ROAD TRIP DAY 10 – Home, Sweet Home

In the morning, we awoke and got prepared for the long drive home. It felt bittersweet that we would finally get to breathe the crisp Bay air again, see our folks, and sleep in our own beds, but all good things must come to and end. Before leaving, we decided to hit the brunch buffet at the Wynn. Supposedly, it was one of the better buffets on the strip. I’m not normally a big buffet person (my body says otherwise), but since partaking in good grub had been a theme of the trip, I gave in to the demands of the crew.

Sad to say, but the food at the Wynn was just mediocre. It pretty much had the basics, but there wasn’t any one dish that stood out, begging for seconds. If anything, the only thing that highlighted the meal was the décor of the atrium in the restaurant. Anyhow, we piled into the bimmer one last time and tilted our hats to Sin City.

As expected, everyone passed out as I drove the first half of the journey. About an hour out, I recalled a few years ago when some friends and I had made a stop in Baker, CA for some grub. We had eaten at a diner called The Mad Greek that serves Greek and American cuisine. I decided to make a quick pit stop and treat everyone to make up for our sub-par breakfast. We couldn’t end the trip off on a sour note!

I made a quick exit off the freeway and shook everyone awake. We couldn’t really have a full meal, so I got two gyros and their world-famous strawberry shake to share. To everyone’s delight, the food was a hit and was a perfect end to cap off our foodie adventures. Most of the time, everyone flies to Vegas, but if you ever drive, make sure to eat here. There are a couple locations in Vegas, but the one in Baker is the original spot.

So, we were off again. The journey thus far had been spectacular. It had been one of the most tiring things I had ever done, but it had also been the most fun. In just over 10 days, we had covered nearly 5000 miles, been to 15 cities, seen the greatest of natural wonders, and had eaten some of the best food our country has to offer. We had felt highs and lows, seen some of our best friends, and most importantly, were able to cross an item off our bucket list. No one really ever plans to drive across the country, but we had finally done it. The memories will last a lifetime, but I’m sure that TC and the Guinto 3 will have many more adventures to come.

As we approached the Bay Area, Tiff got a phone call. It was her mom in San Diego with our mom on three-way. They wanted to get an update on our position. Apparently, they missed us and wanted to know what pasalubongs we got them. They talked for a bit and Tiff finally got off the phone. My mom had cooked us a feast of Filipino food and it was sitting on the table, waiting for us to enjoy. Mmm…home cooking. We had searched the country for the best food and we had finally found it, in mama’s kitchen.

ROAD TRIP DAY 9 – Go Big, or Go Home

With all the prior day mishaps, all we wanted to do was sleep. However, we had a big dilemma on our hands. Should we continue on our trip or just head straight to Tiff’s pad in San Diego, which was a shorter drive than back to the Bay? If we went to San Diego, it would only be a 6-hour drive from Phoenix and we could get the car looked at immediately, while the trip straight back to the bay would put much strain on our vehicle. After a team meeting, we decided to power through with the trip and go ahead and visit the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas before coming home. We had not come all this way to be stopped at the goal line. Bahala na, we thought. We would never be doing this trip again and if we were going out, it would be in style.

After a decent nap, we checked out and made the drive to the Grand Canyon. Tiff and I had been there before as kids, but it was only natural to pass by since Jojo and Jay-R had not. Surprisingly, the drive to the natural landmark was easy with light traffic and more importantly, no car problems. With an uneasy sigh of relief, we quickly hopped out and took the short hike to the south rim. Again, the sight we beheld was breathtaking in its magnitude and immensity. Humbled by the awesomeness of the canyon, we took our customary pictures along the trail. Thankful for getting this far, we bid farewell to one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Now, we were off to Vegas.

On the way to Vegas, we happened to stop by the Hoover Dam, a man made wonder. Although it was dark, its sheer size still captivated us. We snapped a quick pic and were on our way.

Normally, Vegas would be my destination for some hard core partying, but on this visit, it was more of a place to lay our heads for the night. We didn’t want to push the car too hard and be stuck with our backs to a corner. Better to be safe than sorry. Anyhow, we checked in to our room and got a quick bite to eat. After dinner, Jay-R and I passed out since we had been doing the majority of the driving while Jojo met up with hid friend, Heidi, and Tiff went to go release some stress at the slots. As I slowly drifted off into slumber, I couldn’t wait to get home and crash in my own bed, but was also sad that our adventure was almost done. One more day, and it would be back to reality.

ROAD TRIP DAY 8 – Wild, Wild West

The day started off as any other. I awoke to the sound of snoring as I tenderly rolled out of bed. Nearly a week of sitting and driving had finally taken a toll on my back and legs, so I was reluctant to get the day started. The cool a/c and soft bed were so welcoming that sleeping in would have been a feasible option. However, we needed to go if we wanted to see the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and be in Phoenix by nightfall.

Once everyone was up, we had the complimentary breakfast, which consisted of real food rather than the continental type served at our previous hotels. As we prepared our belongings, Jay-R ran a few errands to check out how the bimmer was doing. When he returned, we packed the car and drove through the town of Pecos. Apparently, he had replaced one of the rear tires because a bubble had formed on the inner wall. Luckily we were able to catch it in an area with a population rather on the drive.

Whenever I had thought of Pecos before, I would think of those old westerns with the cowboys and outlaws having showdowns at high noon. When we got to the main street, I imagined how it was there 200 years ago. The town was so small, that you could get across in about 5 minutes. Amazingly enough, there was a Sonics drive-in and even a Wal-Mart in this desolate town! Needless to say, Pecos was a very forgettable town and we could never imagine living there.

So, we were off to Carlsbad, NM to check out the massive underground caverns deep within the earth. I was pretty excited to see the network of caves because natural wonders have always amazed me. Halfway through the drive, the cluster gauge started blinking rapidly and the car began to sway left and right. The other rear tire was flat! Immediately, I maneuvered the car to the shoulder of the road to assess the damage. Basically, the tremendous weight on the tires combined with nearly 2000 miles of driving had caused the other rear tire to blow out. Wow. We were in the middle of nowhere, with no services for at least 40 miles in either direction in a fully loaded car. Not a good sign. Quickly, we emptied the trunk of the luggage and got the spare out. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a full size, but a donut. At the moment, the caverns had to wait.

The plan was to have Jojo and Jay-R take the car and luggage to the nearest stop while Tiff and I walked. Hopefully, by the time all the servicing was through, we’d be there to meet them. We couldn’t afford to have all the initial weight on the donut we had just mounted, so we sucked it up and ventured off into the Texas heat.

(movie coming soon...)

A couple minutes later, Jay-R gave me a call and said he was going to pick us up and leave us with Jojo at the stop 5 miles down the road while he went back to Pecos. Great. At first, Tiff and I thought it wouldn’t be so bad waiting at the truck stop. Boy, were we wrong. The stop consisted of an abandoned gas station, a couple oil derricks and a few shacks. Eerily, it reminded me of a scene from the movie, The Book of Eli. I could picture the crazy possibilities that could happen at an abandoned place like this, from movies like The Hills have Eyes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Breakdown, and Joy Ride… but there could be no room for daydreaming right then, so I promptly pushed the imaginations out of my head.

While Tiff made some phone calls to update our family of the situation, Jojo and I played catch with a softball I had brought on the trip. We only had one glove, but at least we were able to kill about an hour of waiting. The abandoned truck stop was completely overrun by time and the crazy Jeepers Creepers scenarios began crawling back. Ultimately, we were just thankful that this situation happened during the day because it would have scared the bejeezus out of all of us if the tire had blown out overnight. Anyhow, we were all together, so the waiting wasn’t too horrible. Finally, Jay-R returned with a new tire and after about a three-hour delay, we were on our way to our elusive destination.

As we drove, we felt the fatigue of the day begin to settle in. We had already gone through so much, yet achieved so little. Hopefully, the visit to the caverns would be worth the time, money, and effort. On the approach to the caverns, we saw signs that stated that the last tour would be allowed in at 330pm. Being that it was already 400pm, it seemed that we were out of luck. Nevertheless, I was adamant at going to the visitor center at least. We had gone through too much to not even push through to the actual site. At the bare minimum, we could claim that we made it to our planned destination intact.

When we entered the visitor center at 415pm, which was closing at 5pm, we felt extremely disheartened. We had missed the last tour by about 45 minutes. It seemed as if Texas had bested us and won the quick draw. However, as we turned to leave, a Park Ranger asked us if we still wanted to go down. Would we? Of course! Immediately, our frowns turned upside down as the ranger issued us tickets. Apparently, on our drive, we had left Central Standard Time and entered Mountain Time! It was only 315pm! Whooooo! Today, TC and the Guinto 3 were the fastest gunslingers west of the Pecos.

Since the natural entrance to the caverns had closed for the day, the ranger said that we could take the elevator shaft down. As we decended 750 feet below the Earth’s surface, we were anxious for what awaited us. Despite all our earlier problems and mishaps, what greeted us beyond those elevator doors was one of the most amazing sights any of us had ever experienced.

Although it had been over 80º on the surface, in the caverns it was a very cool 65º. As we began to walk through the massive rooms, the formations and shadows created by well-placed flood lamps created a surreal world around us. At times, I almost confused it as a movie set or an amusement park exhibit. But, everything we saw down there was as real and wondrous as anything I had ever seen. If you ever have the chance to visit the Carlsbad Caverns, go. It will be an experience you will never forget. The pictures do not do the cave justice, but here are some of the best ones we were able to capture in the low light conditions.

With the day almost over, we resurfaced to take one last shot of the vast expanse of desert we had just crossed before heading to Phoenix for the evening. We were tired, but still felt fulfilled because we had accomplished our agenda for the day even if it was 3 hours late.

We were in good spirits as reached El Paso, TX when the chime of death began sounding in the car. The tire pressure in the rear wheels was again varying, which was causing all the sensors to go haywire. We stopped to check the gauges and all were at the same pressure. However, we did not take into account that the newest tire we had replaced was slightly offset with the other three. With too many variables popping up, we were reluctant to continue on the journey because we didn’t want to experience our worst fear, to be stranded in the middle of the night.

Luckily, Tiff’s boyfriend, Pedro, was familiar with bimmers and suggested that we offset the tires with different pressures to counter the size discrepancy. This may sound extremely technical, but with our trip at stake, we had to figure out a solution immediately. We put to motion a group vote and decided to continue on the drive, but at an extremely cautious pace. If at any time we felt uneasy, we would have to stop and sleep at any roadside lodging for the night.

Two states and 7 hours later, we finally pulled into our hotel in Phoenix. The drive went off without a hitch and it was finally time to rest. So far, this had been the most taxing day of our trip. The Wild, Wild West was indeed a dangerous place, but we had made it out together as a family. One more stop on the tour and we would be on our way to the Bay. Our faithful steed had carried us this far and although she had been nearly crippled, we were confident that she would take us all the way home.

ROAD TRIP DAY 7 – Howdy, Pardner

The drive through Louisiana to Texas was very scenic. We passed through swamps, marshlands, rolling hills, and green pastures. We wished that we could have stopped and taken a swamp tour to see the wildlife and environment, but unfortunately, time was not an ally on this trip. At the very least, we were able to appreciate the sights since there was plenty of daylight left.

As dusk approached, we entered Dallas, where Andrea lived. Having recently moved to Texas from the Bay to practice dentistry with some of her fellow colleagues, she was putting us up for the night. Andrea is one of Jojo’s oldest friends from grade school. While Jojo and Drea went to different high schools and colleges, they remained close throughout the years. In recent times, Jojo and Drea, both foodies, would go on random eating excursions in the Bay whenever their busy schedules permitted. Therefore, it was only fitting that we have another one in Andrea’s new hood.

Once we pulled into Drea’s place in the McKinney neighborhood in Dallas, we quickly unloaded and freshened up a bit before dinner. It was very nice night in Dallas at a pleasant 79º so we were all in good spirits. Since we were in Texas, the land of ranches and cowboys, we decided to go to a steakhouse in the area. Andrea took us to a churrascaria called Fogo de Chao. There, we dined on all types of steak such as filet mingon, ribeye, skirt steak, bacon wrapped prime rib and more. If you have ever been to Espetus in San Francisco, this was the same type of fine dining establishment with the exception that the meat is bought directly from surrounding ranches. The service was impeccable and the food was even better.

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

Fellow foodies.

After dinner, we headed back to Drea’s spot to drop Jojo and Tiff off. They were going to relax and unwind while Jay-R, Drea and I were heading off to one of the local watering holes. As we walked through the neighborhood, it greatly reminded me of Santana Row in San Jose. The streets were very clean, with small boutique stores, yogurt and coffee shops, restaurants, and bars throughout. Tonight, we were heading over to Lemon Bar where some of Drea’s friends were hanging out. On a Thursday, the bar was not as packed, but was still pretty lively. The crowd was mainly in their mid to late 20s and some in their 30s. My kind of scene. If I were a local, I’d probably be a regular. Anyhow, we had a couple drinks and took the short walk back to the pad. With the strenuous tour de Texas looming, it was time for bed.

Santana Row?

 

The local watering hole

Nightcap

 

The next morning, we all woke up bright and early to bid farewell to Andrea before she left for work. Again, let me reiterate our appreciation for friends such as Andrea who let us crash at their pads and take time out of their busy schedules for us. We are truly grateful. We hope that she adjusts well in her new home in Dallas and are fully confident that she will have an awesome career there or anywhere else she decides to go.

So, we were off. The first stop of the day was in Austin. There we tried some authentic Texas BBQ at Iron Works BBQ in downtown. It was called Iron Works because before it was turned into a BBQ joint, it was actually an iron shop. Now this spot, reminded of what a Texas BBQ should be. The shack was rundown, it was grimy, and looked like we were inside a barn. The only thing missing was the mechanical bull! The sweet aroma of smoke and sauce emanated from the kitchen which wafted outside and lured customers in. We ordered a couple slabs of ribs, beef brisket, and their specialty sausage. Unfortunately, we were so famished from our drive that we didn’t take any photos. But trust me, everything was delicious.

BBQ Joint

 Next, we were going to visit the State Capitol, which is the biggest one in the U.S. but ended skipping it because it was under renovation. Rather we went over to the University of Texas and snapped a couple shots of the stadium where the Longhorns play. Moving on with the Tour de Texas, we drove further south to San Antonio.

Once in San Antonio, we headed over to the Alamo to visit the historical site. The mission itself had been almost completely destroyed, but luckily, some parts preserved. Within the mission, we imagined the last stand that the Texan soldiers went through before their final defeat to the Mexican army. Inside, dioramas depicted the actual battle and the complete utter destruction of the heroes within the salvaged walls. After taking some photos we went back outside to get ready for the final leg of the day.

Remember the Alamo!

While Jojo and Jay-R went to do some errands, Tiff and I walked around the neighborhood to the Riverwalk. What we found thoroughly impressed us. In the middle of the city was a man made waterway off the main river that was lined with hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Basically, there was a sidewalk right next to the water which made it seem as if it were an amusement park in the middle of the city. You could say that it kinda like Venice, but with a Tex-Mex flavor to it. We wished that we could have taken the river tour, but since time was of the essence, we just snapped a few more pics and met up with Jojo and Jay-R back at the car. If we were ever going to be this way again, the Riverwalk would definitely be on the top of our agenda.

The Riverwalk

Well, after a full day and a half of driving, we were still in Texas. I guess everything is actually bigger here! Anyhow, leaving San Antonio, we drove for a couple more hours until we arrived in Pecos, near the border of Texas and New Mexico. So far we had visited many of the major cities in the U.S. and ate much of the regional food. Now, it was off to admire the natural wonders of the southwest before the final trek to the Bay. Texas was grand and all, but it still wasn’t home. We missed home, and mom’s cooking.

ROAD TRIP DAY 7 – Who Dat? Who Dat?

At the crack of dawn, all four of our alarms started blaring. After only 5 hours of shuteye, we had to rouse at 7am so that we could maximize our time in New Orleans. This time, everyone was up like a bolt of lightning and got dressed. Today was our eating tour of the French Quarter to sample some good old Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Stepping into the NOLA sunshine, I could feel the excitement radiating from our group. As I soaked in the city, Canal Street oddly reminded of the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It also felt slightly similar to the Strip in Las Vegas with its casinos and cabarets littered amongst the bars and restaurants. As we walked around, I made a mental note to myself that this could be an ideal bachelor party destination.

The French quarter emanated a different vibe, almost like that of a 3rd world country. The buildings were rundown, yet exhibited an air of fun and free spirit. You could tell that the evening before was pretty wild as storefronts would hose down the sidewalks to wash away the remnants of debauchery.

Our first stop was to Café Du Monde, the original café and beignet stand in New Orleans. Upon our arrival, we were seated quickly and Jojo ordered a couple beignets, café au lait for the gents and a hot cocoa for Tiff. Before I continue, let me first explain what a beignet is. Beignets are basically French pastries that are fried, very similar to a doughnut. The dough is very light and airy and is usually served with confectioners sugar and/or fruit. The ones we got were plain with just the sugar and they were simply delicious. Combined with the café au lait, the flavor profile just melted in your mouth. If you ever make it out to bayou, be sure to hit this spot up.

After our light breakfast, we snapped a few pics in front of the St. Louis Cathedral and made our way over to the waterfront to admire the waters of the Mighty Mississippi. There, we gazed out to the massive delta and gulf.

With our action photos checked off the list, we headed over to Bourbon Street to shop for pasalubong (souvenirs) for some of our lucky folks back at home. I felt like we were in a flea market because every worker would try and hook us to come into their store. Inside, we would get into haggling contests for the lowest prices available. Some stores had the coolest trinkets for sale and if we could, would have been gone on a spree. However, time was running short and we had to partake in our Cajun feast before we left the great delta.

For lunch, we decided to try out Café Beignet, another spot that sold beignets but also served lunch fare. We perused the menu and ended up ordering a massive Cajun feast consisting of fried catfish, shrimp, crab cakes, fried okra, chicken and sausage jambalaya and gumbo. Everything was excellent and yet again, we sat there comatose for a few minutes, thankful for all the food.

Hunger pangs satisfied, we headed back to our hotel to pack up belongings and continue on our journey. Our short time in New Orleans was over and we had barely scratched the surface of its wonderful areas, culture, and eateries. Nevertheless, we knew that this visit was merely an appetizer because deep down we knew that we would probably visit again. Mardi Gras perhaps? Now that would be another great experience. For now, it was off to Dallas, TX to visit Joe’s childhood friend Andrea. Dallas? Hmm, I think we’re going to wear our 49er jerseys tomorrow…

ROAD TRIP DAY 6 – Blues Brothers

Initially, from Cleveland, we were going to head to Chicago. Instead, we decided to take the southern route and head for New Orleans. On the way, we would have to pass through St. Louis and walk through the Gateway into the West. Since this was an east to west coast road trip, stopping here for the night seemed very fitting.

While on the drive, my softball team back at home was about to throw out the first pitch in our weekly showdown. Our team, the Brobees, were playing in a crucial game in order to keep our 5 game win streak alive and earn a spot to make the playoffs. It was a must win game in order to retain our standing. Luckily, one of my boys back at home, Rondizzle, promised he would text me the score every inning to keep me updated. Let me tell you, this one was a nail biter. The hard fought battle went all innings and finally ended in a tie.  With a sigh of relief, I was glad all was still well on the home front. Ironically, we saw this on the way to St. Louis while I was getting the softball updates. Since we missed out on Chicago, this one goes out to Dizzle and Raaaaaaaandy. Good lookin out.

Brobee ready for some softball!

The Une in the Midwest

Halfway to St. Louis, we decided to take a pit stop for some gas and fuel for our expanding midsection. Where could we go in the Midwest that could satisfy our craving? You called it, White Castle. I had always wanted to try these little morsels ever since the Harold and Kumar movie. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go through all the trouble that they did!

As we approached St. Louis, the huge stainless steel arch rose up from the darkness. Its surreal size was accentuated with the eerie glow of flood lamps, giving it an air of being from out of this world. While captivated by its magnificence, we checked into our room to rest our sore muscles and roost for the night.

The next morning, I woke early again and slipped off to the hotel gym while the rest of the crew lay snoring. Again, I was thoroughly impressed by the facilities and was able to squeeze in a decent workout to counter the hours of inactivity and overeating. When I returned to the room, everyone was almost packed, so I got ready and we headed out into the St. Louis sunshine.

The walk to the majestic monument was short and sweet since our hotel was less than a quarter mile away. With the sun glimmering off its steel skin, we were able to capture some opportune pictures.

Also, since it wasn’t too busy, we were able to take the motorized tram to the top of the arch. Honestly, the entire ride seemed like a roller coaster experience or even a ride in a space pod. The tram consisted of small, 5 seat shuttles that resembled eggs. I wish we could have taken a picture with all of us in it because I found it amazing that we could all fit inside. However, the park rangers were real sticklers about moving the line forward so Jojo just got only 3 of us in there.

At the top, we were treated with an awesome view of the city to the west and the Mississippi to the east. As I looked out west, I imagined how the pioneers from nearly 2 centuries ago embarked from there to begin a life in a frontier of unknown possibilities. Pretty humbling in my opinion. Anyhow, our stomachs were beginning to clamor for grub so we snapped the last of our pictures and headed back down to earth.

For lunch today, our destination was Pappy’s Smokehouse, another featured spot on Man v. Food. There, we ordered the pulled pork, smoked brisket, a frito pie, cole slaw and sweet potato fries. The meat was nice and tender, with the infused taste of smoked hickory. Personally, I liked the brisket better because it was just so tender and juicy. The Frito pie, which consisted of onions, cheese, BBQ beans, beef and Fritos, was also very good as well. I wish we had ordered a slab of ribs to sample, but that might have been a little bit much.

After lunch, we loaded our swollen bellies into the bimmer and programmed New Orleans into the navi. It was time to get some shrimp po’boys, beignets, and other mouth-watering goodies. As we were driving, I got a call from my med school admissions advisor. They hadn’t received my transcripts from one of my schools nor the last of my letters of rec! Luckily, I was able to google a nearby library right off the freeway and faxed and emailed all the missing documents.

My false alarm out of the way, we continued on our drive. However, instead of heading straight for New Orleans, we took a quick stop in Memphis, TN. The detour lead us to Graceland, the residence of the King, Elvis Presley. The walled off mansion was in a pretty bad area of Memphis, but looking in on the grounds over the fence, you could tell that it was once pleasant. Anyhow, we took our pics and added another stamp in our cross-country passport.

With the sun setting, we made our way through the last couple hundred miles to New Orleans and looked forward to feast on its treats and bask in the warm weather. Tomorrow would yield more eating, driving and hopefully, more adventures for our weary quartet.