Back in the ATL

I am actually at a computer, so there should be less typos and odd auto-spell mistakes.

The wrecker driver got us back to Atlanta safe and sound, even if he did miss our exit!  Got the car to the VW dealership but they won't be able to look at it until Monday.  Hopefully it is a minor issue such as the thermostat and can be quickly and cheaply replaced and Dorrie and I can be back on our merry way. If it is anything more complicated we are going to be running into time constraints and some difficult decisions.

My roommate Tabitha  picked us up at the car dealership and brought us back to our place.

Thank You Tabitha!!!!!

So, back in Atlanta for the night, going to go out, anyone want to join us?

Back to Atlanta

So what happened was this. We left Atlanta at 9pm local with Hamilton,  AL as our intended destination for the nights drive.  I had just found a comfortable seating combination, drank a 6 hour energy drink (5 hours isn't enough it turns out) and was settled in for the drive. 

Shortly after crossing into Alabama the car started dinging,  I looked down to see that the car had overheated!  Now, being a new car to me I had been diligently monitoring the gauges to get a feel for what normal was.  So the overheating happened suddenly.

I was able to coax the car to the next exit about 5 miles down the road keeping the temp just out of the red. Got to the station and checked all the vitals quiches seemed to be in order.  Let it cool down for a bit.  There was a very sweet sheriffs officer that looked out for Dorrie while I took the car for a test drive.  It could go 35mph or less without overheating.  Ugh!

So load Dorrie back up and we drove down the highway at. 35 to 40mph , pulling over into the shoulder when cars approached.  The 15 mile trip to the next town took 45 minutes.  Found a hotel and started strategizing.

This morning we got up with a plan.  Drive country roads back to Atlanta keeping the car under 40 all 85 miles back.  We didn't even make it out of town. :(

So now we are in the cab of the wrecker seen in the picture. As we pulled out the driver said that he was tired, this was his fourth trip to Atlanta since midnight! 

Gotta love an adventure.

Alabama!!

Its going to be our sweet  home for the evening, as we have rented a room at the Key West Inn in booming Hamilton. Krispin has had a 6 hour energy drink for a 3 hour drive.

ATL Shawrty

ATL Shawrty

Macon

We made it to Macon!   Its freaking hot. Made the big right turn towards Atlanta after 160 miles of I 16 boringness. 

Look where we are now!!!

On the road

The adventure has begun! We got on the road about 12:30 and after a few quick stops we are now just north of Brunswick, ga. Its HOT. Next stop Atlanta to switch cars, dinner at R. Thomas & head to Tupelo, Ms.

Morning 1.
Due to the heat, my father and I only worked until around noon, then got back at it after 5.  This was the first morning's accomplishment.  Doesn't look like much but each one of those 2x6's is supported by three cement pier blocks.  Each one had to have a hole dug for it, and leveled to each other.

Morning 2
Doesn't look like much progress was made, but we actually completely redesigned the original plan, making the deck about 50% larger than what Dad had specified. With a lot of refiguring and moving pier blocks around, we get this.

Afternoon 3
Now we see some progress! Got the whole substructure up.  Just started laying down the synthetic decking.

Afternoon 4
Now it is looking like a deck!  The structures in the back are a bench and a pole that hold a light and a small table for the BBQ.

Evening 5

People, we have a deck!

Here you can see the bench, the table, the light, and the bbq.

Trip Entertainment

Ok, this was started in Facebook but I figured I would open it up to those few non-facebookers out there.

As any of my friends will attest, I am hardly a novice in regards to long trips in a car.  This being my 5th East-West trip and 5th or 6th North South trip (I like that I am doing both in one trip, hypotenuse be damned!).  However, having spent so much time in the car, I have pretty much worn out all forms of road trip entertainment that I am  aware of.  So I am looking for two things

1) Road trip games that you can recommend, and not the obvious like slug bug and the alphabet game.  Anything that we can play that doesn't require my eyes to be off the road for extended periods of time (blackjack is not out of the question).

2) Road side attractions along I-40 / Route 66 that you have been to that you recommend.

Leave em in the comments!

State Holiday!

Turns out today is some sort of state holiday here in Florida.  I haven't been a resident here long enough to know about all the local traditions, festivals, and such; so this one caught me by surprise.

Turns out that today is "drive 45 no matter what the speed limit is" day. I really need to get some sort of calendar Notifier or something to let me know about this.

I first noticed that something might be up when I was sitting behind a 60s Falcon. When I passed it I saw the driver who I am pretty sure bought the car new as a retirement present to himself back in the 60s. He had to be 116.

It wasn't just him. I felt like I was in a drivers training video. Everyone was going stupid slow.  Hopefully this is an isolated event and not an omen for my impending journey.

Who has done this?

The Schedule

Day One: Walter & Maude

Day one starts off with loading up the my car and hauling ass to Atlanta.  Terri is having a Big Lebowski themed birthday party, and what is a Lebowski party without Walter? So I am in growing out the beard again! Dorrie is going as Maude, and hopefully will have a line on the perfect hair piece to really nail the concept.

We need to be in the metro Atlanta area around 10pm, switch our stuff into the second car (gotta make sure the man can't follow us) and then head over to the bowling alley.  Can't stay out too late though, because the next day we are heading to Memphis at the butt crack of dawn.

Day Two: Walking in the footsteps of the King

We get up at 5:30 and are on the road by 6am with the GPS programmed for Elvis' childhood home in Tupelo, MS.  With any luck Dorrie will be guiding all of you on a video tour of the place.  Then we kick it into high gear, keep an eye out for the fuzz, and speed our way to Memphis to make it just in time for the last tour of Graceland.  All Graceland shwag will be immediately posted on this blog.  I have my eye on a TCB belt buckle...

From Graceland Dorrie will hone her map reading skills as I am going to turn off the GPS and see if she can get us to Beale Street without getting lost or shot.  An hour later with bellies full of BBQ (and veggies for Dorrie) we head west and find a hotel for the night.

Day Three: The GD middle of the country

Day three's goal is to drive for as long as a human being can possibly endure in a VW Golf.  The goal is Memphis to Amarillo, just under 12 hours driving time, but with random adventures along the way, can easily stretch into 18 hours.  We get there when we get there.

Day Four: Eclecticness (look, I can make up words just like Sarah Palin)

We will see wonderful roadside attractions such as the restaurant with the 96 oz steak (I call it breakfast), Cadillac Ranch, and Tex the giant statue.  From there we put the hammer down and with our sights set on the Petrified Forrest (stone trees, what the hell?).  Take a few shots of some flinestone trees and then follow historic Route 66 through Flagstaff and beyond.  The goal for Day Four is Kingman, AZ.  

Check back soon for Days 6 through 13, THE WEST COAST!

Test

This is a test, only a test.

Location : 96513 Blackrock Rd, Yulee, FL 32097,

Jacksonville, Fl to Seattle, WA - The route

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Driving cross country both ways in the same trip!

Road Trip 2010 - Background

How the trip started
This trip all started out when I was invited to Xuan & Victor's wedding. I was originally going to fly out, thanks to my dad and his generous offer of his frequent flier miles.

I know, you are thinking "what, Krispin fly?", yes I was dreading it too. Road side attractions just don't look as cool from 35,000 feet.

As luck would have it, my friends Zach & Liz had just decided to move to Seattle, and not 30 minutes after my father so graciously booked the tickets, they called asking if I would drive their other car to Seattle. Of course I said yes. I had to ask Dorrie, knowing the answer, and of course she is now coming.

Dorrie

I met Dorrie way back in 1998 when I was living in Florida, strange that it has been 12 years already. I had known her for about three weeks when I decided to move back to California. I don't remember what led to it, but she decided to ride shotgun on the trip back. It was AWESOMENESS, I think at one point we laughed for 40 miles straight. We were also delusional from being on the road through most of texas.

Fast Forward 8 years and I moved to Atlanta, she was of course all over that trip. We really kitched it up, stopping at:

• The worlds largest fireworks stand AND liquor store
• Little America
• Worlds Largest Ball of Twine
• Geographic center of the US
• Prairie Dog Land
• St. Louis Arch
• and many more

So it was a given that she would come on this trip.