G.R.I.T.S Goes West goes East Again

Moving on to the next step is never easy and although I was anticipating the trip my mom and I were about to take, I had been dreading the day that I had to say my final goodbye to the place I loved so much. It wasn't until the morning I saw my room empty of my things, food absent from my kitchen cupboard and my car packed full to the brim, that I succumbed to all of the feelings rushing through my heart. As we pulled away from the farm, I couldn't help but think about the next time I would be back to visit.

Our trip began with a short drive to one of the places I always dreamed of seeing while in California; Big Sur.  The few times I was able to get to the coast, the thick fog loomed over the Pacific, blanketing the cliff side with a gray obscurity. But the day we started our adventure, the sky reflected the clear blue of the ocean and the warm air filled our lungs as we cruised down the coast. We spent the day exploring and soaking in the last bit of California sunshine before spending the next day on the road to Sedona, Arizona.

 The 12 hour drive to Sedona took us through Southern California's flat agricultural lands to the desert, the landscape transitioning from endless rows of artichoke, grape vines, orange trees and strawberries, to Joshua trees and a vast, brown openness. We got to Sedona soon after sunset, but woke up early to the most beautiful view I have ever had from a hotel balcony. From almost every angle, red rocks rose from the horizon and a river lined with lush trees flowed just below us. Our one day in Sedona began as the sun rose, and we spent the day exploring the landscape with a walk along the river and a visit to Slide Rock National Park. Our day ended at a restaurant with a view we could have only imagined.

It was hard for both of us to leave but we had another long drive ahead of us to our next destination that required an early start. Driving long distances out west is completely different than many of our driving experiences back east. The desert landscape is vast and often void of things to look at, with the exception of a freight train making its way to the next big city or a tumble weed hurling itself across the highway. The endless hours of driving and numbness that our backsides endured would totally pay off when we got to Austin, Texas. 

I loved Austin so much, that I ironically only have a few things to say about it. We couldn't have asked for better weather and every person we encountered was just as nice as the last. Our days in Austin were packed with exploring the city, eating delicious food and enjoying Austin's infamous music scene. We enjoyed our last night at Lambert's Downtown BBQ, where I'm pretty sure I almost died and went to Heaven— coffee-braised brisket, pulled pork, brown sugar brussel sprouts and the most delicious cornbread muffins inducing the food coma I fell into. I have to add that mom discovered her new found love for Deep Eddy's Grapefruit vodka that she bought in BULK because it's an Austin original.

I finally came out of my food coma and mom parted ways with her grapefruit libations and we rolled ourselves further south toward Louisiana to visit a city we have both been eagerly waiting to explore. Mom hasn't been to New Orleans since she was a little girl and as we drove, she told me stories of visiting her uncle in the city. We spent our first day in the deep south exploring some of Louisiana's antebellum plantations and spent the night at Nottoway Plantation, a beautiful historic home along the Mississippi River. Like most mornings on this trip, we woke early to head into the French Quarter of New Orleans where we would spend our last day in Louisiana touring the busy streets, exploring the French Market where I had the most fantastic crab cake, eating beignets at Cafe Du Monde (spoiler alert: highly overrated), and experiencing a small band with a big sound on Frenchman Street.

Our last stop took us north to another city known for its music scene and down home delicious food. Many of our trips have taken us through Tennessee before and Nashville has become one of my favorite places to visit. Nashville's downtown district is lively and vibrant, while it's charming suburbs are nestled in rolling hills, farmland and open space. Much like our visit to Austin and New Orleans, our two days in Nashville consisted of walking and eating. Our last night took us to Broadway, where live music pours from every bar and cowboy boots fill their dance floors.

This road trip was exactly what I needed before making the move back home. Although our stops were brief, it gave us the opportunity to experience some of the unique character, culture and cuisine that our country offers. It also gave me time to relax and reflect on the past year and gave me hope that my next opportunity will present itself at the right time.

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted."