The making of - hardwork, perserverence and getting to step one

My husband and I lived in a van named the Hardwoo traveling around the U.S.A  for three months. since my return to Canada , I seem to hear the question how did you do it ? all the time . Amongst a medley of related questions like , where did you sleep ? how did you afford it ? why would you want to do that ? what was it like ? ..... So in response I decided to write a post or a few posts really all about what life in the Hardwoo was really like behind the scenes.
You could say The Hardwoo adventure started many years ago back then it was just a sparkle , idea nothing more than a pipe dream . Calhoun and I have always been cursed with wander lust but getting out isn't always as easy or romantic as it seems. It was years from when the first seed of an idea was planted until it actually came into fruition and when it began to there was even more hard work ahead of us than we had imagined .

In the beginning

Though to those on the outside it may have seemed like we just picked up and left that wasn't at all the case. It took us over a year to save the money that we would live off of on the road. It took many wearied nights and weekends and much sacrifice of common comforts, immense personal and psychological strain we almost lost each other in the process .
We have been together for eleven years about a year and a half ago we finally got married, the idea of skipping the honey moon and keeping the money for the trip was debated but after 4 years working overtime I had to insist I wanted my pampered honeymoon in the sun . However every penny friends and family gave us for our wedding went towards the van without their generosity the Hardwoo never would never have been .
Once we returned from said honeymoon in the sun we were rejuvenated and ready to start down the long and winding Hardwoo road. It took us months of trolling classifieds , auto trader and kijiji  before we found the Hardwoo , and we jumped on it . It was being sold by a couple around our age who had just used it to move (ironically enough) from Toronto. They were nice folks who knew nothing about cars and the deal worked out for everyone . We finally had our vessel and we couldn't have been happier but the fight wasn't over yet not even close .
 I want to take this moment to answer one of the most commonly asked questions about the Hardwoo. Why is it called the Harwoo ? Well before it belonged to the couple who owned it before us , it belonged to a flooring company that specialized in Hardwood only the d along with most of the advertisement had worn off the side of the van now it read "Canada's leading Hardwoo" we had argued about the name (we always name our vehicles) Calhoun wanting to call it the behemoth and me opting for road warrior circus but when the suggestion of Harwoo came up it just stuck.
In the months that followed we would work our selves near to death , both taking on as many extra shifts as possible as well as picking up any side jobs we could get. Calhoun moved furniture in the van and did temp demolition work for a friend. While I booked a couple shows and sold everything I could bear to part with.
For those of you who have never sold everything you have acquired in your life so far in anticipation of launching your self whole heartedly into the unknown , it can be quite liberating . I once heard some where that the things you own end up owning you and I've come to realize there is some truth in that . I've moved a dozen times but this one was different there was no new address to send things to , no certainty of where I'd be next month , the only certainty was for better of worse this was going to happen there was no turning back now.

Scrubbing away

We moved into my parents house after our last days at work figuring we would save the rent and devote ourselves fully to the preparations. What was supposed to take a couple of weeks took a month even though we weren't working we were busier than ever, selling more things (I couldn't believe how much we still had) , putting the few things we kept but weren't taking into storage, having the van checked over, replacing tires, having the back seat installed, filling prescriptions for the next 6 months, picking up supplies for the van, changing windshield wipers, purchasing travel insurance, attempting to find out if you can travel to the states with a fish, buying road worthy fish tank (not easy to find), having jackets and shoes repaired, dropping off boxes of yet more stuff to friends, not to mention trying to see friends before we left seeing as we had no idea when/if we would return. Every night we went to bed exhausted.
I don't think the majority of our friends got it until right near the end, some not until well after we'd left , people would still be inviting us to things we kept having to remind them we wouldn't be there next week.
We had set a dead line for our departure , the day before the delivery of my parents new furnace they had half jokingly suggested it and it served a reason as any. As the date loomed upon us we became progressively more frantic.

All done !

A couple of days before the fated day we finally set ourselves to converting the inside of the van from cargo van to rolling road warrior dream home. It was not easy we both had criteria we wanted it to meet we didn't meet them all but after 12 hours, 3 pairs of rubber gloves, galllons of water and all purpose cleaner, a pack of jay clothes and scrubbers, 4 ratchet straps, 2 giant Tupperware boxes, 1 in destructible fish tank with a lid and about 50 bungee cables in varying sizes , the inside was clean , the  mattress was up , Girlie and glimmer had their allotted spots, everything was tied down and secured and you could still see out the back window, then we collapsed in a heap I think I may have actually fallen asleep mid conversation that night. 
Calhoun and I are very different he is this amazing anything can happen kind of guy that just falls into things always somehow not only landing on his feet but in the perfect place at the perfect time .

Ready to go

Me, I need a road map, a game plan and an exact address to find a friends new house when they've moved two blocks over. As a result days it works great and some days are like the day we left a chaotic whirlwind in which my plans and maps get so swept up that I forget my jacket and have to turn back before I've even left the city .
Once we blew out of city limits though the sun shinning the van packed to the gills with every contingency plan for every situation I could imagine , the radio losing it's signal as we left Halifax behind , I felt more free than I ever have .

Due North - Wrapping it up

At this point we had already been in contact with our good friend Ana in Toronto and knew once over the border we were basically going to bomb it for the city and a shower as fast as we could. bearing this in mind we hadn't bothered that morning with the usual back of the van maintenance the border control waved us to the side began getting us to unload then took one look inside and promptly gave up and waved us through .
We were back in Canada and after about 3 hours of driving and another hour of whoops we should have gotten off the express way back there now we're downtown with the worlds most useless city
map and no GPS , we finally arrived at Ana's place .
Where we proceeded to eat, shower and stay up way to late drinking and exchanging travel stories , she had just returned from 3 months in Australia and Hawaii.

the aftermath (I forgot to take a picture before)

Next morning we visited Rol San supposedly the best Dim sum place in the city for breakfast , then off to Walmart for new phones . The following two weeks would be spent on the very different though more familiar adventure of finding a place to live and jobs to pay for it .
The apartment was our biggest hurdle yet with no jobs in a competitive housing market we were at a serious disadvantage the plus side was running around to see what felt like a never ending array of apartments did give us a good feel for the city. Eventually we managed to land one actually very close to Ana's a major plus given she was pretty much the only person we knew in the city and we'd gotten to know the neighborhood a bit already.
The second part procuring jobs was surprisingly easy , Calhoun actually managed to land a decent chef position before we had even moved into our apartment and within two days of looking I had a position at a downtown café.
Settled into our new place and with shiny new jobs starting soon there was still one more thing perhaps the the hardest thing in a way not only physically but physiologically. We were now living in downtown Toronto a place where parking is creative to say the least our faithful Hardwoo who had severed us so well had now become somewhat of a problem. Though we loved her how could we not she had been our home our shelter not to mention our transport for the last three months , it seemed the time had come for us to part ways.
We turned down offers that were too cheap , met with crazy people who couldn't drive in darkened parking lots, even one family who Calhoun was convinced just wanted to take a family outing to haggle , before we finaly met the man who would become The Hardwoo's new owner. An ageing long haired hippie who we instantly had a good feeling about , he was in a Rush cover band and the Hardwoo was just what they'd been looking for to transport them and their gear . It took all day multiple trips to the DMV then the mechanic then the emissions experts . Finally though with a smile and a nod from his mechanic and the proper paper work in hand the Hardwoo was off to it's next adventure. I will not lie there was a stab of sadness as I snapped a picture of Calhoun shaking the new owners hand at the mechanics shop, but I rest easy knowing she has gone to a good home and many more adventures await us all in the future.

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we bid farewell to the beloved Hardwoo



Due North - Bourbon, Bufflo wings and Border crossing

We exit the Natchez Trace Parkway on to firm flat tarmac and begin following signs for Nashville. it's a typical American city from what an outsider can tell , the people are pleasant and helpful . The city attractive and modern with a somewhat serious air about it. in truth I would have liked to spend more time in Nashville taken in more of the local music and such I expect to return before too long if for nothing else then for Jack BBQ.
From the road you can spot three winged pigs ushering you into Jack's, a Nashville BBQ legend since the mid 70s , take a seat in the laid back family atmosphere . If your lucky you'll get a table with your very own winged pig. ours was spangled with a stars and glitter "U.S.A." , others sport local team jerseys or miniature cowboy boots.

yes that's half a portion!

We split a pulled pork sandwich plate ( I'm still a little under the weather from Alabama ) which is huge if your not from the states and your travelling here for the first time portion sizes are generally massive. Calhoun's a big guy and we often split a portion . The sides are delicious traditional done well creamy flavorful mac and cheese accompanied by slightly sweet molasses baked beans and two slices of cornbread . Corn bread is something i deeply enjoy and had been looking forward to having more of on this trip unfortunately the tradition of corn bread and BBQ being served together had seemed like a myth , Jack's is the first place we visited to include it on their BBQ plate . I'm somewhat of a coinsure when it comes to corn bread as my parents own a bakery and I've been spoilt with some of the best fresh out of the oven. but the cornbread at Jack's is none the less an enjoyable way to mop up your chosen sauce.  Boy do they have the sauce too , there is a separate sauce station where you can choose from all the traditional sauces personally I recommend trying their signature sauce, the winner of multiple awards for a reason . Calhoun enjoys a more mustard based Carolina style sauce but they're all excellently made just depends what you like .
The staff are happy and proud to talk about the restaurant , we leave with full bellies and smiling faces to continue our journey .

All of the bourbon

Calhoun plays bartender

From Nashville we're heading north east toward the Jim Beam distillery , I would have liked to have time to do the bourbon trail, bourbon being another of those things I deeply love , but alas perhaps another time . If you, like me only have time to do one, the Jim Beam American still house is a good one. It includes a 2 hour guided tour of the distillery at the end of which you get to try your choice of any of the bourbons they make ranging for the most rare high end to everyday drinkers , there's something for everyone and you get to keep the Jim Beam branded tasting glass . At 10$ a head we found it great value for money and an over all interesting experience . You might want to bring some extra cash though when you visit the bottling room you have the opportunity to bottle your own bottle of knob creek which they will engrave on the spot with your signature and seal with your thumb print in the wax , maybe it's just me but I thought this was a
pretty sweet souvenir idea.
To reenter Canada over the rainbow bridge at Niagara falls we must first pass through Buffalo which can mean only one thing chicken wings !
The Anchor Bar in Buffalo is where chicken wings as we know them were invented . The story goes like this; The Anchor Bar is a family business and one night the owner's teenage children come down to the restaurant with a group of friends at the end of a busy night , looking to score some free snacks . Mom though happy to oblige is kind of strapped for ingredients because of said super busy night, so she decided to try something new with the left over chicken wing that were previously only used for stock . She fries then bakes them and tosses them in spicy sauce and sends them out to the hungry teenagers , though somewhat dubious and embarrassed at their mother serving them what was thought to be stock pot food they try them . Boom instant classic that we now enjoy with our favorite beers and sports.

The bar it's self is a lot of fun walls lined with old license plates , Motorcycles, mopeds and even some bicycles are suspended from the celling along the top of the walls , accompanied by various all American memorabilia through out the bar . The place is packed and loud , we sit at the bar and order up a couple of baskets of the famous wings. I can say with out a doubt these are the best wings I have ever had , granted I'm not a big chicken wing eater but these are so worth it , If you find your self passing through Buffalo you gotta go.
Bloated with beer and chicken wings we make our way closer to the border. We have one last stop to make at the American side of Niagara Falls , this may seem absurd to my readers particularly the ones who know how extensively I have traveled in Canada, but I've never actually seen Niagara Falls. So we're going. it's one of the major reasons we choose this particular border crossing .
Now this may come as a shock or maybe we're just dumb jury's out but we found it very confusing to find the falls there are signs but we kept getting turned around somehow so if you have GPS I recommend using it.
We eventually get there parking is of course a nightmare , and we're pretty flustered by the time we make it down to the falls , to get there you have to pass through a comically small poorly laid out entrance building which feels like a human meat grinder.
When you finally get out and make your way though a maze of more poorly laid out signage and get to the falls it is breathtaking and well worth the hassle , apparently the Maid of the Mist boat tour taking you around the base of the falls is the thing to do but the 3 plus hour line defiantly deterred us. If your planning on doing it show up early and bring snacks, there is nothing down there but lemonade stands . We go the other way and look from the railings and through the viewers.
The drive over the rainbow bridge is an experience in it of itself it spans right over Niagara river gorge and is quite spectacular in it's own right , as we pass over it I watch our American cell phone slowly lose service and feel that smoldering sadness that always comes as you realize
your nearing the end of an adventure.

Due North - The good the Bammy and the Tennesse

relaxing at Rock Springs

As we continue on the Natcheze Trace Parkway , clipping the corner of Alabama there are not many sights in the Alabama portion of The Trace but one stands out in my mind as the most beautiful trail on the parkway. this can only be the trail at rock springs . It bursts with seasonal flowers and butterflies all along a peaceful fast running stream that though cold you'll be hard pressed not to dip your feet in or if your Calhoun strip down to your undies and jump in.
The sun beating down over the picturesque stepping stones as you cross the stream could truly make one believe that inner peace is an attainable goal if you do make this drive you would be a fool to skip rock springs.

We find our selves in need of a battery recharging and internet stop and of course some Alabama BBQ . For these things we head into Florence the closest "on the map" town off the Trace , the ride in is nothing short of stereotypical. so far we have been lucky enough to avoid the southern prejudices we've been warned so vermently about. As we head towards Florence we pass houses that wouldn't look out of place in "houses of a 1000 corpses " or "true detective" one in particular has a severely ominous presence. we slide on by  past

looks nice right?

well looks can be deceiving

miles of open fields. from what we have seen so far the whole state seems to be poorly sign posted. with the help of Verizon wireless and Goggle maps we find our way to the public library, Florence is a southern belle of a town, the library is old and has a prestigious air to it. beside it a pretty little park anointed with an ornate fountain. Though the town may be attractive it's air is of closed minds and no vacancy signs , a place where I am all of a sudden very aware of the color of my skin.
Anxious to put this place in the rear view and with a lead on a good BBQ place we head across town to Dick Howell's BBQ. A tiny shack of a building with it seems only two employees who seem very glad to see us. it bears mentioning that these were the friendliest people we met in Alabama and when they heard what we were doing they seemed genuinely excited to serve us. I ordered the pork rib sandwich Calhoun the pulled pork plate. The menu is small like the restaurant, the whole place smells of the smoking pit out back , over all you feel like your eating in some sort of southern twilight zone kitchen . As far as taste is concerned it is mediocre. mine is somewhat dry and Calhoun's is much better but still somewhat lack luster . When the obviously hard working owner and chef, a man who has to be in his 60s, comes out to sweep the floor and ask how the meal was we can't help but respond with praise.
Had I known what I had in store for me my kindheartedness may have wavered significantly , we blast over the border into Tennessee but shortly after begins a twisting pain in my stomach gives birth to bloating and a desperate need for a bathroom . We are in luck and find a suitable stopping spot with a camp style washroom I spend most of the night in. I have traveled far enough in this world to

they start small at Fall Hollow

know the value of a well equipped med kit my reward is being able to travel by morning .
The reality of being off  the grid so to speak is made more real as a I take a much needed shower under a tree by the river using water collected from a fast moving spring the day before and transferred into the solar shower which has been heating in the morning sun atop the hardwoo. Calhoun cooks some breakfast after which we continue on to our morning walk. the sun beats down on the beautiful scenery and though my stomach still cries for relief in is quelled somewhat by the natural beauty all around us.
By noon time we have made it to Metal Ford. sort of what it sounds like but not at all. This place was once the site of a primitive iron works , iron oar would be floated down the river on barges to be processed here. The river it's self is deep enough to cool off in and free of local snakes that often frequent such places. The water is crystal clear but moving fast, you can imagine how the mixed feelings Meriwether Lewis (the traces most famous explorer ) must have had at finding such a perfect source of fresh water , that he and his party were also forced to ford .


and get bigger!
Never miss a opportunity
for a free shower

Refreshed we move on with our day of much hiking next stop is at fall hollow a trail not for the faint of heart but home to the most elegant system of water falls on The Trace ,Jackson Falls are billed as the biggest and they are also they are equipped with a low intensity board walk for those not up for a bit of creative clambering but we found Fall Hollow well worth it.
Nearing the end of what has been a long a sweaty day for me in particular, we decide on one last trail a three hour loop though 200 feet of elevation called the devils backbone , the under brush is thick and we lose Girlie multiple times along the way until she has to be leashed . We will later find out that we a smack in the middle of the highest concentration of ticks in North America, you would think with all the information we received at some point some one would have mentioned that right ? So if you find your self in this area of rural Tennessee with a canine companion in tow srpay them with repellent and keep them on leash and close and make sure to wear covering clothing and boots your self . It is a spectacular trail though that realy gets across the spectrum of life on this historical parkway.
Tomorrow we head for Nashville
, back in the swaddling embrace of corporate America and maybe BBQ.
  

Due north - more mississippi

Dinner at the crossroads

We set the hardwoo's nose due north our next stop is the home of BB King, Indianola, Mississippi , like the homes of many famous bluesmen it's a sleepy country town, with little to look at we visited the corner where BB King busked as a young man it's hard to imagine making a living as a busker in a town such as this.
Indianola is also home the shiny new BB King blues museum , unfortunately we arrived a little to late in the day to visit but I hear good things.

Featuring Mississippi Hot Tamales !!!

What we weren't too late for is hot tamales , folks from Mississippi consider them a local dish , though they originally hail from Mexico. Mississippi ones are smaller and usually filled with meat an order is generally 3 or 4 of them whereas the Mexican or Texas Tamale is larger and often stuffed with chilies. The Gin Mill restaurant which doubles as a music store (right next to the blues museum) makes the best we've had in Mississippi defiantly stop in for an order, a cold beer and maybe try out one of their guitars for sale on the adjacent wall .
Our hunger quelled we head for Clarksdale, it is here at the crossroads of highways 49 and 61 that bluesman Robert Jhonson supposedly sold his soul to the devil . The crossroads no longer have the dusty desolate imagery showcased in many blues movies . A town of quazi tourist industry has grown up around them there is one gem though.
Abe's BBQ has been here since the days of Robert Jhonson serving up their own style of southern BBQ a little fatty perhaps for some tastes , I personally like it . There tamales are not as good as the Gin Mills but , over all it's not a bad spot .

Trail site at Tishamingo

after leaving Abe's we're joining up with the Natchez Trace parkway outside of Tupelo . The visitors center provides you with a very informative map showing all the sites and trails along the parkway . The parkway it's self runs through Mississippi , Alabama and Tennessee all with their  attractions along the way.
One such thing being a number of earth mounds , these mounds were used for a variety of ceremonies as well as burials.
Tishomingo state park is a highlight of the Mississippi portion of the parkway there is a small fee to get in (3$ a car aprox) , the park features 12 miles of trails all either low to moderate in intensity and well maintained . we hiked almost all 12 miles being in need of a little of natures perspective emotions running high as we had just begun the last leg of our journey .
We returned to the Hardwoo worn a blistered but not beaten , and our journey continues north to Alabama.

riding west - New Orleans - This city's got it all

We arrived in New Orleans early Monday afternoon and imidiately did what I imagine many people who are visiting the city for the first time do; paid way too much for parking and headed straight for the french quarter, bourbon street to be exact . Of course we're not headed to bourbon to drink excecively and gauk at gift shops (not today at least) we're headed there to perform to the people who are getting drunk. It being a Monday we're not expecting much, Mondays are generally slow nights for buskers but we figure "whatever" it's all cash it the bank .

Boy we're we wrong , Bourbon street is packed , it's everything you've heard about: neon lights every two feet, intoxicated people clinging to day-glow plastic cups full of equally colorful cocktails stumbbling down the street , strippers lean out of clubs beckoning the passers by to take in the show and the music is deafening .
We made some of our best money on Monday and the week days and evenings that followed . You'd think the weekends where the money is ,and yeah if your a human statue or if you let people take your picture in exchange for tips maybe it is. For us the weekend is a circus , if you thought there were an excessive amount of bars during the week , it goes double for Friday night. it's virtually impossible to find a spot and if you do your likely to be deafened, trampled or both.
Anyway Monday was our first day , we busked on Bourbon street for a few days before we were joined by Calhoun's father (Rod ) .
We already knew a little about the city having been there for a few days , so we meet up with him at 3$ parking. if your visiting the French quarter but not staying there I highly recommend it, 3$ buys you 10 hours of parking by the Basin street visitors center right in the French quarter .

We head down to the river, yes the Mississippi, It runs right along  side the city. there's an enjoyable river walk and a couple of wooden staircases that go down into the water where you can (as we did ) soak

your feet in the river's supposed healing properties . I wouldn't rely on them though as the water is muddy and probably dirty, I mean it's running through a huge city. but it's fun to do on a hot day .
After our quick soak in the Mississippi we take in a New Orleans tradition, Beignets , fluffy fried , sugar powdery amazingness . They fry them up (not surprisingly) at café Beignet a block down from the river next to Jackson square .
Artists selling their wares set up surrounding the square on the weekend. after our Beignets and tea we stroll casually by them. Across from them a family of brass band musicians busk, down the street a huddle of local kids are busking too , tap dancing

with coke cans on their sneakers . All beneath elaborate decorative architecture reminiscent of parts of Paris .it's so New Orleans you just can't help but stop and stare at the diverse everyday scene taking place before your eyes.
We plan to be in New Orleans for two more weeks as does Rod. we agree to check into a hotel and after a couple of hours of scouring every online booking site known to man I find us a reasonable rate on a dog friendly hotel at the Mid Town Hotel. It couldn't be that easy could it? when we arrive the friendly desk clerk wants to meet Glimmer (my fish) I'm happy to oblige , seeing her interest in Glimmer , Rod invites her to see the dog . Here's where the trouble starts. the hotel is not, as Expidia advertised, pet friendly . The staff at the Mid Town it bears mentioning are very helpful and patient allowing us to stay anyway provided we pay a deposit and an extra fee for the dog . So Calhoun spends the next two hours explaining the situation to various Expidia employees (all equally useless) until they finally agree to pay the extra fee for the dog . I mean it's their mistake and we're sure as hell not paying for it .
By the time we're in our room we're all so exhausted and irritable all we want to do is precisely what we end up doing; eat pizza and watch westerns. not so bad as all that after all and it is nice to be in a real bed.

Next day we take Rod for a traditional breakfast. 4lbs of boiled crawfish , they're a bit of work but worth it . There are dozens of restaurants in the French quarter serving the flavorful crustaceans but if you want the real Orleanais experience head over to Mid City and visit Cajun Bros. A seafood market that serves boiled crawfish by the pound in a plastic bag with a tray to dump them out on then dig in. Also on the menu (such as it is) po-boys, grilled oysters and a few other local favorites , like crawfish pie a little cheesy crawfish delight I highly recommend  .
What started as a two week stop in New Orleans to busk is rapidly turning into impromptu family vacation as Calhoun's mom ( Lulu) calls to let us know she will be joining us the next morning from all the way up in Dawson city, Yukon.
We pick her up bright and early from Louis Armstrong international airport , it seems like there isn't a public structure in this city that isn't named after the famous musician.
We grab breakfast at the IHOP downtown , yeah it's a chain but hey pancakes are good especially when you've just spent 23 hours in transit and are both hungry and falling asleep.

Calhoun looking a lot like Dennis Hopper

After pancake breakfast we take a short dog walk through the St Louis cemetery (#1) if any of you have seen and love Easy Rider like I do you have to visit here becase this is where that whole tripping out in the cemetery sequence was shot. For those of you who are intrigued by the whole voodoo vibe this is also the resting place of voodoo's most famous icon Marie Leveau.
We return to the hotel for a pleasant swim and a rest for Lulu , the preparing of the nights super by Calhoun . What's on the menu? Corn breaded catfish fried to perfection along side Spanish rice and collard greens , no joke this was one of the best meals I had in New Orleans and that's saying something.
A good sleep in a real bed and now for some tourist stuff. City park is the home of The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) , and it is just that they show a complete and broad spectrum of eras , styles and genres. My favorite the work of Alexis Rockman, in particular Battle Royale, a panoramic swamp scene packed with vibrant creatures. The museum over all though complete in it's collections is a bit lack luster . Adjacent to NOMA is it's sculpture garden, which is worth taking in , like the rest of the museum it exhibits a broad and complete collection, presented in a pretty little park. manicured walk ways wind beside the pond out of which modern sculptures tower creating an attractive mixture of garden and fine art. It's a pleasant stroll unfortunately they do not allow dogs so Girlie was unable to join us.
Our next excursion was a bit of wild goose chase , to try and see the Bayou Savage Wildlife

cornbreaded catfish

refuge we spent most of our day driving around the depressing abandoned wreckage of Katrina desperately trying to figure out where or how to see much of anything , my advice don't bother there are a few short board walks where you might see and alligator but it's poorly maintained and confusing.
There was a silver lining though a local gas station/meat market/restaurant The Chef Discount meat market yeah I know it doesn't sound convincingly delicious, but it is. The place is packed with locals

(always a good sign) we order up Gumbo, boudian balls (meat, chilies, onions and rice rolled into a

ball and fried) and yakamein, (traditional Louisiana soup made with noodles beef or pork and boiled eggs) all very meaty very salty , very tasty.

What better way to finish a day than scoot over to the French quarter, For New Orleans most powerful drink, The Hand Grenade! what's in it? who knows but they're good and they live up to their reputation. Two of these and you'll find your self doing headstands in Lafayette park in the middle of the night.
Okay enough drinking on Bourbon street, lets visit Oak street an up and coming neighborhood it's a cute little street that almost makes you forget your in the metropolis of New Orleans . Boutique shops , modern restaurants, well kept suburban style streets and homes and Squeal. A typically untypical BBQ joint . Their pork belly Sandwich won Oak street's po-boy festival competition and as Calhoun says "when sandwiches win things I want to try them", this sandwich truly is a winner ,also worthy of mention because they're amazing, their black eyed pea egg rolls. I've never had anything like them and that's a shame. Seriously if your in New Orleans you gotta try this place , neon pigs along side local art for sale , a claw machine filled with plush pigs , smoker on the front lawn. great food that is a little fusion but hey, so is New Orleans.
Where do you go when you have raging hangover and are full of BBQ, the insectarium staring at bugs is fun and the butterfly garden modeled after a Japanese flower garden is surprisingly tranquil to

spite the caged widows that look out on to busy city streets.
For dinner another local favorite cooked up by our personal chef (Calhoun) shrimp and grits, If your not from the southern states it seems a little weird but trust me it's good ,mixed with cheese and sun dried tomatoes, splashed with hot or BBQ sauce , consumed in mass quantities and washed down with bourbon and lemonade.
Which brings me to my next point the south loves it's hot sauce and after a visit to The Pepper Palace on Decatur street you will know why . Here you can sample 100s of different hot sauces in every style you can imagine and some you'll wonder how anyone could think up. The hottest sauce in the store ;Flashbang' you have to sign a

moonshine on the Mississippi.
here you can get 'shine at the grocery store

waver to try it , it's that hot, though surprisingly flavorful.
After burning your face off to the point you feel like running down the street screaming for milk you might , I don't know maybe want to take in a refreshing beverage. Like Moonshine drunk out of a jar while looking out over the Mississippi prehaps.
A trip, any trip to New Orleans would not be complete with out music. today that's our mission and we've got a good local line on where to find some but first food.
Antoine's is famous , like really famous, with good reason. Widely held as one of the best restaurants in New Orleans celebrities and politicians have been dining here for decades , we're here for their Jazz brunch. First impressions this place is huge I mean cavernous I got lost looking for the washroom for like ten minutes.
To start Oyster's Rockefeller , Antoine's invented them and their exquisite ,I can say with no doubt in my mind you could live to be a 100 and travel the world and never have an Oyster Rockefeller as good.
Now a mimosa and on to brunch , I order a crab stuffed omelet topped with creole sauce this omelet it bears mentioning is enormous if it wasn't so delectable I couldn't have finished it but what can I say I love good food. For Calhoun shrimp remoulade and sherry alligator potage now neither of these are things I particularly like but I have to say the potage is spectacular Rod and Lulu have the eggs benadict and the eggs sardu poached perfectly.

Dessert anyone ? sure why not I mean it's not like I'm so full of divine ambrosia I could literally explode and that would be okay.
Another Antoine's classic. Baked Alaska is another one of these menu items I deeply love and order all over the world , this one is exceptional and huge billed as serving two this could easily feed six we split it between four and can barely finish.
Finish we do and are treated to a walking tour of this remarkable family run business that has been serving New Orleans since 1840, if you ask your waiter he will do the same for you , it's surprisingly informative and interesting and though you may have to waddle through with a full belly, it's worth it .
After brunch we detour through the gorgeous Louis Armstrong park and head over to Frenchmen street in the Treme district of the city yes there's music on Bourbon but it's not like Frenchmen .

Replace drunken tourists with bohemian hippies, plastic cups with trendy cocktails and generic jazz with genuine local music and you've got Frenchman street .
We visit a few places the most notable for me anyway is VASO a slick cocktail lounge where up beat live blues fills the air and fruity cocktails fill the tables. Lulu and I order hurricanes, another cocktail

Willie locket & the blues krewe

that calls New Orleans home, Pat O'Brian's invented them but I think VASO's are better although you would be forgiven for thinking they had served you a fruit salad until you try it.
So our first attempt to see some of Louisiana outside of the city was a failure but our second trip to Fountainblue state park is a definite success . The park is on lake Pontchartrain where you can swim and dig for clams if you like and Girlie can come too, she actually even went swimming . There's also trails which I'm happy about , don't bother with the Alligator board walk it's a short uninteresting walk to a four foot wooden board unceremoniously dumped in a marsh , instead try the Bayou cane hiking trail which is long a beautiful. Within your first few steps you'll been surrounded by  a rainbow of dragonflies. never have I seen more types of dragonflies than in Louisiana as I walked this trail I tried to photograph as many as I could just to show the others the sheer amount of them . As you head down the trail you notice that each genus controls a different section this 100 feet all small and green the next large and red, then swift and golden and it go's on. For a good portion of my walk I was accompanied by three medium sized baby blue ones ( by far the most friendly) hitching a ride on my arms as  we pass though other tribes tretory.
 


harvesting clams at Fountain blue state park

I return to find Calhoun and his parents have harvested enogth clams to feed a small army , I supposed you've guessed whats for dinner ? Clam po-boys prepared by the pool surrounded by curious children also resdents of the Mid town hotel.

I've never been to a wax museum and neither has Calhoun so naturaly we want to go there's one on Conti street in the French quarter, that though a little run down it's a decent look into the history of the city . The best part, the final exibit is a creepy walk through famous horrer movie scenes. As you leave a hairy cyclops and a youge Louis Armstrong behind you walk back out on to Conti street. 
When a friendly local sitting on a street corner with her niece enjoying a baking hot day summer day in Treme goes out of their way to insist you have to see the museum across the street you gotta go right? Such is the tale of how we ended up at the Back street Cultural Museum , I'll start by telling you we were all dubious of this place , from the out side it looks like a crumbling shack like dwelling with bars on the windows and a bell your instructed to ring if you want to see the museum . We arrive in the middle of the day when it is supposedly open , no answer at the bell so we figure oh well that wasn't totally unexpected . It's at that moment a pick up truck rattles round the corner out of which

climbs an elderly man with a cane "you here for the tour come in , come in 8 $" once the delightfully disorganized proprietor has taken your money (cash only ) and beckoned  you in you shuffle into a room filled to the gills with some of the most amazing and elaborate Mardi Gras costumes you've ever seen. Be prepared for the tour to start four or five times as more people ring the bell and are ushered in it's worth it though this is so New Orleans , so Treme even you can't help but enjoy it . The museum is comprised of two rooms and a hallway the first room dedicated solely to costumes donated to the museum by bygone Mardi Gras Chiefs the , the second a mixture of second line and Jazz funeral memrobeilia . The Owner( the disorganized elderly fellow who ushers you in) is a photographer and film maker or as he would put it a "camera man", the hallway of the museum is lined with his photographs and awards presented to both him and the museum. In short if you find your self in New Orleans and don't pay this place a visit you'll be missing out , It is without doubt one of the most amusing and genuine looks into New Orleans culture you can buy.
Now more drinks , and culture (sort of ) Lafitte's blacksmith shop is the oldest bar in the U.S.A established 1772, it's relatively untamperd with meaning it's a short one room stone building with cobblestone floors, rafters and a small courtyard on one side and who doesn't want to have a bourbon on Bourbon street at the oldest bar in the states .

hurricanes & dueling pianos  

Then on to Pat O'Brian's , home of the hurricane and the only place in the city that still does dueling pianos. The show is all requests and a lot of fun especially if you've had a couple of their signature drinks , and in New Orleans tradition you get to keep the glass. Let me put it this way when I get back to Canada half my cupboard if going to be full of complementary cocktail glasses from Bourbon street.
Our last day in New Orleans is rapidly approaching so lets get more food! Café Soule is across the street from Antione's  and is a fine little eatery it's self , serving up fusion creole food I recommend their happy hour menu . Original cocktails and fun delicious nibbles like fried green tomato BLT sliders or crawfish etouffee served over fries with baked cheese on top . It's cheep it's funky and awesome.
Next, fishbowls another born in New Orleans cocktail of epic portions, meaning it's served in an actual fish bowl , they won't tell what's in it but it's strong and fruity and you can get it refilled for 5$ I suggest sharing one as they really are huge and to get your moneys worth you want to refill it at least twice. One last goodbye to Bourbon street snap a few pics at the sign yeah it's super touristy but you try resisting the urge to . A quick stop into the house of Voodoo for talismans because why not . Then back to the hardwoo.
There is time for one last lunch before we pack up the hardwoo drop Lulu at the airport and we all go our separate ways. For this we go to Magazine street another up and coming neighborhood struggling to compete with the French quarter and proudly apart from it local boutiques handmade clothing and gifts, new age restaurants, specialty coffee houses and Lillies Vietnamese restaurant
home to reasonably priced giant portions of delicious comfort food a fitting place for our last meal in the city.
This has been a long one I know but as I said in the title this city has it all, to try and put the writhing bursting diverse nature of this city into words without missing anything is surely impossible. I'm sure when I am done here I will think of a dozen things I've left out of failed to convey the awesomeness of but I've done my best thanks for bearing with me.  
 
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riding west - short and sweet mississippi

Alabama night cloaks the Hardwoo as we head out of the panhandle and cross towards Mississippi , we stop for the night at a rest area just over the Alabama/Mississippi border. Our first impression of the state is given to us by a weathered and talkative security guard at the rest area seriously this guy looks and sounds like he should be a sheriff in a Clint Eastwood movie. A friendly sort though who says I remind him of his wife who recently passed away and cautions us about everything from local snakes to pickpockets in New Orleans.
 Worn by the road we are happy when he shows us to a spot where he says the transport trucks won't bother us and we're able to set up our camp chairs and have a couple of well needed drinks in the heat of our first Mississippi night.
We make some simple breakfast and set out, anxious to be on our way to New Orleans. We did however make a couple of stops that earn their mention. Seeing signage for Ocean springs along our way we decided to depart the highway in search of what might presumably be, well, a spring .
Well maybe there was a spring at one time maybe there still is,but find it we did not .
What we did find was a delightfully desolate beach , huge BBQ pits right on the beach , photogenic decaying fishing piers and the only business around is picturesque little yacht club renting hobby cats and small motorized fishing boats. If your there for the day I recommend taking in a game of giant chess. There's a board right on the beach although understandably, you do need to call for pieces. The board walk is a long and peaceful walk to the sound of the sea. It's a rare thing in North America to see a beach like this one where quiet contemplation is possible without the interference of loud and colorful sea side capitalism . The water is warm and calm although fairly shallow still fine for swimming also worth mention courtesy of our friendly security guard all beaches and parks in Mississippi are dog friendly.
It would be a shame to pass through Mississippi without trying some BBQ so we don't . On our way out of town we make a detour to what might be my favorite place yet. The Shed is a roadside BBQ joint that bills it's self as a BBQ and Blues family food and drinker, I love it.
The Shed is somewhat of a local legend it turns out , built by a brother and sister team out of, well, what could simply be called junk. popularized as a blues joint by another brother straight out of school for sound engineering . Today the blues is blasting and every inch of décor is plastered with a funny slogan, ceramic smiling pig , bullet holed license plate, scribbled love note or signature. So grab a seat and get into the overwhelming awesome kookiness. Rows of picnic tables make up the main "dining area" or do as we do and just sit right up at the bar and order up a refreshing midday beer .
We order The Shed combo plate 2 meats , 2 sides and 2 BBQ breads , we chose ribs and their world famous pulled pork. For sides collared greens and G-Maws famous beans . I'm a huge ribs fan for real. I order them whenever they look good wherever I am in the world and I can honestly say these are some of the best I've ever had, the beans are also a big thumbs up. After your meal if you feel the need to make your mark and salute The Shed at the same time , lick the last morsel of BBQ sauce off that plastic fork scribble your message on a 1$ bill and ram it into the celling above the bar.

Summer in the sunshine state - Forth of july on Florida's west coast and the panhandle

We emerge from the everglades and made tracks for Sarasota , where we will be staying with more family friends who have found a home in sunny south Florida. Sarasota is largely viewed as a retirement community , our friends Ray and Fran refer to it as "God waiting room" however we found it to be far more diverse than that . Yes there are a lot of older people there but there are also families and young circus performers , yes that that's right Sarasota is a circus town ,who knew ?

Calhoun tiger tamer

 Turns out the city and it's keys grew out of substantial real estate investments made by Charles and john Ringling in the 1920s . John Ringling saw the place as perfect place for the wealthier members of the greatest show on earth to settle in while the circus was not on the move. He even built a palatial home there on the water it is now home to the  John and Mabel Ringling museum of art .
If you find your self in Sarasota I highly recommend setting aside a day (you'll need all of it) and paying it a visit. In addition to an honestly mind blowingly huge collection of art work there's their house it's self which will make you feel like you stepped from south Florida into a European castle. There is a museum dedicated solely to the circus, my favorite part of which being a miniature model of the circus grounds. it spans a whole room (not a small one either) and truly gives you a sense of what a huge undertaking traveling circuses were at that point in time. Wait, there's more! The museum has it's own theater. The historic Asolo theater was brought over in pieces from Italy and reconstructed in The Ringling. There you can (depending on the time of year) catch a mini circus show put on by graduates of The Ringling circus school. It costs a little extra but it's totally worth it to get the full Ringling experience.
Sarasota is made up of a series of keys as well as a strip of main land. Our friends have a condo on Lido key which has beautiful beach and a cute little downtown circle . We stopped for lunch almost every day at a little bakery and café called Pastry Arts which make delicious coconut cakes. If your a chocolate lover you might want to try the mocha muffin. It comes with stunning reviews from Calhoun and Ray.
The circle at St. Armand features nice (but expensive) boutique's , a half a dozen little ice cream/gelato shops and cocktail spots.
For the forth of July we ventured into down town Sarasota and stopped at a busy little spot for Italian style pizza and hand made gelato. Then, gelatos in hand, we continued to the bustling water front j,ust in time for a fabulous, all be it, somewhat ashy (we were standing down wind , a bad choice) firework display . Red white and blue rockets lit the night sky over the glistening water for an amazingly long time in a truly world class display. Other fireworks set of by hotels and the like bedazzled the sky throughout the night . We took our time returning to the car stopping for a cocktail on the way through the throngs of people.
Another gem, although not in Sarasota but in St Petersburg (close enough), is the Dali museum with one of the two substantial collections of his work in the world. The evolution of Dali's work from novice to legend is displayed in this stunning building which it it's self is a work of art. We took the self guided audio tour which though you may feel a little silly wandering around with a recorder and head phones is worth it for the insight into Dali's work and life. At the end of the museum is an interactive exhibit where you can have your picture taken and be made into a Dali print your self . There is also a display of local children's work who's Dali influence is definitely present. i
It's worth checking out because some of these kids will really wow you .
On the way back from the Dali museum we stopped at another Sarasota gem called Yoder's, an Amish run market and pie shop. Calhoun swooned over their fresh produce as did I over their silky smooth key lime pie.... Mmmm, pie.
Our last day in Sarasota we hit the beach for another forth of July celebration ( they go all weekend) power boat race and all you can eat BBQ . Though boat races aren't really our thing it is so quintessentially Florida it's worth going. people in swimsuits line the beach munching on burgers and sipping beers . Others, including us, board whatever inflatable crafts they can find and take to the water to watch as boats going over a hundred miles and hour race by. All in all it was an enjoyable American day.
Next morning (well more like afternoon actually) we waved goodbye to Ray and Fran and began on our way to Tallahassee, Florida's capital.

floating on down the river

We made a stop on our way there at Ichetucknee springs, a beautiful state park where you can take a meditative float down a serene river. A tram service which is quite a pretty ride itself will take you to the launch point so you end up back at your car. Concerning intertubes , you can rent them from the local farmers for 5$ or do what we did and buy one of your choosing from the Walmart down the road for 10$ we got a regular tube but you can make the float on an inflatable alligator for a few dollars more. After a the float we visited the springs them selves. There are two of them both cool clear and beautiful. Ichetucknee spring is more accessible but it's worth the walk through the forest to get to the smaller and more secluded Blue hole spring. We really enjoyed Ichetucknee but if your going set aside the day there's a lot to do.     

Blue hole springs

A couple of days after leaving Sarasota we arrived in Tallahassee
So what is the capital of this beautiful, up beat state like? I'd heard it's a lot more southern than the rest of the state which is true, what I hadn't heard, and is also true, is this city is a dump. Really, I don't say that lightly. Downtown is not worth seeing, it's the sort of city that makes you grip your wallet tighter and makes you wish you'd paid for underground parking. Home bums line the streets hustling for change , frightened looking college students hurry back to their cars , restaurants are generic out posts running at about 30% capacity and the night life is non existent.
So why would you visit this nasty little part of the map .The answer The Bradfordville blues club off highway 61,
down a dirt road on the outskirts of the city lies one of the last remaining old school blues clubs. It's only open Friday and Saturday night and you want to buy your tickets on line because this place sells out quick. It don't look like much but this place is hoppin . We were seated by one of the owners at a table bearing the face of a famous blue musician. All the tables in the place are like that, they're painted by a local artist, choice ones are taken off their bases and hung on the walls. The bar only serves beer and wine, which was a little disappointing as I generally like bourbon with my blues. But it's made up for by the 20$ buckets of beer. The atmosphere is vibrant and it seems like the whole town is here young and old. Once the band starts playing you won't see that dance floor empty . Having found out we were on vacation and when someone with a reservation didn't show up fast enough one of the owners whisked us to the fount row.

The Dean Fowler Band

Outside the bon fire is raging and one of the local chefs is frying up a tasty plate of fresh caught fish. Try it it's relatively cheap, 10$ buys a huge plate and divinely authentic goes perfect with beers and blues.
After intermission it's back to the dance floor for another round of kick ass blues rock..
These are some of the nicest people we've meet on our journey, they even let us stay on the property after partying a little too hard.
Our second stop was at The Florida Caverns state park where you can hike beautiful trails ( bring your bug spray), swim in crystal clear cold springs which truly are cold but  very refreshing on a hot summer day, and of course tour the caverns which look pretty impressive.Uunfortunately they were sold out for the day when we arrived. Despite an impromptu rain shower later in the afternoon we spent an over all enjoyable day there before continuing on to our next destination.

Cannon ball!!! at Florida Caverns

Our last stop in Florida was at Pensacola beach for a moon lit swim which sounds romantic until you get in the water and realize there is a primal human fear against being in the ocean at night. A moonlit walk on the beach though, very romantic.
The light of the full moon shone off the hardwoo as we sped away into the night , our eyes firmly set on New Orleans.










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