle of places. Duh! I had tickets to Mammoth Cave for the 10:00 History tour. Totally spaced that it goes from eastern time zone to central time zone near the western end of Kentucky. I thought I was getting there at 9:30 but really got there at 8:30! Yup! Lesson learned! This is happening again when I drive from Austin to Carlsbad Caverns and I'm totally psyched about that one since it's a long effing drive and it gives me a little more time to get there for the last tour of the day. See that little itty bit of green on the west end of Texas and New Mexico? Yup, that's where it changes.
3. What is up with all of the trash and crap on the roads!? Come on people!!!! I didn't see much of this until I hit Pennsylvania but after that, DAMN! There is so much garbage and the insane amount of tire retreads is beyond imagination. I am not exaggerating when I say you can't drive one mile without seeing rubber strips the size of my body on the highway breakdown lane. When Ally and I were driving through Mississippi (which I hope to never do ever again), there was a HUGE metal sign in the middle of the highway (at least 5 by 4 feet if not bigger) and I saw it too late and ran over it. Talk about being stressed. I could have not only damaged my tires, I could have damaged my car or us. Talk about an early end to my journey! Luckily all was well. Phew!
4. Along with all of the crap on the roads, how about abandoned vehicles? I have seen hundreds and hundreds of cars all by their lonesome on the side of highways, byways and in-between. What is happening here? I don't understand.
5. I am so glad billboards are prohibited in Maine. What eyesores. Some stretches of highway you are inundated with everything from law offices, strip clubs, adult bookstores, car dealerships and every type of fast food you can imagine. Visual overload!
6. Driving through Arkansas and Mississippi is a bit like hell on earth. It was pretty much my Kia Soul and 10,000 trucks. Also, the landscape is BORING!!! Nothing changes.
7. I'm glad cities don't freak me out because every city is completely different to drive in. Some places don't make freakin' sense at all. Jackson and Memphis? You crazy!! Thank you WAZE for saving my ass on numerous occasions.
8. I have now made it through 15 states! Woohoo!!! Now this is when the big ass states begin!!!
9. Tornado warnings are white-knuckle scary! I now have read a lot about what to do in case of a tornado warning. Yikes!!! I have never seen a sky like one with a tornado warning! Also, thunder and lightning storms are no joke when the land is flat, flat, flat. It's a good thing I love me some thunder storms because if you didn't, you'd shit yourself.
10. I don't drink coffee. I know, you don't have to lecture me on the wonders of coffee. I get it. I just don't drink it. But I do understand that the world revolves around coffee and you can't find hide nor hair of coffee places right off the highway once you leave Pennsylvania. Why is that? Plenty of gas stations and the like, but no "coffee places" like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. That surprises me. Do people just stop to get coffee at the gas stations? Not that I care since I don't drink the stuff. Just curious.
11. Roadkill - Wow! Just WOW!
12. Finally.....the people. When I told everyone I was taking this journey pretty much solo, I got everything from, "That's badass!" to "What, are you nuts?" What I get asked a lot is if I'm going to get lonely driving and visiting these amazing places by myself. Sure, at times I'm sure I will when I am driving across the WHOLE STATE OF TEXAS but overall, nope. People are so amazingly friendly and helpful. Here's an example. This morning I dropped Ally off at the airport at the butt crack of dawn so I had breakfast on my own at the B&B I'm staying at. Not only did the cook and others ask about my beautiful pink haired daughter but they asked if they could join me for breakfast. I ended up sitting and chatting with 3 wonderful people who were lecturing me on the virtues of New Orleans. I don't need any convincing by the way. Already love this place. Then later, I got a hair cut (risky, I know, and I did get a bit of a pixie cut that was not quite what I described but whatever, it always seems to grow back)...anyway, the stylist ended up writing down all of these places to visit and eat at in both Texas and New Mexico because she grew up in El Paso. I'm sure if I keep an open heart, open mind, smile and ask questions, I won't be very lonely at all.
1. Country music....it's EVERYWHERE! I've been trying to listen to different radio stations along the way to get a taste of what is played locally and the majority of what I find is country music (not my favorite) and/or religious stations. I'm sticking to podcasts unless I think a tornado is heading my way.
2. I have to remember that time zones change in the middle of places. Duh! I had tickets to Mammoth Cave for the 10:00 History tour. Totally spaced that it goes from eastern time zone to central time zone near the western end of Kentucky. I thought I was getting there at 9:30 but really got there at 8:30! Yup! Lesson learned! This is happening again when I drive from Austin to Carlsbad Caverns and I'm totally psyched about that one since it's a long effing drive and it gives me a little more time to get there for the last tour of the day. See that little itty bit of green on the west end of Texas and New Mexico? Yup, that's where it changes.
3. What is up with all of the trash and crap on the roads!? Come on people!!!! I didn't see much of this until I hit Pennsylvania but after that, DAMN! There is so much garbage and the insane amount of tire retreads is beyond imagination. I am not exaggerating when I say you can't drive one mile without seeing rubber strips the size of my body on the highway breakdown lane. When Ally and I were driving through Mississippi (which I hope to never do ever again), there was a HUGE metal sign in the middle of the highway (at least 5 by 4 feet if not bigger) and I saw it too late and ran over it. Talk about being stressed. I could have not only damaged my tires, I could have damaged my car or us. Talk about an early end to my journey! Luckily all was well. Phew!
4. Along with all of the crap on the roads, how about abandoned vehicles? I have seen hundreds and hundreds of cars all by their lonesome on the side of highways, byways and in-between. What is happening here? I don't understand.
5. I am so glad billboards are prohibited in Maine. What eyesores. Some stretches of highway you are inundated with everything from law offices, strip clubs, adult bookstores, car dealerships and every type of fast food you can imagine. Visual overload!
6. Driving through Arkansas and Mississippi is a bit like hell on earth. It was pretty much my Kia Soul and 10,000 trucks. Also, the landscape is BORING!!! Nothing changes.
7. I'm glad cities don't freak me out because every city is completely different to drive in. Some places don't make freakin' sense at all. Jackson and Memphis? You crazy!! Thank you WAZE for saving my ass on numerous occasions.
8. I have now made it through 15 states! Woohoo!!! Now this is when the big ass states begin!!!
9. Tornado warnings are white-knuckle scary! I now have read a lot about what to do in case of a tornado warning. Yikes!!! I have never seen a sky like one with a tornado warning! Also, thunder and lightning storms are no joke when the land is flat, flat, flat. It's a good thing I love me some thunder storms because if you didn't, you'd shit yourself.
10. I don't drink coffee. I know, you don't have to lecture me on the wonders of coffee. I get it. I just don't drink it. But I do understand that the world revolves around coffee and you can't find hide nor hair of coffee places right off the highway once you leave Pennsylvania. Why is that? Plenty of gas stations and the like, but no "coffee places" like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. That surprises me. Do people just stop to get coffee at the gas stations? Not that I care since I don't drink the stuff. Just curious.
11. Roadkill - Wow! Just WOW!
12. Finally.....the people. When I told everyone I was taking this journey pretty much solo, I got everything from, "That's badass!" to "What, are you nuts?" What I get asked a lot is if I'm going to get lonely driving and visiting these amazing places by myself. Sure, at times I'm sure I will when I am driving across the WHOLE STATE OF TEXAS but overall, nope. People are so amazingly friendly and helpful. Here's an example. This morning I dropped Ally off at the airport at the butt crack of dawn so I had breakfast on my own at the B&B I'm staying at. Not only did the cook and others ask about my beautiful pink haired daughter but they asked if they could join me for breakfast. I ended up sitting and chatting with 3 wonderful people who were lecturing me on the virtues of New Orleans. I don't need any convincing by the way. Already love this place. Then later, I got a hair cut (risky, I know, and I did get a bit of a pixie cut that was not quite what I described but whatever, it always seems to grow back)...anyway, the stylist ended up writing down all of these places to visit and eat at in both Texas and New Mexico because she grew up in El Paso. I'm sure if I keep an open heart, open mind, smile and ask questions, I won't be very lonely at all.
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