US Roadtrip

Whiplash85

Right second instalment. We spent a total of 3 nights in New Orleans. At the moment there are people deliberating on the after hours forum over which cities they would never go back to. This place leaves you enthralled and crying out for more. On the third night of our trip after a heavy Saturday night in Bourbon, I took the time to explore. I stumbled across Auduban park and the fly. Majestic place. Spent the whole evening here and there are people walking dogs, playing Frisby, having BBQ's, playing American football and even to my surprise Gaelic football. A hive of activity. What really catches the eye though about this specific part of NO is the shotgun style wooden housing and magnificient magnolias. We have a long day's driving in the morning so we get an early night. I remember thinking to myself at one stage that maybe it doesn't get any better than this.

We leave early Monday 24th March bound for Austin Texas. We spend the whole day driving. The sat Nav picks another inopportune time to act up. We had heard about Houston and gridlock so we spend the whole time trying to avoid the place only to end up there. Before we can put a serious dent in the journey though we stop in Mason city at a Walmart to stock up the coolbox and find a new phone for one of our buddies. Any plans to do a swamp tour are foregone in order to get to Austin as early as possible. Its something with the benefit of hindsight I wished I could have done along with a cajun cooking course but alas..... cant have it all. The day was pretty non descript. Driving relentlessly interrupted with a few pit stops. We stay at a motel 6 (another chain of cheap motels) after a tired and wearisome day coupled with all 3 of us suffering from the fear. Its an early one.

We spend the whole of the following day walking the length and breath of Austin. It really is a cool place. Austin State capitol building is very impressive. We get a guided tour from some governement official who is intrigued by Irelands history and wants to know more. The history of Texas is quite something. Mish mash of several different countries relinquishing control, losing battles, winning wars etc epitomised by the whole 6 flags over Texas. It really drives home the point that this is essentially a really young country. When the potatoe crop was failing in Ireland, Texas was only becoming the 28th state in the union. What is particularily interesting for me is how much of the southern states in general have so many spanish and French influences from religion, place names, food, culture etc. We visit the University of Texas. A behemoth of a university with nearly 50,000 students and home to the Texas Longhorns. If I had my time all over again to do a J1 Austin would have been a very viable option.We ensure we are at the end of Congress Avenue for dusk as some 1.5m bats migrate from underneath Congress avenue Bridge. After a great day we get dinner on 6th street in the Jackalope and play Jenga and cornhole under the influence of a few beers. The penny has finally dropped in relation to the slogan - "keep Austin weird".

We head for Dallas the following day (26th March) but not before we hit an outlet store. It galls me to see how much we are being ripped off back home but anyway thats not why we're here. This is an interesting day. We dont go to Dallas until late but instead veer off the interstate and visit towns like West, Waco and Waxachachie. We could have been on a pyromaniac fieldtrip. One of the lads remembers a scene from "No Country for old men" when Javier Bardem asks the shop owner to flip a coin because he has "been putting it up his whole life". Well that shop owner was from Temple Texas. That was our motivation for going there. Pretty random I know but it was on the way. Waco and West are very depressing places. Waco seems to be stuck in a time warp and carrying the stigma of one David Koresh who ripped the heart and soul from the place 20 years before. One or 2 factories keeping the whole show on the road. A lot of abject poverty to be seen. We stop off at the Czech stop in West for some Kolaches and buns. This place is a fairly popular bakery/petrol station/gift shop. Again I think it is fasccinating to arrive in a place in America where everyone looks eastern european (well maybe not as I'm from Ireland) but the Czechs and Slovaks have made this small inlet of Texas their own. We proceed to Duncanville near Cedar Springs just south of Dallas where we check into another Motel 6. The receptionist asks was it a long drive from Ireland....
At this point its time to throw on a wash and get some food at a nearby Mexican. Mexican food has been the pick of the cuisines since we got to America. Although that wouldn't be hard.

Following day is an epic day. We visit Dallas Cowboys stadium (AT&T) in Arlington. It becomes the Jerry Jones show. He struck oil in 9 out of 10 drills, He has a passion for TV's, He is a man of the people, here is his plinth. Jerry jones reality TV show with us as props. Tv's ****ing everywhere. They are getting ready for March madness and the final four so I cant throw some footballs and have them intercepted like Tony Romo. It's an interesting tour and you see American capitalism at work in all its guises. What I cannot understand though is why the need for such a massive big screen that spans the width of the stadium and serves as a distraction for the fans. It is not hard to figure why the Cowboys never seem to get to the dance aka playoffs anymore. Next up is Dealey Plaza 6th floor Museum, Grassy Knoll etc. This has been the holy grail for me since I was in my early teens and watching Oliver Stones JFK and one of those times on the trip where my hair was standing up on my neck. It has always been a passion of mine. Wouldn't naturally be a conspiracy theorist either but I had watched the zapruder film several times, read govt enquiries/warren commission reports, watched documentary after documentary. I was even more convinced that Oswald hadn't acted alone. Again its another conversation and a plethora of reasons I have, but why not shoot him coming up Heuston rather than turning on Elm.Exit wounds and "back and to the left" are discussed with my buddies. I am right at home with the conspiracy theorists at the grassy knoll. From here we walk through the city and head to Forth worth for a steak and another wander. We get another early night.

The Following morning before driving through Texas at a 100 miles an hour destined for Lubbock in West Texas we go to Southfork Ranch at the request of one of my mates. We were the youngest people on the tour by about 40 years. We jostle for position on a trailer drawn by a tractor with the zimmer frame and hearing aid equipped active retirees on day release. I never watched Dallas. If you were into Dallas though you would have loved it. I liked it but couldn't associate it with anything. My friend meanwhile was in his element and I knocked a good bit of craic watching his reactions. Who shot JR was the pertinent question around here and much to our tour guides disbelief I didn't know who John Ross was. I promised I would watch the new series though.

We are on a mission now to get to Lubbock by half 6 in time for the Rodeo. Its 350 miles cross Texas 5 and a half hour drive. We drive through towns like Decatur, Jackson, Seymour and then there are no towns. Its desolate. We see ranches with the family insignia's over them and impressive entrances, Fracking and drilling for oil and gas, the odd bit of cattle farming. Nirvanna's Nevermind is providing the soundtrack via the Ipod for this leg of the journey. We all agree the Ipod was a Godsend and a welcome alternative from all those religious preaching radio programmes. We make it in time for the Rodeo. My oh my what an eye opener. Another college town is Lubbock. We dont have tickets so we are in the process of getting some at the ticket booth and a kind person gives us 2 for free. We split the cost of the 3rd. We witness a prayer to open proceedings, a raucous rendition of the stars and stripes with 4 cadets absailing from the ceiling. If you were in the navy, coast guard, marine etc you stood up and was acclaimed by a boisterous crowd. Then it was cow roping, bull Fighting, muttin busting with 5/6 year old children, bucking horses. It was an experience and a polar opposite from the commercialised Dallas and to a lesser extent Austin. We would be hitting New Mexico after an fantastic 5 days in Texas.

MadsL

and...and...New Mexico???

I've been to some of those Texas Czech towns, kinda fun as I have a smattering of Czech. Gets me either a smile or confusion.

MadsL

*waits patiently*

JeffKenna

MadsL wrote: »

*waits patiently*

I was actually on this trip with Whiplash85 (ahem which should incidentally be Whiplash83!!) and just wanted to post a thanks to everyone for their great advise!!

MadsL

JeffKenna wrote: »

Whiplash85 (ahem which should incidentally be Whiplash83!!)

He lies about his age?

JeffKenna

MadsL wrote: »

He lies about his age?

Ah no, anyway the point was to thank everyone for their help!!

MadsL

So...New Mexico dammit!! I'm all ears...

MadsL

*cough*

Nelly 21

Think he's trying to build the anticipation!!!!!!

Whiplash85

Sorry guys I have been inundated this last week or 2 between 1 thing or another. I'll do it tomorrow evening I promise;)

MadsL

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Sorry guys I have been inundated this last week or 2 between 1 thing or another. I'll do it tomorrow evening I promise;)

Lies.