Arizona Roadtrip, Part 1
My summer got off to a crazy start, with a roadtrip to Arizona...by way of Georgia. At one point, a person we met in our travels asked, "Do you need a map or something?" We were perfectly aware of the fact that stopping in Georgia was not the most logical pathway. However, Erin had friends there, so we decided to make a stop there.
Day 1
We woke up at 4 AM, the first of many early mornings. I've learned that I don't do so great having to consistently wake up that early. I'm good for a few hours, then I fall back asleep. Nevertheless, we woke up early, and had to pack a whole mess of stuff into Erin's car. Thankfully, she had sent a whole box of stuff to Arizona prior to our trip. So, we squeezed all the rest of her stuff, along with Lindsey's suitcase and mine, snacks, a cooler, and backpacks. It was quite the system: to open the cooler on the road, the front passenger had to move forward so the person in the back could carefully fish out the desired beverage, which we sincerely hoped was not on the bottom.
We stopped for breakfast in New York and gas, which was at a whopping $3.40-something. That was crazy--the only other place that we saw prices that high was in Arizona, right off the highway on our way to the Grand Canyon. Ironically, once we were right outside the Grand Canyon park, the prices went down by 20 cents.
Alexandria, VA was our first stop, setting a precedent for our trip: wake up early, drive for a few hours, eat breakfast, drive only stopping for gas, then stop for dinner and the night. Lindsey's friend, Christa, lived there, so we went to a nifty Memphis-style restaurant called "Red, Hot, and Blue." From there, we drove to Richmond for the night.
Day 2
Again, we woke up, but tried to get on the road earlier. On the first day, we didn't make it on the road until 5:30 since we had to pack stuff in the rain. This morning was even better--we were on the road a little after 5. In order to feed Erin's obsession with Starbucks' chai latte, we stopped at the first sign that we saw. Unfortunately, it didn't open until 6, and it was 5:45, so we sat outside their building until they opened. Then, we took off for another few hours, stopping at a Waffle House.
I sort of like Waffle House for their cheapness and speed of service. I'm not always so certain about the nutritional value, or lack thereof, of the food, but it's not too bad on the road. After all, where else can you order your hashbrowns "covered and chunked" or "smothered and covered."
Once we hit North Carolina, we started seeing signs every few miles on the highway for this place called "Pedro's on the Border." Brightly colored billboards beckoned us to a place where we could buy hats, play miniature golf, and purchase fireworks. (By the way, I still can't believe that you can buy fireworks in some grocery stores down South!) So, after being tantalized, once we hit the South Carolina border, we had to check out this monstrosity of a tourist trap. It was before noon, and nothing was really open. Essentially, there were large fiberglass creatures, stores, restaurants, and a huge sombrero water tower. One store was open: World of Hats. They seriously had all sorts of hats there, so we took a few pictures with funny hats, and then made some small purchases.
We made another stop in Georgia, in a town called Louisville. There is a large wooden sort of pavilion that was once used for slave auctions. As Erin explained, it's not a pretty part of our country's history, but it's something that we need to learn about. As some person who I can't remember once said, "Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it." There was a plaque next to the pavilion, but it didn't mention slavery. While I realize that for some it is still a sensitive and political issue, it should be acknowledged.
Our stop for the night was in Dublin, GA. On our way to the Erin's friend's house, there was this motorcyclist in front of us. (I will try to describe this delicately). Suddenly, this guy on his motorcycle started to lose speed, and then the guy stood on his bike and, as Erin put it, "shook his booty" repeatedly. We tried so hard not to laugh as this guy started swerving back in forth in the lane. Once we reached a stop sign, the guy looked back at us, and we tried again not to laugh. Thankfully, he made a turn and we kept going straight. At the house, we met Erin's friend, her dog, and an exchange student staying with her and her husband. After a dinner at Applebee's, we played some rounds of Shanghai Rummy, watched "Dream Girls" and turned in.
Day Three
We woke up somewhat early the next day, although we were spending our time in Dublin that day. Two mornings up at 4 AM made waking at 6 feel like sleeping in. So, after watching TV, Erin's friend made waffles and we watched "The Queen". Later, we had lunch at Sonic. Whenever I go someplace where there is a Sonic, I have a tendency to stop with the people that I'm with, if only for the sheer novelty of it. Their strawberry limeades are amazing!
Erin's friend gave us a tour of backwoods Georgia, including a pig monument. The story: during the Great Depression, a pig fell into a well. Being such a precious commodity, the entire neighborhood came together to rescue the pig, which was later consumed. So, they placed a monument next to the well in memory of this coming together. The monument was forgotten for years until some surveyors noticed that it was listed on the National Historic Register. So, if you're in backwoods Georgia, and you see a little green sign on the road that says "Pig Monument", you'll know what it is.
We spent the evening playing cards, eating chili, and talking. It was good to have a day to sit and relax from our long two days on the road, although we knew that we had a few more ahead.