High point: Meeting the Hoover Fire Department and being escorted out of town
Low point: Crossing a time zone and losing an hour on a drive that was already way too long
No point: Being in a rush
Pen point: Whilst purchasing cab snacks we picked up a copy of Lock Up Magazine which features the latest crims that have been thrown in the can, it’s a riveting read I can assure you, and great for our new game ‘guess the crim crime’.
“It is somewhere around two years now,” Steve told me when I asked him how long ago it was when he first contacted me. I could not believe it. Time flies quite fast when you are not packing your days full of wild escapades all over the globe. Since my return home from The World by Road Expedition in July of 2009, time has certainly flown by and it was a true shock to hear Steve tell me that nearly 2 years have passed since his first email. Read more →
High Point: Landing in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras festivities; Meeting Martha in real life
Low Point: Losing some FTFE video footage, thanks to the very shady people of New Orleans Computer Repair
No Point: Hearing ‘House of the Rising Sun’ performed on stage by a blind-drunk geriatric singer. Who knew that you could sing a whole song without using any real words?
(Not sure she got the) Point:
Prostitute on New Orleans street corner saw the British fire engine and asked “Hey, what are you doing?”, to which Steve replied: “Why, what are YOU doing?”
Joining the FTFE crew for a few days was a bit like being Timmy the dog from the Famous Five. I scampered along while the intrepid team headed off to fantastic new adventures, part of the group but really just a loyal follower. Trotting along with Steve, Steve, Val, Gemma, Amy and James, my eyes bright and my tail waggy, I was excited and proud to be part of this team for a short while. Read more →
Low Point: Trailer trash, cold showers and Steve’s ponytail
No Point: Taxi ‘co-drivers’ meaning not enough seats for the crew, and Amy frequently having to sit on the floor!
When planning our Stage 8 route, New Orleans was one of the places we were determined to visit. But what we didn’t know, 18 months ago, as Val drew a hopeful line on a map, that our arrival into the city would coincide with one of the biggest events in the New Orleans social calendar – Mardis Gras – win!
New crew member Steve Shoppman immediately proved his worth by knowing some lovely locals who invited us round their beautiful house, which was positioned conveniently close to the Mardis Gras parade route – double win! Thanks to Ashley and Will for their hospitality, local knowledge and King Cake to kick start the day.
High Point: Good beeping day, we had lots of people beeping and waving to us as they passed us on the highway.
Low Point: Spending the whole day driving on a pretty soulless main interstate road.
No Point: Interstate roads when your max speed is approx 55 mph.
The day started with a fabulous home cooked brekkie with extra “biscuits”, aka scones, ‘to go’ to keep the hunger at bay on the long road ahead, thank you Gerry, Susan & Tiny. We had met our hospitable hosts at the Elks lodge the previous evening and they very kindly offered us a bed for the night in their lovely home. We just had time for a quick tour of Gerry’s new RV (Recreational Vehicle), complete with an outdoor flat screen TV, before hitting the road for some serious mileage.
High point: being greeted by a wonderful Wild West reception in Bandera
Low point: only having four tumblin’ tumble weed moments on the road (I’m not talking about James’s jokes)
No point: no time to stop for lunch on stage 8, we just keep on trucking
Dust devil count: 9
Best Borat moment: Steve’s definition of a Mardi Gras when talking to Patricia from Bandera Tourism
Stage 8 (Phoenix to New York) is all about BIG miles and today was no exception. The 616 km from Fort Davis to Bandera took 12 hours. We left early but had to make an unscheduled stop off in Alpine as Martha was in need of some TLC. While the boys had new flag poles made (thanks to McCoys) and erected the FTFE flags donated by Hand Waving Flags http://www.handwavingflags.com the girls popped next door to pick up some cowboy boots (when in Rome). McCoys also managed to come up with an alternative fuel cap that works much better than the polystyrene cup we had been using since stage 7, fancy that. Thanks guys. Read more →
Hot Point : Surely every day should start with a soak in a hot springs tub?
Low Point : Constant and unrelenting exhaustion
Boiling Point : Is 4 cups of coffee too many to start the day?
Truth or Consequences, obviously the best name for a town anywhere in the world. This is how I pictured small town USA and how I pictured breakfast. A tiny town where everyone knows everyone and a fire engine from England is a pleasant surprise first thing on a Wednesday morning. Now first things first, breakfast. Our most important meal of the day as generally we don’t have lunch or if we do it’s normally filth (McDonalds, Burger King, etc). The Happy Belly Deli treated us to a master class in good old American cooking with a chorizo and scrambled egg feast, oh hello and good morning. But surely a good breakfast is not complete without a good old natter with a local or three. This is why we love small town USA, the characters, the stories and the enthusiasm for our expedition. To accompany my four coffees and splendid breakfast was a lovely chap who by all accounts has been round the block a few times. Stories of the road, trucking, the changing face of the USA and life in general. Super stuff. Read more →
Santa Fe to Truth or Consequences (via Albuquerque)
High point: Martha getting a clean bill of health…and bowling, small town style
Low point: Dirty diesel…yuck!
No point: James acknowledging a car’s hoot with a blast of blues and twos, only to later admit it was him who accidentally hit the horn in the first place…smooth!
High Point: 12,000 ft up a snowy mountain admiring the view of the desert all around, not your typical view from the slopes, awesome!
Low Point: Steve’s pushing resulting in a 4 person pile up at the top of the ski lift, thanks Steve 😉
No point: Gemma and I not realizing that it is impossible for anyone to have an alcoholic drink in New Mexico unless they are carrying ID. We toasted Amy’s birthday with water!
