Day 9. 2,074 miles.

Some of the greatest things to happen on this trip have been dictated by chance. Riding bikes through the French Quarter, we happened upon a couple of guys roasting a pig. We had no idea that that conversation would lead us to some of the greatest food and cocktails we've had. Pig and Punch NOLA 2012: a fundraiser for the New Orleans KIPP Charter Schools.


The Roots Of Music. These kids were awesome! One great thing about New Orleans is just how active the community is in supporting one another. This program is for at risk youth 9-14; it's tuition-free, year round music education and academic mentoring. www.therootsofmusic.com


Below: Don Q Anejo Rum, The King's Ginger, Barenjager, Pamplemousse Rose Liqueur, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, Bourbon Rooibos Tea, Cardamom, and Lemon.











Pig and Punch NOLA 2012. What a beautiful thing. (their "Lord of the Flies" moment so to speak)

Location:French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

Day 8. 1,942 miles

First night in New Orleans. Frenchmen Street: Jazz, blue and everything in-between. The Spotted Cat was our favorite spot.



Jimmy: self appointed New Orleans tour guide... Of sorts



Very delicious, very illegal. Great street food. He was disbanded by the police an hour later.

Collard greens, jambalaya, slow roasted pork chop, wonder bread.

Location:New Orleans, LA

Day 7. 1,579 miles

For geography more than anything, Birmingham Alabama was the next stop for us en route to Louisiana. We drove to the city with the intention of finding good food, and lots of it, as soon as possible. With nothing in our stomachs but a cup of coffee and a bagel from this morning, we happened upon a string of food trucks over by Linn Park in downtown Birmingham. This seemed like a perfect solution to our hunger problem.
Whether they are run by a group of kids fresh out of college, or a veteran chef living out a midlife crisis, food trucks have become beacons of gastronomica in cities all over the country. What does this food truck craze mean to me? Bites of undeniably easy-to-put-down food being pumped out of a window, all as exciting as the colorful logos painted on the side of the truck. They are Making farm to table cooking accessible and affordable to people in all neighborhoods while marketing themselves in charmingly creative ways. Do I ever see myself working in one of these Fry slingin' food mobiles? Hell no! It looks too damn hot back there. But I am a fan nonetheless. If your traveling and looking for the city's best while on a budget, I highly recommend jumping on twitter or facebook and tracking down one of these delightful food trucks.

Following our dinner experience, we took a few recommendations and rode our bikes down to the Avondale neighborhood in search of some drinks and a respite
from the oppressive Alabama heat, (Keep in mind we are from the NorthEast.) Good Friends IPA, local to Birmingham, deceptively delicious despite its Busch Lite - style canning. This was a memorable beer on the trip.
After A few drinks, some needed relationship maintenance and a blown tube on my bike, we walked a few miles back to the truck and straightened up the bed for sleep.
Spread out, shirtless and sweaty, I was rudely awoken by a security guard threatening to shoot me! "Your lucky your not shot right now!" he exclaimed in a southern drawl. According to this gentleman, he saw us inside and assumed we were breaking in. With a "your welcome and be more careful next time" attitude, he explained it's a good thing I'm not dead right now, and go back to sleep. Needless to say, I'm happy he decided to refrain on this one...



The fabric of the south's marketing. These things are everywhere.


Shindigs Food truck. Great people makin great food.



Shindigscateringtrucks.com


Roasted Corn. Steamed buns: Pork belly, crispy catfish, braised short rib. Truffle French fries. Damn good. Let it be known, Birmingham has a food scene!

Location:Birmingham, Alabama

Day 6. 1,334 miles

Well, we had such a great time the first night that we decided to stay another in Nashville. The first night, we had a taste of the music scene, the second, a real taste. We had dinner at "The Pharmacy subtitled and advertised as 'the wurst burger joint in Nashville.' It's pretty much burgers and beer. Local beef and real phosphate soda. Mmmmmmmmm. I think Craig might be secretly plotting a plan to move to Nashville.
The diversity of places we have been already has been exhilarating. One morning we wake up on a mountain top, the next night we're in a smokey dive bar that turns out to be the shooting location for the Black Keys latest music video.
I left my summer internship with the feeling that the job, the routine I was doing was bad for my soul. The sheer boredom of commuters moving through their routines left me empty. There is something truly frightening about watching someone do something: waiting for a train, handing you a cup of coffee, and the fact that all of those moments are completely forgotten. There are cups of coffee that we will forget on this trip, buy the days are clearly punctuated by the people and places that surround us.

Our awesome bikes on the East end of Nashville.

The Farm Burger and the Pharmacy Burger at the Pharmacy in Nashville.

Curry Ketchup and Maple Mustard. We ARE writing home about it. - in the back: bottle of phosphate used for making phosphate sodas. The elusive bottles labeled "extinct acid phosphate solution". Cool points for that one...

Chattanooga Imperial Pilsner.

The Blackberry and Lemon Old Fashioned. Next door at Holland House for after dinner cocktails.

Location:Nashville, Tennessee

Day 5. 1,333 miles

After driving 6 hours through the midday heat on back roads and scenic byways of central Tennessee, we finally arrived in Nashville in time for happy hour. We met up with friends Ally, Robin, Trey, who were gracious enough to take us out for a night on the town. A cushy bed in their beautiful home was also offered. More than hospitable - thank you!! As expected, Ally led us to awesome music and the divey-est of dive bars. Murder by Death:Tom Waits inspired folk rock, complete with accordion, propane tank and angle grinder?... What a show!

We subsequently hopped into a stranger's van and headed to Springwater... Walls covered in paint marker tags were adorned with red tinsel curtain. Perfect fit for this charmingly seedy karaoke bar. Beams of light shot through the thick smokey air as a girl in a Pabst Blue Ribbon trucker hat belted Tina Turner through the P.A. Robin was right ... I was sure to like this place. My pink, virgin Connecticut lungs were begging for mercy, whimpering in the corner by the end of the night. I welcome the culture shock with open arms. This ain't like back home.












Cherokee Purple Tomatoes


Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons


Murder by Death

At Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee.

Location:Nashville, Tennessee

Day 4. 1,074 miles

Raindrops lightly tapped on the cap of the truck as I slowly woke up in the morning. Fast moving storm cells spotted the smokey mountains through most of the morning, leaving a haze that dissipated and reappeared every ten minutes. Clouds raced up the sides of the famously steep mountain ridges, shooting off the tops and skimming across the parking lot surface.

Everyone we spoke to at the mountain top told us that they were on vacation. They were taking a break from their 'stupid jobs' and soon they would be done with that, retire, and find a permanent escape, a permanent slow down. I wonder then if we are ahead of ourselves taking things slow the way we are on this trip.
A new friend from 'Coon's Rock' asked me if we were on this trip to 'find ourselves?'. I think I laughed... The truth is, I'm doing the opposite. I'm losing myself... Leaving all the places in my mind that drive me in order to spend time in the place that I am.
We made our first fan today as a musical duo. Jim took our picture and chatted with us for a while. His appreciation made me realize that maybe some of the most spectacular things you find on the road cannot be photographed or taken with you.
We ended up staying up in the mountains through lunch.

Smokey Mountain Pasta...



After lunch, we headed out to Knoxville to see our long lost friend Jack Wolf. It was really nice to see a familiar face. A random occurrence: we had met Jack two months prior playing music on the street in Mystic CT. Who would have known, 1,000 miles from there, he would be welcoming us into his home.




Open large map

Location:Market Square, Knoxville, Tennessee

Day 3. 974 miles

Duck liver pate with sprite melon: courtesy of Weaver Food Co op. (except for the toast which we had left over from breakfast...)














The back of this truck is becoming more like the fort of my eight year old dreams rather than just a truck bed. As I dig my toes into the fleece liner we have draped over the rug, I am confounded by the situation I am in. Gallons of vegetable oil supported by our plywood shelving line the starboard side of the truck, each cell jammed full of our nick-nacks accumulated in the short four days we have been on the road. In order: butane tank for our stove, bottle of bourbon, container of lamp oil, bag of miscellaneous tools, right up to the fuel tank Leanne is currently leaning on.

North Carolina brought us a grab bag day. A pit stop for the restroom turned into an oil change, which turned into a conversation, which turn into an apprehensive drive to a place locals call "coons rock.". We stayed a while to hang out with new friends Cody and Dax among others. Cliff diving, rope swinging, good company... couldn't ask for more.

On our quest for local food, we came by the Weaver food Co op, which brought us that dank tasty lunch you see above.

All said and done, a 4 hour detour later, we headed into the Smokey Mountains. We drove into the dark. And tomorrow morning will have a grab bag view.

It's cool outside, so we will be able to sleep comfortably with the tailgate and window shut tight. I can at least make that my excuse... We are alone on the top of this mountain. As beautiful as the Appalachian mountains are, it is kinda scary at night. All of a sudden irrational questions race through our heads: Do bears like to walk on pavement? Do snakes come out at night? Was that a dry leaf blowing across the overlook parking lot... Or something much more man-eating?!?!?! I find solace in the fact that there is a perfectly orange crescent moon hanging over our heads. And tomorrow is sure to bring an inspiring view of these smokey mountains.

Location:Somewhere in the Great Smokey Mountains