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These were the words that Sami, a self
confessed sweet tooth said to me after getting a milk shake during our road
trip, dad this shake is even too sweet for me…
To which I laughed and noted that this was a first in my lifetime!
Seriously we’ve been having an absolute
blast on our road trip so far. After
exploring Chicago for two days, we headed out early Sunday morning to
Indianapolis via Interstate 65 South, which was less than a three-hour drive away. Interestingly Chicago is in the Central Time
zone, yet Indianapolis, which is almost directly south, is in the Eastern Time
Zone. Hence our early morning departure
from Chicago as we wanted to ensure we made the kick off for Indianapolis Colts
vs. Houston Texans (NFL) game. We had a blast, almost at the 50 yard line but in the nosebleed section of the stand second to last row at the top of the stadium. J
Each day we have about a 3 – 4 hour drive
so we’ve been leaving early most days so we can be at our next city for lunch
time.
As you know from reading last weeks blog
Sami is in charge of all food and restaurants, and let me tell you she’s been
fantastic! Yesterday we drove to
Nashville from Indianapolis and she had already sourced out the best BBQ in the
city.
Indelible Tip #1: If you’re ever in Nashville and want to
experience southern BBQ at its finest you have to make the trip to Martin’s BBQ Joint
(3108 Belmont Blvd), they don’t take reservations nor is there table service as
like most BBQ places you line up and order, find a table and they bring you
your food.
Martin’s is rated by Zagat its that good,
and trust me you’ll not only rave about it afterwards but you’ll roll out of
the place absolutely full. Expect super
speedy food service and some of the best and freshly cooked BBQ anywhere! Also, if you’re a beer connoisseur ask the
bartender to recommend a local brew – they’re awesome as well! Try the Porter if you like a full bodied dark
beer.
Tuesday morning found us up and out the
door at 7:00 am so we could hit the local Waffle House (didn’t I say Sami was
our food guide…yes, enough said!) before starting on our trek down to
Birmingham (Alabama) and the true start of our Civil Rights Trail tour.
Both Zach and Sami were keen on getting off
the highways and taking the local country roads so we could experience small
town Tennessee and Alabama. Although it
took us an extra two hours it was worth it, just to experience the small off
the beaten path places (yes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree on that
front either. J
Indelible Tips #2: Take a break and get off the highways and explore the small and rich life that exists beyond the line of cars, trucks and buses that ply the interstate freeway system. Take it slow and stop to check out interesting little towns, markets, monuments and anything else that catches your fancy. We lead such busy and controlled lives its wonderfully refreshing to have no timeline or agenda and explore at your leisure!
Zach guided us toward the town of Pulaski,
Tennessee, which I wasn’t aware of but he'd done his homework and
discovered that this was the town that the infamous Klu Klux Klan was founded
in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. As we walked around the old square and
Court House Zach filled us in on the history of the town, from its roots (named
after the famous Polish American revolutionary war hero – Kazimierz Pulaski) to
the height of the KKK’s rein of terror, particularly in the 1920’s and 1930’s. We then headed over to Buckhead Coffee shop just
off the square (they also have tasty treats I might add) for a brew with the locals.
After arriving into Birmingham later that day we drove
directly to the Civil Rights Institute, which is located adjacent to the 16th
Street Baptist Church. The Church was
the site of one of the most brutal and senseless acts of violence, which marked
this very tense period in American history and the Civil Rights movement in general. On September 15, 1963 the KKK planted a bomb
against the church wall and when it exploded wrecked the church but also killed
four young girls.
The museum provided a detailed view of every aspect of the
Civil Rights movement and is not to be missed on your visit to Birmingham.
Indelible Tip #3: When you're traveling with teens its important that they everyone has their own space, as heavens know being in a car for long periods is only exacerbated with small hotel rooms... We discovered that the Residence Inn had two bedroom suites available for little more than the cost of a standard room, plus it comes with a pull out couch and kitchen as well. This way we all get our own space and can decompress in privacy. Worth checking out on your next road trip!
Today we visited Selma, Alabama and although the rain was heavy at times nothing could take away from my personal dismay with the state of this once proud city. As we drove through its main downtown core much of the stores and buildings are now boarded up and in such a state of disrepair that it would break your heart.
Our week exploring the Civil Rights Trail has been both enlightening as well as truly educational, but the hardest part about our road trip is that it has to end. After a week of being with Zach and Sami full time its going to be the long, and lonely drive back by myself.
There are so many more stories from our trip but I think I'll save them for another day.
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“Hanoi Posting”
A series of micro-stories by Terence Wallis
Episode 25: Abandoned
It had been a long time since Anh had seen Mai this upset, normally this was reserved for the anniversary of her parents death, but that wasn't for some months yet and so she was taken aback but this sudden show of emotion. As she held her she could feel the hot tears on her shoulder and blouse as Mai sobbed. Anh felt the tension in Mai's body begin to dissipate as her heaving shoulders slowly calmed, Mai slowly pulled back and wiped the remnants of the tears from her eyes.
"Fuck him" she spat, I don't need him...or anyone else as she turned and walked into the bedroom.
As Anh sat on the balcony she was turning the conversation over and over in her mind when Mai reappeared. She was dressed in a beautiful jade colored dress, black heels and her hair tied in an Audrey Hepburn updo which was very popular with the Consulate crowd. "I have a party at the Dutch embassy and the car is waiting for me" she announced breezily, before turning and walking toward the front door, with not a flicker of the consternation she'd experienced earlier.
Anh wasn't one to sit and wait for answers and as soon as Mai had closed the door she called Trung, her top lieutenant.
Find the Australian she instructed...
Next week: Episode 26 Distant Thoughts
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This week's selection of photos is from Chicago where we spent our initial days on the road trip. Enjoy!
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| Chicago skyscrapers |
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| Amazing views from the Sears Tower over Lake Michigan |
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| The view from the 108th floor of the Sears Tower in Chicago |
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| The intricate freeway system in downtown Chicago from the Sears Tower |
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| The El train overhead tracks in the Downtown Loop - Chicago |
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The giant "Flamingo" sculpture by Alexander Calder opposite
the Federal Building in downtown Chicago |
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| Chicago Holiday Market - downtown |
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| The Oriental in Chicago's theatre district |
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| The Chicago in the downtown theatre district |
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| One of the most recognized department stores in the world |
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| Love the perfect angle of this shot in Chicago's downtown |
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| A little history thrown in for good measure! |
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| Chicago back alley in the downtown core |
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| The overhead L train tracks in the downtown loop |
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| A speeding train in the afternoon light |
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| The Plymouth has been an institution in Chicago since the 1930's |
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| Planes and helicopters overhead Chicago's downtown core |
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| Christmas lights down by the river - Bokeh style! |
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| You know how much I love iron bridges with those rivets |
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| Decorative lights on one of the bridges |
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| Holiday lights with car and street lights...nice contrast! |
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| Plane over the city and heading to O'Hare Airport |
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| The beautiful Palmer House Hotel - old world charm! |
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The painted ceiling of the main foyer at the Palmer House Hotel -
reminiscent of the Uffizi in Florence |
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| Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor in the AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park in downtown Chicago |
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| Zach & TW |
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| Sami and TW at Cloud Gate |
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| Inside Cloud Gate - so cool! |
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| The Art Institute of Chicago has over 300,000 items in their inventory - so crazy! |
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| Sami taking a photo of American Gothic at the Art Institute of Chicago |
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| Out on Navy Pier adjacent to downtown Chicago |
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| Stunning architecture everywhere you look |
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Street signs in downtown Chicago
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