First Road Trip I Can Remember

My family went on a few road trips when I was really little, but I don't remember them.  This drive down to Texas is the first real road trip I can remember, and definitely the first one for which I've done any of the driving.  Anyway, here's how the trip went.

Day Zero (Wednesday):
I was surprisingly fast getting through my to-do list.  I programed the addresses for all of our planned stops into the car's navigation, I loaded up the trunk (a lot can fit in an Elantra) and even had time to make cookies.  I had my last round of hangout time with N and L, and went to bed at a semi-reasonable time.

Day One (Thursday):
I got up early to roast potatoes for breakfast.  Mom and Dad got up later, and Dad made sausages and scrambled eggs.  We left at a quarter to eight.  We stopped for lunch in Cincinnati, and after parking in a sort of sketchy lot (I don't like double parking and handing my keys to a stranger) we got a bite at Arnold's Bar and Grill:

Image source: http://www.arnoldsbarandgrill.com

It's the oldest bar in Cincinnati, and it has a cute courtyard.  I had spaghetti and Dad had a meatball sandwich.  They have good food and reasonable prices.

After lunch, it was back to the car to drive until dinner in Nashville.  I let Dad choose between Indian and barbeque, and I am glad he chose the latter!  This is where the best BBQ comes from:

Image source: http://www.hogheavenbbq.com/

This place has been featured on Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate, and it's right across from a park.  It probably would have been really busy, but it had been raining a lot, so there were only a few other people there.  Dad and I ate fantastic beef brisket sandwiches.  If you're ever in Nashville, eat this food!  Unless you're a vegetarian.  Then don't.

After dinner we drove some more (surprise!) and made it to our hotel in Jackson, TN.  We basically just watched Rachel Maddow and went to bed.

Day Two (Friday):
Our hotel had a breakfast buffet, the high point of which was the waffle maker (I got really excited).  Dad and I are pretty fast travelers, so we were on the road again by 7am.

It rained very hard through the rest of Tennessee and through much of Arkansas.  But we still made really good time, and arrived at our planned lunch destination about ten minutes before it opened.  Instead of using Urban Spoon to find something else, we just chilled in the car for a bit.  Dad got some business calls in, and I just kind of zoned out because I was hungry. 

Image source: http://www.littlerockpantry.com

The restaurant is called The Pantry, and the food there is awesome.  We thought the restaurant high point was going to be Hog Heaven, but The Pantry was just as good (in a totally different style).  They specialize in Germanic/Czech dishes, use local ingredients, yadda yadda.  What's important is that their stuff is delicious.  Dad had a salmon wrap, I had beef goulash (so. good.), and we had apple strudel for dessert.  I told Husband that we have to stop at The Pantry on the way back.  I just want to know that I'll get to eat there again.

After lunch, it was another 5+ hours in the car to get to my Aunt D's house in Dallas.  Aunt E was there too, and Cousin N and her husband C came for dinner.  Aunt D is an awesome cook!  She made pork loin with an I-don't-remember-what rub (I know it had jalapeno) and grilled peaches with honey.  She also made an Italian version of pastry cream and layered it with berries for dessert!  I was in food heaven.  It was nice to be able to relax and spend time with family after so much time in the car.  I'm looking forward to visiting her with Husband. 

Day Three (Saturday):
After blueberry buttermilk pancakes (seriously, food heaven), we were on the road again!  We left somewhere around 10am.  I wasn't theoretically in a rush, but I when you haven't seen your husband in three months and you're finally about to see him, you get kind of antsy.

There isn't a lot between Dallas and San Angelo, so we ate lunch at a Whataburger.  I thought the food was all right (think Wendy's), although the number of cockroaches in the ladies' restroom was alarming!

After about a billion more miles of Texas, we finally made it to San Angelo.  Only to find that Husband wasn't at the apartment complex, because his ride was MIA.  Eventually he found a way to us (we couldn't pick him up because the car was full of things), and we got to set up our castle!  Naptime ensued.

We had dinner at the Cork & Pig Tavern (decent place), and drove around town and the base.  I wasn't too keen on being in the car any more, but Dad wanted to take a look.  We came back, watched Sleepless in Seattle, and went to bed.  First night home!


Yesterday we took Dad to the airport and got some groceries.  I had some fun dealing with chemical smells in the kitchen, but I made an okay dinner.  I set up the Wii, then realized I forgot to pack the sensor bar. :/  We were in bed by 8pm, because Husband had to get up at 3am today.  Hurrah for 4am PT. 

Anyway, that's how I got down to Texas.  I'll be doing the drive in reverse in a few short months, with Husband in tow!

- Brianne