Trip across the US!

You’d picture that one Ben Folds Five song if I told you that our story begins at 6 a.m., day after Christmas. However, I was waking up to begin a trip that would take me further from home than I had ever been before. Savannah was a dear and drove me to the airport (and we had IHOP), and we got Olivia Dunkin’ along the way. I had one last glass of beer at The Tap (airport edition) and got on my flight to LA. Well, technically, we flew backwards first, going to Detroit and then LA. In LA I was really busy with Nolan’s operation so I was just at the hospital. We had a good few days all things considered, and things went okay.

I love how anywhere I go on Earth I’m just faced with broken escalators. Real ones will remember Exit 3!!

There were so many people and I felt kina awkward taking pictures on Hollywood blvd so here is a shaky selfie:

And we can’t forget Shrek’s star on the walk of fame:

At least I got to have some taste of home!! (Albeit at $60)

With that, we end LA, and we get in the famous 2014 Prius to go to our next stop, Las Vegas!!! Vegas was fun but it was also kinda depressing as a solo traveller. I felt like this Modelo can (also Olivia got me a Modelo t shirt I love ittttttt):

Gambling was so serious there, and that was kinda scary. Not the Ocean’s 11 casino movie type gambling, the real deal kind.

Plus crapless craps:

I ate at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. The food was great, first proper fish and chips I’ve had in the US. However, that little spiked lemonade you see was about $25. The whole meal was about $60.

I stopped at the Hualapai Native American reservation and got this nice hat. The people were so friendly and awesome, and they loved to talk about their beautiful culture. Such wonderful human beings.

Flagstaff was a little reminder of Bloomington on the road. I loved the people, absolutely adored them. Everyone was super friendly and people said good morning on the streets. A big change from the bigger cities I was in. The fried cod was meh though not gonna lie haha

But BOY did it have good drinks. This is a blood orange cider. It was so good I downed it as soon as I got it and ordered another one. Just pure heaven. inspired me to take up brewing.

Flagstaff apparently has a very nice sky and astrophotographers visit there often.

And apparently the biggest biscuits and the smallest sausages of America?

Albuquerque didn’t have a nice vibe overall but it had pockets of very nice people. I spent New Years Eve having a nice pizza and some beer at a nice local restaurant. Regular patrons were there celebrating the new year which was nice.

Calories are %50 off on holidays.

After Albuquerque I was scared of the winter storm that was about to come, so I did a 10 hour day. I drove and drove and drove. Here I stopped to charge my phone at a McDonalds. It was the day after Christmas and I was alone on the road so I think the person working there wanted to treat me and got me the biggest ice cream I’ve ever seen in my life. Also, I just realized I spent a whole day in Tulsa and have no pictures?? What?? I did eat at buccees though.

I think the best shot I captured of the arch was this reflection on a building. Surely thousands of photographers have done it before me (and here I am calling myself a photographer with my samsung phone and night mode turned on).

Last official beer of the trip, at Drake’s in STL. It was mid like everything else in that city (sorry STL people I love you).

Finally!! Back at home safe, narrowly evading the winter storm of January 2025 and the California fires. I rewarded myself with a lunch at Uptown cafe. The cajun food there never fails to bring me back to life and this viet-cajun chicken hit the spot.