Hello enormous listening world! Yes, that's right, I am back! Five weeks off work including four in the USA was fabulous.
This episode will be all about my time away so if a glorified travelogue isn't of interest to you then feel free to move on (I won't be too offended) and wait for the next episode.
Firstly, I do recognise that people go on holidays (that's vacation to all y'all in America) quite regularly. I don't though. This journey was my first time in the USA, my longest trip ever, my first time in the Northern Hemisphere since 1979, and the most time I've had off work since 2014. It was a big deal to me. I was very nervous about being away from home, travelling alone, and dealing with food. Obviously I have made it home so I survived. I can assure you that I learned a lot about myself in the process.
What I won't do here is mention every single thing I did. That'd be long and boring for everyone. I can read my travel journal anytime I like. If something does interest you then please feel free to talk to me about it. I'm also not going to talk about politics even though I was in the USA during the election. It's their decision and other than saying that we, as Australians, seemed MUCH more interested in the whole thing than 90% of Americans I came into contact with, I'll leave it at that. If you want to ask me about it feel free to drop me a line.
Thoughts on getting around:
It's a long way from Sydney to Dallas. 14 hours on the way there and 17 on the way back. Why is there more leg room on a budget USA domestic airline that then is on a QANTAS Dreamliner? QANTAS service was great but I really felt quite claustrophobic when the person in front of me reclined their seat for almost the whole trip (both ways). Southwest Airlines in the USA are excellent, American Airlines were horrendous. I took a lot of Ubers and they were easy and reliable. I rode the bus a bit in Nashville which was pretty convenient and cheap. The Amtrak from Atlanta to Birmingham was the way to travel; I loved it. In every town except Memphis I walked almost everywhere. In DC I was doing about 20km a day. It's a great way to see and feel the surroundings that you don't get in a car. And then there was driving. On the other side of the road. The night before picking up the hire car in Nashville I was very stressed. Then they gave me a lime green vehicle so that I had no chance of blending in. Then it was straight onto a four or five lane freeway. There was no soundtrack as I needed to concentrate hard. But it was fun and not nearly as difficult as I had imagined.
Washington DC
My first stop. I was extremely fortunate to be able to stay with my mate Darren who has had a few postings to the USA. This helped me ease into my time away. I started way too hard and was tired out in a few days. Learning to pace myself was important. I saw a lot of DC's Smithsonian Museums and the highlights were Leadbelly's 12 string guitar and also the Postal Museum. Arlington was a sobering reminder of the cost of war but also a window into the American psyche. Sutto took me to eat at a diner, to see the Space Shuttle, Blackbird and Enola Gay, to the NFL, to Ben's Chilli (yum) and to The Fillmore in Silver Springs to see King Diamond. I thoroughly enjoyed walking a long way and my quiet sojourn around Teddy Roosevelt Island and Georgetown was sublime.
Rob and Sutto at the Udar-Hazy Center.
Nashville TNI had a groovy AirBNB in a quiet neighbourhood. The supermarket was close by and this helped me feel more at ease with the food situation. To be honest though, I was doing so much walking that I could've eaten almost anything! I lost weight on this trip and that wasn't my plan at all. In Nashville I got to play my dream guitar (Gibson Everly Brothers J-180E) at the Gibson Garage, toured the iconic Ryman Auditorium, went to a show at the Grand Old Opry, and got my VISA card blocked by trying to buy clothes. I also had a massage as my back was tight from all the walking and travelling. The masseur told me he was a big Kath and Kim fan! Nashville was busy but friendly and felt safe.
The Grand Old Opry
Tupelo MSAfter driving along the fabulous Natchez Trace Parkway (that's something I'd go back to in a heartbeat) I saw Elvis' birthplace. The house he was born in is there as well as the church he first sang in and the memorial chapel built after his death. It's well set up and worth a visit.
The pina colada with wheels
The church where Elvis first sang in public at age eight
Memphis TNI drove to Memphis, filled up at a very dodgy gas station (thanks Google Maps) and dumped the car at the airport. In the Uber to my accommodation I started to worry; Memphis looked pretty rough and run down. I wasn't wrong. Although I stayed in a nice area (Cooper-Young) I wasn't prepared to do the amount of walking and exploring I'd done in DC and Nashville. The best thing I did here was take my mate Barry's advice and book onto a bus tour of the main sights. It was a lot of fun with the tour guide singing and playing guitar. We finished up with a tour of the iconic Sun Studios where, along with all the really cool Elvis and Johnny Cash stuff there was U2's drum kit from the Rattle and Hum sessions sitting on the studio floor. Graceland was impressive and I spent ages there (it was also an expensive outing compared to almost everything else) but, I didn't feel the Elvis connection I was hoping for. No matter, that feeling had been there in Tupelo. Also in Memphis, literally at the end of my street, was a great toys and collectables shop and a vegan restaurant. I spent ages in the toy place talking about action figures, Australian music and a whole lot more. I'd felt a bit alone and upset in Memphis and this helped to turn it around.
Some of the gold records at Graceland
Mesquite NVMy mate Doug lives in Mesquite with his wife Molly and two little dogs, Izzy and Tiff. I'd met him twice in Australia years ago and he'd stayed with us in Canberra on his visits. We spent just long enough in Las Vegas for me to get my suitcase and load it into his Jeep! Mesquite is in the desert and is a great town. It was super clean and friendly. We saw KC and The Sunshine Band play in an outdoor amphitheatre, went to dinner at one of the local casinos, viewed the Veterans Day Parade, had a family dinner and did a late night car park deal for a used guitar! Doug took me to the Valley of Fire State Park which was simply stunning. We saw petroglyphs, amazing rock formations, longhorn sheep, and a vastness of landscape that took my breath away. I would say it was almost life changing but there was more to come. Doug packed up his Jeep and we headed to California and into the Mojave Desert. We looked at old mining sites, graveyards, abandoned vehicles, dynamite bunkers and more. And we stayed in an old miner's hut feasting on MREs (those American ones are pretty good). The desert at night and in the day was a trip. The terrain and the colours changed, there were Joshua Trees everywhere and the sky went on forever.
Brothers. Mojave Desert sunset.
Atlanta GATo be honest, I only went to Atlanta because it was the cheapest flight back east from Vegas close to my destination. It turned out to be a great place to stay for a couple of nights. I was in a tiny house and tiny was the operative word. But it was clean, cosy and had everything I needed including a cat that sat outside and demanded love. The Atlanta Freedom Trail was a beautiful and well maintained walking path that took me quite a long way. It also took me to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Archive and Museum. I don't know if people have favourite presidents but he's been mine for years.
Jimmy and I
The tiny house
Birmingham ALIn planning this trip I'd really wanted to take a long train journey but fitting one in turned out to be problematic. I rode the Amtrak from Atlanta to Birmingham which takes about four hours. The seats, in coach class, are as good as business class on a plane. I almost had a whole carriage to myself and the staff were very friendly. Train travel is the bomb. It's not too fast, you can get up and walk around and then there's the view. After leaving Atlanta I travelled almost due west. We only stopped once, in Anniston. The track goes through a lot of forests but is never far from a road. Passing through small towns was excellent. You get a whole different perspective of the USA this way here as well as being able to look into people's backyards. Birmingham itself was very, very quiet. I went to the Civil Rights Institute which, although it was closing early, was a sobering reminder of days gone by. It wasn't all doom and gloom though and a really positive outlook I thought. Somehow I'd jagged a hotel with breakfast included. Cognisant of the fact that weight had been falling off me for the last few weeks I thoroughly enjoyed myself as did the ladies in charge of the buffet!
Desperado waiting for a train...
Huntsville AL
My friend Keith aka BDK came and got me from Birmingham and drove me to Huntsville. But not before we'd visited his place to say hi to Charley the HUGE labrador. We also went for a slap up lunch before heading off. Southern hospitality really is a thing and I felt very privileged to be on the end of some. I've known BDK since the late 90s but we'd never met in person. You would've thought we were lifelong friends. In Huntsville we met up with my mate Dave aka Tanker. Maggie, whose wedding I was to attend, is his daughter. Dave and his wife Rita had organised for me to stay with Father Bill who was also officiating at the wedding. Huntsville was pretty cool. It's the biggest city in Alabama and has a very large military base. Dave took me there to look at a whole heap of NASA rockets on display as well as showing me around the area. My lasting impressions are of wide streets, big yards and people who wave and say hi. I did a couple of great long walks in the Monte Sano Preserve and the peace and quiet so close to town was good for my soul. The wedding was great and seeing Maggie and her fiance Chris tie the knot was a special moment. Everyone made me feel like part of the family which was wonderful. Father Bill took care of me and I took care of some of his IT problems!
Me with (L-R) Tanker, BDK, Chris and Maggie
So there you have it. The super-abridged version of what I got up to. Looking back I packed a lot into a few weeks away. I learned that I need to pace myself and that just because food worries me, I must not simply avoid eating. I also faced the realities of travelling alone. Most of the time it was fine and clearly I broke it up by meeting, and staying with, some people I knew. The roughly ten days in a row on my own in Nashville / Tupelo / Memphis was too long though and I felt it. Lesson learned. Even meeting someone for a coffee would've sorted that out. I was extremely stressed about driving on the other side of the road but, with some deep breaths and giving myself a stern talking to, it turned out fine.
I've written before about how the Army took away my love of camping and the outdoors. This trip really rammed home to me that being outside in nature is something I really need in my life. I get plenty of it here in Canberra with some bushwalking and cycling. I do NOT need to sleep in a tent or on the ground ever again but some of the other options have become more and more appealing. Cities, in large doses, aren't my thing. I was happiest in the USA when I was in the forests and quieter parts. That's something to keep in mind for my next extended holiday. I wouldn't say I've caught the travel bug. I'm very happy being at home. I have, however, committed to a trip to Scotland in 2026. Time to start saving and planning!
Many of you will have seen lots of photos from me on Facebook. I'm dreadful at remembering to shoot pics at the best of times and I made a huge effort to do so whilst away and I'm glad I did. It's a good visual diary for me. I also kept a daily travel journal (thanks Suzy and Todd) which is full of good memories. I also seem to have accumulated quite a number of t-shirts!
Until next time, whenever that may be, rock on!
The Woozle
