AUTRE AVENTURE + MON MEILLEUR. 

After roughly two years in New Orleans, I was ready for my next adventure. Undoubtedly, I am a minimalist and did not need a huge moving truck to transport my items to my next destination. My best bud Dave drove down from Iowa to take me back to the motherland. I was able to pack up my necessary belonging in his sizable crossover. Naturally, I had to treat this guy for coming all the way from the midwest. We spent several days indulging in this foodie fantasy. It was gluttonous indeed. After some fine dining, dive bar drinking, and cafe cruising, it was time to leave the crescent city.

Our first destination was Moblie. Sweet home Alabama! This was my first time in this state, and I was curious to see what it offered. Mobile was a quant and charming city. As we explored for a place to eat, a one-armed man in a kilt approached us. He told us about a comedy show that night. Whatever that guy was selling, I was buying. This dude definitely had a side quest or something. At dinner, I tried some pickled shrimp for the first time, which was shockingly way better than I expected. We spent the night laughing our butts off at the comedy show.

The next day we got up and established our lifting routine for the trip. If Dave and I are together, we will lift some weights. Luckily, his Planet Fitness membership allows unlimited guest passes, what a fucking deal. The next order of business was to track down a decent expresso. Feeling accomplished and energized, we set our sights on the USS Alabama. This decommissioned battleship was surely a sight to see. Plenty of other artifacts from the second world war littered the grounds. It was an excellent little history lesson, to say the least. It did not take long to cross the border into Florida. We drove straight to the beach and spent the rest of the day unwinding.

Pensacola would be our home for the next few days. Two of my buddies from New Orleans wanted to join in the festivities. Most of our time was spent lounging on the beach. Our agenda was drinking, jamming, and enjoying life. It is impossible to describe the tranquility that one experiences being beachside. I rather enjoyed plunging into the ocean and swimming out as far as possible. The waves were humungous and threw me around like a ragdoll. When not on the beach, we searched for something to grub on. Our squad consisted of three chefs and a bartender, so finding a nice snacking spot was of the utmost importance. My favorite place we encountered was a little dive bar away from the touristy area. Here is where we shared one last feast, and the boys returned to New Orleans. Dave and I headed toward the westernmost part of the island to secure our sleeping spots. Surrendering to slumber was simple under the star-lit sky. The singing sea surely soothed me to sleep.

As we left our campsite, the scenery surprised me. White sand beaches were littered with patches of green foliage and various wildlife. The morning light made our surroundings much more appealing. I would argue to say it was dream-like. We visited the legendary Fort Pickens and had another history lesson. This trip was already teaching me more than any class. For example, Pickens was one of just four southern forts to have evaded capture by the Confederates. Nothing enforces knowledge like a field trip. Somehow we were the only people there, and this civil war era fortress all to ourselves. It was time to start heading north, so we said goodbye to the beautiful beach life.

We quickly left the panhandle and returned to Alabama. The first order of business was to get that pump in. Several hours on the road later, we found ourselves at a safari park. This was undoubtedly the last thing I expected to find while road-tripping through Bama. Regardless we had a blast and saw all sorts of exotic animals. All the animals were incredible, but the emus and ostriches were my preferred creatures. Fucking dinosaur bird lookin' ass. We kept moving and made it to Montgomery in no time. My mission was to get some oysters before we got too far inland. We found a spot along the chute just on the outskirts of the city. With our palates satisfied, we returned to I-65 North. We decided to stop and see the new Top Gun not too far outside of Birmingham. It was entertaining enough. After the flick, we retired to Oak Mountain State park for another night of camping.

The next morning we had a quick pitstop in Birmingham. Here is where I found the best espresso shot of the trip. It was surely sippable and sufficient. After a quick gym session, the road beckoned us once more. We drove three hours to our next destination, Nashville. Funny enough, the last time I was in this city was when Dave and I road-tripped from Iowa to Florida back in college. This time around, we had more time to enjoy the city. We stayed away from broadway street and explored the rest of the city. My favorite find was the legendary greek temple, the Parthenon. Oh yeah, Nashville has a full-scale replica just chilling. After eating and drinking our way through town, it was the best dining experience of the trip. I could see myself living in this city one day.

Next up was Kentucky. Do you know why I was excited about this state? No? Bourbon baby. We rolled up to Louisville, and the first place we stopped was a bourbon house. Oh boy, the selection of local and unheard-of whiskeys was wall-to-wall. Have you ever seen a kid in a candy shop? After a few tastes, I decided on a bottle to add to my collection. All we had to do was cross the river, and we were back in familiar territory, the midwest. We rolled up to Indianapolis on a Friday night, and the city was rocking. Why not join in the festivities? We would be back in Iowa tomorrow, so we had to end the trip with a bang. The remainder of the night was spent bar hopping around the downtown district.

It was a later start to the day than expected, but we convinced ourselves it was worth it. After finding some coffee, we returned to the road. It took about an hour to get into the neighboring state of Illinois. We stopped at a lovely shop that does not exist in Iowa and made a few purchases. It was not long until we were driving over that mythical Mississippi. My parents were visiting my aunt in Davenport, so we decided to stop and say what up. It turned into a family reunion because the next thing I know, we are at my gramps favorite Mexican restaurant, sharing a round of tequila shots. Welcome back to Iowa! We had a quick pit stop in Iowa City because ya boy needed that espresso shot. Yes, yes, it was indeed fire. Now, we had to drive that hour and a half to Des Moines. We had both done this drive countless times. With another adventure in the books, we both agreed that this was one of our most successful ones.