Hi, my name is Phil North. I am currently a student at UCLan in Preston studying Creative Writing and Journalism and have been given the opportunity to study my second year at Central Connecticut State University. Here is where you will be able to find out about my experiences, opinions and just how well I'm adjusting to the US way of life.
Spring has finally arrived in Connecticut, thank God. After a terrible winter of hurricanes and blizzards, it has suddenly become a normality to sit on a grassy knoll and people watch, whilst turning my ghostly pale English skin into that of a tomato. Then again, I was always told, that should you not succeed then to try, try again. I don't recommend burning skin that is already sunburnt, but on the other hand, after multiple days sat in the sun I no longer burn; persistence does in fact pay off. Then again I am reluctant to take my top off and force the locals to witness Casper The Friendly Ghost in the flesh, so to speak. Originally I burnt so much that I looked like a walking lobster, now although people may say I'm red, in relevance to my history I would say that I am a reddish brown; the best that I can hope for since I was a child playing football in the fields all day. Evan on the other hand, due to skipping the occasional class during the high sun, is a strange sight with a golden brown colour but with bright blond curly hair and blue eyes. Slightly freakish.
Currently there is a Spring Concert going on at the University with Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki. Call me a geek or whatever, but I've never heard of this pair, ever. Now the Spanish girls told me that these pair are fantastic and the best in the world, but after hearing a bit of their stuff, I decided against it. I only go to places that play this kind of music when I'm too drunk to know where I am, and to a place that serves. The fact that CCSU is a dry campus kind of defeats the object. All I remember was my opening couple of weeks here when there was a silent disco (you wear headphones with multiple stations to listen to). I stood on the edge holding out my hand as if I had a pint in it, when in fact it was empty. I couldn't help it, it seemed natural to me. Meanwhile the rest of the students were acting like English when drunk, despite being sober. It seemed so strange. This was my first experience of culture shock. I never went to an under 18 disco in England, (luckily I was over 6 foot and could get served at an early age, also Papa North educated me sufficiently) but I don't understand how you can dance like an idiot sober as a judge? Then again, to be honest I do have to be a little worse for wear to take to the dancefloor - at 6 foot 4 inch, no matter how you dance, you look like a pillock.
After having a few ciders (I have converted the American's I've come in contact with to cider) before the concert, or school disco, I sit in my room doing laundry. Am I left out? No. I'd feel awkward and in need of beer. On the other hand I wish I could see Evan in full cowboy gear at a Dance party. Swings and roundabout I guess. Meanwhile, Eastern Connecticut State University are having the Goo Goo Dolls play at their Spring Concert. Hongi and I are planning to crash it tomorrow - wish us luck.
With only a couple of weeks to go before the end of the semester, I am doing a lot better than the last. I can't see any panic days before deadline day sat typing page after page of rushed work. Parents - a bit of praise for this please. The thing is that I get kicked out of my dorm earlier than I thought. Again, luck is on my side as Hongi (she lives off campus) is travelling the west coast from next week and has a free paid room. After talking to her roommates, I am more than welcome to occupy the room as long as I pay utilities. This means that Evan and I can continue to sit in the sun and top up on our skin cancer whilst finding jobs on Graigslist to fun our alcoholism.
Below are music videos of what I'm apparently missing out on.
Travelling through Dallas we stopped at Evan's Auntie and Uncle's for a couple of nights in a town called Frisco. The houses here are absolutely stunning and it was lovely to sleep in a proper bed after the car and cheap motels. After unpacking and showering we sat down for tea, a good home cooked meal of smoked pork and corn beef. I couldn't have felt more welcome if they tried as I was supplied with beer and margaritas whilst we all played a rude version of Apples to Apples, a card game.
We Really Need These Places
In England
The morning after, Evan's cousins Chris and JJ took us to Redneck Heaven for lunch. This place is similar to Hooters but a little more risque, the best description is that the waitresses are using it as a stepping stone to working in a strip club. The food is cheap in big quantities and the beer is cheap so all is well. Upon hearing that I'm English I had all the girls coming over to talk to me and tell me of their plans to kidnap me. I can think of worse kidnapping scenarios.
Wikipedia When the Dallas area was being settled by American pioneers, many of the settlers traveled by wagon trains along the old Shawnee Trail. This trail was also used for cattle drives north from Austin. This trail later became the Preston Trail, and later, Preston Road. Preston Road is one of the oldest north-south roads in all of Texas. With all of this activity, the community of Lebanon was founded along this trail and granted a U.S. post office in 1860. In 1902, a line of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was being built through the area, and periodic watering holes were needed along the rails for the steam engines. The current settlement of Lebanon was on the Preston Ridge and was thus too high in elevation, so the watering hole was placed about four miles (6 km) to the west on lower ground. A community grew around this train stop. Residents of Lebanon actually moved their houses to the new community on logs. The new town was originally named Emerson, but that name was rejected by the U.S. Postal Service as being too similar to another town in Texas. In 1904, the residents chose Frisco City in honor of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway on which the town was founded, later shortened to its present name.
The restaurant have different dress up days throughout the year, from naughty nurse, maids, school girl etc. Today was bikini day with bum cracks on display left, right, and centre. Apparently on 'clothes that aren't clothes' day there is a queue outside waiting for it to open and an average 2 hour waiting time to get a table throughout the day.
I Want To Be A Redneck If This Is What It's Like
Top Golf
After an entertaining lunch we went on to Top Golf. This is like a driving range but with a twist. Rather than just hitting it as far as you can or onto the greens, the flag is in the middle of a netted circle that is split up into sections. The golf ball has a chip inside it to track where it lands and if you get it in the netted circle you get points, the more points the closer you get to the flag. Despite having fun and a few beers, I still don't understand how golf is classed as a relaxing sport. The little white piece of crap won't go where I tell it to go, ever. There are multiple different games to play, from just hit it wherever you want, to the computer telling you which hole to aim for.
On our return we were greeted with tortillas with pork and beef, Texan food is very good; although if you're a vegetarian they'll probably drag you out into the street and shoot you. After another good nights sleep we packed up, said our goodbyes, and started the long trip home. Due to lack of time and lack of money we couldn't see Memphis, Amish Town or anything in between but the later we will try to do before I come back to England.
By the time we got home we had driven 6228.1 miles and pushed the car over the 100000 miles mark. In my honest opinion the south of America is much better than the north. The people are very friendly and the way of life is very laid back. My favourite places are the majority of Tennessee and New Orleans (minus getting robbed). If I had to recommend America to anyone, I'd recommend the south. The only bad thing about travelling round the south is that I have picked up a liking for country music and as soon as I get a little workshop the first thing I'm going to make is a rocking chair.
Waking up after the night out round New Orleans was not the nicest in the world. I don't know how Evan did it but I slept most of the day in the car feeling sorry for myself. He on the other hand topped up his trucker arm to the point that there was a perfect line where the sunburn hit. "I'm colour blind and even I can tell that it's red." I couldn't have put it any better myself.
Main Street
Pulling into Austin we parked the car up and had a walk down the main street. Things were all over the place as the Texas Track Relays were in town so police numbers were much higher than usual. Deciding to sleep in the car again before hitting the town we had to decide how we are going to shower? The answer was to buy two big bottles of water and try our best to wash in the car park using the door as a makeshift shower curtain. I've not had a shower that cold in a very long time as the water had come straight out of the shops fridge. There were plenty of yelps coming from our little shower as we tried our best to clean up. The funniest part was when a couple of lads walked past, "I've done the exact same thing." Made me feel a little less like a homeless bum.
Our first stop was the Mooseknuckle pub where we got chatting with the barman, who in turn gave us free tastes of all the beers on sale. I asked why the road is blocked off and all the police. Apparently it's normal but not to the extent that it was on this weekend. "They block the road to stop people getting hit by cars when they're drunk but there is probably four times the number of police than usual." When I asked him why he responded with. "Theres a track meet in town. Track meets attract blacks, blacks attract police. A lot of pubs, restaurants and shop close for the weekend as they want nothing to do with them." As he tells us this he does so with a very matter of fact tone to his voice.
Wikipedia
In response to cold-weather conditions at the Kansas Relays, the Texas Relays started as a men's-only competition in 1925 by coach Clyde Littlefield and athletic director Theo Bellmont.The Relays were held at Memorial Stadium until Mike A. Myers Stadium was opened in 1999. The meet was not held in from 1932-1934 as a result of The Great Depression. Women's events were added in 1963. To encourage attendance in the early years of the event, various publicity stunts were staged. The most successful was a 1927 stunt in which three Tarahumaras were invited to the Relays. These men were famed as runners who never stopped running. A race was staged between the men from San Antonio to Memorial Stadium. After 14 hours and 53 minutes, the 89 mile race ended in a tie. In 1977, electronic timing was introduced at the Relays, and Olympic gold medalist and Texas Longhorns football player John Wesley Jones recorded a time of 9.85 seconds in the 100 meter dash. This would have set a world record, but it was determined that the timer malfunctioned, and the time was unofficial. The Texas Relays are currently the second largest track meet in the United States, behind only the Penn Relays. Today, approximately 50,000 spectators and 5,000 athletes attend the events.
It was noticeable as the evening went on how many black people there were. It seemed that all the whites went home at around 10-11pm leaving Evan and I as the only white people around. When it came to closing the streets were heaving with people stood around. Groups of men with their tops off stood on the side of the street posing as they yelled out to the women. Police on horseback tried to move everyone on but it took a lot longer than they hoped.
Early In The Night On The Streets
Without Hongi around to supervise us things went a little pear shaped as Evan and I got separated. When I finally found my way back to the car, he wasn't there so I headed back out to look for him. I must have gone down every back alley in Austin looking for a beaten up Evan but there was no sign of him. Walking the streets and getting lost resulted in me having to pay the homeless to walk me back to the car park to see if he'd arrived back. Still no Evan so off I went in search again and again and again, each time having to pay a bum to guide me back; all the while my boots were cutting into my feet like razors. Finally deciding to stay by the car I had a little nap sat leaning against the wall. When I woke up an hour later, there was still no Evan and my phone had died. Things did not look good, so I went to the little shop beneath the car park and asked if I could borrow the guys phone charger. After explaining the situation he was more than helpful, giving me his charger and allowing me to use his phone to ring the police station and hospital - no sign of Evan. He told me his name was Elmer and the woman was called Alma. They asked if I had money for food and allowed me to use the staff bathroom to clean up. It turns out that Elmer is from Pennsylvania and his father was in the military so he travelled all around the country before settling in Austin.
With my phone charged and still no sign of Evan I decided to simply wait by the car and eventually he turns up with a smile on his face after spending the night elsewhere. When I took my boots off it looked as if I had grown another toe the blister was that big. We ended up with a bit of luck as our car park ticket would have cost a fortune, but as we went to pay a group of girls had an automatic pass and just let us out free of charge. Every cloud I guess.
With only a couple of days before we had to get Hongi to Houston airport we left New Orleans and headed to San Antonio. The city is very picturesque with the man made river walk the main attraction. With the river going through the city they have made a little canal coming off of it for little boat tours. There is also a hell of a lot of pubs and restaurants along it. With no barrier to stop you falling into the water, it must be very entertaining to sit and watch those a little worse for wear walk along at night.
The Alamo
It would be a shame to come all this way and not do something cultural so we stopped by the setting of the Alamo. Unfortunately John Wayne was not around but we made the most of it as we took a stroll around the building with hundreds of others.
Wikipedia The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under PresidentGeneral Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas, USA). All of the Texian defenders were killed. Santa Anna's perceived cruelty during the battle inspired many Texians—both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States—to join the Texian Army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, the Texians defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution.
Boot Shopping
What Wikipedia doesn't tell you, and neither did the museum in San Antonio, is that the Texans were adamant to remain part of America because they wanted to keep the right to own slaves. If Mexico had won then the slaves would have been freed. Before heading back to Houston Evan and I stopped by Sheplers, a western clothes shop, to see if we could buy some hats and boots. When in Rome and all that I guess. I must say I didn't expect boots and hats to be so expensive with some pairs of boots going into the thousands as well as a couple of hats. We managed to find some cheaper boots and at first they were surprisingly comfortable (I later learnt that they needed breaking in when my feet were blistered and bruised) Evan's face was similar to that of a kid on Christmas day as he bought more clothes in this one instance than in his entire life. He only ever buys trainers for himself, the rest he waits for birthdays when family buy his wardrobe. All cowboyed up, our first port of call was to go and visit the biggest cowboy boots in the world. How many people can claim that they've been to the biggest cowboy boots in the world? How jealous are you?
They Should Fit Me Fine
After dropping Hongi off at the airport Evan and I were now unsupervised, so first thing on the list was to go back to New Orleans for a night on the town. Taking the back streets through Houston we came across the Mexican part of town. The houses were painted very bright colours and everyone seems to be selling things on their front garden, I've never seen so much random things for sale. Our aim before hitting New Orleans was to find some lemons and a spray bottle, the goal was to bleach our hair in the sun. It didn't take long after Hongi left for decisions to turn stupid.
See, We Didn't Just Drink In New Orleans
For food we stopped off at the Hungry Farmer BBQ. This place was really strange as it was more like a canteen. You picked up your tray and the guys behind the counter dished out whatever meat you wanted, I must say that it was bloody good food though. I've also never seen so many pictures of John Wayne in my life.
Happy Chappy
As we reentered Louisiana we kept looking for Gator Farms but unfortunately they were all closed, apparently they all open the week after we were there. Must be a seasonal thing. Back in New Orleans we threw our things in the hotel and went out for a wander in the sun, complete with lemon juice in our hair. Once again the streets were heaving with tourists and the sun slowly turned my skin from white to red as we sat in the park with cold cans of Strongbow watching the world go by. To prevent us drinking all day we took a stroll along the pier and headed to the French Market. I'm not sure why it's called the French Market as there is nothing French about it, there are a lot of gator heads for sale though.
Deputy North
Sheriff Babinski
After a quick shower and getting cowboyed up in our hats and boots we set off into town. The difference between the day and the night is the amount of hustlers on the streets. During the day the homeless and the tourists mix together well and there is never a sign of danger or theft. At night hustlers roam the streets for victims, tonight it was Evan and I. Walking along the street a black man peeled off from his group and began walking with us betting that he can guessed where I got my boots. As he's doing this he's shepherding us to the side of the street. Finally stopping us we realised that our backs were against the wall and over his shoulder are his group of friends not too far away. He then alerted us that we 'got our boots on our feet' and demanded money for this lesson. I was going to give him $5 and make haste but he wanted $20, Evan handed it over and upon seeing his friends and how close he was to me I did the same. Apparently it wasn't $20 per person he wanted, but per boot. Part of my brain told me to tell him to stick it and push my way past, but the safer part of my brain saw how close he was and how many of his friends were close by and paid up. I may have been $40 lighter but I managed to walk away without a limp. As you walk around the streets there are musicians everywhere. The streets are closed off as bands play in the middle of the road. A marching band parades around the streets but stops playing whenever they approach another musician as to not disrupt them. I'm not a fan of jazz but there is something authentic about listening to it on the streets of New Orleans. Dotted in amongst the musicians are the voodoo people with packs of cards and other gismos to help determine your future. In New Orleans the art of people watching definitely pays off.
Girl Group #1
To make up for the bad start to the night we hit the bar and began to drink away the previous event. Here we came across three girls on a road trip from Oregon heading to Florida. Two of the girls were absolutely hammered despite it still being early in the night. The other girl, Sarah, was the mother figure looking after her friends despite buying them drinks to keep them in a drunken state. It wasn't long until Sarah had to escort her friends back to the hotel before things got a little out of hand. As we walked along the street we met an elderly lady in a wheelchair and a black man pushing her. Dotty, the lady, was telling us all about New Orleans and what it's like during Mardi Gra. The black man was telling us how he hates all the hustlers. "It gives us black people a bad name, people look at me and assume that I'm trying to rob them of something." He then would turn round and tell a group of hustlers to sod off.
Girl Group #2
In the next pub we met another group of girls we in their southern tongue asked, "Ya'll real cowboys?" When we told them our story they were just confused as to why we were dressed that way. With them were three lads who told us in no uncertain terms that they were not going home alone. Tagging along we found out that Mary-Kate was the birthday girl and that's why they were out in New Orleans. Every now and then we'd be asked again "Ya'll real cowboys?" They seemed to have a memory like a goldfish. I'd like to be able to tell you more about the night but things got a little hazy and the feeling in the morning was awful.
Waking up in a Nashville car park early in the morning to a bird singing in my ear hole was not the best start to the day and it was told in the most polite way possible to sod off. After grabbing a bite to eat at the local fast food joint we set off to Lynchburg for an education tour, this time we were to learn the history of Mr Jack Daniel's.
Lynchburg is a very small town of 5-6 thousand people and there is nothing to do here; something the distillery tells us at the beginning of the tour. The reason being that they don't want anything to
distract them from their whiskey making. As we approached the visitors centre we were welcomed with Jack Daniel's rocking chairs and used barrels everywhere. Upon opening the door we were inundated with information regarding the history of the drink and how it's made. The funny thing however is that the county in which Lynchburg is situated is dry so we weren't allowed any free tasters. The fact that it was Easter Sunday didn't exactly help either.
Our tour guide was a guy called Dusty and couldn't be anymore stereotypically southern if he tried. Wearing his dungarees and JD baseball cap, Dusty slurred his words and often forgot what he was talking about. He picked his ears as he talked and made numerous hand gestures when he couldn't think of the right word. It turns out that he works at the local elementary school as a teacher during the week and he does the tours at weekends. I guess it is very much a family thing as his grandfather was the master distiller in his day.
Leaving Lynchburg we headed south to Birmingham, Alabama. On the journey I learned on the radio that the white man is enslaved and must be freed by the black man. Apparently the black man is the most unforgiving of men and needs to let go of the past and let free the white man. As the two presenters were discussing this very odd subject an email came in asking them about latinos. The answer was that he wasn't aware that they were enslaved but they must concentrate on freeing the white man first. The reason for this is that there is no country in the world that is run well by a non white male. If your country is run by anything other than a white male, it isn't run correctly. When they tried to think of a hispanic country that was led well they came up with Spain. I was astounded that they allowed this on the radio.
Arriving in Alabama it was noticeable that the road kill got a little bigger. No longer were there racoons on the side of the road, but dogs. A lot of dogs. Entering Birmingham at 5pm was strange, it was like a zombie film. The streets were deserted, the wind picked up just enough for the traffic lights to swing in the air, and all the buildings were derelict. The first sign of life was a queue of homeless people waiting for the shelter to open up. Looking for somewhere to eat we had a look at the 100 places to eat in Alabama leaflet we picked up at the welcome centre. Setting Phoney to the destination we were taken to yet another derelict building with no sign of life. Trying to get out of the city was simple as you could stop in the middle of the road, look up directions and have no need to worry that you are in the way as we were the only car on the streets.
Leaving Alabama we headed to New Orleans for some jazz and blues music. Despite the smell of sewage invading your nostrils every now and then, it really is a pretty place. As we wandered around Bourbon Street we noticed that you are allowed to drink in the street and that pubs had little window bars for you to order to take away. The homeless people here, and there are a lot of them, were loving it as they sat in the sun and drank the days away. They don't even try to hide their habits as they would bluntly ask for money for beer or weed; honesty is the best policy. One particular homeless man shouted to Evan that he always has been, will be, and currently is absolutely, utterly, and completely wasted. Then he fell over.
Wikipedia
New Orleans
La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) was founded May 7, 1718, by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. It was named for Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of France at the time. His title came from the French city of Orléans. The French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris (1763). During the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port to smuggle aid to the rebels, transporting military equipment and supplies up the Mississippi River. Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez successfully launched the southern campaign against the British from the city in 1779. New Orleans remained under Spanish control until 1801, when it reverted to French control. Nearly all of the surviving 18th century architecture of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) dates from this Spanish period. (The most notable exception being the Old Ursuline Convent.)Napoleon sold the territory to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, Irish, Germans and Africans. Major commodity crops of sugar and cotton were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city.
Waking up in Asheville we set off towards the Smoky Mountains. After spending far too long driving through the Blue Mountains we decided not to take the scenic route along the tops of the mountains and just went along the highway. Still, the views we had of the Smokies was fantastic as the fog (smoke) danced along the mountains ahead of us. The name "Smoky" comes from the natural fog that often hangs over the range and presents as large smoke plumes from a distance. This fog, which is most common in the morning and after rainfall, is the result of warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico cooling rapidly in the higher elevations of Southern Appalachia. As we delved deeper into the mountains we came across Gatlinburg and the home of the first legal Moonshine still.
The First Legal Moonshine Still
Parking up the car we took a stroll through the town which was pleasantly cheesy. It's basically a tacky tourist town with 'Ripley's' plastered across every cheap tourist attraction. It is very colourful though with every building being painted a variety of bright yellows, greens, and blues. I'm also pretty certain that there is often a Black Bear sighting in the area as I have never seen as many carvings of bears in my life. All sorts of shapes and sizes, from life size to small enough for the little guy to cradle your salt and pepper. Unfortunately I did not see a real bear. The Moonshine still was arguably the busiest part of town and even had a stage outside for local country and western singers to perform as you sit in the sun on your rocking chair; Tennessee does love its rocking chairs. With the queue far too long for the free tastings Evan and Hongi jumped in the deep end and shelled out for the original and apple pie flavoured respectively; I'm not looking forward to the night that gets cracked open. Before heading onwards to Nashville we sampled some local BBQ, and you couldn't get anymore local than the Hungry Bear BBQ. Basically this is someones house that they have converted into a little cafe that sell BBQ to eat in, or take away for a picnic. The lady behind the counter was friendly enough, although my English accent seemed to evade her understanding as on more than one occasion a blank stare was my only reply. The food that I'm guessing her husband cooked was amazing. For $10 we got sausage, ribs, pulled pork, bread rolls and a drink - bargain. Just to prove how much of a 'home' this was, there was a bathtub in the toilet.
My Friends Think That I May Have A Problem
Wikipedia
In 1856, a post office was established in the general store of Radford Gatlin (c. 1798-1880), thus giving the town the name "Gatlinburg". Despite the town bearing his name, Gatlin, who had only arrived in the flats around 1854, constantly bickered with his neighbors. By 1857, a full-blown feud had erupted between the Gatlins and the Ogles, probably over Gatlin's attempts to divert the town's main road. The eve of the U.S. Civil War found Gatlin, who would become a Confederate sympathizer, at odds with the residents of the flats, who were mostly pro-Union, and he was forced out in 1859. Despite its anti-slavery sentiments, Gatlinburg, like most Smoky Mountain communities, tried to remain neutral during the war. This changed when a company of Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas's Legion occupied the town to protect the salt peter mines at Alum Cave, near the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Federal forces marched south from Knoxville and Sevierville to drive out Thomas' men, who had built a small fort on Burg Hill. Lucinda Oakley Ogle, whose grandfather witnessed the ensuing skirmish, later recounted her grandfather's recollections:
... he told me about when he was a sixteen year old boy during the Civil War and would hide under a big cliff on Turkey Nest Ridge and watch the Blue Coats ride their horses around the graveyard hill, shooting their cannon toward Burg Hill where the Grey Coats had a fort and would ride their horses around the Burg Hill ...
As the Union forces converged on the town, the outnumbered Confederates were forced to retreat across the Smokies to North Carolina. The Confederates would never return, although sporadic small raids continued until the war's end.
Hen Parties Result In More Trouble Than Any Stag Do
Leaving Gatlinburg and its numerous miniature golf courses we set sails for Nashville and our first taste of a night out in the south. It'd be rude not to, especially as the time zone allowed us an additional hour. Parking up in a 24 hour car park we put our glad rags on and set off. Unfortunately it was raining but that didn't put a dampener on the local spirits, it helped that an Ice Hockey game had just finished as thousands of people headed for the pubs for a celebratory pint. Heading into our first pub we were greeted to a rendition of "God Bless The USA" from the locals - arguably the most tacky of songs I've ever heard. This was then followed by a lady in the corner getting her boobs out for the lads to motorboat - God Bless America!
Forcing Hongi Up Onto The Bar In Coyote Ugly
When queueing for the toilet the owner approached me asking where I'm from and what's brought me to Nashville. After explaining the road trip he shook my hand, or crushed, I'm unsure and wished me the best on my travels and a safe journey. I didn't get a free beer which would have been better, but beggars can't be choosers. On approaching Evan and Hongi a group of young girls (underage for drinking) noticed that I'm English. Que the stampede of questions and demands to speak. After telling them that I don't know the Queen, I don't like cups of tea, and I don't like Harry Potter, I was politely asked if I liked One Direction? Biting my tongue I eloquently told them that I am not a 15 year old girl.
Just In Case You Weren't Aware Of Where We Are
Moving on through the night we ended up going to Coyote Ugly and forced Hongi up on the bar to dance; that was after I was harassed by a Hen Party. Without warning I was dragged onto the dance floor and forced to partake in a dance I didn't know with a random woman. It's a good job I wasn't too drunk at the time as part of the dance was to jump on me and I had to throw her from my left side, to my right side, and then to the front before putting her down. Not bad for the heavyweight champion of Kenya. When the song finally finished I was told that I'm a quick learner and good dancer - there's a first for everything I guess.
Wikipedia
The town of Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Overmountain Men in 1779, near the original Cumberland settlement of Fort Nashborough. It was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location, accessibility as a river port, and its later status as a major railroad center. In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee. Within a few years after the Civil War the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and also developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a newfound prosperity to Nashville. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area.By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a very prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war.
Full of childish excitement Evan and I packed up his dad's Hyundai and set off to pick up Hongi before setting off south. The plan was to set off on Thursday and drive overnight as to miss the traffic in and around New York, New Jersey, and DC. It didn't exactly go to plan as within 30 miles we were stuck in traffic, the only traffic jam in the whole trip. Not only were we stuck in traffic, but we were also heading in the wrong direction. Evan's idea to go it alone at the wheel instantly hitting a brick wall. This was when we added another companion to the trip, phoney. Phoney told us which turns to take and did so in a very eloquent voice. So we have an American (Evan), a German (Hongi), an Englishman (Me), and now a Korean (Samsung Phoney) in the car.
After pulling over in a car park in Manassas for the night we continued our journey. Silly me thought that because we were heading south there was no need for long trousers or a thick blanket. It was bloody freezing in that car with my thin little rag of a blanket. Not the best nights sleep I've ever had. Driving around the town on the way out was very picturesque and noticeably very clean.
Manassas Town Centre
Wikipedia
In July 1861, the First Battle of Manassas – also known as the First Battle of Bull Run – the first major land battle of the American Civil War, was fought near here. Manassas commemorated the 150th anniversary of First Battle of Manassas July 21–24, 2011. Second Battle of Manassas (or the Second Battle of Bull Run) was fought near here on August 28–30, 1862. At that time, Manassas Junction was little more than a railroad crossing, but a strategic one, with rails leading to Richmond, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Shenandoah Valley. Despite these two Confederate victories, Manassas Junction was in Union hands for most of the war. The crossroads grew into the town of Manassas following the war, incorporated in 1873. In 1892, it became the county seat of Prince William County, replacing Brentsville, Virginia. In 1975, Manassas became an independent city. In modern times, Manassas' development has been strongly influenced by its position as a suburb of Washington, D.C.
On Top Of The World
As we made our way further south we approached the Blue Ridge Mountains. Deciding to take the scenic route we paid the toll and made our way through the mountains at 35mph. The Blue Ridge Mountains are noted for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color. At first the mountains are stunning, although I bet that they are even more
Massive Icicles
so when the trees and flowers are in bloom. For now the trees were bare and snow dusted the ground. With hundreds of viewpoints to stop at, it wasn't long until we started to pass the majority of them. There is only a certain amount of times you can look down into valleys of woodlands before you get a little bored. We decided to pull over and have a little walk down the footpath to find the waterfall labelled on the map. As we stepped out of the car the first sign of Evan's transformation into a redneck southerner came to the surface. Standing with straw in the mouth he noticed a skunk burrowing in the distance, his way of alerting Hongi and I was to mumble, "Dun lucka dat little mutha ---- ova there." I put gaps between the words now, but there was definitely no gaps when he said it, it was just one long word.
Man Conquers Nature
As we headed on down the path it was tricky to stay on our feet as the snow had turned to thick ice, pushing Hongi became a great source of entertainment. As we got closer to the waterfall the rocks around us had huge icicles dangling from them, I can't say I've ever seen bigger. I relived an old childhood tradition of snapping them and sucking it like an ice lolly. I didn't remember however how cold they are to hold, I must have been wearing mittens as a kid. Reaching the waterfall there is a big sign that alerts us to the fact that we shouldn't stray from the path nor should we walk on the rocks. This is the time where Evan decides that he can't read as he trots off jumping from rock to rock at the top of the waterfall to get a better look as Hongi and I made our way to the bottom.
Heading off back on the road it became very monotonous as we traveled over 100 miles at 35 mph along the twisting turning road with nothing but leafless trees for company. Mr Sun tried his hardest to kill us all by making us fall asleep but despite gaining victory over Hongi and I, he couldn't break down Evan as we made our way to Asheville and the cheapest motel in the area; well according to the guy behind the desk but he would say that wouldn't he?
