Here we are in Phoenix and I have a little down time as once again the CATS blew another W. Adam is on the phone, Beau is deaning and matty g is on his 6th game of beer pong (he has yet to win one).
It’s safe to say that we left our mark on Tucson, AZ. Kevin’s buddy Dustin hosted one hell of a night. I personally have become a huge 80’s fan after the band we saw there. I don’t know one person who didn’t fall in love with the lead singer, girls included. We’re talking Kylie Minogue/Madonna with a little spicy attitude. Daddy like. Omally’s treated everyone well to say the least. Matt capped off the night with some Vneck moves on the dance floor. We’re all still trying to figure that one out.
The pinnacle of the stay was the morning trip to Jerry Bob’s, which I believe Matt has already described. Needless to say, no one needed to eat for the rest of the day and Beau is still bragging about the crispy hashbrowns.
Seeing your first legit cactus in the middle of the desert is quite an experience. We have some great scenery pics. Adams back seat gets pretty uncomfortable around hour 7 on the road.
Tonight we dabble in the local scene. Tomorrow we cheer on the Diesel and Suns against Kobe and the Lakers. Beau gets his first shot at an urban subway system. My guess is Matt will end the day once again by saying, "This is the best day of my life!"
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Mateo Gandolfo's Fine Cuisine Review: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona edition
Hello ladies and gentlemen, As I sit here in Phoenix, AZ at YBT's hip urban pad in the wake of my first In-n-Out experience I realized that I haven't gotten a chance to discuss some of the great places we have grubbed while working our way out west. I love a lot of things about road trips but none do I love more than partaking in fine meal at a local hot spot. Here are some of my thoughts about a few notable stops.
- Torchy's Tacos, Austin, TX: A local taco shack that can be found in Austin, TX. Torchy's is by far my favorite Mexican spot of all time. If you are ever in Austin check it out and be sure to get a side of their special torchy's sauce, it will put hair on your chest.
- Auslander Biergarten, Fredericksburg, TX: In the heart of Texas' Hill Country is a little town called Fredericksburg. An awesome place who is known for their strong German influence. I know it sounds a little weird but if your ever driving through Texas and have a craving for a schnitzel this is absolutely for you. My regular old whiner schnitzel was great but Beautox's Texas Schnitzel is the dish to get when your enjoying a pint in their biergarten. Awesome place to go for a change of pace and schnitzel is a really fun word.
-Pizza Hut, Alamogordo, NM: I know this isn't a very unique place and I'm sure everyone has had Pizza Hut sometime in their lives but most have never been to the World's best Pizza Hut. Every city in the U.S. try to find that one thing makes them different from everyone else, much like Louisville being the Derby City or how Dalton, GA is the Carpet Capital of the world. Well the town of Alamogordo, NM should start putting "Home to the world's best Pizza Hut" on their brochures. A huge frustration in my life has long been the irresponsibility and inefficiencies of pizza buffets, especially lunch buffets. I'm tired of paying $8 bucks to get a plate for a line up that consist of 2 Hawaiian pizzas that haven't been touched since last Thursday, some half cooked pasta, and cinnastix. I want some pepperoni, some sausage, maybe even some pepperoni and sausage, I would even settle for some cheese but I am forced to hide at buffets like a hunter stocking his prey as I wait for that sacred pepperoni pie that only comes out once every half hour. Usually I am forced to pull out the Kansas city shuffle to assure I get a minimum of three pieces, One time there was a only a couple pieces left and this hungry looking 8 year old in front of me who couldn't wait to get his Elmer glue covered fingers on my precious. So I did what any man would do, spilt my water on his pants and told his mom that your kid just had an accident. At the worlds best Pizza Hut no antics like this are necessary, fully stocked with pizza with different crust varieties (I like to get thin and crispy every once in awhile), bread sticks, and desserts. If you are ever rolling through Alamogordo find the Hut ask for Pepper and tell them Matt sent you.
- Jerry Bob's, Tucson, AZ: When we are in the comforts of our home city we always had places like Barbara Lee's to go after a rough night to help us recuperate with hash browns and biscuits and gravy. Well the Tucson version of Barbara Lee's is a little joint called Jerry Bob's. Massive amounts of food that fits into a Road Tripper's budget, do the Pick 4 for $5 breakfast deal and I can almost guarantee you will not clean your plates.
- In-N-Out Burger: This was my inaugural visit to this west coast staple and it was really good but not legendary like so many have told me. Its real simple, get a burger, fries, and maybe a shake and enjoy being an American. If you are in to these kind of places and can't make it out west for In-N-Out go right across the river to New Albany and check out 5 guys burgers and fries, very good place that not many people have gone to yet.
Friday, February 27, 2009
P-I-N-G GUMPO
For the record, this is being written outside White Sands National Park heading towards some serious mountains in New Mexico.
As we pulled into the run down RV park, the only thing on three of our minds was where to catch the Cats game. The answer was the game/laundry room equipped with several throw back arcade games and a ping pong table. Catching the game on the radio online, I was forced to have Matt yell updates out to me. This was due to poor computer volume and lack of classical acoustics in the concrete room. As soon as I hear, “Cats down 12, Damn!” from the big guy, I knew what must be done. “Adam, pick up your stick. It’s go time!” We settled on a best of three Ping Pong match. The only way to describe the play on both sides would be “subpar” at best. BOA took me down on game one. I blame the paddle and immediately seek out a proper stick. Game 2 could best described as a “calamity.” Multiple muffed dive attempts and one broken paddle later, I brought home the W.
By this point the Cats were down 16 and as we all looked right Beau Kansas City Shuffled left to the showers. Also, a tall older gent strolled through. He spoke real slow in a southern draw. “Miiind iiif IIII waattcccch foorr a biit?” “No worries my man,” was the obvious response.
The play of Game 3 was pretty solid, as we battled many points and have great rally after rally. We could see that Old Man Rivers was pretty into our game, but didn’t pay much attention to it. Finally after a slam bam thank you man, I brought home the trophy at 23-21. “Mind if I take a shot. I used to play a bit of ping pong back in the service.” Geezer Gary was ready to go. I was taught to respect my elders, so I accepted the challenge. I asked him if he wanted to warm up a bit first. All I received in return was a dirty look, “Just serve the ball kid.” Obviously this guy meant business. Not wanting to insult him with a weak serve, but also not wanting to rip a ace and embarrass him; I slapped a solid serve at him. His return? He smashed a one timer down the line for an easy point. What the hell? Who was this old guy with a southern accent and ping pong confidence? What is he doing in New Mexico? Why can’t Porter stop turning the ball over? These were just some of the thoughts running through my mind. Gametime.
We battled for the 5 or 6 points. He kept me on my toes with a series of spins, backhands and forehands. On the 7th point I set him up to slam one home. You could see it in his eyes. He was about to put me and every other kid punk in his life in their place. He wound up and all I could do was stand there like a deer in headlights and accept my impending fate. At the top of his motion he slipped backwards, his knees wobbled under the pressure of decades of use,; and he bit it hard to the cement ground. Damn, this I think this guy just broke his hip! We helped him up and like the deputy dawg he is, he brushed it off. Throoughly embarrassed, he thanked us for letting him play dipped out. He skidded out of the parking lot in his new Lexus with Alabama tags and an Alabama football sticker in the rear window. Adam and I exchanged glances. Could it be? Was it really him? Who else from Alabama could throw game like that on the pong table? He did say he learned to play in the service. It had to be him.
As we pulled into the run down RV park, the only thing on three of our minds was where to catch the Cats game. The answer was the game/laundry room equipped with several throw back arcade games and a ping pong table. Catching the game on the radio online, I was forced to have Matt yell updates out to me. This was due to poor computer volume and lack of classical acoustics in the concrete room. As soon as I hear, “Cats down 12, Damn!” from the big guy, I knew what must be done. “Adam, pick up your stick. It’s go time!” We settled on a best of three Ping Pong match. The only way to describe the play on both sides would be “subpar” at best. BOA took me down on game one. I blame the paddle and immediately seek out a proper stick. Game 2 could best described as a “calamity.” Multiple muffed dive attempts and one broken paddle later, I brought home the W.
By this point the Cats were down 16 and as we all looked right Beau Kansas City Shuffled left to the showers. Also, a tall older gent strolled through. He spoke real slow in a southern draw. “Miiind iiif IIII waattcccch foorr a biit?” “No worries my man,” was the obvious response.
The play of Game 3 was pretty solid, as we battled many points and have great rally after rally. We could see that Old Man Rivers was pretty into our game, but didn’t pay much attention to it. Finally after a slam bam thank you man, I brought home the trophy at 23-21. “Mind if I take a shot. I used to play a bit of ping pong back in the service.” Geezer Gary was ready to go. I was taught to respect my elders, so I accepted the challenge. I asked him if he wanted to warm up a bit first. All I received in return was a dirty look, “Just serve the ball kid.” Obviously this guy meant business. Not wanting to insult him with a weak serve, but also not wanting to rip a ace and embarrass him; I slapped a solid serve at him. His return? He smashed a one timer down the line for an easy point. What the hell? Who was this old guy with a southern accent and ping pong confidence? What is he doing in New Mexico? Why can’t Porter stop turning the ball over? These were just some of the thoughts running through my mind. Gametime.
We battled for the 5 or 6 points. He kept me on my toes with a series of spins, backhands and forehands. On the 7th point I set him up to slam one home. You could see it in his eyes. He was about to put me and every other kid punk in his life in their place. He wound up and all I could do was stand there like a deer in headlights and accept my impending fate. At the top of his motion he slipped backwards, his knees wobbled under the pressure of decades of use,; and he bit it hard to the cement ground. Damn, this I think this guy just broke his hip! We helped him up and like the deputy dawg he is, he brushed it off. Throoughly embarrassed, he thanked us for letting him play dipped out. He skidded out of the parking lot in his new Lexus with Alabama tags and an Alabama football sticker in the rear window. Adam and I exchanged glances. Could it be? Was it really him? Who else from Alabama could throw game like that on the pong table? He did say he learned to play in the service. It had to be him.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Part 1
Heres my first picture slideshow, it has a little bit of mardi gras, some austin, and carlsbad caverns. hope you all like it, comments are encouraged.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
New Mexico: Journey to the Center of the Earf
Hey there Road Trip fans, it's your friend Adam. We are currently in Carlsbad, New Mexico. We left Austin, TX Tuesday morning (big thanks to Jordan Green again for housing us) and drove 6 hours across West Texas to Ft. Stockton. Along the way we ate some dope German food in Fredericksburg, which is 75 miles west of Austin. This special place was definitely Small Town, USA. It is known as the "Little Bavaria of Texas Hill Country." They pride themselves on their strong German heritage, thus we had to stop to get some schnitzel and kraut. Delicious through and through. (thanks to Susie Shirc for for 1000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA - the book that got us to Fredericksburg). We made our way from there due west. Along the way through West Texas, we saw a lot of dirt, fences, wide open spaces, dirt, desert-like terrain, a couple of cows, some goats, and dirt. However, we were in good company with good jams playing in the speakers.
We finally arrived in Ft. Stockton by sunset and set up shop at A&M RV Park. We were the only tenters there... the owner said we could stay for free "out back on the grass behind the office." So we did. It was goofy to say the least but we got after it.
We woke up in Ft. Stockton this morning, Wed. 2/25 and drove a few hours to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The drive once we hit New Mexico was absolutely gorgeous... very vast and very desert-like. We drove to the park around lunch time, got some grub at the visitor center, and set sail for a self-guided tour through Carlsbad Caverns. This was on the "Caves" episode of Planet Earth, and it was frickin' awesome. It took us about two hours to go through the whole cavern system. We saw a lot of stalagtites, stalagmites, guano (bat droppings), and a bottomless pit. It definitely gave Mammoth Cave a run for its money.
After the caverns, we arrive here, the Carlsbad Campgrounds. It is a full service RV park with an indoor pool, a game room (w/ Crusin' USA and a ping pong table), and plenty of grass piece to pitch a tent (in the non-sensual way). For only $18.50, we decided to hit up. Matt and I are sitting inside the game room as we speak. Tomorrow we will embark for western New Mexico. Stay tuned sports fans.
Peace, Love, and UofL Basketball for all,
Adam Corbett Shircliff the First
We finally arrived in Ft. Stockton by sunset and set up shop at A&M RV Park. We were the only tenters there... the owner said we could stay for free "out back on the grass behind the office." So we did. It was goofy to say the least but we got after it.
We woke up in Ft. Stockton this morning, Wed. 2/25 and drove a few hours to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The drive once we hit New Mexico was absolutely gorgeous... very vast and very desert-like. We drove to the park around lunch time, got some grub at the visitor center, and set sail for a self-guided tour through Carlsbad Caverns. This was on the "Caves" episode of Planet Earth, and it was frickin' awesome. It took us about two hours to go through the whole cavern system. We saw a lot of stalagtites, stalagmites, guano (bat droppings), and a bottomless pit. It definitely gave Mammoth Cave a run for its money.
After the caverns, we arrive here, the Carlsbad Campgrounds. It is a full service RV park with an indoor pool, a game room (w/ Crusin' USA and a ping pong table), and plenty of grass piece to pitch a tent (in the non-sensual way). For only $18.50, we decided to hit up. Matt and I are sitting inside the game room as we speak. Tomorrow we will embark for western New Mexico. Stay tuned sports fans.
Peace, Love, and UofL Basketball for all,
Adam Corbett Shircliff the First
Monday, February 23, 2009
Austin City Limits
While sitting here jamming to Outkast, while watching everyone play some FIFA vids, I’d figure I would throw a quick something something on the blog to get my feet wet.
I have never seen people get more excited/motivated for food than my man Yum Yum Watch Yo Snacks, Matty G, and BOA for Boston Market. The realization became obvious; if my friends are as motivated in other aspects of their lives as they are to achieve the rare perfect mass produced home cooked meal, I have no doubt they will live long, successful, and prosperous lives. All it took to go from wild frustration to absolute serenity were about a 40 mile detour, two fake out locations, and terrible traffic to finally end the search for the pearl in a bed of rotten oysters. I did not understand the importance of this odyssey until the Beau announced after a full meal and two belt notches, that he had yet to be satisfied and indeed was going back for seconds. I have no doubt in my mind, somewhere between the 1st and 3rd serving of mac and cheese, he had reached a state of complete Nirvana.
Thanks to the sporadic advice from a University of Texas security guard, we found a spot on a lake in the hill country, outside Austin, to get our first legitimate “chill” session. The first time everyone got to sit back and take in some perspective of the rare situation all of us are experiencing. No doubt the first of many, especially since we have decided to skip San Antonio and go straight to the deserts of New Mexico. It was a good first step to thinking about the who, what, when, where, why’s, and hows of our lives. Everyone on their own individual journey, yet connected through the same experiences. Heavy? A little bit. Necessary? Absolutely.
After a much needed rest last night, tonight we get back in the game and head to 6th street for some serious live jams. I plan to test the boundaries of the self proclaimed, “ Live Music Capital of the US.”
For the record: There is no way in hell my car would have even made it this far.
I have never seen people get more excited/motivated for food than my man Yum Yum Watch Yo Snacks, Matty G, and BOA for Boston Market. The realization became obvious; if my friends are as motivated in other aspects of their lives as they are to achieve the rare perfect mass produced home cooked meal, I have no doubt they will live long, successful, and prosperous lives. All it took to go from wild frustration to absolute serenity were about a 40 mile detour, two fake out locations, and terrible traffic to finally end the search for the pearl in a bed of rotten oysters. I did not understand the importance of this odyssey until the Beau announced after a full meal and two belt notches, that he had yet to be satisfied and indeed was going back for seconds. I have no doubt in my mind, somewhere between the 1st and 3rd serving of mac and cheese, he had reached a state of complete Nirvana.
Thanks to the sporadic advice from a University of Texas security guard, we found a spot on a lake in the hill country, outside Austin, to get our first legitimate “chill” session. The first time everyone got to sit back and take in some perspective of the rare situation all of us are experiencing. No doubt the first of many, especially since we have decided to skip San Antonio and go straight to the deserts of New Mexico. It was a good first step to thinking about the who, what, when, where, why’s, and hows of our lives. Everyone on their own individual journey, yet connected through the same experiences. Heavy? A little bit. Necessary? Absolutely.
After a much needed rest last night, tonight we get back in the game and head to 6th street for some serious live jams. I plan to test the boundaries of the self proclaimed, “ Live Music Capital of the US.”
For the record: There is no way in hell my car would have even made it this far.
Mardi Gras Superlatives
• MVP: Glane Glattingly
• Prince of Mardi Gras: Beau Beckman
• Best Speed Wagon: REO
• Play of the Day (Friday): Joey and Andrew hanging out in the gay bar.
• Play of the Day (Saturday): Brett’s fastball drilling some poor girl in the face.
• Least Valuable Player: Dean Wilkenson (Who goes to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and doesn’t go to Bourbon Street.)
• Come Back Player: Clark King
• Best Bob Joke: ‘Dragon Ass’ as performed by Adam Shircliff
• Best Tease: Justin committing to the road trip
• Best Trucker Hat: Chris Wiedmar
• Best Mardi Gras Superlative List: Matt Gandolfo
• Prince of Mardi Gras: Beau Beckman
• Best Speed Wagon: REO
• Play of the Day (Friday): Joey and Andrew hanging out in the gay bar.
• Play of the Day (Saturday): Brett’s fastball drilling some poor girl in the face.
• Least Valuable Player: Dean Wilkenson (Who goes to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and doesn’t go to Bourbon Street.)
• Come Back Player: Clark King
• Best Bob Joke: ‘Dragon Ass’ as performed by Adam Shircliff
• Best Tease: Justin committing to the road trip
• Best Trucker Hat: Chris Wiedmar
• Best Mardi Gras Superlative List: Matt Gandolfo
Day 2
The Debauchery of Chateau Bourbon
I think we all saw the Birmingham leg of our road trip as nothing more than a warm up for the events that were about to take place in New Orleans and what a warm up it was. A couple of cocktails, some old friends catching up, and a dueling piano bar are always a recipe for disaster. Thanks again to Daniel ‘Donkey Kong’ Kauffmann and ‘Why’ Todd Blanton for a wonderful display of hospitality but its time to get down to the main event. Despite my best efforts I’m pretty sure that it is impossible to mentally prepare yourself for Mardi Gras unless you have been there before. Pulling into the mean streets of NOLA was kind of like going to the beach with your family, when you get there all you want to do is jump in the water but your mom wouldn’t let unti she helped you put on your floaties and sunscreen. Everyone rolling in to New Orleans just wanted to jump into Bourbon Street and for us checking into our hotel was like putting on the floaties, we couldn’t get done with it fast enough but the Mardi Gras God’s had different plans. Unfortunately our road trip rocket ship (aka Otis) was just too tall with our camper on top to fit in the parking garage so we had to unpack all our stuff in the car and make room to put the topper inside the jeep (not a fun task when you are in the heart of probably the most exciting place on the earth at that particular moment). Finally we got settled and moved into our weekend home away from home with our 5 other roommates. In addition to my road trip companions we had the pleasure of shacking up with Frank ‘the birdman’ Wiedmar Jr., ‘Whiskey Bent’ Justin Winfield, Dane ‘Like the Dog’ Mattingly, Brett ‘how did you get that cut on your nose’ Gahm, and Joe ‘Boys on Bourbon’ Thurman. It will be hard to do that first night justice just by writing in a blog so I won’t even try but I will give you a run down on some notable events and for greater detail you will just have to wait for the release of my upcoming book, “America, You Got Got: The Story of The Greatest American Road Trip of All Time Ever. Period. Boom.” (Title is pending.) Real quick here is the jist of the night: Huge Ass Beers, Hand Grenades, Turkey Trots, and Krystal Burger. That’s about all that can be said for Day 2 on our odyssey.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Day 1
Day 1:
Here it is. Our road trip is under way and we made it Birmingham safely into the wild welcoming world of Daniel “Donkey Kong” Kauffmann. We made it here in exactly 5.5 hours with only two stops- Bowling Green and Pulaski, TN. The highlight of that trip was our attempt of a prank call on a friend in regards to his snuggie- it could have been more successful had Andrew not caught a severe case of giggle-itis whilst in the middle of it. But I give him the benefit of the doubt… try to say “snuggie” without laughing. Do it. Now. See?
Another highlight was having to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting a flying hawk with a mouse between its beak. What a great sign… hawks are very tight and a symbol of good luck. Also, we have two incredible dashboard ornaments. One is our main man Buddha; he brings us karma and tranquility. The other is a miniature globe named “Carl.” Carl is providing us with direction (he is also our back up GPS). Additionally, we have our headless bird, Petie, flying faithfully from the rear view… thanks Ben, Bird, and Heavy.
Our faithful car, Otis, is needless to say, packed to the fullest, but full of character, wittiness, courage, bravery, and snacks… a lot of snacks. We are in for a hell of an adventure and all very excited. Let’s just get through Mardi Gras with flying colors. We are ready to let the proverbial good times roll. Tonight we are going to dine on some fine Alabama barbecue and drink in some high quality laughs.
In the words of The Joker, “Let’s put a smile on that face!”
Thanks for reading folks.
-- Adam --
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