Road Trip Diary
Suzy Sube's Search for the Soul of America! Or, I quit my job to travel for a bit and shift gears, and needed to blog about it.
Leg 1 (March/April)
Leg 1 (March/April)
Leg 2 (May/June):
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Day 16: Birmingham to Atlanta As a queer person who LOVES Fried Green Tomatoes (the book, film, and food), I was NOT allowed to leave Birmingham without stopping at the place that inspired the Whistle Stop Cafe - the Irondale Cafe! Which is, in fact, right by a train stop that is VERY loud. It is a hopping historical spot on its own even without FGT fame (opened in 1928), and had to take several slices of pie to sample, of course. We then made our way to Atlanta, where my sister Hannah lives, to spend a few days hanging out with her and her boyfriend Connor and recharging before tackling the Big Ears festival. Our first night in town, we had a lovely dinner at Argosy in East Atlanta Village; again, I am not into food pics, but rest assured the Coca-Cola braised french dip rivaled Cole's in Los Angeles, which you should know I would not throw around lightly. We then had the pleasure of attending a fantastic Kraftwerk concert at a very cool venue called The Eastern. The visual elements of the show were spectacular, and finally being able to see this friggin' electronic music PIONEERS was a very special experience.
Days 17-18: Atlanta We had a restful morning, and decided to devote our first full day in Atlanta to some sight-seeing after a hearty lunch at Manuel's Tavern. Dating back to 1956, it has been a longstanding hub for the Democratic party in Georgia, and was one of Jimmy Carter's favorite restaurants (he launched his gubernatorial campaign there in 1970). Our next stop was the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. In light of our current nightmare regime, it was refreshing to revisit the legacy of a President who valued Democracy, understood the job and who (most of the time) prioritized human rights above all else. Rosalynn Carter's legacy is also quite remarkable - she was almost certainly the most active First Lady in pursuit of humanitarian causes in our history. I left feeling a deep sadness, though, for the Carters' humanitarian legacy is rapidly being demolished daily by the Orange N*zi's USAID cuts. I have to hold on to the faintest glimmer of hope that the adults in Congress will stand up to fascism and find a way to restore these vital programs. As one must while in Atlanta, we also toured the World of Coca-Cola (which I had done before, but it was Alex's first time). A bit silly, but you do get to try different Coke products from around the world (sorry I failed at pics, here). We had some great Mexican food for dinner from Elmyriachi, as well! The next day I was pretty tired, so I decided to devote the day to rest and doing laundry. Alex does not like to waste a single day while traveling, so he opted to check out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which is highly recommended. We all met up for dinner at Apres Diem (great bistro) and saw Black Bag at the theater next door, the new Soderbergh spy thriller, which was excellent. Day 19: Atlanta to Knoxville We sadly had to say goodbye to Atlanta, but not without grabbing some delicious pastries from Galette, first (thank you Hannah for the rec!). Our first stop of the day was a MAJOR road trip highlight so far - the American Museum of the House Cat. This place is absolutely crazy and full of a WILD array of cat-related items (with 3 resident house cats, as well). We loved every minute and could have stayed much longer, if we'd had time. You can also check them out on Instagram if you're curious to know more. We were luckily also able to stop by the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee, NC. This was a fascinating stop, because you get to experience an older exhibit (from the 90's) curated by non-Cherokee 'experts,' alongside more current commentary from the actual Cherokee community. It is difficult to fathom how the museum functioned for decades without input from the Cherokee community....but glad they are finally course-correcting. The whole drive on this day was lovely, but the highlight for sure was the scenic highway through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We didn't have time for hiking, but were grateful to see the Mountain Farm Museum at the visitors center, some wildlife, and a few epic scenic overlooks! Our last stop of the day before reaching our final destination for the next few days (Knoxville, TN) was Pigeon Forge, TN, where we stopped for dinner at The Old Mill Restaurant. Pigeon Forge is perhaps best known as the home of Dollywood, which we were originally going to visit on this day, but sadly timing was not in our favor...so we opted to return another time to give Dolly the time she truly deserves. The Old Mill was super popular for their very delicious Southern home cooking. We are now officially at the half-way point of our trip, and parked in Knoxville for the next few days while attending the Big Ears Festival! I'll post again as soon as I can, but may be a few days given our (perpetually busy) schedule. Thanks for reading!
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Whew, we have been doing a lot around here! I'm enjoying my one day off to recharge in Atlanta before we head to Knoxville tomorrow for the Big Ears Festival. We've woven through the Deep South over the past few days (Alex's first time in LA, MS, AL and GA), and done our best to soak it all in. Day 13: Houston to New Orleans We set out from Houston after some great coffee/pastries from Mercantile and a moment of contemplation at the Rothko Chapel (an inter-denominational chapel with murals by Mark Rothko). After crossing the Louisiana state line, our first stop was in Lake Charles at Steamboat Bill's on the Lake for (you guessed it) seafood. Steamboat Bill knows what's up - although surprisingly, the chicken tenders were the star! The very photogenic Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge is also worth a stop (Geaux Tigers). After arriving at our hotel in New Orleans' Garden District (The Quisby - loved it), we had a bite at the Avenue Pub before hitting the hay to rest up for a big day in NOLA the following day. Day 14: NOLA Since we got into NOLA rather late the previous day, we really only had ONE day to make the most of our time in the city (definitely not enough time) - but we sure did our best to cram in as much as we could! Alex really leaned in and busted out his best Cajun accent the entire time we were there, as well... As tourists do...we spent the majority of our day in the French Quarter (#noregrets). Our first stop was the French Market, which we perused while waiting for the New Orleans Jazz Museum to open, where they were hosting the 3-day Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival. We were lucky enough to follow the opening parade through the streets with Michael Brooks and the Sons of Jazz Brass Band, look through all of the exhibits at the museum, and attend another fantastic performance by Chris Thomas King (who was featured in O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Definitely a major highlight of our trip so far!
We worked our way through the rest of the French Quarter, visiting as many historic spots as we could: - Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar (dates back to the 1720s), is known for allegedly being the oldest bar in the U.S., with a wickedly potent Voodoo Daiquiri (or Purple Drink) to match. - The Voodoo Museum was small, but full of many interesting wares. - Pat O'Brien's has a lovely courtyard, a killer muffaletta, delicious red beans and rice, and of course their most famous/dangerous invention - the Hurricane cocktail. - Cafe du Monde is best known for their beignets and coffee - a tourist trap if there ever was one...but you have to go! - The Old Absinthe House is indeed, very old and full of absinthe (which sadly, I can't stand), but Alex enjoyed sampling the sazerac and planter's punch in our second oldest haunt of the day. - We took a much needed rest at our hotel before heading out to dinner in the Garden District at Beggar's Banquet (which as you might guess, pays homage to the Rolling Stones). A newer spot with exceptional drinks, entrees, and dessert. Day 15: NOLA to Birmingham Officially on the road for two weeks, we reluctantly said goodbye to NOLA and spent the day tackling everything we could in Alabama (an exceptionally daunting task). Having not been to Alabama for a couple of decades prior, I was initially struck by how beautiful of a state it is to drive through, and the odd juxtaposition of somewhat empty towns adjacent to an influx of major historical landmarks. After a quick stop for donuts and kolaches in Gulfport, MS (shout out to Jelly Donuts and Kolaches No. 2), we arrived in Montgomery. There are a number of civil-rights related stops throughout AL, and many of them are located in Montgomery. Unrelated, they also have the Hank Williams Museum. We also drove the beautiful road to Selma, before having to navigate the less beautiful backroads of rural Alabama to Birmingham after dark (would not advise). All in all, while this was a heavy, sobering day, I highly recommend making the effort to visit and be immersed in this vital history, and would gladly return to check out more of the beautiful landscapes in AL. Next up: Atlanta, Great Smoky Mountains, Big Ears!
Part of my corporate recovery process is to never let myself say "apologies for the delay" ever again in my whole life...but I will simply offer an explanation for the long period between posts by noting that it has been a very busy week traversing over 1,500 miles through Texas! Since my last post, we tackled the Big Bend region, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston (now on to Louisiana). Let's get into it... Day 9: Big Bend While our original plan to have 2 days to explore Big Bend National Park and the surrounding region was still woefully inadequate, rescheduled plans due to excessive wind/dust meant we only had ONE day to cover an 800,000 acre park. I was concerned we would leave feeling disappointed, but thankfully we were still able to cover a lot of ground and see much of what we wanted to see for an initial visit - and will definitely be back! Big Bend NP is not easy to get to, and we opted to take the slightly longer route from Marfa by way of the neighboring Big Bend Ranch State Park (which is not as large as BBNP, but still a very respectable 311,000 acres). This drive wound through the mountains, offered stunning views of the Rio Grande and varying topography, and was well worth the extra 30-40 minutes of driving. ALSO (for my film nerds), the finale of Richard Linklater's modern Texas/coming-of age epic Boyhood was actually shot in the Hoodoos of Big Bend Ranch SP, and not the national park! If you've never seen it, Boyhood is essentially just a story about growing up, but it's shot over a 12-year period, so the protagonist ages in real time. It's long and meandering to some...but quite moving and very dear to me. Taking this extended route also provided an opportunity to explore Terlingua, a former ghost town on the outskirts of Big Bend - which isn't much of a ghost town anymore! Even in the late morning, Terlingua was bustling, and I hear that it's even busier at night. We poked around a bit and had a very delicious lunch at DB's Rustic Iron BBQ (a great first TX BBQ experience for this trip) before making our way into the main event, BBNP. Our strategy for tackling what we could of Big Bend NP was to focus on the scenic drives, along with maybe 1-2 shorter hikes. The easiest road to tackle is the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive - a little over 60 miles out and back, it showcases the incredible geographic diversity this park has to offer. There are a number of hikes, overlooks, and points of interest along this route (we stopped at a few), but the main event is Santa Elena Canyon at the very end of the drive. We paused at the lovely scenic overlook and contemplated whether we should stop there or continue the full hike into the canyon. We decided to tackle it, and while it was more challenging than expected, I'm really grateful we completed the whole hike. Big Bend has held an enduring mystique for me since childhood, and finally arriving at focal point of this awe-inspiring natural wonder after all these years felt incredibly fulfilling, and also made me really emotional (in a good way). After this hike, we were fortunately able to make the trek to our campground on the other side of the park (in Rio Grande Village) with just enough time to quickly set up our tent and hike to the top of the nearby scenic overlook off the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail for sunset. Needless to say, this vista did not disappoint. We also had some unexpected campground neighbors who hung around all night...which amused some and was less enthusing for others...(I'll let you guess who was who). Day 10: Big Bend to San Antonio While it would have been lovely to spend additional time in the Big Bend, we had to press onward to San Antonio (we'll catch you next time, Chisos Basin). The drive out of Big Bend and then eastward was rather uneventful, with long stretches of nothing at all, and then several cute little towns in a row. Luckily, there was still plenty of time to explore the River Walk when we arrived in San Antonio. Despite a few places being very full for St. Paddy's Day, we were fortunately able to get into one we were very keen on, The Esquire Tavern. Opened in 1933, it is the oldest bar on the River Walk, and also has the longest wooden bartop in the state of TX - worn incredibly smooth from years of patronage. We grabbed a quick drink at the Crockett Tavern as well before calling it a night. Day 11: Austin The next day we headed to Austin. Given our limited time, our priorities were to visit more historic watering holes, eat great food, and see friends. I finally got to try The Salt Lick at the original location in Driftwood! Let me just say this: minus the sauce, which was not my fave...everything else is WORTH THE HYPE. We stopped in the Texas Capitol building for a quick look around...and was surprised to learn that the story I learned in school about a worker falling to his death and cracking the star in the middle of the Rotunda is NOT true! While a worker did fall to his death while painting the Rotunda in 1922, the existing floor was not installed until 1936, and the crack was a result of the foundation settling. It is true that the TX Capitol is taller than the U.S. Capitol, though! One of my favorite stops of the trip so far was Scholz Garten (est. 1866), which is apparently the oldest operating business in the state of TX, and the oldest beer garden in the US. I had the best pretzel I've ever had in my life, along with delicious cherry limeade-inspired cocktail (in honor of my late grandmother, B.B., who also may or may not have spiked her Sonic limeades from time to time...). We also wanted to check out the bar at the historic Driskill Hotel, but unfortunately it was being renovated (did get to peek inside the hotel, at least). A quick stop at the Daniel Johnston mural (AKA "Hi, How Are You?") was also required before heading to dinner. We later met up with some friends (Allison and Ty) and had a lovely evening catching up over a great dinner of Guatemalan food at El Rinconcito Chapin and drinks at The Long Play. Seeing friends I haven't been able to hang out with in a long time is a huge highlight of taking on this [kind of insane but majorly rewarding] trip for me! Day 12: Houston I was admittedly not in the greatest mood for most of the day and sadly did not snap many photos in the morning/early afternoon...but we made brief stops at The Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral, and of course, Buc-ee's. After much traffic, we finally made it to Houston, and spent a couple of hours perusing Meow Wolf. Meow Wolf is a little difficult to explain, but essentially it is an immersive art exhibit that explores site-specific themes (each location is different) that cross into different portals/dimensions. You can look for clues and try to figure out more about the weird new world you're exploring, or just take it all in and enjoy the weird/interesting art (and play an interactive musical instrument or two). I won't give too much away, but the theme here is a radio station sucked into a different dimension, and plays a lot with frequencies/vibrations. There's also a bar and venue inside the space, and would definitely recommend visiting if you're in the area. We also had a lovely dinner with friends (Craig and Mauricio) at BB’s Tex-Orleans, which I would highly recommend. Two days in a row seeing old pals was a big treat! Next up: Louisiana, Alabama
Well, our travel plans were again thwarted by inclement weather...so we pivoted and spent an unplanned extra day in Marfa in lieu of traveling to Big Bend National Park (camping in 50 mph winds did not sound like the best time...). So, here's my bonus 'love letter to Marfa' post (will hopefully be able to travel to Big Bend tomorrow). I have been wanting to visit Marfa FOREVER. If you're unfamiliar, it's a funky little artistic haven in the middle of nowhere West Texas (3+ hours from a major city). It's full of art, history, and great food - similar to Joshua Tree/Asheville, while decidedly very TEXAS. Case in point - it was the filming location of "TEXAS: The Movie," also known as George Stevens' 1956 masterpiece, Giant. I love this film for many reasons (fair warning, skip ahead if you don't want to hear me rant about my love of Giant for much too long...lol): 1) It is astonishingly feminist and anti-racist for the time period (despite a few hiccups here and there)...some might even say it's more progressive than the present day in its positive representation of Latinos (which is a sorry reflection on our current state of affairs). Believe it or not, anti-miscegenation laws were still alive and well in 1956, as well, which makes the depiction of interracial marriage very poignant, too. I would argue that it’s not necessarily a pro-Texas film, either - it's sharply critical in a number of [rightful] ways. 2) I remember vividly that Giant was one of the few films that my grandparents owned (on double-VHS), yet I shamefully only saw it for the first time a few years ago. Elizabeth Taylor's character (Leslie Benedict) is a strong, opinionated female protagonist who immediately reminded me SO much of my maternal grandmother (B.B.). She passed several years ago, and seeing all of the ways that Leslie evoked her independence and willingness to “clap back” (as the children say), it made me incredibly emotional several times when I first watched the film. As it turns out, according to my mom, B.B. loved Giant so much that she saw it SEVERAL times in theaters with her best friend, Susie (keep in mind, it's 3.5 hours long). I can easily imagine how much this film must have impacted her as a teenager coming-of age-in Dallas in the late '50s...she went on to break down numerous barriers as one of the first female school principals in the greater DFW area. It saddens me that I never got to speak to her personally about how much Giant means to both of us, though. 3) Aside from the social impact, Giant is just a cinematic treat - visually stunning, epic soundtrack, star power for days, the whole gamut (also James Dean's final film). The Hotel Paisano in Marfa was the home-base for the Giant crew while they were filming in town (Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean all stayed here, as well). It's a gorgeous historic hotel dating back to 1930, and still proudly showcases it's cinematic history...there are production photographs displayed throughout the halls, an entire memorabilia room, and the hotel's restaurant is even named for James Dean's character, Jett Rink (Jett's Grill - it was fab). When our plans changed last minute, we were even lucky enough to score a room at the hotel for the night (which, in hindsight, really feels like it was meant to be...)! So, here is an excessive amount of pictures showcasing the Hotel Paisano and all of the plentiful Giant memorabilia available, because I couldn't resist... Even if you aren't as obsessed with Giant as I am, there are plenty of other attractions in Marfa that cater to many off-beat tastes. The Marfa Lights are an interesting phenomenon of mysterious floating orbs that appear most frequently on the open prairie east of town... James Dean was reportedly so invested in seeing the lights that he kept a telescope in his room at Hotel Paisano! Some scientists have tried to debunk the phenomenon by attributing the lights to a combination of reflected headlights in warm air, but others say it requires further study. I don’t know if the headlight theory really holds water, given that the lights were first spotted in the 1880s…but be your own judge. Unfortunately, we didn't see the lights this time (apparently they are only visible a few times a year), but it's worth looking up if you're curious. There's also a huge amount of art to explore here - we were able to walk through part of the outdoor exhibit at the Chinati Foundation, which was established by Donald Judd in 1986 (the minimalist artist who essentially put Marfa on the map as an artistic destination). The weather was wildin”, but the sky really put on a show. On the way in to town, we also had to stop at the very silly Prada Marfa, as well, of course. Between Jett's Grill, The Sentinel, Planet Marfa, and Margaret's, we ate and drank very well in Marfa, too. This is a very special place, and will have to return to see the rest of the many offerings in town that we didn't get to see this time around as soon as possible! Day 5: Arizona to New Mexico During our second night of camping in Catalina State Park, we were hit with some unexpected rain...which put a figurative and literal damper on the process of packing up camp. Nevertheless, we persisted, and departed eastward for our first stop of the day, Tombstone, AZ. You can probably guess the itinerary: we visited some saloons (including my favorite, Big Nose Kate's) and watched historical reenactment of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It's a fun place to walk around if you can lean into the kitsch. We ended up spending a bit more time here than expected (forgetting about the time change from MST to MDT screwed up some plans...whoops), but you can definitely fill anywhere from a couple of hours to a whole day here. We said goodbye to Arizona (for now) and headed to Las Cruces, NM for a delicious dinner at La Posta de Mesilla. The building dates back to the 1840s, and was used as an important stagecoach stop, post office, and hotel before converting into a restaurant in 1939. The restaurant is enormous, and even includes a piranha tank! Dinner included one of their signature dishes created by the restaurant, the tostada compuesta, along with some fajitas, and of course - sopapillas. I don't love/am not great at taking food pics, but you can trust it was thoroughly enjoyed. Day 6: White Sands to Carlsbad After spending the night in Alamogordo (and traveling through our first border patrol checkpoint), the next morning we headed to White Sands National Park - which, in a word, is otherworldly. These stunning gypsum dunes are a must see if you are in the area, and if you are really short on time, you can drive through the entire park in an hour. We had a bit more time than that, so we opted to rent sleds and try our hand at riding the dunes...Alex was much better at this than I was. From White Sands, we drove to El Paso, TX for two specific reasons: cowboy boots and food (and a Whataburger Mexican Hot Chocolate shake, for good measure). Mission #1 was not completely successful, but still enjoyed our visit to Tony Lama's Boots. I did at least find a cowboy hat, and Alex bought me a shirt. Wide foot problems...may have to get some cowboy boots custom-made one day. Our next historic Southwest restaurant stop was L & J Cafe in El Paso. Originally opened as 'Tony's Place' in 1927 (as a bootlegging joint with home cooking), it opened legally in 1934 - although bootlegging and gambling continued inside false walls throughout the establishment. Their signatures are a THICK chile con queso, green chile enchiladas, and of course, more fajitas. It's a good thing we never get sick of Mexican food! Day 6/7: Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns Sadly, we had big plans to spend a night camping and exploring Guadalupe Mountains National Park (which is vastly underrated), but when the weather forecast called for high winds/dust storm advisory, we opted to stay the night at a motel in Carlsbad, instead. We were lucky enough to spend a little bit of time exploring what we could of Guadalupe, including what would have been a stunning campsite overlooking Guadalupe Peak (the highest point in Texas). The following day, we were able to tour a historic homestead in the park (Frijole Ranch Museum) - built in 1876, these are some of the oldest surviving settler structures in the area. The one thing I will note about this park is it most accessible to those who are more interested in hiking/backpacking/camping...there is no scenic drive through the park, and much of it has to be explored via trails. However, I was glad to see there were multiple accessible campsites in the campground, and you can park very close to the museum, at least. If you are heading to Carlsbad Caverns and not afraid of being somewhere rather remote, Guadalupe Mountains is only 45 minutes away and well worth a stop. Last but absolutely not least for this post - Carlsbad Caverns National Park! This is of course a well-known attraction (for good reason), but on this day, we were especially grateful for a refuge from the dust storm. I was a little nervous because caves give me some claustrophobia...but did not have any trouble here, as it's enormous. They say the Big Room could house the U.S. Capitol building 2 times over....I believe it! We opted to take the elevator rather than the much more strenuous Natural Entrance hike, but you still get to stretch your legs plenty as you walk the 1-1.5 mi path through the Big Room. Not a hot take by any means, but it's a must see - and fairly accessible, as well. Next up: We are heading to Big Bend and won't have service for a couple of days, but I'll catch up on the next stops (Marfa, Big Bend) next week!
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July 2025
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