Around the World in....How Many Days Has it Been?: 6 Weeks Later...

So it’s been about 6 weeks since we finished our roadtrip, and I realized I had never really written the conclusion – sorry for the delay!

Storefront of the Lady and Sons

From Charlotte we drove straight to Savannah, Georgia, for the sole purpose of eating at Paula Deen’s restaurant, the Lady and Sons. Two words: worth it. The beginning of the meal actually started with somewhat of a show. One of the chefs came out to the street to rile up the guests with a dinner triangle. She screamed at us, “Are y’all ready ta eat?!” And when no one answered she got a little sassy… “ARE Y’ALL READY TA EAT…??? I can’t feed ya if y’all don’t talk right!” After that everyone laughed and replied “of course” so she rang her triangle and at the top of her lungs belted “COOOOME AAAND GET IIIIT!!” as she walked up and down the street. Everyone jovially entered the restaurant and began to gorge on the lunch buffet, which included everything from fried chicken to collard greens – I can’t even describe how delicious it was. If you’re ever in the area, I definitely recommend eating here. After our lunch (and a nap) we took a little self guided walking tour of Savannah. What a picturesque southern city, it had moss hanging from the trees and spooky southern mansions. The cityscape was very pretty, and reminded me of being in Disneyland (which I guess you could consider a testament to Disneyland’s designers…) While we only spent 2 days here, it was a lot of fun.

From Savannah we headed on towards New Orleans. We stayed less than a block away from Bourbon street, which needless to say was a blast. I’ll just leave it at that… ^_^

Carly and I goofing around at the Carter House

With a massive headache in tow we left the Big Easy for Nashville, or as my friend Carly likes to call it, Nashvegas. This stop, for me at least, was a highlight of the trip. I was so happy that I was able to reconnect with such a great friend after over 2 years of being away. I was nervous going in, thinking “we haven’t seen each other in so long, this might be awkward,” but really we just jumped right back into the swing of things. It really makes me thankful to have friends like that – the ones who you’re comfortable with after such a long period of absence are definitely the ones worth holding on to. We stayed here for almost a whole week; did a little sightseeing, and a lot of loafing. We visited the Carter House, which is the must bullet hole ridden civil war house that’s still standing. Hearing the story of what the owners went through as their farm turned into a battle field was eerie, but interesting all the same. Worth a visit if you’re ever in Tennessee.

It was sad to say goodbye again to Carly, but we had to continue on on our trip westward - this time to Dallas, well a little north of Dallas anyway. We stayed with a family friend, Karen, who showed us what real Texan barbeque is all about. It was delicious to say the least. Unfortunately at this point in our trip we were just getting really tired (and I really missed my poodle…) so we decided to cut it short by a day and head home. We got some breakfast with Karen the next day then headed on straight to Albuquerque, and then onward to Redlands.

Overall I had an amazing time on this trip. While this may sound repetitive, driving through the states really opened my eyes to just how grand this country is. Taking in the landscape has left an impression on me that’ll be hard to kick. The beauty of the countryside, the desert, the farmland, the mountains, and even the city skyline has really made me appreciate the beauty and diversity that is America. As we were driving I always kept in mind just what it would be like to cross the country by covered wagon, and man, you’ve really got to give those people credit!

Thanks to everyone who read along as we took our trip, hopefully it wasn’t too boring for you to follow. And special thanks to everyone who offered us their homes along the way. We wouldn’t have had such a great time without you. So thanks again to Mark, Matt, Stefanie, Oliver, the Philly girls- Heather and Kaitlin, Adam and his roommates, Grandpa John and Meemaw, Carly, and Karen. You guys really made this trip extra special!

Here are just a few more pictures :)