On the Road Again...

Hello from Florida! I’ve finally settled down on the Avon Park Air Force Range where I am studying Florida Scrub-Jays for the next six months! This adventure started three weeks ago when my mom and I started our road trip across the country. It wasn’t as leisurely as our drive to Texas last year, but we still had some fun. My mom added a new element to this trip: jellybeans. She bought a big bag of jelly bellies, and during the boring stretches we would each get one bean every five miles. It had the added bonus of making her drive faster so we could get beans more often. Here are some highlights from the trip-

Day 1: San Jose, CA --> Long Beach, CA

My mom stayed at her college roommate’s house and I stayed with some of my college roommates!

Stephanie = 365 miles, Pam = 0 miles

Jellybeans (each) = 7

Day 2: Long Beach, CA --> Tucson, AZ

We stopped by Mudd for a quick coffee with one of my friends, then hauled ass to try and make it to Tucson in time to watch the Superbowl. We had to listen to the first half on the radio, but it sounds like we didn’t miss much…

Stephanie = 531 miles, Pam = 0 miles

Jellybeans = 21

Day 3: Tucson, AZ --> Las Cruces, NM

That morning we stopped to visit historic Tombstone, AZ. We saw a gunfight, admired a local’s bumper sticker (“I’ll keep my guns, you keep your change” with a picture of an AK 47 – how quaint!), and we went through a Mexican Inspection Station! Tombstone is so close to the border that AT&T thought I was in Mexico. They sent me a text that started with “Welcome abroad!”

Stephanie = 252 miles, Pam = 65 miles

Jellybeans = 15

Day 4: Las Cruces, NM --> Kerrville, TX

Return to Texas!! I’ll admit, I was pretty happy to be back in Texas… highway signs such as “Don’t Mess with Texas” and “Don’t Slow Texas Down” (Mom…), plus the Texas-shaped pool at our hotel. Such pride. We also saw a squad car that said “Citizens on Patrol”. Don’t piss off your neighbors, I guess. We celebrated my return by getting BBQ from one of the Top 50 BBQ joints in the state, followed by some pecan pie!

As nice as TX is, it's a huge state - I had to stop for a stretch break in the middle of nowhere to roll around on the ground.

Something you never want to see at a rest stop.

*My mom stopped mid-sentence to yell--*
Pam: The hell!! Where’s my bean?!
Stephanie: You got one more mile. Drive faster!

Stephanie = 441 miles, Pam = 92 miles

Jellybeans = 35

Day 5: Kerrville, TX --> Lafayette, LA

We couldn’t leave Texas without one more round of BBQ, so two hours after our complimentary hotel breakfast, we stopped for lunch! Another from the Top 50. A couple hours after that we HAD to enjoy a southern (?) luxury – drive-thru pina coladas! (The things that we miss out on in California...) That afternoon was my first time in Louisiana! The people there were so friendly, and highly impressed at our drive from California. We celebrated my first time in LA by getting a dinner of fried things: fried cheese-stuffed ravioli, fried pickles, and fried oreos. So heart-stoppingly good!

Stephanie = 457 miles, Pam = 37 miles

Jellybeans = 0

Lake Pontchartrain

Day 6: Lafayette, LA --> New Orleans, LA

This was a short day as we were heading to New Orleans – our big stop of the trip. That morning we were shocked to see that it was snowing! On the way to N’awlins, we drove over Lake Pontchartrain, which is the longest bridge over water in the world! There are something like eight miles in the middle where you can’t see land in front or behind you. The snow made it especially cool.

New Orleans was FREEZING! It was down in the 30s with a wind chill in the 20s, and my mom and I were wandering around in sweatshirts. But hey, it was my first time there, so we had to make the most of it. I touched the Mississippi River (and had to wait 30 minutes for the feeling to come back in my fingers), we got beignets and hot chocolate at the famous Café du Monde, and then we went back to the hotel to warm up for a couple hours. That afternoon we went out for po-boys, did some shopping while a high school marching band made their way through the city, and then enjoyed Bourbon Street. Despite the freezing temperatures, the strippers were still out shakin’ their money makers, but as my mom pointed out, it was probably to keep warm.

Touching the Mississippi River!

Stephanie = 162 miles, Pam = 0 miles

Jellybeans = 0

Day 7: New Orleans, LA --> Tallahassee, FL

That morning we explored an old graveyard in town. The graves were all above-ground because of the high risk of flooding. We saw the grave of the Voodoo queen Marie Laveau, as well as Nicholas Cage’s eventual resting spot – a pyramid-shaped tomb that he commissioned for the last two adjacent spots in this cemetery. Doesn’t exactly fit in with the theme of the rest of the cemetery, but I guess you can do what you want when you’ve got the money.

That afternoon I set foot in Mississippi for the first time when we ate lunch on the beach, and soon after we stopped in Alabama where one of our first sights was of the Confederate flag! Driving across the US is definitely an experience. It’s wild how things change the farther east and south you drive. For instance, as soon as we entered Florida, the text on road signs tripled in size and the distance between rest stops was cut in half. Worse vision and smaller bladders in Florida? No…

 

Stephanie = 399 miles, Pam = 0.2 miles

Jellybeans = 28

Day 8: Tallahassee, FL --> Tarpon Springs, FL

We spent the morning touring Florida State, my mom’s alma mater. We took pictures in front of Unconquered, and I learned about Ted Bundy. My mom told me about the good ol’ days of driving back to school after vacations and stopping for some hot boiled peanuts, so when we passed a hot boiled peanut stand in the middle of now where, I came to a screeching halt and we went back to enjoy this Florida delicacy. I have to say, it takes some getting used to. That evening we finally arrived at my grandma’s house in Tarpon Springs! Since I was only staying for one night, we went out for Greek food at my grandma’s favorite Greek restaurant (where everyone knows her… then again people at most restaurants in Tarpon Springs know her).

"I'm not pointing at it, I'm saying we're number one!!"

Stephanie = 234 miles, Pam = 0 miles

Jellybeans = 40 + 28 for red lights (I was going crazy since we were no longer on a highway)

Day 9: Tarpon Springs, FL --> Avon Park, FL

Tarpon Springs was the last stop for my mom, so I continued alone to Avon Park, my final destination. Once there I met my boss, Michelle, and got settled in to my trailer!

Stephanie = 133 miles

Jellybeans = 0

The final numbers…

Stephanie = 2974 miles, Pam = 194.2 miles

Jellybeans per person = 174

So I finally made it after nine days of driving, and I was lucky to have my mom as a driving buddy (let’s be honest, a riding buddy) for eight of those days. Hopefully in the next few days I’ll let you know what I’m *actually* doing here!