Howard's Cross Country Trek

2007-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Days 11, 12, and 13 - 5/18-5/20/07 (Washington, D.C.)

Our first day in DC was filled with Ian's graduation. The ceremony was at McDonough Gymnasium, where Georgetown basketball plays some of it's exhibition games (their regular games are played at the Verizon Center where the Wizards play) which was kind of cool. I only fell asleep once during the graduation, which I thought was pretty good. Later that night the whole family went to a very nice dinner. I had steak mmmmmmmmmm. Then Ian, Lisa, Eric, and I were off to meet some of Ian's fellow graduates to celebrate.

Saturday we had a bbq in Ian's backyard to celebrate Mother's Day (since I was on the road and Ian was in DC...Eric was doing it for the second time). It was a nice day and a lot of food, so that is pretty much all I needed. We spent the late afternoon/early evening watching a Heroes marathon. I think we saw about 6 consecutive episodes. We even ordered dinner in so we could continue watching. Now that's Simpson Quality Time. After this it was once again off to celebrate more with the other graduates. Ian's friends were really nice and it was interesting to hang out with other business school students and see the similarities to my friends at school.

Sunday I met up with Avi and Jeremy and we went to the Nationals game. It had been a while since I got to catch up with either of them, so that was fun. The game was pretty boring and in the 8th inning, with the Nationals down 3-1, we decided to leave to beat the crowd on the metro. I am staunchly against leaving games early, but decided to make an exception this one game since I wasn't too in to it and I knew the metro would be crazy if we waited till everyone else left...and wouldn't you know it? The Nationals came back right after I left to win 4-3. That will teach me.

After that we attended another bbq and then it was home to relax and pack for my flight at 6am the next morning back to LA...thus ending my little two week adventure.

Final Thoughts

I had a great trip. I am so glad I did it. The driving was actually much easier than I ever would have imagined. I was driving at a pretty consistent 80 mph the whole time, which was over slightly over the speed limit as most places were 70-75 mph. I was pretty happy to get out of the trip without a ticket. I thought for sure at some point I was bound to get pulled over, but it never happened. The fastest vehicles out there were actually the trucks. I'm used to driving up the 5 to San Francisco where the trucks are really slow and always in the right lane. On this trip I saw plenty of trucks going well over 80 and passing me.

I had a few other observations that stood out in my mind: There is a Jack FM in every region; Not all states have motorcycle helmet laws (it was so weird to see a guy riding down the freeway with no helmet); Drivers didn't seem to make as many aggressive moves as I'm used to in LA, but they still drove bad in their own way by just not looking where they were going; I enjoyed traveling by myself, but think it was a good thing that it was during the NBA Playoffs. My nightly ritual consisted of checking in to a motel, finding a nearby bar to get dinner at while watching the game, and then going to bed. If I didn't have that I might have gotten bored and lonely;...I'm sure I have others, but they aren't fresh in my head right now.

Now I am working again, far from the scenes I experienced last month. Instead, I get to explore Irvine, which is where the office is. Same thing, right? One positive is that the average 5 hours of driving I did on my trip make my 3 hour roundtrip drive to work seem almost short...right?

Below are some final fast facts about the trip, including a broad price breakdown. It definitely turned out to be a lot more expensive than I had planned it would be. A third of the price though is related to "souvenirs" I purchased on my trip. Another consideration is the fact that I traveled alone, as opposed to splitting gas and hotel with someone. That would have reduced my trip by another third.

Fast Facts:

Lowest Gas Price: $2.79 (Kentucky)
Highest Gas Price: $4.54 (On the way to Vegas)
Total Mileage: 4,018
Longest Mileage Day: 715 (Day 4 - CO to KS to OK)
Shortest Mileage Day: 217 (Day 9 - SC to GA)
Food/Drink: $600
Gas: $517
Gambling: $120
Hotel: $577
Souvenirs: $791
Signs about Jesus: High 20s
Anti-Abortion Signs: 12 (about)
Distilleries Visited: 3
Baseball Games: 4 (including one in LA and one minor league game)
National Parks: 4
Car Troubles: 1
Museums Tracing 1 Person's Life: 4 (Bill Clinton, Colonel Sanders, Elvis Prestley X2)
Memorial Museums: 2 (Civil Rights Museum, Oklahoma City Memorial)
Friends Visited Along the Way: 3
Pictures Taken: 967 (edited down to 292)
Districts Entered: 1
States Entered: 14 (click here to see the map in detail)
Cross Country Trips: 1

See all 292 pictures from my trip by clicking here

2007-05-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

Day 10 - 5/19/07 (Atlanta, GA)

Well, it finally happened. After nine days of driving I hit my first bad weather. It rained for about an hour as I left Savannah headed for Atlanta. The windshield did finally get clean though and considering the near perfect weather I've had the whole trip, I had nothing to complain about.

I got to Atlanta at about 12:30 and met my friend, Davi, for lunch near his work. After we caught up and he went back to work I headed to downtown to check out the Georgia Aquarium. It's just a few years old and I was told it was supposed to be amazing. It did not disappoint. The amount of fish they had there were great, the set up was great, and the attractions were great. Of the 6 or so different corridors you can choose to enter, the one I chose to go into first was also the best. It was one of those where you walk through a glass tunnel that is inside the aquarium so you are surrounded by the water as if you are in it. My first thought was that if this was a crappy scary movie about killer sharks then at any moment the sharks would start banging into the glass until it broke and the tunnel was flooded. My second thought though was about how cool it was. There was a little boy behind me in the tunnel he screamed every 5 seconds as another big fish swam overhead, thinking that it was coming for him. It was pretty cute and funny...at least until it became annoying a minute later. One other feature worth mentioning was the 4-D movie they had there. It was clearly meant to entertain kids (a fact the lady who sold me the ticket did not think worthy of mentioning to a 29-year old guy who was clearly there alone), but it was still good. Besides being projected in 3-D, the theater was set up with props to make it seem more like you were there, like drops of water falling from the ceiling whenever a splash on the screen happened, or puffs of air coming out at your feet to correspond with parts of the movie. All in all, I enjoyed my time at the Georgia Aquarium.

Right outside the Aquarium was the Coke Museum, which was really there just to taunt me. The original Coke Museum had just closed and this new one that was being built is opening next week. So I was not able to go check it out. I don't really like coke, or any carbonated drink for that matter, so maybe this was payback for not purchasing their product.

With a few hours to spare and nothing planned, I considered driving over to the Carter Presidential Library, but then saw the CNN Tower and decided my time would be better spent there. I took a tour of the building and studios. It was as you would have expected...kinda cool to see the studio where they filmed the news, but not too much else.

Finally it was time to drop off the car. After 10 days of driving I said goodbye to the car that took me cross country and hopped on the MARTA (the Atlanta metro service) to the airport for my flight to DC. I don't know how I made it on the public transportation with all my crap...but I survived. I quickly realized that car travel was just so much easier than air travel. The airlines computers were down and they had to fill everything out by hand. People were not happy, including me, and I was convinced my luggage was going to get lost. After an hour of standing in line and not really going anywhere with my frustration growing each second, I decided I wasn't going to let this ruin my trip. I thought back to the good times I had and forced myself to breathe calmly. It was a good trip...

That's it for my driving portion of the blog. Check back on Tuesday for a quick update on the final weekend in DC and for some final thoughts!

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 302
Total Mileage: 4,018

Today's Gas Price: 3.05

2007-05-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Day 9 - 5/16/07 (Savannah, GA)

Today I finally hit the eastern part of the country, Savannah, GA. I got here at about noon and quickly jumped on a trolley tour. I didn't know if I would enjoy it or not, but thought it was the best way to see the town and then I could decide what I wanted to do from there. It was definitely interesting and I saw a lot of historic buildings, etc...but I'll be honest; I dozed off from time to time. It was just such a nice day and I had just been driving for 4 hours or so...and I as I sit on the trolley with my arm hanging over the side and my head in the sun I started nodding off. I'm sure it was nice though, really.

When it ended I went down to the river and got some fish at a restaurant with a great view of the river. I also drank a local beer called Savannah Fest. As most of you know, beer is not something I enjoy, but just thought it fit with my meal and the surroundings.

Tonight I went to the Savannah Sand Gnats minor league baseball game against the Columbus Catfish. I had never been to a minor league game before so I was pretty excited about the experience. There were about two or three hundred people there. They have different gimmicks each night to get people there. Tonight was "business women" night; if you have a business card, and are a female, you got in for free. I don't know how well it worked though, as I didn't see any groups of women there. Mostly the crowd was made up of one t-ball team, a few couples, some father and sons, and some people I think just went to have something to do. There's a small bar in the bleachers with a patio deck looking over the field that was pretty cool. The biggest cheer of the night came in between innings when two kids were racing around the bases and the one in the lead fell perfectly on his face right before home plate, like in a bad movie, and lost. The best Gnats shirts I saw people wearing in the crowd were these two that each had the gnat logo and either "I'm buzzed" or "Bite Me." I ended up leaving the game after 5 innings. The Gnats were down 3-0. They ended up losing 5-2 and dropped to a league worse 10-29. Oh those Gnats...

After the game I went to a few bars in the historic district and River Street to see what the local scene had to offer and to watch some basketball. The highlight of the evening was when my fish and chips dinner was delivered and saw that the chips portion of the meal were essentially Mojos!!! Mojos potatoes made a certain way and are only made properly at Shakey's Pizza Parlor, a pizzeria mainly in CA...but also in 3 other states, including Georgia.

What did I do with the rest of my day? I tried to figure out how I am going to get home all the stuff I bought at the distilleries! I fly to DC tomorrow, meaning I just can't throw everything in the back seat of the car anymore. I brought two of the bigger items to the UPS store and had it boxed. I was going to ship it but decided to try and carry it with me on the plane, despite its awkward shape and size. I want to bring everything with me versus shipping it, not because I am cheap and didn't want to pay to have it shipped (ok, maybe that's part of it), but rather because I am just like a big kid and want to be able to play with my new toys as soon as I get home, not wait for it to be shipped by ground. After over an hour of creative packing, I was able to fit everything, but my bag is way overweight. I'm hoping they'll let it go. It's not like the good old days when I would put all the heavy stuff in my carry on, knowing that the carry on didn't have a weight restriction. Now I can't take the heavy bottles of alcohol I bought out of my checked bag and into my carry on. Being able to bring your own alcohol on the plane...those were the days, huh?

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 217
Total Mileage: 3,726

Today's Gas Price: $2.89

2007-05-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Day 8 - 5/15/07 (Bardston/Loretto, KY, Corbin, KY, Clinton, SC)

Today Kentucky presented me with two of my favorite things, bourbon and the Colonel's chicken. Originally I was only going to go to the Makers Mark Distillery, but the Jim Beam was only a few miles away and figured I couldn’t pass that up, so I made it my first stop. The “tour” wasn’t really anything. I watched a short movie and then there’s a self guided tour and you never go in any of the working buildings. Instead you just view replica machines and read plaques about what they do. There is a tasting at the end though. The two I tasted were from the small batch collection, Baker’s and Basil Hayden’s. They were pretty good. The small batch collection is significantly better than the regular Jim Beam label.Next I went up to the Makers Mark Distillery. Now this tour was cool. This was a lot more interactive than the previous two. We got to go and see the huge vats where the corn, barley, and wheat mash was fermenting. I saw this at the Jack Daniels Distillery too, but at this one the tour guide encouraged us to stick our hand in the vat and taste it. We did this in three different vats, each one being at a different point in the fermentation process and therefore tasting differently. Most people just stuck one finger in. I stuck in my whole hand. After a visit to one barreling warehouses we went to the bottling and saw the bottles filled, labeled, and finally hand dipped in the wax. At the end of the tour we had the option of buying a souvenir bottle and dipping it in the wax ourselves. Of course I did this, but unfortunately, I chose the wrong person to offer my camera to, as the picture she took was about 15 seconds after I had already dipped and spun the bottle and placed it down to cool. Ugh!!! I almost paid the $15 to buy another bottle and do it again so I could get a shot of it, but finally convinced myself that it was ok, life would go on…After the distilleries, it was time to finally travel down to Corbin, KY, where KFC was born. The “museum” at the first ever restaurant definitely left a lot to be desired. It was pretty much some display cabinets showing newspaper articles, old menus, advertisements, and pictures of KFC through the years. You may think I'm being ridiculous, but the story of KFC is actually a great one. I won't go into it all now, but ask me sometime and I'll tell you how the Colonel went up and down professionally his whole life and didn't actually start becoming a success until he was 60. The first KFC was actually called “Sanders Cafe” and there was a full replica of the original kitchen from 1930 where the Colonel created his famous recipe. I don’t know if this is a site I would recommend to the average person traveling through Kentucky, but I loved it! After looking around and taking pictures, I bought some lunch, original and extra crispy. I also bought a great shirt that simply says, “I ate where it all began.”

I was hoping to make it all the way to Savannah, GA after Kentucky, but my extra time at Jim Beam and the time it took to fully savor the friend chicken threw my schedule off. So I began my drive through the Appalachians and into North Carolina and South Carolina for my first time. I made it to Clinton, SC by sundown, which is where I am right now, about 200 miles north of Savannah. Tomorrow morning I will finish the drive and spend the bulk of the day in historical Savannah. Check back then.

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 482
Total Mileage: 3,509

Today's Gas Price: $2.87

2007-05-14T21:58:00.001-07:00

Day 7 - 5/14/07 (Lynchburg, TN, Mammoth Cave National Park, Bardstown, KY)

(Note: I know it's been a few days since I posted. Please be aware that I finally caught up and added something for each day below).

Wow…today was awesome. I discovered two new places I would be ok living if I ever had to leave LA to join the witness protection agency. The first would be Lynchburg, TN, the home of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey. I took the tour, compete with taking notes, and it was great. Learned a lot about the process, and the different products the company offers. The whiskey originally ferments and produces 124 proof Jack that is later watered down. There was one point where we were invited to smell the 124 proof whiskey as it was being “mellowed” through ten feet of charcoal. We opened up the barrels and the smell of alcohol was so strong, I think it may have gotten me drunk for a few seconds….so I lifted it again and took a second breath…

As some of you may know, Lynchburg is actually a dry county, as it has been ever since prohibition. Actually, Jack Daniels (real name Jasper Daniels) had a bar in Lynchburg but closed it during prohibition and never opened it again, instead focusing on the distillery more intensively when prohibition was lifted…so something good came out of it. Now the only place in the whole county that alcohol over 7% can be purchased is at the distillery (and that has only been the case for the past 12 years).

After the tour, I ventured to the gift shops. Big mistake…I was like a kid in a candy store. They had everything Jack from bar stools to BBQs to pool tables and much much more. I bought a few things to decorate my bar and the backyard...ok, maybe more than a few things. Let’s just say if you come to my apartment there will be no question whether or not “Jack Lives Here” (as they say in their ads).

From there I drove up through Tennessee to Kentucky to hit up Bardstown, the home of Jim Beam and Makers Mark. On my way I ran across Mammoth Cave National Park. I had some extra time so I got off the interstate and drove through the park. It was striking how different this national park was from the ones in Utah. Both beautiful in their own way, but yet so completely different. I think this is where Kentucky-ians must go for vacation. The road leading up to the park must have had 30 different attractions; water parks, golf, a wax museum, a dinosaur museum, a haunted house, just to name a few.

The second place I would like to live is Bardstown, where I am right now. It’s so perfect seeming. A small little city, with small streets, big lots of land, and big houses…not to mention it is the home of 4 different bourbon distilleries, including Jim Beam and Makers Mark. I found a bed and breakfast that I wanted to stay in. It was about $40 more than I would have spent at a motel, but I decided after a week of motels I should go for it. It’s a beautiful house, complete with rocking chairs in the front, which I am utilizing right now as I write this and drink some bourbon (really, the rocking chairs on the front porch is what sealed the deal when deciding to spend the extra money on this place). Across the street from this bed and breakfast is the home of Stephen Foster, who wrote My Old Kentucky Home. This phrase and a picture of his home is the symbol of Kentucky on its official State Quarter released by the US Mint.

I ended my evening at a bar a few blocks away simply called “Bourbon Bar” which had all types of bourbon imaginable. I had a few dinks recommended to me by some bikers who were sitting at the stools next to me. It’s a great little city and I may have to buy some land. Tomorrow I check out the actual distilleries and try to restrain myself form buying as much as I did in Lynchburg.

Oh, and I got an offer for a summer internship at a Johnson & Johnson’s company, Advanced Sterilization Products. I haven’t officially accepted yet, but I will soon, so if any of you want to offer me bundles of money to come work for you, I suggest you do it soon.Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 244
Total Mileage: 3,027

Today's Gas Price: $2.79

2007-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Day 6 - 5/13/07 (Memphis, Holly Springs, MS, Lynchburg, TN)

Since it was Sunday, most places in Memphis opened later than they normally would. I used this time to follow through on a friend’s recommendation to go to “Graceland Too.” Graceland Too is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I actually wanted to go at 2am, just because I could, but I just didn’t have the energy. Graceland Too is a person’s house in Holly Springs, MS (about an hour southeast of Memphis). This guy has collected thousands upon thousands of Elvis memorabilia and has over filled his house with it. He then opened his house up to tourists and gives the tours himself. This guy spoke with such a deep voice, trying to impersonate Elvis, that it sounded like he had something in his throat It was so bad that I felt I had to clear my throat just to help him out, which I found my self constantly doing without even knowing it. This guy was definitely sketchy. His son is named Elvis Presley and he must have told me 20 times that his son looks like a twin to the real Elvis. Another good story he told was that after 30 years of marriage his wife told him that she was tired and he need to decide if he wanted to be married to her or to his Elvis connection. They are now divorced. If you have the time, I definitely recommend going for the pure shock and outrageous factors. It was well worth it. I would recommend not going alone though. I knew I was safe because I knew hundreds of thousands of other people have passed through the house safely before me, but I still thought it was within reason that at some point he would opened a door and the remains of the body of his last guest would be there staring at me.

After Graceland Too, I went back to Memphis and went to the real Graceland. It was interesting. Not so educational or crazy or anything, but pretty cool. The house is smaller than I thought it would be. I was picturing a huge mansion. Don't get me wrong, this house was big, but not masion-esque. It was funny to see all the different room decors Elvis had set up. I especially liked the TV room in the basement that had a bar, large couch area, and three TVs for viewing of different shows. Of course, everything was in the original 70’s design as Elvis left it, making it more of a period piece than anything else. Upon leaving Graceland I saw a huge accident right in front of the driveway, undoubtedly caused by some passersby who were gawking at the house instead of paying attention to the road.
I ended the Memphis portion of my day at the National Civil Rights Museum which is at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated. The exterior of the Motel is kept exactly as it was when King was killed. The museum portion is in a new building attached to the motel. I thought it was really well done. The museum takes you through all different times in the Civil Rights movement dating back to the early 1600s. It was easy to go through, and the exhibits were great and there were many life size replicas of buses, counter sit-ins, and much more. Without realizing it, the museum spins you through the new building and ends in the actual Motel, looking out the window of MLK’s room, looking right at the walkway where he was shot. Again, a definite must do.

Now I am in Shelbyville, TN, right outside of Lynchburg, TN. For those of you that don’t know, Lynchburg is home of Jack Daniels and first thing in the morning I will be driving there for a tour of the distillery. Jealous?!

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 375
Total Mileage: 2,783

Today's Gas Price: $2.87

2007-05-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Day 5 - 5/12/07 (Little Rock, AR, Memphis, TN)

Like everyday so far, my day started with a drive to the next location, in this case Little Rock, Arkansas, which was beautiful and lush, especially compared to Oklahoma. I wanted to go to the Clinton Library located right next to the Arkansas River. After going through it, I thought it could have been longer and more detailed. The only time I was at the Reagan Library was when it first opened…I was probably 13 then. I don’t know if it was because I was small and stupid back then or not, but I recall the Reagan Library being much bigger. Nonetheless, I really liked the Clinton Library. It was interesting both from the presidential aspect, and from the fact that many of the events made me flash back to my high school and college days when Clinton was president. I found the Middle East sections particularly interesting/difficult, considering I lived in Israel for a total of a year and a half or so during Clinton’s presidency. I forget sometimes how close (at least how close it seemed) the world was to peace in the Middle East. Now we are in such a different place and I can only imagine how incredibly different things would be today if peace was reached in 2000.

I spent the next hour or two walking around Little Rock. The downtown area was like a ghost town. Admittedly, it was a Saturday, but it still seemed eerily empty. I considered staying in Little Rock for the night. There was a concert at an amphitheatre at the Arkansas River. It seemed like it was going to be cool until I noticed all the Disney Radio signs and then found out that some band I never heard of, The Jonas Brothers, were performing…anyone know them? I also considered staying to go to a minor league game, but in the end, Memphis beckoned.

When I got to Memphis my friend Eileen put me in touch with her friend Heather who lives there. It was very nice of both of them and Heather offered to let me crash at her place and take me out for dinner and drinks on Beal St. For those of you that haven’t been, Beal St. is like a smaller more tame Bourbon St. in New Orleans (I would think…I’ve actually never been). We went to a bar where there was a blues band playing and got some BBQ. I had been craving BBQ since getting to Arkansas earlier in the day and was happy to finally be eating it. The atmosphere at the bar and outside on the street was great. The whole evening was a lot of fun. The quote of the night came on the trolley home when, in my continued quest for good BBQ, we asked a Memphis resident next to us where the best BBQ in the city was and he responded, “in my backyard.” Unfortunately, this response was not followed by an invitation to try some of his backyard food.

Upon returning to Heather’s apartment complex (which was a huge lot of townhouses and an apartment building, much like a Park La Brea set up) I learned that Elvis’ first home in Memphis was actually in one of these buildings in her complex. How about that for a full experience? It was really great of Heather to offer her place to me and really helped me out. Thank you.

I would also like to congratulate my friend Dave Denicke who called me while I was driving to Tennessee today to tell me he was engaged!!!

Fast Facts:

Today's Gas Price: $2.89!!

Today's Mileage: 481

Total Mileage:2,418

2007-05-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - 5/11/07 (Kansas, Oklahoma City, OK)

Today was supposed to be a pretty boring day. Driving about 680 miles, mostly through Kansas, didn’t really evoke any excitement…at most maybe some hopes I’d see some cool Wizard of Oz references on the side of the road, or, if I’m really lucky, Superman and Smallville.

Kansas wasn’t as flat as I expected it to be. Definitely no mountains, but there were hills, a lot of green as far reaching as I could see. It was landscape I had never seen before, at least not that vast. While it wasn’t the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen and I probably wouldn’t volunteer to drive it again tomorrow, I did enjoy doing it. The highlight of Kansas occurred while I driving on the interstate, as ‘they’ call it. I saw a small plane fly by and crop dust this farm right next to the road. How Kansas is that?! If it wasn’t for the fact that I was driving with one hand and eating Doritos with the other, I would have been able to react faster and take a better picture, but this one will have to do.

To make things more interesting, I took a detour I found on http://www.byways.org/. This site has a lot of scenic side trips that if you are driving cross country, I recommend you look into, especially if you don’t have a lot of time and just want to drive by something cool. This particular byway took me on a 60 mile side route into a farming town of Kansas. It was crazy to go down this small paved road for so many miles and see only the random house or farm. The only roads coming off the road I was on were dirt roads. I stopped a few times to get out and walk around. When I did, all I heard was silence and some birds chirping… in my tv/movie influenced mind, the birds reminded me of that scene in Shawshank Redemption when Red goes to the haystacks to find the box. I did hit a small little town while during this byway and, with the same thinking as the previous example, it reminded me of Clark Kent’s Smallville home, complete with the high school mascot painted on the water tower.

One final thought on byways…they aren’t major roads, so anticipate problems. As I got to the end of this byway I found a sign saying the road I needed to take was closed because a bridge was out. I assume this was due to last week’s tornado in Kansas, but I’m not sure. Fortunately, I was able to easily find another way out by backtracking my path a bit over the past half hour, but it could have been much worse.

Oklahoma was the end of the day. It was definitely flat, and minus a nice sunset, not so great to look at. I was planning to go to the Oklahoma City Memorial in the morning. I noticed that the website said the outside memorial was open 24 hours and remember thinking how ridiculous it was that it actually said it was open 24 hours…who would go in the middle of the night. By chance, I drove by it on my way to my motel around 11pm and there was actually a good amount of people there walking around. I was shocked and decided I needed to get out and explore further. The memorial was really well done. It not only looked nice, but you can feel the weight of what happened just by looking at the different aspects of the memorial…such as the large gates bordering the memorial with a reflecting pool between each side, one side labeled 9:01 the minute before the bombing when life was innocent, and the gate on the other side labeled 9:03, the minute after when nothing would be the same again. They also had chairs lit up to, regular size ones for every adult that was killed and 19 small ones for every child. I spoke to the Park Ranger, who is also there 24 hours, and he said that he has seen people there at all times of day and at all times of the year. Pretty remarkable.I ended the evening at my first Waffle House eating grits. Finally, congrats to all my friends graduating today at Marhsall!

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 715 (by far the longest day)
Total Mileage: 1,937

Today's Gas Price: $3.05 (gas prices are finally going down. Thankfully, motel prices are dropping as well.)

2007-05-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - 5/10/07 (Glenwood Springs, Eagle, and Denver)

Today has been quite a day, so please bear with me cause this is going to be kind of long, but worth it. I headed out of Glenwood Springs first thing to Denver, opting not to do the hot spring dip before leaving (the hot springs were piped from the mountains to a huge swimming pool...just didn't seem the same to me). On my way to Denver though, there was one stop I HAD to make...Eagle, CO. For those of you that don't recognize that name, that is where Kobe Bryant was accused of rape four years ago (actually, he was accused in the city of Edwards, but it was Eagle County and the trial was in the city of Eagle...if you want to get technical).

So I got off the highway at the Eagle sign and was immediately struck by how tranquil the city was. I had the windows open as I pulled off the freeway and started driving around and all I heard was silence, despite the stores and other cars around. I can't imagine how the city got turned around when the hoards of media came to town.

I quickly found the Civic Center and the courthouse and had to get out and take some pictures. Now, I know what some of you are probably thinking, but the fact of the matter is the case was dropped and I never thought the evidence (from what was disclosed in the news) was really that damning anyway. Rape is obviously a serious thing and I don't mean to mock it in anyway, as is Kobe's infidelity. The case was dropped though and Kobe's cheating ways are a family matter. The part where I, as a fan, get involved is when these types of escapades begin affecting the Lakers.

One could make the argument that while the Lakers faced inner-turmoil before, the distractions and daily scrutiny that resulted from this case is what finally pushed the Lakers over the edge. The team had a mediocre regular season (considering this was the year of their "dream team"), and although they rebounded to make it to the finals, they lost embarrassingly 4-1 (and I lost $1,000...teaching me never to bet on my teams). With all this in mind, I felt I had to go to Eagle and show some support for the Lakers in a town that turned so many against them...plus I knew it would make a great picture for the blog...which is really all that matters, right?From there I traveled through the Rockies where snow still covered the mountains and then descended into Boulder and Colorado University. It was a beautiful campus and this week is graduation. So the place was full with students, family, and friends. I love walking on college campuses. There's a great atmosphere that all campuses seem to share. Walking past the dorms there were students playing frisbee and sun bathing. The frisbee players had water bottles that, after seeing them take a swig or two, I quickly realized wasn't water. Next, I went to the student store and almost bought a shot glass to add to my collection before realizing that, believe it or not, I actually have CU shot glass already. So I went and got lunch and walked to the School of Architecture where they were having a graduation. I sat on the grass and watched it as I ate. Then I made my way to the football field and peaked in on them preparing for the school-wide graduation tomorrow. At this point, an hour had passed and I realized I had parked illegally, thinking I would only be on campus for a minute or two. I raced back to the car to find no ticket. At UCLA I would have had a ticket in minutes...I guess while campuses have similar feelings, they aren't all the same.

Now I'm in Denver, where the weather is beautiful! I went to the mint, only to find it closed...but again...at least I got a picture. Then to the Denver Art Museum. I got there about 30 minutes before it closed. The lady suggested I come back tomorrow, but after explaining that I was only in town for the night, she let me in for free. As you might have guessed, 30 minutes was more than enough for me. I walked through, saw the pictures, some weird sculptures and then I was out.
The next stop was to the Rockies/Giants game at Coors Field. I went with my friend Sarah who lives in Denver. She has a friend from high school who is the UCLA Girls Lacrosse coach and they were in town for a tournament, so all 40 or so went to the game together. Since the tickets were bought as a group, the team was listed on the scoreboard welcoming them. When this happened the students and some parents who accompanied them broke out into UCLA's 8-Clap. Who would have guessed that while on my solo cross country trip, I would end up at a Rockies game in Denver doing the 8-Clap?! It was awesome, as was the stadium. The game was good too. The Rockies won 5-3. Bonds did not homer. Afterwards Sarah, some of her friends who went to the game with us, and me went out for some drinks. Sarah was a great host and I thank her very much.

That's the end of a long day. Tomorrow I am on the road almost the whole day. Should be...long...

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 224
Total Mileage: 1,222

Today's Gas Price: $3.28

2007-05-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

Day 2 - 5/9/07 (Zion National Park, Moab, UT/Arches National Park, Glenwood Springs, CO)

I spent most of today in Utah, which was so much more beautiful than I would have ever imagined (probably not a big shock to some of you). Because I got to Zion so late yesterday and missed hiking, I woke up early to drive through the park. It was great. It was also nice to drive through so early in the morning. The road was almost completely clear and the sun was just coming up, so there were great shadows throughout the park. I stopped once and jumped out and walked around for 30 mins or so, but that's all I had time for. Unfortunately, something happened to my memory card and some of the photos I took there weren't there when I uploaded my pictures tonight!! Which really is too bad because I spent a solid 5 mins trying to position my camera just right so that it would take a great picture of me using the timer. This set up included using pebbles to position the camera just right, using a thin leaf to tie the camera to the tree branch I was resting it on, and then running up the hill to be in position for the shot. ugh...

After the hour long scenic drive through Zion I was off to Moab, home of Arches National Park. I was told that there was great mountain biking up there and was really looking forward to getting a few hours of riding in. As I approached the city at about 2:45 there were all these signs advertising mountain biking, ATVs, rafting, and even skydiving (which I really want to do after my bungy jump in Thailand...click here to see my bungy jump). After going to a few different shops though it became quickly apparent that none of these activities were going to happen. Either because of the heat of the afternoon, or the long paths they took, all the rentals and/or tours started before noon.

Instead, I just drove into the park and did some hiking on my own. I went on a hike that was a couple miles each way. It wasn't that hard and had great great views of these crazy thin, yet massive rock formations. There were also arches (hence the name of the park), but those too got lost on the memory card (hoping this does not become a theme). I still manage to get great pictures from other rock formations though and from former arches (the bases were still there, but the connecting arch had long ago fallen down.

Due to the fact that I didn't end up going biking at the park, I was done much earlier than I anticipated. I was planning on staying in Moab for the night and then driving for 6 hours tomorrow to Denver, but instead decided to start out towards Denver today. I drove along the Colorado River and made it to Glenwood Springs, CO before it got dark, cutting my drive tomorrow to Denver in half. I know scenic pictures without people in them can get a little boring, but I had to keep taking pictures druing the drive...I couldn't help myself. Glenwood is a pretty quite city, but it has some great hot springs (supposedly) and is the gateway to Aspen. I found a pretty cheap motel and spent most of the night next door at the Ramada bar, eating dinner and watching the Warriors/Jazz game. (As a Lakers fan, I can't root for either team, but I definitely can root against the Jazz. Unfortunately, the Jazz won. The game featured a match up of my two favorite non-Lakers guards, former Laker Derek Fisher and UCLA alum Barron Davis. Davis had the better night stat-wise, but not only did Fisher's team win, but he hit a game-sealing three in overtime after only arriving at the arena in the third quarter because his daughter was in the hospital. "point 4" lives on). Except for me there was only one other party at the bar. A lady in her late 30's, her daughter (who was old enough to be in the bar...so you do the math), her daughter's boyfriend, and his friend. They were from Huntington Beach and also didn't like the Jazz. They were a bit weird, but they bought me a drink, so how bad could they be.

Tomorrow I spend my day in the more urban surroundings of Denver. Check back then for more "excitement."

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 530 (and the car worked perfectly!)
Total Mileage: 998

Today's gas price: 3.34 (on the way to Moab)

2007-05-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - 5/8/07 (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Zion National Park)

Today will probably be the most eventful day of the trip, despite the lack of activity. I got a pretty early start leaving LA on my way to Vegas. Except for some minor traffic at the beginning it was a pretty good drive. I don't think I've driven to Vegas in daylight since high school. I don't think I remembered how great the mountains were on they way.

Once I got to Vegas, I went to visit Libby, Rick, and Noa for lunch. That was a lot of fun, as I have not seen Noa since November and she is now 1. They just got back from Italy, so they were a little tired, but we had fun playing.

It is at this point my trip began to turn around. Perhaps I should have listened closer to Busting Vegas (the story of MIT students who learned to beat blackjack), which I was listening on my way to Vegas. I was in Vegas...I had to play a hand or two. Apparently you really do need to be a math genius to beat blackjack, because it took me all of ten minutes to lose $100. At least I got my players card checked...

As I left the casino I noticed some green liquid dripping from my car (FYI...if you didn't know my friend Ben is moving to Atlanta and I am driving his car there). I tried to think that it wasn't a big deal, but once the engine light came on when I got on the freeway, I quickly pulled off and got to a mechanic. Perhaps my luck had returned, somewhat, because the car literally died on me as I pulled into the driveway...allowing me to coast the final few feet.

It turned out to be a busted coolant reservoir, which they originally said would take a day to fix, but after some pleading they managed to fix it. I had lost 4 hours sitting in the garage, but at least I was back on the road again. I managed to get to Zion National Park just as the last light disappeared. The mountains in the eastern part of Nevada and beginning of Utah were amazing. I took these pics as I was driving. They really don't do it justice.
I had hoped to get here early enough to do some hiking and perhaps find a place to camp out, but the 4 hour delay squashed those ideas, so I found a motel outside the park and that is where I now am. The car trouble definitely threw a scare in me. I mean, it's only the first day! I think things will run more smoothly now, and in the end, I made it to my destination. Tomorrow I'm off to Moab, Utah for some mountain biking!

Fast Facts:

Today's Mileage: 468
Total Trip Mileage: 468

Today's Gas Prices: $4.54 on the way to Vegas (I only got enough gallons here to make it the rest of the way) and $3.05 in Vegas

2007-05-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

Journey Overview 5/7

In just four hours I start my trip cross country, with DC as the eventual endpoint. This is a trip I planned to do after graduating high school and a few times in college, but for one reason or another it never happened. With my last final just 4 hours behind me and my brother's graduation from Georgetown 10 days away, this seemed like the perfect time to finally make the drive.

I like to think I started my journey over the past week. I did some things that were uniquely LA, like going to the Dodgers game and seeing them pull it out with a game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th with two out; going to a bar Saturday night that was on the top of a building with a vew of all of LA; and of course there was the In-N-Out I had for lunch today. Tomorrow the trip continues to what I have long only known as "the fly over states."

My current count has the trip hitting 15 states, 3 MLB games, 2 memorial museums (OK City and the Civil Rights), 2 museums tracing a man's life and his accomplishments (the Clinton Library and the Colonel's KFC Museum), 1 distillery, 1 graduation, and much more.

I don't know how often I will actually get to update this, but I hope if not daily, at least every other day, so please be sure to check in. I also promise to include photos that will make this first post seem rather dull.

Anyway, I have to get to bed if I hope to be able to make the first stretch of the trip tomorrow. I'll be in my car much of the trip, so feel free to call.

By the way, I filled up today for $3.48/gallon. Let's see how it changes as I get deeper inland.