America Mini Roadtrip part 2 (2003)

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i'm really enjoying this one, and on the journey up here to Philly i got to thinking about doing it again in the spring (depends how much this will have cost).

was thinking

atlanta
new orleans
austin/dallas
san fransisco
los angeles

chicago
minneapolis
seattle
portland
san francisco

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 20:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Either would be great, as they both involve San Francisco, which is really the best city in this country to visit. Beyond that ... well, I think I'd actually suggest the southern version, not because I think those are better places to go but because it would probably give you a view of America that's more foreign to your experience and your previous trips over. (I'd be warmer, too, if that matters.)

If you could rent a car and drive around here, I'd highly recommend a western loop that goes from Chicago down through St. Louis to Texas, over through New Mexico (which is fantastic) and Arizona to Los Angeles, up the west coast through San Francisco and up to Portland or Seattle.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

cant drive, but i'm going to try and persuade a couple of people (i'd pay, they'd drive!) to think about something like this

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 20:55 (twenty-three years ago)

You visit LA, of course. :-) If nothing else you'll have a place to crash with me if like. But you are wise to have SF in both of your travel plans, as Nabisco notes.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 20:55 (twenty-three years ago)

although Tucson looks quite interesting too? partly dictated by where there are hostels (big savings made this way), OR, if anyone comes with me and drives

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

seattle and portland are nice places to live, but visiting-wise they don't even come close to the insanity of new orleans or la (my fav us city to visit, tho i can't imagine living there). gareth, either way you'll be spending A LOT of time on the road/train, and the southern us has way more interesting scenery/random little towns to stop in/completely nutty interesting people.

― ch. (synkro), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 21:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Austin, TX is recommended -- donut bitch and I have a very good friend who lives there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

if you're coming to Minneapolis you're welcome at my grimy little apartment.

We have a couch, even.

― gabriel rodriguez-doerr (gabe), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 22:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd suggest the later. Atlanta and San Francsico are on opposite sides of the country (and one is far more south than the other, in addition). The later is more concise; you still have to drive across the Rockies, but you're saved the hell of driving through Mississippi, Alabama, New Mexico, and Arizona. They're pretty goddamn big and devoid of anything interesting (minus some cool state and national parks in NM/AZ).

-
Alan

― Alan Conceicao, Wednesday, 9 October 2002 22:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth you are a credit to your generation... Keep the flag flying...

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 10 October 2002 19:59 (twenty-three years ago)

three months pass...

ONE:

new orleans
dallas/austin
los angeles

TWO:

nashville
memphis
new orleans
austin

THREE:

help me out, suggest something!

this would be in May. will it be too hot in some of these places?

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I went:

dallas-houston-new orleans-memphis-nashville-atlanta one year. but that was probably almost august or august. it was still pretty hot then.

how long would it be over?

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 6 February 2003 11:33 (twenty-three years ago)

10 days

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 11:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know why I got that 'still' into my last post.

I think there's plenty of travelling in two and plenty to see. I'd really like to visit austin, especially since a friend of mine moved there. it's around the late twenties in may around there. a site said.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 6 February 2003 11:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Trip #2 sounds URGENT and KEY.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 6 February 2003 12:56 (twenty-three years ago)

what are baton rouge, jackson, and houston like? i know everyone dags on houston but...

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 13:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Houston's all sprawly: surely difficult to get much action out of it if you don't know someone there. This is true of a lot of cities along the route you're looking at, though certainly not all of them.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 6 February 2003 16:50 (twenty-three years ago)

You could make the DEMF in Detroit in late May (if you like techno) and then swing over to Chicago.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Thursday, 6 February 2003 16:56 (twenty-three years ago)

That way Amateurist and I can throw things at him.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Trip one has distinct advantages.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:04 (twenty-three years ago)

:'(

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:15 (twenty-three years ago)

why not minnepolis, fargo, winnipeg, edmonton, vancouver, seattle, portland, sf, la ?

― anthony easton (anthony), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:20 (twenty-three years ago)

jess, NW is in september (i already said this somewhere else!)

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:21 (twenty-three years ago)

how about Bourne, Spalding, Grantham, Grimsby, Worksop?

Names to conjure with there I think.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I am amused that people have said that NYC is unvisitable in July yet New Orleans in August is merely "pretty hot."

gareth, have you ever been to Chicago or Milwaukee? They're no Daaaalston or Clapham but you would love 'em.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 17:34 (twenty-three years ago)

It's never too hot :)

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 6 February 2003 19:35 (twenty-three years ago)

St Paul - Chicago - St Louis - Memphis - Kansas

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Jel, Gareth wants to have *fun* on this trip!

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:46 (twenty-three years ago)

but the North to South navigating would be fun wouldn't it? It's the sort of trip I'd take. But don't mind me, I haven't been anywhere in years.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Haha four cities and THE ENTIRE STATE OF KANSAS!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, Kansas is not south of Memphis.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey Felicity, you still wanna invade Chicago with me?

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:51 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, Kansas was just sorta thrown in there at the end. I probably meant Kansas City.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Jody: yes

Replace Kansas with Nashville and I would say jel has proposed a hell of a trip for Gareth. In a good way.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Kansas City, Missouri, or Kansas City, Kansas?

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

The motherload of trips: Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, consider tacking on Louisville. The Kentucky Derby is in May.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

kansas city, kansas!

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the main kansas city is actually in missouri jel! the one over the border is smaller.

i wont be going there. not that i dont want to. but there are too many places ahead in the queue!

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:03 (twenty-three years ago)

If I were heading to the South, I would feel the need to visit Macon (James Brown, Little Richard and Otis Redding connections in a small city!), New Orleans (the jazz and ambience) and Memphis (Stax and Hi), and maybe wherever Faulkner was writing about - not Jefferson, the real analogue of Yoknapawtha, if such exists. And where is Al Green's church?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Anchorage, Honolulu, Yuma, Key West, Bangor, Guam

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:06 (twenty-three years ago)

tee hee, I am also pleased that Atlanta to San Francisco qualifies as a Mini Roadtrip.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:06 (twenty-three years ago)

haha! yes alright! youve had your fun! i know!

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:08 (twenty-three years ago)

East St. Louis!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, East St. Louis is grand if you feel particularly deficient in porn and guns.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

If you are interested in Americana, it does make some sense to take advantage of what you can see in America with a car. The Route 66 trip from Chicago to LA is pretty famous. The way the landscape changes as you drive Route 66 is like traveling in a very slow-moving time machine. There are some good books about it.

Route 66 has been renamed in places but the road itself still exists. You could do the whole Route 66 drive in less than 3 days' driving time, so as you can see you would have plenty of time to see people and mosey along.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:14 (twenty-three years ago)

>>what are baton rouge, jackson, and houston like? i know everyone dags on houston but... <<

We're not lying about Houston. Baton Rouge has a cool looking statehouse and a art museum nearby, and Jackson has...ummm...not a lot. You might as well visit Birmingham.

>>why not minnepolis, fargo, winnipeg, edmonton, vancouver, seattle, portland, sf, la ?<<

My guess is he doesn't want to spend an eternity in his car. =)

Edmonton is WAY WAY WAY WAY out of the way. If you go there, you might as well just do that by itself. Seriously.

>>St Paul - Chicago - St Louis - Memphis - Kansas <<

Not a horrible idea...except for the inclusion of Kansas. If you meant Kansas City, its still a bad idea...Memphis to Kansas City is probably around 10 hours driving. And you drive through a lot of nothing, believe me.

My humble suggestion:

Fly round trip into Atlanta's Hartsfield. Stay in Atlanta however long you want, because its pretty happening there.

Spend a day driving to New Orleans (I-20 to I-59). Spend an hour in Birmingham if you want.

Spend at least a couple days in New Orleans. Very cool city.

Begin the long drive to San Antonio (which will be about 10 hours on I-10). Stop in Baton Rouge briefly to see, umm, whatever, then continue through Houston (hopefully getting there before or after rush hour). If you want to stop and visit the Astrodome or do one of the literally 3-4 other things that could be of minor interest to a traveller (Six Flags Astroworld, I think there's a museum or two), go ahead.

Continue to San Antonio that night. If you get tired, every 30 miles or so there will be a "rest area" that appears in the middle of nowhere with a Best Western, Econo Lodge, and Denny's.

Spend at least a day in San Antonio.

Continue on to Austin (north on I-35). I've never really spent any time here. probably a day or so.

Continue to Dallas/Ft. Worth (North on I-35, which splits). Understand going in that Dallas is a modern city, and Fort Worth is more of the "pioneer/wild west" town. Plan to spend lots of time in *both*.

Going back to Atlanta, you can either take I-30 east to Little Rock and then I-40 east to Memphis before working your way back in a southbound direction to Atlanta (which can take you through Nashville and Chattanooga or through Tupelo, Miss and Birmingham) or you can I-20 East through Shreveport, Jackson, Birmingham, then Atlanta (which is more direct and gives you fewer opportunities to say "I want to stay here a day"). Plan however you'd like that.

This is just a mere suggestion though. If Chicago/Twin Cities/St. Louis/perhaps Kansas City and Des Moines on the way back to Chicago sounds more your speed, go ahead. I will, however, suggest you NEVER DRIVE FROM DALLAS TO CALIFORNIA. Or for that matter, Chicago to Seattle. People who have never travelled that area have no sense of space when it comes to the distances travelled (you'd cross more that 2/3 of the US's length in doing Chicago/Seattle, for instance).

-
Alan

― Alan Conceicao, Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Route 66!

http://www.historic66.com/description/us-map.gif">

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:20 (twenty-three years ago)

GRRRRRaham!

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Would anygirl (or anyboy even) like to drive Gareth, (and perhaps myself) on this trip?

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Note to self: consult big national geographic atlas in future!

I thought of one I'd like to do:

Portland, Oregon (it's a Transformers thing)
San Fran
Salt Lake City
Boise, Idaho
Seattle

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 6 February 2003 21:51 (twenty-three years ago)

And let's not forget the Gun Van Sant memorial road trip -- just in time for Gerry -- Portland, Oregon to Boise, Idaho.

Yum, Louisville.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 6 February 2003 22:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd do it if I had the time and the money. The car would have to be some kind of gas guzzling 60s or 70s whale.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 6 February 2003 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, ditto, except I would have to have a fourth person along or I'd feel rather a fifth wheel. Third wheel. Hang on.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 6 February 2003 22:35 (twenty-three years ago)

"Jel, Gareth wants to have *fun* on this trip!"

!!!

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 6 February 2003 23:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Wait, is there a Transformers connection to Portland that I'm not aware of?

― Chris P (Chris P), Friday, 7 February 2003 00:15 (twenty-three years ago)

If someone was going to drive Seattle, WA -> Ann Arbor, MI, are there any recommended routes? I might do that one someday... Also, I still keep saying "next summer, I do 101 down the West Coast" & then spending my summer vacation time far away from the northwest. :(

― lyra (lyra), Friday, 7 February 2003 02:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Lyra - straight across on, hmmm...I-90, I think it is - at least that's how I've always gone, with time being a factor - if I'd the time I'd drop down and drive the Columbia River Gorge, then take that road from Lewiston/Clarkston over the Rockies and into the Bitterroot valley - south from there, through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons - and from there, well *thinking* hell, I don't know,. Maybe down into Colorado before heading east - and then drive north along the Mississippi River - you'll get to see some amazing historical places and some interesting music-related places, too.

The last decent road trip I took was Orlando to Tallahassee to Biloxi, Mississippi to Birmingham, Alabama to Memphis, Tennessee to Hot Springs, Arkansas (EXCELLENT TOWN!) to - hmmm...a winding back road that dumped us in Eastern Oklahoma and then on 40 west, through Texas (where a speeding ticket was received) and into Oklahoma City (where I was disturbed by the memorial because it seemed to be almost overblown, though maybe that's because it was Christmas and it was a poingnant time) and then through Albequerque, stopping after at the Painted Desert and then into Arizona and Flagstaff, then north to the Hoover Dam and Vegas, and then north on...sheesh...maybe 395? through the east side of the Sierra Nevadas into Carson City, and then up over the Sierras on highway 88 into my home county. And the trip back? Over the Sierra's on I-80 into Reno, then Winnemucca (one of my all-time favorite town names) and then Salt Lake City - up into Wyoming, and then down into Nebraska where we ended-up at the Mississippi and then headed south to New Orleans and then to Biloxi (a trashy and really gritty and wonderful town) and then back to Florida. Next year I think we're going to drive further north before striking west.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Friday, 7 February 2003 02:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Route 66 (2nd try):

http://www.historic66.com/description/us-map.gif

As you can see, there is only a little bit through Kansas you you could drive around that part if you won't be going there, not that you don't want to.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:47 (twenty-three years ago)

If done right, anyboy can also see the rather large ditch they have in Arizona.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:48 (twenty-three years ago)

grammar is terrible. Anygirl is not suggesting that the trip requires anyboy to be "done," by anyone, no matter how small

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:49 (twenty-three years ago)

ten days?

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Pfft. I did it in three.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry, didn't mean to be dismissive, since we were teasing gareth about distances upthread.

It's probably roughly 2,000 miles so you could do 200 a day on average, more through the duller parts and spend some time in the places that interest you.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:55 (twenty-three years ago)

blurred ditches: classic/dud?

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 7 February 2003 03:56 (twenty-three years ago)

there are a ton of things to do in Mississippi.

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 7 February 2003 04:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Tell, James! I have only been to Tunica, for the riverboat gambling.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 04:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I like how the map up there indicates that the Springfield is the one in (IL).

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 7 February 2003 04:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Important Non-Americans: if you plan to motor west and get your kicks on Route 66, you will need an American-speaking guide to negotiate with locals and explain which gas-station foodstuffs are safe for consumption. For the very reasonable fee of US$400 per day, I will drive you from Chicago to Los Angeles in a luxury 1995 Nissan Altima, fully equipped with air conditioning, power windows, cup holders, and one of those dealies where you can hook your CD player up through the tape deck.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 7 February 2003 05:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Package includes complementary indie-pop review during New Mexico leg, culminating in complete works of Honeybunch on the way into Santa Fe.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 7 February 2003 05:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Is the fee negotiable?

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 7 February 2003 08:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris: the Autobots spaceship the Ark crash landed in a Mt St.Hellier (might have got that spelt wrong, I think it's fictional), which was located in Portland, Oregon. < /geek>

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 7 February 2003 17:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Possibly, Mary, though I might make you write an application essay.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 7 February 2003 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 7 February 2003 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I can tail in a Honda and toss eggs onto nabisco's back bumper for a US$70/day fee.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 9 February 2003 06:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth, on trip one ALL of those places will be bloody hot. I mean if you hit like the first day of May, you'll be ok, but after that it'll be like 100 degrees, and humid, especially in New Orleans. Also, New Orleans -> LA?! Just come back to NYC, kid. We'll drive you to the Jersey Shore, and maybe even the Hamptons if it's late enough in May. That's a great road trip.

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 9 February 2003 10:40 (twenty-three years ago)

it is crazy hot and humid in the south during the summer!

there are jukejoints in missisissipipi and boudin in louisisana; don't go to new york they will make you go to picnics and puppet shows! plus mo vaughn will eat you!

― James Blount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 February 2003 10:43 (twenty-three years ago)

jel: It sounds like some weird pun on Mt. St. Helens, which is but a few miles north of Portland. Wow, though. Was the show supposed to take place outside of Portland? Were those dorky humans Portlanders? Does that explain why there are so many cars in this town with the Autobot or Decepticon logo on them?

― Chris P (Chris P), Sunday, 9 February 2003 10:45 (twenty-three years ago)

ally, i AM going to NYC also! in fact i shall be there in about a months time.

so it will be too hot at the end of may in neworleans?

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 9 February 2003 11:39 (twenty-three years ago)

yep Chris! that would totally explain the Autobot/Decepticon logos!

(it could very well have been mt.St.Helens that I meant)

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 9 February 2003 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

It won't be too hot, it's not like it's India or something!

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 10 February 2003 04:07 (twenty-three years ago)

so it will be too hot at the end of may in neworleans?

It varies, and the winter's been colder than normal, but only because that's been the case for the whole country. Summer in New Orleans is like six or seven months long -- you can often wear shorts and a T-shirt during Mardi Gras, which is Feb/March.

May's a lot better than July or August, though, and likely better than September, when you get the heat plus increased chance of hurricanes.

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 10 February 2003 04:09 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

revive!

looks like i'm going to revert to original plan of NO-LA

which would mean...

new orleans-houston-san antonio-el paso-tucson-yuma-los angeles

problem with this is texas, ie, if i wanted to see austin or dallas i'd have to divert.

still pondering idea of chi-la, or chi-sf, but the no-la is in pole position. what do you think?

(trip still scheduled for may)

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 28 March 2003 10:25 (twenty-three years ago)

There's plenty of Texas for you in that original string.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 28 March 2003 11:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Gareth, what's the reason behind the houston/san antonio/el paso swing? You could divert to do either dfw or austin and still make el paso (hell do sa/austin/elp). It's about an 8 hour drive from austin to no methinks. Dates? Let's try to schedule the NO-FAP for your visit.

Are you going to drive? If you so I might be able to accompany you on part of that road trip . . .

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

the reason for san antonio-el paso is basically because i'm not driving, i'm doing amtrak. im not sure what the greyhound situation is in this part of country, and i havent really worked out any logistics yet, other than that i would be flying into new orleans on either a thursday or friday and heading west on either a sunday or monday, from then on i'm not sure

the NO weekend is likely to be either may 17 or may 24

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Do you know how much Amtrak is going to cost you altogether?

― oops (Oops), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Hm hm hm -- keep in mind that a few of us in LA are heading up to Seattle for Memorial Day weekend to see Donut Bitch, from the 21st to the 26th. So you might want to plan around that accordingly.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:51 (twenty-three years ago)

no, i did look but i forgot. (im not stopping at each of those stops, it wont be 6 separate trips but two or possibly three, i'll only be stopping a maximum of twice i guess)

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:52 (twenty-three years ago)

looking at arrriving in LA around maybe 30/31 may

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Rock! :-) Get a hold of us so we can arrange to put you up somewhere.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:57 (twenty-three years ago)

That sounded sinister Ned.

― Nicole (Nicole), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

All part of my evil plan for our favorite fascist, Nicole.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:08 (twenty-three years ago)

ms. s, did you get my email?

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 4 April 2003 09:19 (twenty-three years ago)

and can anyone tell me about san antonio?

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 4 April 2003 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

San Antonio is like a very big (both geographically and population-wise) small town -- most of it never quite manages to look urban, per se, just over-developed suburban. There are still wide stretches of nothin-at-all around the outskirts. Good movie theaters, particularly the AMC chain ones. Good cheap food -- Chacho's, a small chain, serves the best Mexican food I've had, for roughly Taco Bell prices.

But mostly when you're in San Antonio, what you want to do is go out to Leon Springs (the highway goes there, it's maybe 30-45 minutes depending on where in the city you're leaving from) and go to Rudy's, which looks like a gas station (cause it is) but has some of the best bbq in the country. The meat's sold by the pound from the smoke pit, and they'll give you half a loaf of white bread to go with it, and then you can take it to the picnic tables and sauce it up. When my ex goes back to SA to visit her family, I make her bring me back a bottle of Rudy's sauce.

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 4 April 2003 23:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth, there is one thing about this trip which is urgent and key, which is that you must wear a cowboy hat during this excursion. I volunteer to buy you one and ship it to you in England if this will facilitate the wearing of the cowboy hat.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 00:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, it will go well with his Colorado jacket.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 5 April 2003 11:26 (twenty-three years ago)

It must be brown too, or else it wouldn't be Gareth.

― Nicole (Nicole), Saturday, 5 April 2003 11:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, obviously. He should also get cowboy boots but those are expensive.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

OMG you should have seen the boots he considered at the Japanese consignment store. Ziggy Stardust come home.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 5 April 2003 19:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Right, this settles it. Next time you are both shopping together in NYC, I must come, because clearly "considering" is not the same as "buying", maybe combined we can take this to the "buying" step.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 19:30 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the look of horror on my face when he picked up the -- brown ankle high '70s platforms -- may have contributed to the "considering" not "buying" stance, but yea definitely, next time let's make it a threesome shopping trip.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 5 April 2003 19:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Oi! Those would've been great at the FAP, especially with Yanc3y's hat. On the other hand, I shouldn't be pawning off ridiculous articles of clothing on other people when I would've refused to wear them myself. What we should really do is hit the outer borough thrift-shops. Isn't there a massive mall in Elizabeth, too? By the Ikea? I think it has a Sanrio store.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 19:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Cowboys should all wear either white or black hats, so we can tell whether they are good or evil. Brown just muddies the waters. Except obviously it's Gareth, so I already know. As you were.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 5 April 2003 20:03 (twenty-three years ago)

what boots? what japanese consigment store? what 70s platforms? what look of horror? i dont remember any of this

― gareth (gareth), Saturday, 5 April 2003 20:39 (twenty-three years ago)

You are lying to protect yourself. Be honest.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 5 April 2003 20:41 (twenty-three years ago)

If you're touring the States, you absolutely have to see Bayonne, N.J., from there it's an easy ride to Medford, Oregon. Then you can pop down to Brownsville, Texas' best kept secret, for supper. That's the first day. The next day, get up early because you'll need to put in a good half-day's drive to reach Detroit by lunchtime. You'll thrill to the sights as you wander through the beatifully restored downtown. Ask anyone for directions, they're more than happy to help you. Hop back in the car and zip easily to Las Cruces, New Mexico, home of the...of the...of the Cruces. Amazing. Cruise down I-10 and you're in Escatawpa, Mississippi before you can say Jack Sprat. Filling up your car will be no problem there, they have plenty of gas stations. Next morning head north for Grand Island, Nebraska. The new Super Wall Mart will be open in time for your trip. You won't want to miss that. Westward ho and you're in Barstow in time for high tea, a major ritual in that pleasant metropolis.

Yes there's so much to see in the U.S. and it's soooo easy with today's modern internal combustion time machines.

― Skottie, Saturday, 5 April 2003 21:05 (twenty-three years ago)

http://moschat.pups.ru/stars/1/br12.jpg - Mary looking at Gareth's shoes.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 21:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Seriously, can we please not avoid the topic of the cowboy hat? Thanks.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 5 April 2003 21:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Skottie, it's very scary bc Gareth actually thinks like that. We would heading to Williamsburg, and he'd say, "Can we just stop by Cincinnatii on the way?" The cowboy hat is so OTM that I'm not sure anything more needs to be said about it. It's as good as a fait accompli. And I'm not sure why Gareth wants to go to San Antonio when Ally and I are willing to take him mall shopping in Elizabeth, NJ.

― Mary (Mary), Sunday, 6 April 2003 20:56 (twenty-three years ago)

:-)

― Skottie, Sunday, 6 April 2003 21:10 (twenty-three years ago)

We would heading to Williamsburg, and he'd say, "Can we just stop by Cincinnatii on the way?"

hahahahahah, that is totally not fair, you know i was joking;)

i was laughing at skotties post as well, because my sister actually is like that for real, not me. she did new york-pittsburgh-chicago-omaha-denver-salt lake city-seattle-boise-salt lake city-las vegas-phoenix-tucson-el paso-roswell-amarillo-dallas-houston-new orleans-miami-amsterdam-frankfurt-london

which kinda puts my little trip in the shade (especially as it only took around 3-4 weeks to do this)

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 6 April 2003 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

And I'm not sure why Gareth wants to go to San Antonio when Ally and I are willing to take him mall shopping in Elizabeth, NJ.

Everyone knows you can just pop by San Antonio on the way to Elizabeth, anyway. Pff, c'mon, let's be real here.

Gareth, if this makes you feel any better, my aunt thinks the same way too, and she's from Long Island, so she doesn't have the foreign excuse. She seemed to think Mt. Rushmore -> Grand Canyon was a doable one day trip.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 7 April 2003 02:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth, I'll let you wear my cowboy hat while you're on your little trip. (checking yahoo now for the email.)

― That Girl (thatgirl), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 03:50 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

You visit LA, of course. :-) If nothing else you'll have a place to crash with me if like. But you are wise to have SF in both of your travel plans, as Nabisco notes.
-- Ned Raggett (ne...), October 9th, 2002 10:55 PM.

ah, i think this was the post i was looking for;) does this still hold?

i set off a week today!

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 16 May 2003 12:32 (twenty-three years ago)

A bit long distance, but yes, of course! However, again, I am some distance from LA itself, so it is your call.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 16 May 2003 19:48 (twenty-three years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/houston.jpg

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/houston2.jpg

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/galveston.jpg

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/galveston2.jpg

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/austinhills.jpg

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/images/todallas.jpg