Category Archives: USA

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Bourbon

After our detour to Tennessee to catch Jason Isbell we headed north, over the border to Kentucky for a few days, split between our first stop Lexington and our second in Louisville.

Kentucky is very famous for a few things, primarily bourbon and horse racing – and KFC. Lexington was our first stop and where a lot of the bourbon and horse-racing originates. It was like one large manicured race-track. The grass and picket fences broke up the mundane freeways and buildings. We just missed one of the largest horse racing events and I could believe how busy Lexington would be. As it was, we didn’t venture greatly downtown as this trip was about the bourbon trail.

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Something more than free

We left Asheville and were originally scheduled to head north/east towards Lexington, Kentucky but due to one of our favourites – Jason Isbell – having a show at Knoxville at the Tennessee Theatre we booked these tickets in Melbourne (it was a sell-out show) and fitted in an overnighter for nothing more than to see this show.

And maybe for one other thing – Dollywood …

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Asheville

Our next destination was one of our longer drives – east to Asheville NC, via Lexington so we could have some BBQ (worth the side track). Asheville was another of those foody choice destinations. We spoke to someone earlier (someone in the Steel String bar in Corrboro – good beer) and they described Asheville as a place known for food, beer and music – and that’s a pretty good trio.

It kind of reminded us of an inner Melbourne suburb with the hipsters and arty folk with the country feel of say a Daylesford or Katoomba in the blue mountains. It was really a surprise and we enjoyed all our time here, even if we we were out of town on a bit of a hotel strip (and it must have been a hotel strip for a while as there were some classic hotels out there). I did some driving downtown but another we caught Uber – we have found this great in America – fast, cheap, friendly, clean and they know where they are going. Big thumbs up Uber.

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Research Triangle

So, after a change into dry clothes, we headed north/east towards Chapel Hill through rain that at times was so heavy all we could see was rain and hopefully the tail lights of the car in front. But it didn’t last forever and after about 2.5 hours we reached our next destination Carrboro, which neighbours Chapel Hill.

We stayed at another almost new hotel in Carrboro which is kind of a bit of a trendy (??) neighbourhood adjoining Chapel Hill, which is the home of University of North Carolina – the Tarheels. UNC is most known for its basketball – Michael Jordan its most famous basket balling student (I’ll get to that later). This was a two night stay so we could have a look around, try some good food (North Carolina BBQ and anything else) and enjoy.

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Cape Fear

Leaving Charleston and South Carolina we had a few days until our next hotel was booked over the border in Asheville, North Carolina. We had several choices of how to get there through NC and what to do in between. I thought I’d get on to the Lonely Planet forum and ask for some advice from those who live here. We were thinking about heading north up the coast to a place called Wilmington – the replies were along the lines of “why bother”, “what do you want to go there for”, “if you want so see the coast you can see that in Charleston.”

Mmmm, Wilmington didn’t sound good but we booked it anyway. After that was through what is known as the research triangle due to three universities in neighbouring cities – Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham. The advice was “these are just strip towns with nothing go direct”, “Durham is dead”, “If anywhere, stay at Chapel Hill”. We booked Chapel Hill.

The expert advisors wanted us to travel north/east from Charleston through the NC capital at Colombia – we didn’t and luckily as the weather through that area had some of the heaviest rains they have had for a while.

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Charleston – mmmmmm

Left Savannah and headed north towards Charleston. Things I remember, not too much apart from fireworks – fireworks super stores, oh the memories. Anyways, we had four nights booked in downtown Charleston, right amongst the action. And while there was some good eating in Savannah, Charleston is known for good eating. There used to be a culinary school and when that closed the local chefs got together and created an identity aside from a culinary school identity.

Because the food needs its own blog, this is it – if you want to know more about Charleston (well, not really because that’s what Wikipedia is for) but maybe see some photos and my short thoughts, then that will arrive when I get around to it. We were in Charleston a week ago as I write this so my memory fades quite quickly.

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Savannah

Checked out of the lovely Athens for our long drive south to Savannah, South Carolina. This was a lets-be-the-tourists-that-we-are stop and also a place where Caroline had checked out the local cuisine with one place already booked and another on the agenda. Can’t remember the drive as I write this, except we stopped for a stop and snacks at a place where the local sheriff was at, so it was either good, or cheap, or they have a lot of trouble – I think it was good.

Savannah is a grid town, Savannah has a lot of one-way streets, Savannah has a cobble-stoned waterfront, and break your ankle if not careful kind of paving – where Ms TomTom sent us as for some reason she prefers the back-entry to any location we are headed rather than the front door. But it was kind of interesting seeing the waterfront walk by car rather than foot as it was one hell of a steep climb to get down there – and break your ankle if not careful kind of paving.

View from the rooftop bar at CottonSail Hotel where we stayed

View from the rooftop bar at CottonSail Hotel where we stayed

We checked into our very nice Cottonsail hotel right on the river with a great river view. Only problem, at this time (or maybe at this time when we were there) we said goodbye to the great weather we have been having to some warm but wet, and I mean wet, weather.

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UGA

Driving south east from Atlanta we headed through Walking Dead territory to our next stop, Athens Georgia. Most of Walking Dead is filmed around Atlanta and as we were taking quite a few back-roads (highways but they were like back-roads) it felt and looked just like Walking Dead territory – the trees, roads, railway lines, dumped cars and walkers (well, not quite the last two). But I think Ms TomTom was concerned as for about the first ten minutes or more leaving Atlanta all we heard from her was “keep left, keep left” – okay, okay.

This was an interesting drive away from the main freeways and through some interesting towns, none more so than one place where we had to slow as the car in front was herding a cow running alongside – not sure if this is how they always take their cow for a walk or whatever, but it was effective. And Athens was a real interesting place, in fact for an overnighter we enjoyed the little time we had. Continue reading →

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Things go better with …

After another complimentary bowl of fruit loops at our hotel in Birmingham, it was time to hit the roads, travelling East to another State – Georgia. Destination – Atlanta, the home of coca-cola. Nothing of note for this drive, apart from the quite heavy traffic and close your eyes and hope you’re in the correct lane driving.

Atlanta is big, Atlanta has roads like a bowl of spilt spag-bog, Atlanta has traffic like Melbourne (doesn’t go anywhere) and it amazes me how they managed to get people to and from their Olympic Games. Luckily our hotel was not far from where we entered and in a pretty good street for restaurants, etc. Right across the road from the famous Fox theatre where a lot of top musicians play or have played. We never got to have a look inside but it was very nice looking and booked out for a wedding the weekend we there. Would no doubt be a good spot for a wedding, pity some of the guests were staying at out hotel – The Hotel Indigo, because they were a pain.

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Birmingham, Alabama

Leaving Nashville in the mid-morning for a casual drive south down the highway (one of the very many) to Birmingham, “Sweet Home” Alabama (which is on the big sign when you cross the border so not just something from me). Good fun getting used to opening the correct door but maybe not as much fun as remembering to drive on the right side of the road. This is actually not as hard as one may consider and it only becomes tricky when turning but doesn’t take long to pick up (also the fourth time I’ve driven over here).

BBBBQBBBBQ ribsBirmingham was only two and a bit hours away so we decided to call in for some BBQ on the way – as you do. We made a detour to Decatur and called in for some lunch at Big Bob Gibson’s. Not bad either, although most BBQ is pretty good (except I kind of got a bit crook that day, must have been the coleslaw or potato salad – not the ribs).

The Chief helping out

The Chief helping out

Made Birmingham easily and our room was ready for check-in. Birmingham was a rich source of iron ore and important during the early years of industrialisation and railroads. It later became a bit of a boom city and was coined the ‘Magic City’. More importantly, Birmingham was an important city in gaining attention for civil rights in America and worldwide attention. If you have any interest at all in civil rights, then you should visit Birmingham.

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