Fat Boy Summer Road Trip, part 2

Day 5

We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis.  Alongthe way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage Shop for some road snacks.  They had a great selection of fresh made smoked meats and sausages, great homemade jerky, and a wide selection of local area products from pickles to pork rinds, wine, and sodas.  It was a great find.  We picked up some cheese, some snack sticks, and some bologna and sausage to thow in the cooler for the drive to Memphis.

Even on a Monday evening Beale Street was busy.

After a long drive we made it to Memphis around 8pm and headed straight to Beale St., starting at the West end at the Hard Rock Cafe.  If you have never been to Memphis, TN it really is a trip every music lover should take.  The sights and sounds even on a Monday night were spectacular, with live music coming from every juke joint on Beale.  We walked "with our boots ten feet off of Beale" taking in the sights and sounds until we reached the end of the entertainment district and were waived into Coyote Ugly by their manager T.  It was quiet on a Monday night, but we ended up having a ton of fun and closing the place down with Morgan and Evee.

In this job attitude is everything, and the Memphis Coyotes had it.  Evee was fiesty and up for a challenge.

Morgan was pure attitude, running the bartop like it was a circus tent at times to try and get tips from a small crowd while drawing people in off of the street.

Some customers relucktently dance on the bar for a photo....

Other customers are much more enthusiastic!

What's a guy to do when his buddy wanders away and the next round comes?

This fat boy drinks them both and hopes his boy comes back before the next round hits the bar....

And then your bartenders steal your phone off the bar to take a selfie!

Day 6

Left Memphis for Shreveport, LA.  The long night had us so tired we forgot to set the alarm and were woken up by the guy at the front desk telling us it was checkout time.  Fortunately he gave us a late checkout without a hassle.  We had a huge breakfast at Cracker Barrel and were on our way.

It was a long drive, but we made it into Shreveport and got checked into our hotel.  It was right next to the Louisiana Downs racetrack and casino, so we walked over there to find dinner.

Fuddruckers was the only restaurant in the casino still open, but they have always made an amazing burger so we had a nice meal.  We played the slots for a few minutes after dinner then called it an early night.

Day 7

After an early night we got up and packed after a decent breakfast buffet at the hotel.  After a long drive made it to Austin, TX.

Stubbs BBQ has quickly become one of the premiere music venues in Austin, and they proudly have decorated with concert posters from previous shows.

I had the 3-meat combo with spare ribs, brisket, and classic sausage.  On the side I had Serrano Cheese spinach and mashed sweet potatoes.  

No trip to Austin is complete for me without a trip to Stubbs BBQ.  Stubbs Legendary BBQ has been doing pit style BBQ right since Mr. Stubblefield opened the original (and now closed) joint in Lubbock in 1968.  He was instrumental in breaking musical talent like Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn back then and ever since live music has been almost as important as the food to Stubbs' customers and fans worldwide.

After a great dinner at Stubbs we headed for 6th Street to find a party.  We walked the North side of the block then crossed to come back to Chuggin' Monkey to get a look at the band that we could hear from across the street.

The Blues Posse were tearing it up! Their lead guitar, Jack Edery was pulling blues licks from all over the spectrum and doing them well.  Vocals from Mr. Jamie van Beek were tight and accurate.  A great show.  On to the next spot.

Blues Posse blew the roof off of The Chuggin' Monkey during their first set

We left the Chuggin' Monkey and wandered into Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.  It was packed, with hundreds of people all singing along and shouting requests spanning the decades.

Another music town, another Coyote Ugly! Rosalyn, Morgan, and Ashley were fun but didn't match the energy or fun of the great ladies we met a couple of days ago in Memphis. 

We closed Coyote Ugly down again, and headed back to the hotel.

Day 8

We got up and moving planning on heading for Amarillo, but plans to see a friend fell through so we changed our routing a bit, heading to Roswell, NM instead. It was a long drive, but we made Roswell about 7:30 local time.  We had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant recommended by the girl at the front desk called Los Cerritos.

I had a great stuffed sopapilla with all the trimmings.  The recommendation if anything undersold the food.  I love New Mexican food, with the great use of hatch green chiles and a unique addition of fried dough.

The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip 2014 Part 2: On the Road Day 7

With yesterday's delays we had some miles to make up today, but had a night in Nashville waiting as our reward for making the push.

We saw some beautiful scenery crossing the Smoky Mountains as we crossed Virginia, and driving through them in Tennessee as we logged almost 900 miles.  We stopped in Bristol, VA/TN for a later lunch and found ourselves at Burger Bar, a downtown Bristol fixture since 1942 with a big sign advertising Bristol's Best Burger.  We were greated by friendly staff and a 1940s style diner that I'm sure looks very much like it did the day it opened.

I had a pretty basic bacon and cheddar burger made extraordinary by the hand formed fresh beef patty, high-grade bacon, and perfect seasoning.  When I eat at this type of diner I try the burger the way it is served before I add condiments, and for a burger to be "Fat Boy Approved" it has to stand on its own.  This burger did with no problem at all.   The beef perfectly cooked, juicy without grease running all over, high quality toppings, and a great bun that held up without being too crusty.

After completing our meal we found out that Joe Deel, one of the owners was there and when our waitress handed him the card I left with the check he came out to talk with me for a few minutes.  What I wish I had known before I ordered is that much of what they serve every day isn't on the menu.  Regulars know to ask what they have fresh when they sit at the counter, and it has been known to range from fresh organic produce to venison.  If I make it back I'll be sure to ask Joe what he wants to cook me instead of even looking at the menu.  This is hometown hospitality and tradition done right, and Bristol's Famous Burger Bar is earning a permanent place in Fat Boy Heaven as a result.  Whether you are in town for races at the Bristol Motor Speedway, or traveling through to learn more about Bristol's role in country music history make sure you stop in and see the Deel's and tell them the Fat Boy sent you. 

As we left Bristol a torrential thunder storm hit out of nowhere, not an uncommon occurance this high in the Smoky Mountains.  Visibility was so bad that traffic on the Interstate literally pulled over to wait it out or crept aong with 4-way flashers helping fellow travelers see them on the road.  It passed almost as quickly, and we made the trip the rest of the way into Nashville without issue.

We checked into our hotel and quickly changed out of our travel clothes to go out and explore Nashville.  Coop had never been here, and was blown away when we got down to Broadway, where the majority of the honky tanks in town sit side by side in a three block stretch near the Ryman Auditorium and the Nashville Convention Center.  After walking the strip we decided nothing special was going on anywhere else, so we might as well hit the oldest of the bars. On Broadway, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.  The place was packed and we waited on line for about 20 minutes before getting inside.  Once there we got drinks at the bar from the friendly and efficient staff and found a spot to stand and enjoy the performance of Anthony Orion and the Goodfellows.

Broadway in Nashville on a Summer Friday night is something you have to experience to believe

The Ryman, known far and wide as "The Church of Country Music"

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge was crowded beyond belief to see Anthony Orio and the Goodfellows

It was a great night at an amazing bar, and even after a long day on the road we couldn't pry ourselves away until last call.  Now we can't wait to get back to Nashville with more time to explore. 

The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip 2014 - Day 1

Day one of the trip had me leaving Portland behind on the train via Amtrak's Empire Builder on route to Chicago where I will have a wait before changing trains.  I love train travel, and have since I discovered it in college.

Crossing the Columbia River Draw Bridge

The train leaving Portland crosses the Columbia river into Vancouver, WA before heading East up the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side of the river.  There are some great views on this section of the trip, and the first afternoon and evening is one of the most scenic on Amtrak's route.

The Bistro Box served for dinner out of Portland was ok, but needed a little help.

Leaving Portland the Empire builder has a viewing car with a cafe downstairs but no dining car, so dinner the first night was a boxed affair.  The choices available were limited to shrimp or beef, so I selected the Burgandy Beef Tri-tip.  The beef was flavorful and tender, cooked a little farther towards well than I would prefer but when trying to serve a variety of people and keep under refrigeration that is often the case.  The fruit was fresh and tasty, not over ripe as sometimes can be the case with this type of meal, and the dessert was creamy and delightful.  The only thing that didn't really work for me was the veggie selection.  A mushroom and broccoli combination that might have been good warm was decidedly not when served cold and tossed in some type of vinaigrette.

After dinner I decided to open the bottle of Teeling Irish Whiskey the folks at Caskers sent me to review for a first tasting.  Made in Dublin since 1782 The Teeling hasn't been available in the United States since the revolution.  With whiskey making such a resurgence in the Americas they decided to begin export in January of this year.

This is a smooth whiskey for a type normally known as a shot not for sipping.  As a shot it was so smooth with great sweetness and depth on the finish that I decided to try it on the rocks as well.  Over ice it loses what little bite it had on the nose and leaves the sweet aromas derived from its rum cask finish.  The sweet malts hit the palate first, followed by a little spice before a slightly fruity finish.

 In all a very nice close to my first night aboard my favorite train.

Leave The Laptop Behind

I recently traveled back east for work and was determined to leave my laptop at the office, yet still have the flexibility of staying connected to deal with time sensitive work issues while I was away.  The only technology I carried on my trip was my iPhone and my iPad.  My iPhone and iPad are set up with work and personal email accounts, calendars, and contacts.  I also have the convenience of Documents To Go on both devices.

Currently, I am not able to use my iPad to connect through a work VPN.  However, we recently set up a Box.net corporate account and I have the application downloaded on both my iPhone and iPad.  Before I left town I uploaded a few of my current project documents and other documents I may have needed for reference while I was on the road.  I also had the ability to have my staff email me a document if it was not already in my Box.net account, but I wanted to avoid having to ask people to take their time to send me information.

I am a typical business traveler that is glued to my technology.  I am always checking email, both business and personal, and wanting to stay connected to my family (often through texting).  I was very happy to have in flight internet on my flight between west coast and east coast.  I paid for the internet connection, which was $12.95 for the duration of the flight, and my iPad kept me occupied for hours. 

What I discovered on my trip is that the iPad allowed me to be efficient and stay connected to the office through email (while I was in the air).  I was also able to connect to Box.net, Netflix, Hulu+, listen to music, read my Kindle, and stay current on Facebook and headline news.  The best part…my iPad battery lasted the full flight with power left over when I arrived on the ground.  I was content during my flight and felt productive and entertained.  My 5 ½ hour flight felt about 3 hours long.  Even if I did not have the convenience of the in flight internet, I feel I would still have been equally productive.  I simply would have sent my emails as soon as we landed and rather than Netflix and Hulu+ I would have read more on my Kindle and relaxed with a little more music.

If I had relied on my laptop to get me through the flight, which I have done many times before, I would have been frustrated with loss of battery power and maneuvering in a tight space with a piece of equipment that is cumbersome on an airplane.  Having the iPad also made getting up and down for other passengers (I was in an aisle seat) much easier.

I can remember when we all started using laptops on planes and thought it was the best way to travel.  However, now that I have had a chance to fly with my iPad, I will never use a laptop on the plane again.  There really is no need.  Any work project I wanted to spend time with was easily accomplished with the iPad, even Excel spreadsheets.  My briefcase was much lighter this trip, and my shoulder was much happier when I got home.