Louisiana redux & the arrival

The Louisianians calmed down. Maybe it was just a rush-hour thing. Or maybe there was a big football game on. Or maybe they all had crawdads and king crab waiting for them at home. That would make me drive crazy for sure.

I woke up this morning with a runny nose and a raging headache. The skies were clear when Kobee wanted to go out to pee, but by the time I'd showered and was ready to pack up the car it had started to rain. Hard. I got on the road where it was (thankfully) much less crowded than the night before, but it was still raining. People were also still tailgating, but I've pretty much decided that's just how they drive in that part of the country. I was regretting not grabbing tissues from the hotel room.

I had decided I was going to New Orleans. The kid behind the Super 8 check-in desk said the weather was going to be "cloudy," despite the torrential downfall right outside the window. I figured I could handle cloudy, and so Kobee and I set out. It rained the whole way. I had chosen Cafe du Monde as my ultimate destination - it's a tourist place, but it's in the French Quarter and I would be able to get a beignet & a cafe au lait, and at this point it's all the same to me.

I was excited going into New Orleans. I'd already passed through Baton Rouge and had a taste of the architecture and the general feel of the place. The houses in Baton Rouge were small, modest and quite dilapidated, but it was still a very pretty place. I went over a bridge that spanned a bayou and wondered about the trees - they appeared to be dead, which caused me to wonder why, and how long they'd been dead there like that, and did new ones sprout up, and the old ones fall? until I realized they were probably just dormant. They were dark and shadowy in the rain, but not in a dreary or ominous way. They just WERE, and it was fitting.

The pedestrian traffic in New Orleans was rough, but being from Berkeley gave me a leg up in that regard. The parking was even worse than Berkeley. There were signs all along the streets "Paid Parking," positioned right next to signs that said "No Parking Any Time." I drove around for about 20 minutes trying not to hit the pedestrians in the rain and looking for some sort of rational pattern within the signs that would allow me to choose a legal parking spot. I finally gave up, having not hit anyone, but figuring my luck was running out, and went into a public parking lot. If anyone goes to New Orleans, just park in the lot, save yourself the headache.

While driving around, however, I got a good look at the amazing sights. It's just like what you see in pictures and movies, but you know, it's real life. Gorgeous old buildings with verandas and trailing plants. The buildings are positioned right next to each other, but wrought iron gates led into alleys that were often lush gardens. Buildings two, three stories tall with intricate wrought iron railings ruled the architectural roost, but there were also modest wooden structures with simple columns, or maybe just a veranda. Windows and doors were tall and narrow with wood shutters, most of which were kept closed, undoubtedly to preserve the privacy within.

I took some pictures, but struggled with it. Kobee had never been sight-seeing with me before. There were some power issues. She wanted to keep walking and sniffing. I kept wanting to stop, eyeball the best camera angle, stoop down, step up, stand in the middle of the street, whatever. As soon as I found my spot and aimed the camera, Kobee would decide it was time to go and blur the shot. Shell will appreciate those pics. To add to this, it was still raining. And cold.

I had saved Cafe du Monde for last. Wet and cold Kobee and I were told we could sit on the patio, me inside the iron rail, her tied right outside it, under the awning and still at my table. I sat down and got comfortable and began people watching, thinking about my cafe au lait and my beignets (three to an order), when I noticed Kobee miserable and shaking, wet and cold. I couldn't sit there sipping my cafe au lait while she was miserable and so, before anyone even showed up to take my order, we left. It's only 5 hours from where I am in Florida. I will go back.

I am here now. I'm tired, Kobee is tired. We're going to sleep in this very comfortable bed. I think I will sleep all day tomorrow. And maybe the next day.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Finishing Texas and the crazy Louisianians

Texas did flatten out. Actually, after Houston the whole flavor of the state changed. It became flatter, I saw more trees and more industrial complexes along with a lot of areas torn up for reasons unknown to me. Mexican cantinas gave way to bbq joints, and long about Beaumont I began seeing French names and promises of tasty king crab cakes. When I saw a sign announcing a bayou, I didn't need the map to tell me I was nearing the border.

After my blog entry last night Nia emailed me to inform me that there are plenty of rude Texas drivers, and sure enough, there they were, hanging around Houston. But that was okay, because I'm from California and I can drive offensively with the best of them.

I made my way through Houston, a town where, much like the Bay Area, using your turn indicator is the signal for the person behind you to speed up, blocking lateral movement; I felt quite at home. But as I neared Louisiana the stakes got higher.

I crossed the Texas/Louisiana border, very conscious of the speed limit, and wanted to be careful, but people were flying by me at an alarming rate. Big rigs were moving into the left lane and tailgating me. If I sped up, they sped up. If I slowed down, they sped up and rode closer to my bumper. I couldn't always move to the right. I don't mind admitting - I was scared!

Nia - what the heck is up with your people? Louisianians are INSANE.

My plan had been to stay in Lafayette Parish, have a tasty Cajun dinner, and cruise around in the morning, checking it out, but there was so much traffic and everyone was driving so fast, cutting in and out of the lanes, tailgating, flashing lights - and don't misunderstand - I was doing 80-85 - the speed limit was 70 - that I was unable to see what hotels were available, forget trying to get off the highway. I was afraid that if I tried to exit someone would clip my bumper, you know, a final send-off of sorts.

So I drove through Lafayette, assuring Kobee that we would stop as soon as the traffic thinned out. I found another Super 8, surrounded by fast food, and I pulled in giving up my Cajun feasting dreams. I settled for something fried and a 24oz can of ... Busch. I stood in the store giggling at the beer selection - Bud, Miller, Busch and the ever-exotic Corona. The cashier was quite gracious, probably thinking I was a bit off. But the Busch has taken the edge off the freaked-out feeling I was left with after that harrowing drive.

And so here I sit, in another hotel, Kobee snoozing quietly next to me. Tomorrow is an easy day - just under 400 miles - New Orleans is about 1/2 an hour out of my way and so I'm thinking about going in the morning and checking it out. I'll see how I feel tomorrow ... ahhh ... the joys of having a choice ...

Texas is not flat.

I don't know why I thought Texas was flat. Maybe it flattens out later? I'm in San Antonio, having trekked through West Texas. For awhile I was cruising through mountains, but they eventually flattened out somewhat into mesas. I like mesas. It looks like someone went through with a giant scythe and cut off the mountain tops.

I woke up this morning in El Paso and stepped outside (still hiding Kobee) only to be slapped with a freezing wind and to discover that my car was covered in ice. I thought Texas was a WARM state? It's not like I haven't driven through here before. Nia and I did it when she moved to Florida. We did it all the time when I was a kid, and I took a bus to Texas Tech to visit a friend in college - hey Karen! And yet I've been left with all of these misconceptions:

Texas is not flat. Texas is not always warm. Texas is not a vast wasteland of nothingness. I have not seen a single truck with a gun rack. Texas does not have drive through espresso stands (are you snickering, David?).

Texas is quite pretty. Texans are very polite on the roads. The speed limit on highway 10 is 80 (how happy was I?). Texas has plenty of tasty Mexican food to choose from. Texans are very friendly.

Texas is still very big, but I think the drudgery of driving through it is psychological. I left yesterday morning from California, went all the way through Arizona and New Mexico and stopped in Texas. That feels like progress. Two solid days in Texas leaves people feeling like they're not getting anywhere. From here on out I will remember that Texas is not hell on earth; it's simply BIG.

I had the munchies all day. Boredom, of course, but I think it's also because I didn't have a hot breakfast, and it was very (VERY) cold outside. I spent all day munching on the things I had in the car - my last orange from California, the granola I bought at Trader J's, some nuts I had from home, my Trader J's salad. That was fun - 88 miles an hour down highway 10 eating my salad. My hotel last night came with a free continental breakfast, but because I'd smuggled my dog in, I just wanted to leave before I got busted, and so left hungry.

Tonight I'm in a Super 8. It's pretty darned cozy, and they offer breakfast. Kobee is allowed here, so I'll be partaking of the free offerings in the morning.

My internet connection is spotty tonight, so I haven't yet checked my route for tomorrow. I'm either going to stop in Lafayette, LA or hustle down to Sandestin. Lafayette should be interesting. I once dated a guy from there. He was a real treat; if he's typical of the population of Lafayette I'll be blowing on through ...

Blythe to El Paso

This morning I saw my future and was humbled. I ate breakfast at the interestingly named Tonopah Joe's Family Restaurant & Lounge in Tonopah, Arizona. There was one server. She was very, very old. If I cannot get myself out of restaurants, I will be her in another 30 years. A shudder of fright just ran through me thinking about it all over again.

On a more positive note, I got to have grits with my eggs this morning. The server woman seemed amused by my joy. Undoubtedly she figured I was tickled to be eating something new, or something I considered to be quaint, not understanding my deep and abiding life-long love of grits ... mmm ... grits ...

I will say this ... should I fail in Florida, and not pull off this whole writing-thing, I think I will instead climb into my old Honda with my little dog and cruise around the country campaigning against vegetable oil butter substitute. Nasty, nasty stuff. I will get the dairy farmers to finance me.

I drove about 600 miles today. I would go back out to the car and check the mileage, but I smuggled my little dog into the hotel room and I don't dare draw any attention to myself, or risk that she'll bark while I'm gone. It's a $500 fine for rule-breakers. I would beg and cry my way out of it, of course, but still. That's a lot of energy to expend. Yeah, yeah. If there's a Hell, I'm going there. Gotcha. See most of you there!

The scenery was pretty today. Lots of desert mountains, cactii, cows and some emus. At one point the mountains gave way to the crazy Roadrunner cartoon rock formations - huge boulders balanced precariously on top of smaller ones. I wanted to stop and take pictures, but there wasn't room, and for some odd reason all of the rest stops are closed. Off season? I don't know, but hope to see more tomorrow. I was also keeping my eyes open for the uber-cheesy Southwestern roadside tourist stands. I love those places. They stand there with such defiant tackiness. Ya gotta respect that. Haven't seen any yet.

I whipped through Arizona, cruising around Phoenix first looking for a bank, then a Trader J's where I bought salads, water and pistachio cookies. I ate the cookies for lunch. I had come out of Trader J's to find a woman (whom I would like to label self-righteous, but will instead take the high road and call her "concerned") shoving ice cubes through my car window at my dog. It was about 70 outside. I was in the store for all of five minutes, the windows were cracked, the car was in the shade ... Kobes was fine. She was "drooling" the woman said. "Yeah," I answered, "she does that when I leave her alone." Brian knows all about this - Kobee used to leave big puddles of drool by the office door while I was on the floor. It's one of her less charming attributes.

New Mexico flew by in the dark as I blazed toward Texas and the hope of a cheap-ish hotel with free wi-fi. And so here I sit, comfy in the Ho-Jo, full belly, tv on, computer on my lap and a king-sized bed. Good thing, too, since Kobee is a bed-hog.

Tomorrow I'm getting up early. Texas is a big, big ... BIG ... state, and I'm not all that thrilled about the next two legs. I want to get to San Antonio and relax a bit. I will wave at the University of Texas at El Paso for you, Mr. D.

Berkeley to Blythe

Sitting in a Motel 6, watching ... something ... on tv. I'm not sure what. It's the Discovery Channel ... human sacrifice, it seems. My little dog is mining the depths of the double bed, exploring the environs under the oh-so-ugly top blanket. Did they make it ugly so no one would steal it? or are the Motel 6 corporate poo-baas simply charmed by the kitschiness of it? I do not know.

Did I mention it smells funny in here? because it does. But that's okay.

I'm in Blythe, CA. Technically I began this trek in Eugene, OR, but I was too tired last night to write anything, so will begin here, from the second leg. Where am I going? Florida. Near Ft. Walton Beach. I'm going to live with Nia for awhile. Soak up the sun, recoup my energy and my joie de vivre after having spent it all on grad school. Kobee's coming with, and seems pretty darned excited about it. She's my co-pilot.

Yesterday's drive down from Eugene was long - I caravanned with my sister and her family. We left Grandma Carla and Grandpa David's around 6:30. We ate a tasty breakfast at the Breadboard in Ashland, then hung around downtown Ashland with our cousin and his family for awhile. Shell tried to ditch me at one point by ducking into a WalMart in Red Bluff, but I found her again. She was chugging down a Flurry from the McDonald's.

We cruised into Berkeley around 7:30 last night. I went to my storage unit and dropped some stuff off while Shell took our other sister's kids home to Castro Valley. We all stayed at the Hotel Durant last night. I was grateful for the comfy bed and the good sleep, but I imagine my old co-workers are wondering if I'm ever truly going to leave. I do keep turning up. A phenomenon Joe is terribly familiar with. Aren't you, Joe?

I left Berkeley around 10 this morning. No early start for me. I didn't want to be dropping off to sleep while driving. Yes. That's wise. I know. I have to say, as a Northern California girl, I harbor a subtle disdain for all things SoCal. I think it's just bred into me. But really, SoCal is a beautiful place. Mile upon mile of Central California fields suddenly broke, giving way to the soaring gorgeousness of the Tehachapi Mountains. Tres impressive.

I had decided I wanted one of the oranges I'd picked up at a fruit stand, and had begun peeling it just as I was entering the Tejon pass. I thought to put the orange away until I got to a less curvy place, but my little Honda is so slow going up hills that I just kept peeling while I crawled up the mountain at 50 miles an hour. I cruised happily in the right lane, eating my orange and gawking at the scenery.

I buzzed east from 5 south on 210 then east on 10. I didn't miss a single turn or freeway exchange. Not one. Proud of me? Those of you who know me best are, I know. I've had my shower, am in my jammies and will go to sleep in a bit. Tomorrow I'll continue east on 10 to El Paso. I think there's a health food store in Phoenix, so will stop there for some groceries. And maybe find a drug store so I can buy a can opener. Although I do enjoy wandering into random Taco Bells and asking the befuddled staff to open Kobee's cans of dog food. We'll see how that goes.

Until then!