Tuesday
Sep152009
Cross country 1
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 03:51PM
My recent absence can be explained in two words: ROAD TRIP! Awhile ago the Giraffe and I got the opportunity to drive a friend's car across the country---she's moving to San Diego, but driving a moving truck and needed to get her car there, too. We didn't want to miss the chance to see some cool parts of the country, so we figured out how we were going to afford it and started planning.
We were gone a week, Saturday to Saturday, and managed to see a lot of new cities, states and attractions. It was pretty awesome. Except I got sick. Big frickin' surprise because apparently I get sick every time I travel. Remember Ireland? And that wasn't the first time. When will I learn? Luckily the worst of it was the Sunday after we got home - that day is pretty much a blur in my memory. As the Giraffe put it, "every time you emerged from the bedroom (usually to use the bathroom), it was like you were in another world." I was. It's called Delirium.
So the trip. Road Trip 2009.
We left early and drove straight to St. Louis where, of course, we saw the Gateway Arch and took all the same pictures I'm sure everyone takes.
In St. Louis we planned to eat at Gladstone's. St. Louis BBQ, yum. We got there and had no idea what to do. There was a smoke-filled bar, a crowded patio with live music and an empty dining room. We were standing in the dining room, looking confused, when an employee asked what we wanted. Um, to eat please. So she told us to sit, gave us menus, sighed and walked away. We never saw her again. After 20 minutes, we wrote a note on our restaurant.com coupon ("Sorry, had to take off. Thanks!") and bailed. We ate Subway on the way out of town.
We slept at a Motel 6 in Joplin, MO where there was no free wifi, no art on the walls, no alarm clock, no free toiletries, a full-size "queen" bed, a crappy shower, a hard mattress and what we called a dog blanket on the bed. Lame, Motel 6, lame.
It gets better, I promise.
We were gone a week, Saturday to Saturday, and managed to see a lot of new cities, states and attractions. It was pretty awesome. Except I got sick. Big frickin' surprise because apparently I get sick every time I travel. Remember Ireland? And that wasn't the first time. When will I learn? Luckily the worst of it was the Sunday after we got home - that day is pretty much a blur in my memory. As the Giraffe put it, "every time you emerged from the bedroom (usually to use the bathroom), it was like you were in another world." I was. It's called Delirium.
So the trip. Road Trip 2009.
We left early and drove straight to St. Louis where, of course, we saw the Gateway Arch and took all the same pictures I'm sure everyone takes.
Then we attempted to eat dinner. See, we had this great plan where we found coupons on restaurant.com. We bought coupons for three different restaurants in cities along our trip, $25 off at a meal for only $10 each. PLUS a sweet 80% discount I found. Basically we were gonna get $25 of food for $2 at each place. Yay right? Except we had horrible luck everywhere we went.
In St. Louis we planned to eat at Gladstone's. St. Louis BBQ, yum. We got there and had no idea what to do. There was a smoke-filled bar, a crowded patio with live music and an empty dining room. We were standing in the dining room, looking confused, when an employee asked what we wanted. Um, to eat please. So she told us to sit, gave us menus, sighed and walked away. We never saw her again. After 20 minutes, we wrote a note on our restaurant.com coupon ("Sorry, had to take off. Thanks!") and bailed. We ate Subway on the way out of town.
We slept at a Motel 6 in Joplin, MO where there was no free wifi, no art on the walls, no alarm clock, no free toiletries, a full-size "queen" bed, a crappy shower, a hard mattress and what we called a dog blanket on the bed. Lame, Motel 6, lame.
It gets better, I promise.
Reader Comments (4)
Shit, I wish I'd known you were going through St Louis! I'd have warned you ahead of time that St Louis sucks.
Well, 20.20 hindsight.
A roadtrip, how supremely awesome (I've always wanted to do one!). Despite much foodie planning and research, I often find myself shamefacedly eating Subway all over the world. Sometimes multiple times in one trip. Sometimes it's the best you can do.
Holy shit an awesome road trip! Very cool!
Hotels scare me to the point of taking my own blankets. EEK!
I have always wanted to take a cross-country road trip! everyone tells me it is super boring and your post isn't helping... :-)