I know I wrapped things up pretty well in that last entry but I wanted to dedicate one entry entirely to reflection.

This trip was something I never really believed was going to happen. I planned meticulously for about a year and a half, but still something this big seemed like a fantasy. Even when I left for Pittsburgh on May 13^th, even when I was setting up camp in Yellowstone National Park, even when I was taking a picture of Robin Williams’ star on the Walk of Fame it all still seemed so surreal. I can’t put into words what this trip meant to me. The only thing I can say is that if you have the means to, go do it. I know it’s not that simple, but if it means you have to save up PTO time for a year or create a trip fund that you put money into. Just do what you have to do and go. This is something I’m never going to forget for the rest of my life. The amount that I was able to see, the memories I’ve made, the people I’ve met. All of it is just so inexpressible. How do I describe to you what it’s like to be 630 feet up in the Gateway Arch? How do I put into words the uneasy feeling you get when you step out onto the Skydeck in Chicago that’s 1,353 feet above the street? How can I convey in words the flavor of the most perfectly cooked brisket you’ll ever taste? Or how can I possibly begin to explain to you what it’s like to watch your dad’s face absolutely light up in sheer wonder when he sees the Grand Canyon for the first time? Sure I can try, I have tried. I tried to take you all with me on this trip and let you share these experiences with me. But I can’t do any of these experiences justice. You see these great marvels on TV and you think you know them, but when you walk up and see Mount Rushmore in person for the first time, snow fresh on the ground around it? Nothing matches that type of feeling of wonder.

I would encourage anyone and everyone to take this type of trip. But not only because of the places you’ll go and the things you’ll see, but also because of what you’ll learn about yourself. I had the unique experience of traveling, for the majority of the time, by myself. I won’t lie to you I had some serious reservations leading up to this trip. I didn’t know how I’d be able to handle the driving, I didn’t know how I’d handle being on my own for so long. What I learned was that I didn’t give myself enough credit. I didn’t believe in myself enough. I was able to handle the long hours driving, I was able to get myself around city after city and national park after national park without getting lost or into serious trouble. I was so worried about being on my own that I never stopped to consider the fact that I’m a smart guy and that I’d be able to take care of myself. You learn about some senses you never knew you had too. Walking around cities you don’t know, especially on your own, you become acutely aware of your surroundings. You begin to sense how people look at you as you walk by. I noticed this big time in Cincinnati. I noticed people were actually watching me as I walked by instead of just not paying attention. It’s little things like that that make you stop and rethink just wondering around a certain area. Feelings like that though, you never know you can have that type of sense if you’ve never really traveled anywhere though. If you spend your entire life in a place that you know and that you’re comfortable in, you never have to worry about if you’re in a bad area or not because you know every area. When you’re 3,000 miles away from home on your own though, you better be damn sure you’re aware of your surroundings because if you walk into a bad area without knowing then you better know how to take care of yourself.

Between learning about myself and taking in everything that I experienced, I could not be happier about this trip. Sure I could have taken the money I saved and put it towards the down payment on a house or something, but you know what if I have to live at home for a year or so longer because I went on this trip? I’ll do that every time. It was worth it.

So thank you again. Thank you again to everyone who supported me in planning this. Both my parents, who were ready to back me even when there was a possibility I was going to quit my job to go. Everyone at work who encouraged me to go, even when there was the possibility I was going to quit my job to go. All my friends who had to listen to me go on and on and on about this trip for a year and a half. And everyone who followed along with the blog or Instagram or Snapcaht. Thank you for being interested. I sure had a hell of a lot of fun documenting everything and I really hope it was entertaining for everyone who kept up.

I’m not sad that the end has come. I’m just so very thankful that I had the opportunity to go on this whirlwind of a journey that I will, without a shadow of a doubt, remember for the rest of my life.

With the shortest drive of the trip so far I made it to the Philadelphia Zoo by 11am. I got my ticket and got my map and set out to explore. After looking at the map I could see that this zoo was much smaller than the Cincinnati Zoo. Regardless I was still excited to be at America’s First Zoo.

I saw everything from goats to numerous different types of snakes to bear cubs. It was a great take. I even learned a few things. Number 1: I really freakin hate snakes. Even though they were behind glass I got to see some anacondas and a boa constrictor and they are both massive and massively creepy.
Number 2: This isn’t something new to me but more of an expansion on a feeling I already had. Snow Leopards are my favorite animal, but after going through the big cat exhibit today I realized that I just love big cats in general. I saw a puma and a leopard and a cheetah and they are just so cool. I very much enjoy them. Number 3: I also really like bears. This one is something that built off of my time at the Cincy Zoo. They had a decent sized bear exhibit there so I saw a Polar bear and a Black bear and an Andean bear and today I got to see two Sloth bear cubs and they were so cute. I think I like them because bears look inherently goofy when you see them lumber around in a zoo. It’s cute and funny. Granted I do understand these can be vicious creatures but in my experience so far they are adorable and so I’m sticking to my opinion. After I saw all the critters, creatures, and cats I wanted to I headed back to the car.

When I had first got into Philly, before I got to the zoo, I sent out a message on Instagram. I reached out to the two guys I met out in LA who were from Philly and asked them for suggestions on where to get lunch. After the zoo when I got back to the car I checked my phone. Dalessandro’s was what they came up with. So I punched the address into my GPS and was on my way. I got there and sat down at the counter. I got a cheesesteak with grilled onions and peppers. I happened to be sitting next to a family from Florida who also had this place recommended to them. I must say that the recommendation was spot on. By far the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had. The onions on top were sweet and perfectly balanced the saltiness of the cheese. The meat was cooked perfectly and the peppers mixed in gave it that extra texture. It was a filling sandwich and a perfect lunch. I made sure I thanked my buddies for the recommendation.

I was now on my way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Not because I wanted to become more cultured, but because I wanted to run up and take a picture of the famed Rocky Steps. I’ll have to think about this when I get home, but I may have inadvertently made it a point to see something related to a movie in every stop I made on this trip. Anyway, I climbed the steps just like everyone else. I chose not to run because A. It was hot as hell and B. I didn’t want to drop and bust my camera and you’re positively batty if you thought I was going to leave it with some stranger in Philadelphia while I ran up them. So I walked them and then got some pictures of the Rocky foot prints at the top and the Rocky statue. After fulfilling my entire Rocky quota for the day I decided to move on to the Liberty Bell.

Driving over to the Liberty Bell I hit the first real city traffic of the trip. Yes I’m sure you all recall my trip to hell in Yosemite’s traffic, but surprisingly in the big cities like LA and Chicago were smooth sailing. Once there I waited briefly in line and again to my surprise was able to see the Liberty Bell for free. On this trip virtually nothing was free. Hell when I was at Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach it cost $1 and $2 respectively to walk on the damn pier! That’s why you guys didn’t see any pier pictures! Because I sure as hell was not paying to walk on a glorified giant dock. Screw that. So to be able to go see the Liberty Bell and take pictures and everything for free was excellent. Granted it cost me to park, but that’s neither here nor there. Once again like I’ve said so many times throughout this trip, this was awesome. Being able to stand there and be but inches away from such an iconic symbol of American Independence was something I never thought would happen. Yeah it seems dumb because it’s only right in Philadelphia, but before this trip I was never one to get up and go do stuff so to see the Liberty Bell and everything else I’ve seen on this trip was truly amazing to me. I got some pictures on my phone and with my camera. I decided to skip over having someone take my picture. I instead just relished the moment. I watched everyone struggle to get in line and get their picture taken. I stood back and just took everything in. Knowing I had one more thing to do before packing up and going home in the morning, I made my way back to my hotel room.

I finally checked in at about 5:15pm. I brought my bags upstairs and sat down for a minute. When I was on the phone with my mom yesterday she mentioned to me that the Red Sox were playing in Philadelphia today. The stadium was conveniently like a half hour train ride away. So I decided to end this trip the best way possible. I bought a ticket at the gate for $20, sat in the literal last row of the stadium, and watched the Red Sox play the Phillies. Now don’t get me wrong, even though I was sitting with my back against the fence of the stadium doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great seat. I could see almost the entire field except for the leftfield corner (of course precisely where Andrew Benintendi jumped into the wall to catch a foul ball for out number 1 in the 9^th). I brought both my Phillies hat which I’d been wearing all day and also my Red Sox hat. I brought the Phillies hat for 2 reasons. 1. Because I really enjoy being able to wear a MLB hat in the MLB stadium it belongs to. And 2. I know Philly fans can sometimes be a bit raucous so I decided not to go strolling in with my Sox hat on until I felt out my surroundings. Luckily I was in relatively friendly territory so I gleefully switched between hats all game. I took a few pictures during the game but for the most part I just enjoyed the night. It was a beautiful night. A nice breeze cooled down what was a scorcher of a day and turned it into a downright pleasant climate to watch a baseball game in. The sox jumped ahead 5-0 early so in the middle innings I went for a walk and explored the concession stands. I got some Rita’s Italian Ice, or water ice as they call it. (Why they call it that I have no earthly idea). Later on I got a couple hot dogs and a Turkey Hill Lemonade. I only mentioned specifically what type of lemonade it was because it was so damn good. Between the fruit punch and lemonade at Ben’s Chili Bowl in DC yesterday and this Turkey Hill lemonade I probably had the best 3 beverages I’ve had all trip. A quick aside so I don’t sound too insane, I had always valued a good beverage over a good meal. I’d rather die of hunger than of thirst so I appreciate a good beverage.

After filling up on ballpark concessions and watching the Red Sox finally put away the Phills I was back on the train to my room. It really was the perfect ending to this trip. It wasn’t something that was planned. It was just something that happened. I didn’t know the Sox would be in Philly the same time I was. It just happened so I went with it. For all of the planning I did for this trip there was a lot of stuff that just happened and some of that stuff was the best.

Well that’s all folks. Tomorrow I’ll be headed back to Saugus and back to reality because I’m still not 100% convinced that the last month was real. Working my way across the United States and back was amazing. This country certainly has a lot to offer and I hope I get to explore more. Thanks for following along with me. I hope you all enjoyed following the journey as much as I enjoyed telling you about it. Make sure you check back within the next couple weeks to see all the pictures I’ve uploaded once I’m home with dependable Wifi.

I arrived in DC in what seemed like the blink of an eye. It’s amazing how fast a 3.5 hour drive is after you’ve been averaging probably 5 or 6 for about a month.

It was too early to check into the hotel room so I left my car in the garage and set off to explore. The closest destination to my hotel was the White House so I figured why not start there. As expected I ran into numerous filed trips and people taking pictures in front of it. I stepped back from the crowd and got some pictures. As I looked around I happen to see a security guard on the roof. I zoomed in with my camera to get a closer look. He wasn’t carrying a gun or anything, he seemed to just be doing surveillance. Still it was pretty cool to see that type of security in person. The Washington Monument was my next stop. As I walked along the sidewalk I noticed something. There was far more security than I had initially noticed. I passed by the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and standing outside was a secret service officer with what appeared to be an assault rifle. Now I expected to see security, I did not expect to see security wearing full out bulletproof vests that said Secret Service on them carrying assault rifles. I continued onto the monument.

Unfortunately tours of the Washington Monument are closed until 2019 so I was only able to get pictures from the outside. Still it was pretty cool to see in person. It was also the only monument/memorial that I was able to touch so that was an added bonus. Also while I was admiring and taking pictures a chopper flew overhead toward the White House. I can only assume The Donald was in it. At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself. Next Up was the Lincoln Memorial. Funny thing about most of the monuments/memorials is that you can see them from one destination or another but they are still a hell of a walk away.

A half hour later I was at the Lincoln Memorial. I also stopped before I got there to check out the World War II Memorial. I walked passed the Reflecting Pool (which, on a side note, I wasn’t able to reflect in because it had to be drained because of a parasite that killed 80 ducklings. #funfact) and up the steps to see Abe. Being the move buff I am it was so neat to me to be in that area where so many scenes have been filmed. Walking up to the memorial was something else. The detail was amazing and just the awe that the whole statue invoked was pretty freakin cool. I walked around the area a bit after getting some pictures. I read the Gettysburg address and his second inaugural address both of which are carved into the walls that surround the statue. I decided to head out and make my way to the Jefferson Memorial.

On my way to see Tommy J I stopped at the Korean War Memorial. I was able to walk around and check it out a bit before continuing on. As I said before the distance between each destination can be deceiving because you can see them from such a great deal away. So when I finally got to T Jeffs memorial I was exhausted. The high topped out at a blistering 95 today so with all that walking I was drenched in sweat. So I took a few minutes and enjoyed the shade of the monument. I sat down on one of the benches and people watched for a bit. I saw what appeared to be a Tibetan Monk come in dressed in his orange robes. To see someone like that stand in awe of this memorial was unexpected. People came in and took selfies and regular pictures and it was fun for me to sit back and watch peoples’ eyes light up when they first got a look at the statue standing in the center of the monument. I decided I had rested enough so I got a few quick pictures and then headed out to make my way to Capitol Hill.

As I got closer and closer to the Capitol Building I could see security increasing. Thinking nothing of it because of all the security I saw everywhere else around DC I continued on. I took pictures and continued making my way around the perimeter of the building. That’s when I heard a few people talking abut the Sessions’ hearing that was taking place today. I’ve been in a news vortex for about a month but that suddenly explained why there was such increased security all over the place. I decided that I had seen just about everything I wanted to see today so I decided to head back to my room.

On my way back to my room I noticed something strange. Because I was dying of thirst, a bus with a McDonald’s sign on it caught my eye. Any size soft drink $0.99. Sounds good to me. So I planned to stop into the next McDonald’s I saw. That’s when I realized that as I continued walking, not only did I not see any McDonald’s but I didn’t really see any buildings other than office buildings, government buildings, historical buildings, or monuments/memorials. There were seemingly no restaurants or convenience stores or anything in this downtown DC area. Now it could be that the outsides of them were just dressed up so they blended in with the rest of the more official buildings, and if they were then bravo. But now as I was consciously looking for a convenience store or something along those lines I didn’t see anything. This realization also explained the inordinate amount of food trucks and corner vendors I walked passed.

After walking around DC all afternoon I also noticed that seemingly every important building or headquarters in the country is located here. You have the obvious ones, The White House, Capitol Hill, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument etc etc. But then I also walked passed The Treasury Department, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, J Edgar Hoover FBI Building, US Department of Agriculture and so many more that I forget. It was very easy to see that this is the US capital. It also made a lot more sense to me why the entire area was under constant security. There’s a lot of important stuff going on here!

So anyway I got back to my room and decided to only chill for like 5 minutes before heading out to get some food. Now I had done my research, per usual, and decided to hit a place called Ben’s Chili Bowl. Not one of the oldest places I’ve been to on the trip but still a Washington landmark since 1958. They are famous for a chili half-smoke. A beef and pork sausage served on a steamed bun with mustard, diced onions, and homemade chili sauce. I got one half-smoke and then got a chili dog. They hit the spot. The chili had a little kick but wasn’t too overpowering. Both the sausage and the hot dog were extremely flavorful. It was the perfect meal. I finished up and started the half hour walk back to my room. By this time my feet and legs were shot and I couldn’t wait to get back to my room.

All told I think I walked approximately 682 miles. At least it felt that way anyway. So I got back to my room and now here I am. Now I’m about to go shower and probably just head to bed. I have the shortest drive of all tomorrow to Philly at only 2.5 hours. I’ll probably head right to the zoo because I’ll get there so early. Hopefully I get to see everything I want to. I’ll definitely keep you guys posted though!

Coming off my two days of doing virtually diddly squat in Myrtle Beach I’m headed to Virginia Beach to do, well, diddly squat. When I was planning this trip that was the goal of stopping at the beaches though. I didn’t have any grand attractions or restaurants I wanted to go to, I just assumed that after working my way out to the west coast and back I’d want some time to relax. And guess what? I was right!

It took about 6 hours to get to Virginia Beach. I checked into the hotel and tossed my stuff in the room. Somehow I was able to get a hotel for a very reasonable price that was not only clean but also literally a 5 minute walk away from the beach. So I walked over to the beach to check it out and to my absolute amazement I found a beach soccer tournament going on. There were dozens of fields set up with male and female leagues going on. Some were like 14/15 year olds but the games that I zeroed were the college aged guys. I walked up and down the boardwalk watching them play. I’d never seen beach soccer played before so I was 100% engrossed. I picked up on a few games that were in process but then finally found a game that was just starting and decided to watch the entire thing. It was a blast. As with any soccer game at any level there were fans yelling and complaining at the ref. There were fans yelling at each other. It was a hell of a good time. The game ended up going into over time and then a shoot out. After that I decided to finally get some food because it was about 5pm and I hadn’t eaten at all yet. So I grabbed some food from one of the vendors and walked around the boardwalk a bit more. I decided to head back to my room and chill a bit but before I headed back I stopped off at Kohr Brothers to get some frozen custard. Kohr Brothers has been in business since 1919 and going along with the rules of the trip I decided I had to check it out. I got an orange and vanilla swirl and it was a perfectly refreshing choice to cool off in the blazing heat. So I ate my custard as I walked back from the beach to my hotel. I got to my room and flipped on the hockey game and just chilled for the rest of the night. It was a pleasant surprise to see that beach soccer tournament today and I very much like the boardwalk area.

I got up the next day and decided to grab breakfast at a place called Waffles & Company. They had a breakfast buffet and who am I to turn down a buffet. I got everything from french toast to waffles to biscuits and gravy to fruit to bacon to a muffin. It was fantastic. The restaurant was fairly empty and as I left I noticed the whole downtown and boardwalk area were sparsely populated as well. Being a Monday when school hasn’t let out yet will cause that. So I enjoyed the lack of activity and decided to walk the boardwalk. I had only got to see a small part of it yesterday because I immediately stopped to watch the soccer tournament. I decided to enjoy the lovely sun and I took off in one direction to see where it went. I had gotten some terrible tank top tan lines the day before so I decided to forgo a shirt today in an effort to even them out. I walked by a statue of Neptune and a workout area on the beach. I stopped and watch people play around on a climbing rope and some rings. It was fun for me to watch people who clearly don’t workout mess around on this stuff. After about 10 minutes I continued on. In total the boardwalk is 3 miles. Because I started about half way in and walked to one side then walked all the way down to the other I probably walked close to 5 miles just on the boardwalk. Now sufficiently fried I decided to escape the sun in my room for a bit.

After cooling off I decided to get an early dinner before the basketball game started. I stopped into a place called Dough Boy’s California Pizza. I got a chicken bacon cheddar pizza. Along with having fantastic pizza this place was also known for their cocktails. I figured this would be the last time I’d be drinking on the trip, so I indulged. I tried their signature cocktails as I enjoyed my pizza. Again the place wasn’t crowded at all because of the time of year. I made one more stop before heading back to my room to watch the game. I stopped in at Candy Kitchen, a candy shop that’s been making taffy and fudge since 1937. Being on the ocean I thought it only appropriate I pick up some taffy to bring home. I picked up a box then headed back to my room. I watched approximately 15 minutes of the basketball game before I passed out. The sun had killed me so I guess sleep was probably the best thing for me. I only had about a 3 and a half hour drive to DC the next day so I planned to sleep in too.

Overall Virginia Beach was excellent. I will say that I liked it better than Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach seemed far more touristy. Virginia Beach just had a nicer feel. The Boardwalk area was bigger and a lot more up to date. There were a bunch of actual sit down restaurants on Virginia Beach as opposed to the number of food windows in Myrtle Beach. Both beach stops served their purpose though. I got to relax, I got some sun. I got to slow down a bit before picking back up again in DC

Up with the sun, almost, to bring dad to the airport. I really am so thankful that he got to come on this journey with me for a week. I really hope he enjoyed the time with me as much as I did with him. I know he loved everything we saw and I am just so so happy I got to give him some of the best memories of his life.

Unfortunately I’m back on the road again. This time my course is set for Myrtle Beach. After dropping dad off I had a 9 hour drive. A little less than half way through though I made a pit stop. An unforeseen perk of this trip has been being able to connect and see family that lives in different parts of the country that I don’t get to see very often. First it was seeing my uncle in LA and again in Vegas. This time it was seeing my aunt, uncle, and 3 cousins in North Carolina. After exchanging a few quick texts we were meeting up at a coffee shop and catching up on lost time. I told them all about my trip and they told me what everyone was up to for the summer. It was only about an hour and a half but I relished every second of it. To sit there and catch up with family, some of which I hadn’t seen in 3 years, was just wonderful. Like I said it was just another unforeseen perk of this trip.

After saying our goodbyes I was back on the road with another 5 hours ahead of me. I arrived at the Sheraton at about 7pm. By the time I checked in and got into my room it was about 7:30. I showered quick then headed down to the boardwalk. I knew there was a country concert going on so I figured I’d take a stroll and see if I could find where it was. I didn’t have a ticket but I had ears and last time I checked they couldn’t contain sound. I found a spot right outside where the concert was being held and listened to Billy Currington perform for about 45 minutes. By that time it was close to 9pm and I thought it would be a good time for my first meal. The whole boardwalk area was like a giant carnival with gift shops and food vendors aplenty. I grabbed a grilled chicken sandwich and listened to a bit more of the concert. I decided to grab a ticket for the ferris wheel, which is called the SkyWheel. It gave me a great view of the entire surrounding area. The lights of the boardwalk stuck out against the night sky. As I walked back to my hotel room I took a minute to really just let everything soak in. It was another perfect night. A light breeze served as a welcome refresher. I was more than excited to spend the whole day here tomorrow.

Day 2 in Myrtle Beach was remarkably uneventful, and at this point in the trip I am so okay with that. I slept in and hung around the room a bit. By the time I was up and out it was about 9:30. I walked over to a place called Olympic Flam Pancake House for breakfast. Quick side note, that may be one of the best restaurant names I’ve seen on the trip so far. I got a basic western omelette which came with grits and wheat toast. I continued my pattern of trying new things with the grits. I can safely say after having the grits that I still have absolutely no idea what they are. Is it rice? Is it oatmeal? Grits what are you!? So after having my breakfast I just roamed around the boardwalk. I had no plans at all. I just enjoyed the weather and people watched. I did stop into a souvenir shop to pick up the last few things I wanted to get for people but other than that I just walked around and people watched. The people watching wasn’t as fun as it would be later though. At around probably 1pm I decided to do something that I have rarely done this trip. I went back to my room and just chilled. It was getting a bit hot so I figured I’d cool down in the room before heading back out and getting something for dinner.

I relaxed in the room for a few hours and headed back out to the boardwalk at about 6:30. I listened to a few bands play and grabbed some food from one of the vendors. Nothing fancy just a grilled chicken sandwich. I made my way down to where the country music fest was so I could see who was playing. I found a spot on the sidewalk and propped myself up against a palm tree and proceeded to people watch and listen to Lee Brice. I watched a couple people be brought out of the concert in handcuffs, assumingly for being too intoxicated. A younger kid, maybe 22, was in tears with blood coming out of his nose apologizing for whatever he had done. He genuinely looked like a little kid as he struggled to get his breath while trying to work his apology in between crying. I saw a cop bust a guy on a bike taking pictures of girls in skimpy clothing. I stood there and watched as the cop told the guy to get lost because he was being a “creepy old guy.” That comment drew a laugh from me and the cop came up to me after the guy left and we talked about the stuff they see on nights like this. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, watching drunk people is one of my favorite things to do. I stuck around a little bit longer and chatted with the cops a bit more before heading back to my room.

At this point I want to insert two observations that I found extremely odd about Myrtle Beach. Number 1. People have a serious affinity for renting motorized scooters down here. Seriously they were absolutely everywhere and in most cases they were being driven by people who looked like they were ready to lose control at any second. Number 2. There is some sort of phenomenon down here with tricking out shitty cars and I for the life of me cannot wrap my head around it. Both nights I was out I saw a RIDICULOUS amount of trucks and cars that were customized with everything from neon lights on the undercarriage, neon lights on the wheels, bigger wheels, bigger shocks, souped up mufflers, souped up engines. Anything you could think of basically. And the cars or trucks that were being souped up weren’t nice ones. I’m talking like 2007 Ford F-150 or like a 1997 Tahoe. As I walked back to my room they would pass me one after the other. Revving engines, music blaring. I just don’t understand. It was a like a giant convergence of every douche thing you could think of all rolled into one. Not to mention that for the most part they were sitting in traffic because half the boardwalk was closed because of the country fest. And I can’t be sure but I swear I saw a few just driving around the block. Maybe they were just out to show off? I’m not really sure. I guess if you put that much effort into making your vehicle and attention grabber you’re sort of obligated to drive it around aimlessly right? Because if you’re just going to drive some place and park what’s the sense in souping it up? Anyway that was just a quick aside/rant on the stupidity I encountered down here.

After reading this entry it may seem like Myrtle Beach was one of the more mundane stops I’ve made so far, but that was kind of the point. In planning this whole trip I knew by this time I would have spent 4 weeks zig sagging across the country and I’d want time to chill and that’s exactly what I did. I had no place to be for 2 days. Nothing I had to rush to go see. I was able to sit back and relax and just enjoy the weather. It was lovely. I’m looking forward to doing the same for another two days in Virginia Beach. Hopefully this beautiful weather follows me there.

I thought about breaking up the days but decided to keep it all together because it’s more remarkable if both days are read together.

The definition of serendipity is “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” Our stop in Nashville is exactly what that was. When I planned to stop in Nashville I knew I wanted to see the Country Music Hall of Fame and see Grand Ole Opry. However, I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d also get to attend the CMT Awards and be in Nashville on the day of game 5 of the Stanley Cup when the Nashville Predators were playing for the cup.

Before I get too ahead of myself though let me dial it back. First of all, the drive from Dallas to Nashville was about 3 hours. In those 3 hours I think dad and I passed precisely 75% of the total cops that Tennessee employs. Honestly we had to have passed about 20 different cops in those 3 hours. Needless to say I was a bit on edge that drive. But we finally arrived at the hotel and it was fantastic. Our room had 2 queen beds, a couch, 2 flat screen TVs. It was the perfect last room to send dad off in comfort. After getting settled in the room we went right over to get some lunch at Arnold’s Country Kitchen. I got some delicious roast beef with mashed potatoes, dressing (which for you northerners is a southern type of stuffing which I only knew what it was because of talking to work people in Georgia), and strawberry rhubarb pie. Dad followed in my trip steps and tried fried catfish for the first time and enjoyed it very much. After we finished our fantastic lunch we headed over to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

We got there at about 2 probably and were there until 5. We walked through exhibits that chronicled the early days of country music and brought us right into present day. Dad has always been a country music fan, it’s the reason I’m a country music fan, and for me watching him look at the exhibits and watch the videos they had and to see how excited he got and how much fun he had was just awesome. I didn’t need to look at any exhibits; just seeing how much he enjoyed himself was enough for me. After the Country Music Hall of Fame we walked down Broadway a bit and listened to the music that poured into the streets. We also stopped into the Ernest Tubb Record Shop so dad could look at CDs. He was like a kid in a candy shop. Every row he looked at he found something he loved. Again I just sat back and smiled. To be able to share these experiences with him really meant a lot to me. We left the record shop and walked around a bit more. We both agreed that we enjoyed the downtown area of Nashville way more than Beale Street.

Now, onto the first part of the Nashville good fortune. As luck would have it the day we arrived in Nashville, the CMT Awards were going on literally right downtown. A five minute walk away from the Country Music Hall of Fame was an outdoor staging area where part of the show was going to be filmed. So dad and I decided to head over and get a spot. We stood outside for the next 4 hours or so and watched the CMT Awards that was going on inside and then enjoyed the segments that were filmed outside where we were. We saw acts like the Brothers Osborne and Peter Frampton and Kelsea Ballerini. We might have even gotten on TV who knows. All I know is that we had a blast and it was completely by luck. It didn’t cost us a thing and we had a freakin ball. It was during this time, in between people performing outside, when we were just standing watching the awards show going on inside that I realized that sometimes it’s the simple things that can make experiences more enjoyable. I love to people watch, and so does my dad, and being able to look around and point out people to each other and mercilessly judge them was hilarious. It sounds ridiculous but it was a real bonding experience.  Our luck just got better and better as we found out that Jason Aldean was putting on a free concert directly following the awards show right across the street from where we were. So we walked over and got to see a top country star perform for about a half hour for free. It was the perfect ending to an unbelievable day.

We headed back to the room after the show was over. Both of us sore from standing all night but so so happy with the experiences we had. The environment and the energy in downtown Nashville was so much fun. We ended the night with a new experience for both of us. We stopped at Jack in the Box and got dinner. We headed to bed knowing that we had game 5 of the Stanley Cup tomorrow and Nashville’s own Predators would be trying to take a 3 games to 2 lead over Pittsburgh. We were ready to make dad’s last day on the trip a memorable one.

We slept in a bit because we were up late at the show the night before. We headed over to the Grand Ole Opry to scope that out a bit. We got some pictures of the outside and we checked out the gift shop. Initially dad didn’t want to do the backstage tour but I talked his cheap ass into it (where do you people think I get it from?) and it was so worth it. We learned more about the history of country music and the history of the Opry. We got to go backstage and see the dre4ssing rooms where the artists come in and spend their time before their performances. We got to go on stage and get pictures taken at the microphone. All in all it was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m certainly glad I talked dad into going. After that we headed back downtown. Once again the streets were abuzz. This time though, instead of being excited for an awards show they were excited for a hockey game. There were food trucks and merchandise trucks. Before we joined in the hockey festivities we walked up and checked out the Ryman Auditorium. Affectionately known as The Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman is where the Grand Ole Opry got its start. Before getting its own building, the Ryman was home to the Grand Ole Opry for 31 years. We decided this time not to take the tour, but we got some pictures outside and checked out the gift shop. After days of messing around and trying on hats I finally bought myself a hat. Dad picked up some souvenirs then we went back out to the streets.

We both got some lunch from a couple of the food trucks. Dad got a sausage and I got a brisket sandwich (which came nowhere close to even holding a candle to the brisket I got in Dallas). I also got some Strawberry Lemonade shaved ice that was absolutely perfection on a slightly warm day. After that we just walked around and enjoyed the sights and energy. Always one to take advantage of good deals, I decided I wanted to check out a store that was having a deal on cowboy boots. Buy 1 and get 2 pairs free. Now I had no idea what cowboy boots cost but I figured I’d check it out. First off the smell of leather was just lovely. The minute we walked into the store we were hit with that amazing smell. Then we poked around a bit. I found a few pairs I liked. One pair was $400 one pair was $230 and the other was $200. I seriously considered spending $400 to get all three pairs. They were nice boots, but in the end I talked myself out of it because you know…I live outside of Boston not outside of Nashville so I’d probably never wear the boots once I got back home.

Finally it was getting close to game time. There were a giant viewing few screens set up throughout the streets. They were actually selling tickets for fans who wanted to watch to game inside the arena. I should add that the game was in Pittsburgh, but fans could buy tickets to watch the game in the empty arena. Dad and I decided to stay out on the street and watch one of the big screens for free with the rest of the masses. I must say, dad and I DEFINITELY were not good luck charms. We were hoping to experience the energy from a Predators win, but at the time of this writing they are losing 6-0. We left downtown after the first period when they were losing 3-0. So we didn’t get to experience the city going crazy after a Preds win, but hey you can’t have everything go your way right?

Honestly, Nashville was more than either dad or I could have ever asked for. We expected to see the Ryman and the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, but to be part of the CMT Awards broadcast and to see a free Jason Aldean concert and to experience the energy and hopefulness of a city whose team is playing in its first Stanley Cup finals was something else. I’m glad that dad was with me and we got to experience this all together. It just made it that much better. I know he appreciated and genuinely had so much fun with all the history of country music. To be honest, Nashville is the first stop on this trip that I could realistically see myself moving to. I could really picture myself there. The people were great, the downtown area was so much fun, the weather was gorgeous. Again I know this is based on an EXTREMELY small sample size but this is the first stop where the thought of me moving there really crossed my mind. Just things to think about I guess. Seeing new places, that was the point of the trip right?

Well, tomorrow I drop dad off at the airport and I head onto Myrtle Beach to begin the last leg of my journey.  Time to finish this bad boy off as strongly as I started it.

The while time we were in OKC and in Dallas I saw advertisements for fried pies. Best fried pies. Original fried pies. I hadn’t tried one yet. On the way to Memphis today, I tried one. They are something that should be available everywhere. At 7:45am I walked into a BBQ place on the side of the highway and walked out with a blackberry fried pie and a pecan fried pie. Picture a piece of fried dough that is a bit thinner but still has the same crust type part around the edge. Then spread whatever filling you like over the fried dough. Then fold it in half. That is essentially a fried pie. I ate my pies and we were on our way to Memphis.

It was about a 7 hour drive. Most of the drive sliced  directly through Arkansas. Being the only exposure to Arkansas I’ll have on this trip I determined that they are extremely lazy with the naming of their cities and/or towns. We passed through Texarkana (a city bordering Texas and Arkansas if you couldn’t figure that out), Arkadelphia (because I have no reason why), Pittsburg (because it’s definitely very different than that place in Pennsylvania that has an H on the end), Hope (because stupid cliche names are a thing based on the fact that we also saw) Friendship (see previous), and Social Hill (I don’t even know what the christ a social hill is). That’s just a sample and you can see how stupid they are. Sufficed to say I’m happy I had no plans to stop in Arkansas.

After losing some brain cells we finally arrived in Memphis. We checked into the EconoLodge and I’ll say it. I had some reservations. The place looked rough from the outside. There was only one working elevator and the stairwell we took looked like something out of the Saw franchise. I might have gotten tetanus just from touching the door nob. So, when we opened the door to the room I was pleasantly surprised to see a clean, relatively up to date room. We drop our bags and went to grab something to eat on Beale street. With so many places to choose from we decided to go with the Jerry Lawler Hall of Fame Bar and Grille. With dad and I both being wrestling fans it was great looking at all the old memorabilia. We ordered and appetizer of fried pickles. Dad got a double cheeseburger with fries and I ordered a peanut butter and banana sandwich on Texas toast that came with sweet potato waffle fries that were covered in powdered sugar and came with syrup to dip in. The food was absolutely outstanding. The fried pickles were better than any either of us had ever had. Dad said his burger was flavorful and delicious. And my food….oh my food. The sandwich itself was great. I would have preferred more banana but that was not the standout here. The sweet potato waffle fries with powdered sugar and syrup were unreal. Granted I could feel myself getting diabetes as I ate them, but hey sometimes sacrifices must be made.

After we ate we strolled around Beale street for a bit. We walked into a store called A. Schwab. It was a unique store that had anything you could imagine. It was an old school candy store. It had touristy gifts like t shirts and shot glasses. All sorts of different Elvis paraphernalia. Dad and I goofed around and tried on all sorts of different types of hats. From trilbies to fedoras. We probably looked like hardcore tourists but we didn’t care. It was a blast. We explored the store a bit more and found old school toys like whoopee cushions, slinkies, and even model airplanes that are made in Wakefield, MA. After we were through poking around the store we went back out to Beale street.

We went down twice. The first time we went down we were just kind of browsing. It was still early in the afternoon so it wasn’t too lively. There was music playing and there were other people walking around. We were able to check out where BB King’s Blues Club was. I got some pictures of the Beale street signs as well as the BB King street sign. When we went back later in the day is when we really had some fun though. All the restaurant and club signs were lit up covering the street in neon light to match the music that poured out onto the street. There were significantly more people even though it was only Tuesday. Dad and I stopped into King’s Palace Patio and got a drink. We listened to the music for a bit then continued on down the street. We watched some street performers and listened to some other musicians play. We heard early rock we heard jazz we heard blues. It was an amalgamation of people and music. At some points the music blended together until you got further away from one area then close enough to another. The street wasn’t crazy but dad and I enjoyed it. We agreed that had we been there on a Friday night or a Saturday night it might have been way too crazy. We enjoyed being able to walk around and enjoy ourselves without being over run be hammered people bumping into us constantly. We took one more stroll up the street then headed back to the room.

Overall Memphis was a good time. Food was great, the music and culture were as expected. It was just a great experience. Now we are headed to Nashville for 2 days in the morning. We are both anticipating a completely different atmosphere. One because the culture is different and 2 because on Thursday the Nashville predators are playing in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup against Pittsburgh. Luckily for us the game is in Nashville, but you better believe we’ll be at a bar cheering on the Predators. We loved Memphis but we are ready for Nashville.

Thankfully OKC to Dallas is only a 3 hour drive so we got to sleep in a bit today.

Before embarking on the three hour drive though dad and I decided to sample a southern chain that seems to catch a lot of flak. We went to Waffle House for breakfast. I must say, maybe we got a good one but, I’m not sure why this places catches so much crap. It was excellent! I got a pecan waffle, biscuits and gravy, and a side of bacon. Dad got a breakfast sandwich of egg, bacon and cheese on Texas toast and some hash browns. We both agreed that the food was great, the place was clean and the waitresses were positively pleasant. We would definitely go back to one if the opportunity arose.

So now that were were full we started the relatively quick drive to Dallas. Another bucket list day for dad as we were about to see the home field of his childhood favorite Dallas Cowboys.

So we checked into the Motel 6 at around 1:30 and chilled for about a half hour or so then headed to see the stadium. We ran into a few rain showers but nothing too awful. When we pulled into the area where the stadium was it reminded me a lot of Pittsburgh. At&T stadium and Ballpark in Arlington were about a 15 minute walk away from each other.

We parked in a Walmart across the street from AT&T stadium and walked over. I got a few pictures of dad in front of the stadium sign and with a statue of Tom Landry. He wore has Patriots Superbowl Champion t-shirt proud as we walked into the Cowboys’ pro shop. The store was absolutely ginormous. Everything truly is bigger in Texas. They had Cowboys everything from hats to shirt to slippers to chair and everything else. Dad picked out a Dallas hat and a t shirt. The rain had started again as we walked out and headed toward the Rangers field. I turned around and got a few more pictures of the outside of AT&T stadium as we walked away. Unfortunately for us the Rangers were off today so we only got to see the outside of the stadium and go into their pro shop. Again, just like the Cowboys’, this place had everything from Rangers’ steering wheel covers to shot glasses to playing cards. We browsed around a bit then decided we were getting hungry so we headed back to the car. Before we headed off though we decided to check out Walmart. We were curious to see if the Walmart in Texas was any better or worse than the one in Saugus. Spoiler alert, it was worse. The people were weirder, they were slower, and they sold cowboy hats like they were baseball hats. And I do not mean the football team Cowboy hats, I mean “yeehaw hey howdy hey” cowboy hats. Although I will admit dad and I had fun trying them on and looking absolutely ridiculous. I’m sure all the locals thought we were obnoxious but it was a riot. So after we gawked and mocked the locals we headed over to Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ.

Being from the north neither of us had ever had true southern barbecue. Well, we have now. I don’t remember where I saw this place but Lockhart’s was freaking amazing. I got a pound of brisket and bbq beans and dad got a half pound of ribs, a sausage, and bbq beans. It was hands down, bar none, the best bbq I have ever had in my life and dad definitely agreed. The brisket was like butter. I could have eaten just the charred pieces. I didn’t even need any meat that’s how good this was. The flavor was out of this world. The smokey char was just indescribable. I’m sitting here writing this and I can still taste it. That’s how good it was.

So I’d say Dallas was a success. Dad got to see Dallas stadium and we being big sports fans we both liked seeing the Rangers field and food lovers we both LOVED Lockhart’s. We are onto explore historic Beale street in Memphis tomorrow so I best go get some rest so I’m fresh for the 7 hour drive tomorrow!

We were up early and on the road by about 6:15am. We had a drive of about 7 hours and 45 minutes to OKC so we didn’t want to spend any time dawdling or dragging our feet. The drive through New Mexico and part of Texas to OKC was pretty boring honestly. The only highlight came in the form of yet another pleasant surprise. We made a stop at a travel center to get some gas and the outside of the travel center advertised Russell’s Free Car Museum. We figured we could use the time to stretch our legs a bit. What we got instead was a chance to see some ridiculously gorgeous cars and other unique antiques. We saw Camaros and Model T’s. We saw old school Pepsi and Coke memorabilia. It was the exact type of place you’d expect to find on Route 66. We took in the sights and stretched our legs a bit more before hopping in the car and continuing on to OKC.

Once we got to Oklahoma we checked in and rested for a bit before we headed out for an early dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse. By far one of the best meals I’ve had one this trip yet. I got a T-Bone steak and dad got a 16oz Rib Eye. The two best steaks either one of us have ever had. They were juicy and flavorful and just simply outstanding. They were cooked to absolute perfection. They weren’t dressed up with too much seasoning or anything like that. For a restaurant that’s been around since 1910 they clearly knew how to handle their steaks. The entrée’s would have been enough but I had to top it off with a piece of their coconut cream pie. I overheard our waiter telling another couple that they had taken the pie to competitions so I knew I had to have a piece. It was a perfect palate cleanser. It was light and sweet and I loved every bite of it. Being someone that has a huge sweet tooth I definitely enjoyed it.

I had wanted to visit Cowboy OKC because I was told about it by a friend at work. It was a bar that had live bull riding inside of it. Not mechanical, but live actual bull riding. Unfortunately the place was closed on Sunday’s so we went back to the room and caught some of the basketball game. We only have a 3 hour drive to Dallas tomorrow so we looked forward to being able to sleep in and get a proper breakfast before getting on the road.

He’s only been with me for about 4 days and I think dad is having the time of his life. I’m looking forward to seeing AT&T stadium with him tomorrow because he’s been a Cowboys fan since he was a kid. Hopefully it’s as ridiculous as it looks on TV!

After hitting Grand Canyon in the morning dad and I drove hard to New Mexico.

New Mexico was one of the briefer stays on the trip but I will say that without a doubt it was absolutely worth it. Initially it started off as a layover stop much like Spokane was. The drive from Arizona to OKC straight would have been 16 hours so Albuquerque was in the middle and seemed like a perfect place to stop for a day or so. I did some research one some of the top attractions and things to see and came across Sandia Peak Tramway. So that was the plan.

We left from Arizona and got to Albuquerque at about 5pm. We checked into the motel and headed over to the Sandia Peak Tramway. Let me just say, with no expectations going in whatsoever, this was one of the top stops of the trip so far. The tram ride is a 2.7 mile ride that brought us up to 10,378 feet in elevation and it is absolutely breathtaking. As was witnessed at both the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, dad is awful with heights. He thought he’d be okay because we were completely enclosed but the views throughout the ride up were something else. The tram goes between three towers. As you approach the second tower you’re at about 8,750 feet in elevation and you cross over a mountain. It’s at this point that you’re able to see your destination clearly for the first time. Even though the third tower is only another 1,628 feet away from the second one it looks unbelievably far away. As we looked around out the windows of the tram as the sun was shining we could literally see Albuquerque for miles. We got to the top of the mountain and the view was even more remarkable. We took pictures in front of the sign that displayed the 10,378 elevation mark just to document that dad was actually up that high. I noticed though that as I looked out over the city it looked very similar to when you first take off in a plane. The houses and buildings looked small and the streets looked very grid like. We, I should say I, took in more of the views from the top of the tram before we boarded and headed back down.

Once back at the bottom we decided to grab dinner at the restaurant that was part of the tramway building. I was a bit skeptical because the restaurant was actually attached to a tourist attraction but the food was delicious. I got an enchilada with cheese, shredded beef, green chile, beans, and rice and dad got roasted chicken with summer squash and rice. I wholeheartedly expected nothing fancy at all from this restaurant and I was thoroughly surprised as was dad. Our meals were absolutely delicious. Not one to typically eat spicy food I loved my enchilada and even indulged and got a house special strawberry margarita.  We finished up our meals and headed back to the motel.

As I said New Mexico was initially just a stopover location that I had no expectations for and I will say by the end of our brief stay there dad and I both agreed it had become a highlight. I would strongly urge anyone in the area to check out the Sandia Peak Tramway as well as Sandiago’s restaurant. Both of them were so surprisingly awesome. We rested up and prepared for our 8 hour ride out to OKC the next day.