The End (For Now). And A Few Things About San Francisco

So -
  I'm proud to say that Mom has AMAZING photo shop skills, and our journey across America looked like this on a map:

Also, I'm here! I live in SF! In an apartment with *some* furniture! (Surprising note: small apartments look bigger and more empty if only partially furnished).

But, I'm glad to be here.  I've already had a native give me a bottle of moscato and a red carpet (literally) so I feel welcome :). 

But before I get into that - a few notes on San Francisco:
1. I had all of these sugar plum visions of what life would be like here. I'd live in a historic apartment with hardwood floors and neat architecture details! I'd have a washer-dryer! And a view of the water! (Couldn't be that hard, right? It's on three sides!) And then I started apartment searching, and my two requirements became: "Laundry IN THE BUILDING" and "Sunlight - Please."  And so I'm in a newish carpeted apartment that feels like birds nest that is very sunny, with laundry down the hall :).

2. So, I thought I had compromised on everything.  And then we got into the apartment, started unpacking, and mom asked for a glass of water. So, I went to the new freezer and opened the door to the icemaker only to find...

3. THERE IS NO ICEMAKER!!!

4. How is this possible??!! It's a NEW FRIDGE!!

5. Seriously San Fran? I'm FROM THE SOUTH.  I NEED ICE IN MY DRINKS OR I BECOME A YANKEE.

6. Sigh.

Other than that, I'm slowly getting used to real city life again.  I have french bakeries on every block! There is a venetian-style Italian restaurant DOWN THE STREET! I can walk downtown - yesterday I went to a real french happy hour! 

So, life is ok! And this weekend I even got invited to a 49er's game (note to the Redskins - our trial separation may become permanent) and will be tailgating like a real person.  Yay!

A few notes on the roadtrip:
1. In the 8 state competition (VA, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ and CA) - Arkansas is the big loser.  It's flat, buggy, boring, and did I mention buggy? Also, not much to see. Though, mom and I had really good barbeque there close to the OK border.  We went to a real local place, and we know this because it was off the road and because we were two of only four women in the entire place. Everyone else appeared to be a 50 year old white man.

2. NM, AZ and CA tie for best scenery, though CA wins overall with the Pacific Coast Highway.  It's really REALLY hard to beat the water! 

3. When one is driving the Pacific Coast Highway, the top should be down, and Elvis does make a nice background to the sound of the water :).

4. Mom takes excellent photos!

5. I think that is it. I highly recommend driving across the country - it is beautiful, and wild, and different all at the same time, and is just one of those life experiences that I will never forget!

Special thanks to everyone who read this blog, and again to Mom and Dad for being awesome (and amazing parents)!

Christie

Day 8: HURRAH! (and a nightmare trip to Oakland)

As the sun shone down on us, we cruised into town.  Top down, hair blazing, and the sweet sound of Elvis singing us home (thanks Elvis!).  We had arrived. 10:15 am, ready for keys and action.

We picked up my keys, signed my life away, and went to see the apartment.  Mom managed to keep the glass half full, not gasping at how small it is (note: half the size of my last one bedroom apartment. It is literally a small room. Welcome to San Francisco!). 

Then the real work began: Ikea on a Saturday. 

We arrived, we looked, we sat down for a few minutes, and we purchased almost all of the furniture needed for an apartment in just a few hours.  Then we went to Ross. Then Marshalls. Then somewhere else that I don't remember because my mind stopped working when my feet went numb.

At 8 pm, we realized we were still in Emeryville CA (just across the bay bridge from SF), and in need of a hotel room.  So, the googling began...

...
...
...

This was a huge weekend for the Bay area (America's cup! Blue Angels! Bluegrass!) and a billion people were in town.  All of these people were at hotels.  We found no rooms near us, and then ended up calling the Hilton and begging for a room anywhere. Anywhere at all.  And that, friends, is how we ended up in Oakland... the land that time forgot.  The Anacostia of the Bay Area.  The place where our GPS failed us completely, and we ended up at some broken railroad tracks at 9 pm. I think I saw tumbleweed.  And I'm fairly sure scary music played in the background.  Or I was humming it.

Fortunately, I have an iphone! And after our GPS directed us to what appeared to be an empty street corner on the second go round, I called on google maps and life got better quickly. Till we got to the hotel (Homewood Suites by Hilton. Note: What?), where the fold out bed did not fold out, the sheets were not there, and I was honestly worried about leaving my car at night (what hotel needs a security guard who ignores you?).  Also, my clothes were at my apartment...along with my toothbrush, hairbrush, and good humor.  So, it was one of those nights, and my hair this morning can only be described as "awesome."

I know!

Anyway, today was better and featured Walmart, good times, and some random purchases.  Mom and I are spending our last night together before she flies out, and my furniture will arrive tomorrow. I will officially be a real person again!

We will post more photos (all photos were taken by mom!) when she gets them to me, but until then I wanted to thank everyone for their support. Especially the people who we called on to tell us what time zone we were in.  Some of those people we don't even know well! Special thanks to mom and dad for being awesome.  And friends and family for your support and commentary.  You are all pretty amazing.  Now, as it is late and I'm tired, we have here some photos for your viewing pleasure! Many of them were requested by my sister for reasons we do not entirely understand - so, a joshua tree, sunset, pimped out road, and the golden gate just for fun! Karen, we are still working on the donkey.

 

Day 6: Stalking San Francisco

Miles: 430
Drive time: 7:42
Number of times we complained about California Drivers: 17
Number of times they complained about us: We think zero. Clearly.

This was our last day of real driving.  We are both kind of surprised (we made it? How?) and kind of ok (it hurts to sit down).  We started off in historic (just kidding!) Barstow CA, and did hard driving across California through some serious desert and mountains (note: CA is a big state that is primarily desert and mountains. Apparently everyone lives in SF, which is why I could not get an apartment), finally arriving on the BEAUTIFUL pacific coast highway. Wow.  Just wow.  Because CA is so big, we decided to stop about 45 minutes outside of SF, where we have a hotel on the half moon bay and can smell the water.  It smells like new car!

I kid. It smells like my new home :).

But I digress.  On this particular day we talked about the many mysteries we have observed on our cross-country trek.  And because we care, we recorded these mysteries for you, our lovely readers, to enjoy and ponder with us.  You are welcome!

1. When did Elvis get fat? And why are there no photos/jumpsuits of Fat Elvis at Graceland anymore (there were when my mom's bridge ladies visited years ago).  Behold: Thin and Fat Elvis -

2. Why are the clouds out west flat and smeary, versus light and puffy (eastern clouds)?

3. Why are there no restaurant chains called "Local Side of the Road BBQ - Right On The Highway!" so that you can easily find BBQ when you need it? Yes, this is a genius business idea. Just wait till mom and I get going!

4. What's up with all of the oversized load trucks? Send stuff by train!

5. Why do all of the trucks get into the left lane, when clearly there is no one to pass.  Do they hate us?

6. What does AZ seem to have several state lines? With equally bad signs?

7. Where were all of the Texas Rangers and Arizona cactus? We feel cheated.

8. Why is California so big? And why does it seem to always have gas issues? You never hear about Virginia having pipeline problems.

9. Are we there yet?

10. Where do truckers go at night? When do they sleep?

11. Does Arizona not actually understand what the word "forest" means? (See the petrified forest for details)

12. What's up with all of the road work?

13. Why do lottery/ATM/liquor always seem to go together?

14. Why does the road to nowhere (every highway through the desert in CA) not have a speed limit of at least 75? Dude - NO ONE IS DRIVING SLOWER THAN 80 BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING OUT HERE.
(except windmill farms)

15. How long are trains?

16. Is mom really southern? (Cousin Jenny from Georgia pointed out that good BBQ places will use a fire pit and real wood to produce said good BBQ, and if they don't have those, it ain't real.  I asked Mom why she didn't know that and she dodged the question. Also, her teeth seem real so...no scurvy as a child. It holds up that maybe she isn't really southern!)

So, with that we will roll into San Francisco tomorrow to pick up the keys to my apartment and officially arrive "home."  It will be nice not to drive so far anymore (we have averaged 500 miles a day - and some of it was very hard driving through Tennessee storms and Arkansas darkness), and also nice to finally have a place to call my own after over three months of being essentially homeless. 

There will be more to come before I shut this blog down again...so stay tuned! Photos, an update on PringleGate 2012, all of these things and so much more!

Day 5: CALIFORNIA!

Miles: 540 Miles
BBQ/Sweet Tea: None. We have passed the great divide and things are healthy again. My salad had VEGETABLES today.  And none of them were drenched in butter.

A few notes on vegetables:
1. In TN, Mom and I were looking at our BBQ options and with the sandwich came several "vegetable" sides. Listed under such was:
  a. Cornbread
  b. Macaroni and Cheese
  c. Apple cobbler
  d. Cheesy Tators
  e. Pork and beans (beans cooked in bacon grease....yum)

2. This is the norm in the south according to my Mom, and got me to wondering: How is cornbread a vegetable? And, how did Mom and Dad not grow up with scurvy? This explains a lot about Dad's dental work... :)

But seriously - on the scurvy thing - how? We had meals with literally no greens for miles.  Does the chocolate brandy pecan pie offset the scurvy onset? (British sailors used to use rum!)  These are the conversations you have missed out on in the car.  I know you are sad.

Anyway, we woke up in New Mexico (Land of Enchantment), crossed over into Arizona (Wildcat Country!), and found ourselves in Flagstaff for lunch. Flagstaff was neat - very historic and pretty up in the mountains, though confusing as it was unexpectedly on pacific time. How? We wondered as we were denied lunch because we arrived too early.  Apparently AZ is a lone ranger, and does not abide by daylight savings time.  Mystery solved!

Overall we were in favor of NM, as it did live up to being a land of enchantment in terms of scenery. But then I fell asleep after lunch and apparently missed some amazing AZ scenery. I woke up and Mom's first words were "Arizona wins!" Now, she was saying this while driving AND trying to take a photo of said scenery so I'm glad I grabbed the camera and saved us from dying :). 

And that leads us to...
ChipGate 2012.  
Someone bought pringles. And then did not put the top on said pringles (mom) so that said pringles spilled all over the seats/under the seats (mom) and chips were everywhere while we were driving (mom).  She is also launching a propaganda campaign saying that I do not stop enough and let her take photos. This was said RIGHT AFTER I pulled over on the highway to let her take photos.  Please do not heed her wild words. :)

Anyway, long story short we are now in CALIFORNIA! And though we have driven for hours, we are seriously like nowhere yet.  California is a big state.  And if you want to get to the coast you have to plan for an extra 3 weeks.  Also, lots of mountains.  But, excitingly, the bug quotient is way down. The windshield is practically clear! (Akansas, on the state competition you lose. Flat, dark, and bugs. Sigh).

If you are still with us, give us a sign of life. Tomorrow is our last lap before we arrive in San Francisco on Saturday.  We could use the pep talk :)

Roadtrip Day 5: TEXAS and NEW MEXICO

Miles: 517
BBQ: Zero. We passed the BBQ divide and were in Steak Country
Sweet Tea: Zero. The restaurant we stopped at was owned by someone from New Jersey. NO SWEET TEA! (New Jersey...grumble).

Things we liked about Texas:
1. The scenery improved after OK (not a high bar).
2. The Boot Hill Saloon and Grill serves a great lunch with a great atmosphere.
3. Gas is cheap!
4. Hmmmm.....

Things we did not like about Texas:
1. We can't think of anything that we complained about in Texas.


Things we like about New Mexico:
1. The scenery is amazing!
2. Did we mention the scenery? WOW!
3. Also, nice weather.

We started off this morning in Shamrock Texas, home to a large water tower and lots of truckers.  We were the only non-truck in the parking lot of our hotel which was...interesting. We decided to quickly leave Shamrock behind, went through Amarillo and the pan-handle, and stopped for some steak just inside the Texas border at the Boothill Saloon.  We felt that we had to honor being in steak country, so we sat down to a steak lunch and it was AWESOME. But how do people eat all of that meat on a regular basis? We split a small steak and were full.  Does that mean I'll never be Texan?

We then traveled onto Albuquerque, stopped for some historic town flavor, and did the last leg to Gallup NM, where we are tonight.  Gallup has much to be excited about....ummm....several hotels. What appears to be several fast food restaurants, and....

It's close to the Arizona border! Once we cross into AZ tomorrow we will be in CA by bedtime. Yay!!

Roadtrip Day 4: OK!

Miles Covered: 538

States: AR, OK, and now we are in TX!

BBQ: Excellent (AR)
Sweet Tea: Top Drawer
Stomach: Hurts

*that's BBQ with a side of meat - sausage, as part of the standard meal.


I'd love to talk about the scenic views of latter day AR and OK, and wax poetic about the land and the people....but...

It's pretty flat.

I'm not sure what people do out here because it's pretty flat and...empty. Definitely flat, definitely empty.

The population seems to consist of bugs who have a death wish, the front of my car is covered and we often have to stop to scrape off the windshield so that we can see.  The plus side: soon you won't be able to tell what state is on my plate!

Mom and I googled "interesting sights between Little Rock and Oklahoma City" and got the response "You are better off not leaving Memphis." Then we stopped in to see friends of hers in Norman OK, and asked about the rest of the trip to TX that night.  We were told: "Oh, it gets flatter."

They were right.

We spent time trying to think about interesting things to write about Oklahoma, but so far we've got "roadwork" "less trucks" and "still a lot of bugs."  I know, riveting reading!

Today however we are off to TX, NM, and will hopefully make AZ tonight! We understand it gets less flat and more interesting :).

RoadTrip Day 3: TN/AR

Miles: 475

Things we liked about Tennessee
Good old boys who were knowledgeable about car oil and extremely helpful about how to fix a lack of oil.
Lots of oil places for your car.
Nashville. Surprisingly cool.
Good barbeque Note: not with Tennessee sauce. Avoid that.  Go for Kansas sauce.
Graceland. Because everyone looks good in a jumpsuit.

Things we did not like about Tennessee
Weather
Memphis
Large trucks
The size of the state. Too broad.
Tennessee style bbq sauce (just stay away is our advice!)

**That is mom and me at Graceland. Yes, she talked me into it!

Things we know about Arkansas:
It’s dark here.
And flat. 
That’s about it.  Dark/flat.

We did try with Memphis - we wandered the streets, went to the fancy Peabody Hotel and saw the ducks that they keep in the fountain (long story), and went to Beale street looking for this pie that we heard about.  This awesome awesome pie.  So far, no pie.  Also, no people. For a Monday afternoon, it was a ghost town. 

So, we went to Graceland and spoke to Elvis.  He told me to purchase more jumpsuits and Mom to buy another CD.  We spent 29 tracks listening to him on our way to Little Rock (there is a reason that AR is a flyover state. Just a working theory, but more to come on that tomorrow). 

We dodged trucks.  We went off-highwaying, and we decided to never ever drive past dark again.  It’s DARK out here.  In the...middle....of somewhere.