Cross - Country Road Trip

Last week I embarked on what has been my greatest adventure thus far. I drove across the southern United States from Orlando, FL to San Diego, CA. Luckily my sister jumped at the opportunity to join me on this adventure. It’s hard to put into words the feeling of packing up all your belongings in a small sedan and hitting the road. I suppose the first word I would use to describe those feelings would be nervous. Nervous about my car, it was so heavy with my items that I wasn’t sure if it even would move. The nervousness slowly faded and turned into excitement. This journey was one to enjoy, not simply a means of getting from A to B. The roads leading us from the east coast to the west coast were beautiful and scenic. 

Our first stop was New Orleans, LA which we had both traveled to before on hurricane relief projects. Sidebar: When you have volunteered in NOLA you appreciate it on a deeper level than the Bourbon street patrons. You gain an understanding of the city's soul and feel its heartbeat. This brings a greater appreciation to the local culture and vibe.

While in Lousiana we stayed at an AirBnb in Arabi which is just outside of New Orleans. I cannot stress enough the quality of AirBnb. You are able to rent someones home and typically get to meet them and ask for suggestions and advice on the city. It provides a completely unique experience that proves to be more welcoming then other lodging options. Because we were staying in a small town, we took a cab to new Orleans for dinner at a restaurant called thirteen where I found a vegan BBQ tofu sandwich and the NOLA Rebirth Beer. Next we went to Bar Tonique for craft cocktails and had the Moscow Mule and a Caipirinha (grapefruit bitter drink). Both drinks were amazing and the Moscow Mule was the best we had ever had. In the morning we went to a jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sisters which was a buffet style brunch in a beautiful courtyard.

AirBnB Arabi, Louisiana

Bar Tonique

New Orleans Re Birth Ale

Jazz Brunch

Jazz Brunch

Day two brought us to Austin, TX where we stayed with a friend we knew from Orlando. We explored downtown Austin traveling to Rainey Street which is an area of older houses transformed into bars. 

The next morning we had a completely vegetarian brunch at Bouldin Creek Café. The food was amazing and even my meat eating friends were in awe at the flavor packed meals. They also had ample vegan cookies/brownies- I did not try any of these but they looked incredible. 

Rainey Street

Austin Sign

Bouldin Creek Cafe

We got back on the road later than originally planned, but it caused no real issues. Our next destination was La Mesa, NM. Where we stayed at another AirBnB which was even MORE charming. In the morning we sat outside drinking coffee and enjoying the scenery. We had a quick lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant called Sheba Grill where the food was delicious and our server was very nice, he even gave us a few waters for the road! Next we made an important stop at a liquor store called Celebrate Liquor Co which was right off I10 (address 2500 S Valley Dr Las Cruces, NM 88005) in order to buy some beers from New Mexico. They can't export their beers so this was my only chance to try a few. I bought three six packs of assorted stouts and then we headed out.

AirBnB New Mexico

AirBnB New Mexico

New Mexico

After leaving New Mexico our plan was to stop in Phoenix and head to San Diego the following day. However, at about 5 hours in we decided we were antsy to get to San Diego so we filled up the gas tank again and continued on for the remainder of the 12 hour drive. The last day was tough because we were exhausted and hungry for a real meal but it was an amazing feeling to wake up in San Diego. I felt accomplished, exhausted, and adventurous.

Overall cross country road-trip lessons learned

1.     Bring lots of snacks/water and gas up whenever possible in the Midwest. There are very long stretches of endless road, no cell service, no exits.

2.     Try to do the majority of the driving in daylight. There were no street lights and on windy unfamiliar roads this was an added stress.

3.     Have an idea of what you want to do and see in each city so you don’t waste time doing research upon arrival. With that said, if you get a recommendation from a local or see something that looks amazing, feel free to change up the plans.

4.     Audiobooks/podcast are a great way to pass the time and calm you down if you feel anxious while traveling (we listened to serial)

5.     Reach out to friends/family that you may be able to stay with along the way

6.     Do a full car tune- up before you leave. I remember thinking on the long stretches of endless highway how grateful I was that I put new tires on my car and did my 100,000 mile service before starting the trip. 

Finally Made it to San Diego!