I kick it for one night in the Big Easy. New Orleans, you are a treasure.
Day 26 – August 4
Five states. Nine hours. Oh gosh. It was a long day of driving across the deep south. I crossed from Tennessee into a brief stint through Georgia, then onward through a terribly rainy drive across Alabama via I-59 and I-20 which led to an uneventful jaunt through Mississippi and finally to Louisiana. The rest stops across the way were charming, especially those with rocking chairs on their porches. Very appropriate.
I’ve driven across the south a lot in the past. A lot. I obtained my undergrad degree at the Savannah College of Art & Design (aka SCAD aka Art School, Not Smart School) where classes took place during 10 week sessions called quarters. Apart from my first year where I didn’t have a car, I would drive back home to San Antonio and then back to Savannah for winter break, spring break, and portions of the summer (I took summer classes). Every ten weeks I’d spend anywhere from 16-20 hours on the road traversing I-10 from Georgia to Texas. I know the drive very well, but it’s still beautiful to me. Southern hospitality is real. The south is charming. The south is problematic, but I’ll have to touch on those thoughts somewhere else.
I finally stopped for lunch on I-59 within the Louisiana border at that southern staple and personal trashy favorite: Waffle House, or as it is referred to on their picante sauce, Casa de Waffle (how exotic of y’all). For the uninitiated: Waffle House are generally compact 24/7 diner-style restaurants specializing in waffles and breakfast fare. They have burgers, but why would you want that? I was in breakfast garbage heaven for a few brief moments. Try the hashbrowns when you stop in.
I continued on my trek and before I knew it, I was in New Orleans. There was plenty of time before the end of the workday when I could meet up with my former classmate, SCAD Radio colleague, and fantastic bearded man Chase. I did a quick search online to find a good place to stop off and snag a beer and scored big with Courtyard Brewery. Built out of what seems to have once been just a loading dock and small warehouse, Courtyard specializes in IPAs and saisons. Regardless of that specialty, the bartender recommended the Little Odd Assortments, a sour wheat ale brewed with calamansi fruit (a cross between mandarin orange and kumquat). It was refreshing, delightfully sour, and a much needed brew to cap off my long day’s drive.
The area was a little worse for wear, as I had apparently missed some brief tornadoes that did damage to the local neighborhoods mere hours before my arrival. I apparently have a knack for missing serious weather issues on this trip. I can only hope my luck keeps up.
Arriving at Chase’s in the early evening, I was overjoyed to see Chase and hear his familiar, “how are you?” that I had not heard in years. Picking up as if not a week had passed since our last meeting, I was introduced to his amazing girlfriend, Kate, and their outstanding pup, Cookie.
It was then that Chase treated me to the one thing no one else on the trip had done so far: a home-cooked meal. He announced that we’d be having a simple chicken and rice dish and apologized, but I couldn’t be happier. It had been nearly a month since I’d not eaten out and it was fantastic to chill in someone’s kitchen and enjoy a meal without a crowd. I am still grateful for this meal; it made my night.
We played a round of Machi Koro, a fantastic card game where you take risks in business and try to build the best town for your citizens that you can. All the while, we imbibed some brews from Abita (essentially the brewery of Louisiana) and Southern Prohibition Brewery. One of Kate’s friends came over to visit with her, so Chase recommended that we at least go to a bar with a few of his friends. Even though I only had one night in NOLA, he was going to make sure that I drank with the local crowd. Thanks, bud.
We made way to Frenchmen Street, a famed three-block section of town where many concert venues and bars reside. “This is where the locals drink,” said Chase, “F— Bourbon Street.” For my money, he made the right call. The area was lively, but not overcrowded. There were jazz bands in the street playing impromptu sessions on corners. Every bar was lit up and music echoed from every corner of the road. Folks were cautiously passing each other with drinks in hand. I never quite got into open carrying of alcohol while I was in Savannah, but it was fun to try it out this night.
We met with a few of his friends, talked life, cracked jokes, and bought each other beers. Chase’s unforgettable laugh carried through the night. It was a few hours well spent in a part of town that I want to come back to in future travels.
As much fun as we were having, we knew the night would be short. Chase had work in the morning and I had the drive to Houston to look forward to (read: dread) the next day. I happily crashed on their couch with Cookie wandering in and out of the living room.
The stay was too brief. Dollywood was an amazing surprise of the trip the day before, but I can’t help but wonder if it was worth it to miss so much of the Big Easy. I don’t have much time to reconsider this as I have to be in Austin by Saturday. More on that to come. I’ll be back, NOLA…someday.
Day 26 Stats:
Miles traveled: — 600
Miles traveled so far: 5,459
States visited:
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
Two Month Weekend 