Road Trip 2018 - The Return Of Navel Gazing, Likes/Dislkies Overview

What trip of de-I and the Eldership would be complete without the complete analysis of what has transpired. All kidding aside, as this blog is as much a diary and reservoir of our experiences, these analyses help us to remember the experiences, serve as guides for how we want to revise our travel in the future, remind us of the lessons we've learned and serve as solemn testimony to our continual ignoring of the lessons we've learned.

This was our first ever extensive road trip in the U.S. We have had a car for the entire time for a few long trips in France and Italy. But we've only done one long trip (New Zealand, three weeks) where the auto was the primary means of transportation and where we did not book most of our accommodations in advance. We'd debated about how long to make the trip. I wanted to get back earlier for work purposes. In the event, we were totally ready to be home when the time came.

Here's the list of what we liked and disliked

High Points

• Louisiana - the whole feel of the Creole culture as something different than what you find in the rest of the country, the food, the architecture. Particular high points were the Old State Capitol and Algiers Point
• The Mississippi Gulf Coast - We loved that it was part of the Creole sphere of cultural influence and that in October the shore was so pristine and free of people. All kinds of neat interactions with people as well.
• State Capitols Jackson in Mississippi and Montgomery in Alabama - we loved the cityscapes and the architecture, had some great, meaningful people experiences and of course our incredibly uplifting, spirit renewing experience with Aroine Irby
• The Hunter Museum of Art and Walnut Bridge in Chattanooga - Another place that got our photographic juices flowing and such interesting art to boot
• Nashville's cityscape - the last thing I expected in Nashville was the juxtaposition of impressive modern architecture with classic buildings. Another fun day with the camera. And the Tennessee State Museum was one of many in our trip that was well done, balance, and motivating of deep contemplation about our history and making peace with it
• Little Rock - So funny, I swear we were the only tourists in town but there was enough there that we added a day. The Historic Little Rock museum was yet another of the great and sobering ones we saw
• Guthrie Oklahoma - We were there to see Wife's cousins. But Bill, Cousin G's husband turned into the most gracious and knowledgeable host and turned our walk into a mini-tour of this fascinating small town. Then there was the conversation among the cousins and husbands about their having Cherokee blood and their own starting to deal with the question of the treatment of Native Americans historically, the Trail of Tears, and the Oklahoma Land Rush
• Driving U.S. and State Highways - For a lot of our trip we were able to stay off of the Interstate highway system. For the most part we found (at least in this part of the country) that we could travel speeds close to those of the Interstate, with less traffic and with much more to see

Lower Points

• Texas Urban Drivers - let's be more specific, male drivers in this area who have super large pick-up trucks, who drive at super fast speeds and ride your ass even when you are driving well over the speed limit. So obnoxious and honestly behavior we did not see with anywhere near the frequency that we experienced in the Austin/San Antonio/Houston urban area
• Texas Hill Country - too touristy 
• The New Orleans Trolley - if you are going to have a mass transit system, don't recreate a historic relic that functions unreliably
• The depression of Selma - so discouraging when you find a place that seems locked in the same conflict of 60 years ago
• The Appalachians and Great Smokey National Park - okay I plead guilty to being a jaded resident of the Western Mountain States. I'm sorry, but when you are surrounded by some of the most incredible mountain scenery in the world, it is hard to get pumped by the East. And the pain of driving in the National Park with so many people, outweighed any charm
• Driving the Interstates - The Interstate Highway system is certainly efficient but the amount of traffic, especially truck traffic, means constant vigilance and they are all pretty boring 
• Food other than Louisiana and Gulf Coast Mississippi - to be honest I had hoped for more from the Deep South. But for the most part our meals were nothing to write home about
• Hotel and Airbnb Inconsistencies - we definitely are not going the cheapest though we are not going luxury either. But there was never a place that had its act 100% together. Sometimes it was little annoying things like a nice place where the sheets wouldn't stay on. Or lack of light blocking curtains. Or worn/dirty carpets. But most annoying was the high frequency of lousy hotel internet. Why in the U.S. hotels cheap out on internet in a day and age when connectivity is so important is a mystery to me

Next post - Observations and Lessons