As you may have read previously, road trips are not necessarily my favorite thing. Especially long road trips. However, I'm constantly surprised at what one can learn when one is stuck in a small car for way too many miles.
#1 We were glad to leave the plethora of "Mike's got this" and "Jungle Law" signs, only to discover that every city, town, and state has their own equally annoying versions. And news-flash: Missouri roads are no worse than many other states.
#2 Cute loves to drive fast. That’s not exactly news to me but I can say my own “need for speed” has been permanently abated at 121 mph. "We" achieved that at the Talladega Superspeedway, formerly only known to me through the fine Ballad of Ricky Bobby, aka Will Ferrell, in Talledega Nights.
#3 An additional padded butt seat is useful for the passenger. Read mandatory.
#4 Alabama is a beautiful state. They have made a concerted effort to especially plant mimosa trees and pines and the contrast of the pink flowers and dark green was gorgeous! The twisty roads once you get off the freeways are extremely scenic.
#5 What hasn’t happened to fast food is nothing short of incredible. It remains largely unhealthy and the salads are not particularly entrancing. However, the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich at Sonic is pretty good (581 calories). We also slid into Steak ‘n Shake where ordering was automated (much to the dismay of several customers we watched try to navigate it with the one person who spent all her time trying to explain it). You couldn't order your fries (small, at 240 calories) extra crispy and the milk shake (600 calories) finally arrived after we’d finished our burger. But it was delicious!
#5a: I also remembered how much I hate menus with calorie counts. It leads me straight to the “Oh, what the hell, I’m on vacation” syndrome. Deadly.
#6: But you can actually make a milkshake in a QuikTrip or similar environment. Fascinating machine. But I was afraid to try it (fear of disappointment) and honestly probably didn't need a(nother) milkshake. [Note to self, anything named f'real probably isn't.]
#7 Tupelo, Mississippi with its Elvis focus was a hoot probably because of the person we met there: a songwriter, entrepreneur, restaurant owner, real estate guy, art dealer who has a very entertaining website, especially if you like fun songs with animation. Go to: https://songshine.com/and click on the Facebook icon at the top right.
#8 Memphis was just an overnight, but we managed to walk into a jazz session at BB King's BBQ which was well worth the dollars - both for the jazz and the barbecue.
#9 Speaking of barbecue, we ate lots of it. Alabama barbecue generally, at least what we had, was not all that different from Kansas City and not the vinegary stuff I was expecting. Anyway. I probably don't need to eat barbecue for a while.
#10 Birmingham was a surprise and we recommend it. The Civil Rights Museum we explored during their Juneteenth celebration and since its focus was on the history of Birmingham and its major role in the '60s and 70s, it was highly educational. There's a good art museum and a world-famous motorcycle and car museum and racetrack called Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum where the old stuff especially was intriguing. If you'd like to see a bit more on that, click on this link: barberPXL_20240614_001241493.TS
#11 We came back through Nashville and unfortunately only had one afternoon and night there. Their Country Music Hall of Fame was a trip and we needed longer than we had to go through it. We missed several other things there that would keep one very well entertained. That whole street of Broadway is one music venue after another, all of them competing for loudest music on the strip. We ate at Morgan Wallen 's new music, bar, and food venue spread out on seven stories. Good news, I guess, he wasn't there to throw a chair out the window. Nashville: if you haven't been there in the last five years, gol
#12 From what we tasted in the south, I think most restaurants there have mastered the art of frying chicken – which tastes much better than any I've ever had here. Try Earle's. I wondered how Colonel Sanders was still surviving there.
#13 Finally, especially if you’re in a small car, beware of the kazillion trucks on the road and the fact that too many people don’t understand the concept that the left side of the road is for passing, not an all day leisure excursion. Duh.
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