Post by nolaflacav on Mar 25, 2008 17:35:38 GMT -6
Like TexJohn we just returned from a quick 7 day road trip through 7 states. But we spent all of our time in the Deep South. And we had a great time. Our circuitous outbound route took us from Orlando, FL to Columbus GA through Birmingham AL up to Tupelo MS over to Memphis TN and on to Little Rock AK. We headed home through Baton Rouge LA and back across I-10 through Biloxi MS and Mobile AL to Orlando. It was tiresome and I know I am prejudiced but there is just no place like this part of the country for spectacular beauty.
The South in springtime is awesome. The dogwoods were in full bloom everywhere we looked. And the crepe myrtles were just beginning to bud. I will never tire of the fragrant smell of camellias. They are heavenly. And the azaleas were striking. The pinks, whites, and reds were vibrant. They were in full bloom and at their peak. I have had the good fortune to be at Augusta National twice for the Masters and I don’t believer there is a more beautiful spot anywhere in the world. I am an azalea freak. We spent an afternoon walking through a Louisiana swamp. Cypress trees are just downright elegant. And the cypress knees add to the overall eeriness of the swamp. Traveling down all the state roads was most excellent with all the various wild flowers in bloom throughout the neutral ground and both sides of the highway. My only regret of the whole trip was not sneaking over into Texas when we were so close to see how the bluebonnets were doing. There is a place in heaven for Lady Bird Johnson and her work with wild flowers.
We tried to eat our way through the various states. The week consisted of a blur of fried foods. I swear that peanut oil should be one the four basic food groups. There was fried chicken, fried catfish, fried crab legs, fried shrimp and hush puppies. We never said no to green bean casseroles, sweet potato pie, or mac & cheese. Arriving home in Louisiana brought us seafood gumbo, crab meat au gratin, and jambalaya. And there were always fresh, sweet strawberries to cap off the meal. Needless to say I put on a few pounds. Dinner our last night was spent sitting in a restaurant overlooking Mobile Bay at sunset with both the city skyline and the USS Alabama in the background. It does not get any better than that.
We decided that we would theme out the trip by bringing our Sirius and Ipods along and adding the appropriate music to the trip. We left Florida listening to Tom Petty and quickly moved into Lynyrd Skynyrd. We switched to all Elvis all the time from Tupelo through Memphis. Louisiana brought out the mandatory oldies from Professor Longhair, Dr. John, The Meters and of course Jerry Lee Lewis from Ferriday Louisiana. As an aside, also hailing from Ferriday are Jerry Lee’s first cousins Jimmy Lee Swaggart and Mickey Lee Gilley. That is some family tree!
I cannot end this rambling mess without mentioning the best part of the trip. Good God Almighty there is nothing finer on earth than Southern women. The Beach Boys had it all wrong. I wish they all could be Southern women! And I mean all of them from the 70 year old grandmothers to the 20 year old coeds. Southern women are both stately and beautiful. Even my child bride of 30 years took on an added glow during this trip. And for her I am always thankful. She still makes my head spin. There is nothing better than making love in the morning in Georgia and having a night cap in Arkansas. And then starting the next morning in Arkansas and wrapping it up that evening in Louisiana. I am telling you that multi state sex should be down right illegal. Anything that feels that good should be outlawed.
With that I am spent. I need to go take a nap.
The South in springtime is awesome. The dogwoods were in full bloom everywhere we looked. And the crepe myrtles were just beginning to bud. I will never tire of the fragrant smell of camellias. They are heavenly. And the azaleas were striking. The pinks, whites, and reds were vibrant. They were in full bloom and at their peak. I have had the good fortune to be at Augusta National twice for the Masters and I don’t believer there is a more beautiful spot anywhere in the world. I am an azalea freak. We spent an afternoon walking through a Louisiana swamp. Cypress trees are just downright elegant. And the cypress knees add to the overall eeriness of the swamp. Traveling down all the state roads was most excellent with all the various wild flowers in bloom throughout the neutral ground and both sides of the highway. My only regret of the whole trip was not sneaking over into Texas when we were so close to see how the bluebonnets were doing. There is a place in heaven for Lady Bird Johnson and her work with wild flowers.
We tried to eat our way through the various states. The week consisted of a blur of fried foods. I swear that peanut oil should be one the four basic food groups. There was fried chicken, fried catfish, fried crab legs, fried shrimp and hush puppies. We never said no to green bean casseroles, sweet potato pie, or mac & cheese. Arriving home in Louisiana brought us seafood gumbo, crab meat au gratin, and jambalaya. And there were always fresh, sweet strawberries to cap off the meal. Needless to say I put on a few pounds. Dinner our last night was spent sitting in a restaurant overlooking Mobile Bay at sunset with both the city skyline and the USS Alabama in the background. It does not get any better than that.
We decided that we would theme out the trip by bringing our Sirius and Ipods along and adding the appropriate music to the trip. We left Florida listening to Tom Petty and quickly moved into Lynyrd Skynyrd. We switched to all Elvis all the time from Tupelo through Memphis. Louisiana brought out the mandatory oldies from Professor Longhair, Dr. John, The Meters and of course Jerry Lee Lewis from Ferriday Louisiana. As an aside, also hailing from Ferriday are Jerry Lee’s first cousins Jimmy Lee Swaggart and Mickey Lee Gilley. That is some family tree!
I cannot end this rambling mess without mentioning the best part of the trip. Good God Almighty there is nothing finer on earth than Southern women. The Beach Boys had it all wrong. I wish they all could be Southern women! And I mean all of them from the 70 year old grandmothers to the 20 year old coeds. Southern women are both stately and beautiful. Even my child bride of 30 years took on an added glow during this trip. And for her I am always thankful. She still makes my head spin. There is nothing better than making love in the morning in Georgia and having a night cap in Arkansas. And then starting the next morning in Arkansas and wrapping it up that evening in Louisiana. I am telling you that multi state sex should be down right illegal. Anything that feels that good should be outlawed.
With that I am spent. I need to go take a nap.
