As cool as Atlanta was to us, we can't say the same about the night spent there. After the game and Varsity's, Walmart was our next destination. So far this has been our worst night spent in the car by far. We tried to get to bed by 11:30, but we probably didn't fall asleep until 2-2:30. Throughout the blog we have said how humid it is, just to try and convey the stickiness and heat felt along the way, but do not underestimate how bad this night was. Neither one of us could get to sleep as we tossed and turned the night away perpetually nagged and tormented by the humidity. At one point it was considered whether or not we should sleep outside, but not even that would help us escape. We even turned on the car and air conditioner full blast for a few minutes. Like frosty on the 4th of July we were dripping profusely with no end in sight. Streaming sweat and out of our sleeping bags, at some point we must have dozed off. We would end up waking very early, ready to get out of the sweltering oven-like car.
The Atlanta Aquarium was pretty much the only thing on are list, and we expected it to take up most of the day. With visions of grandeur, referencing the Monterrey Bay Aquarium this one was touted as the biggest in the world. We expected it to be extravagant and out of this world. Well to put it bluntly, it wasn't. We may have misinterpreted the word “big”. When we thought of the aquarium as “big” we expected it to be like 5 times the size of Monterrey Bay Aquarium, instead the word “big” most accurately meant they just had the worlds biggest tanks. Don't get me wrong though, it was still way cool. They had whale sharks, beluga whales, tons of different species and environments, it was just that they were all mashed together. The whole museum only really took us 2 hours or so. Please go and check the photos on facebook if you can if you want to get an idea of the place and what we saw.
The surrounding area of Atlanta was real nice. We walked around the World of Coca Cola Center. Ryan, you'll have to go and take the tour, free samples and all! Downtown Atlanta was nice as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The park that was built for the 1996 Olympics was a great sight with hundreds of kids running around playing in the ground fountains. There is even a 15 minute show that plays to music accompanied by the “oohs” and “ahhs” of the kids watching the jets of water jump into the air.
We hadn't exactly eaten today but we were certainly presented with a nice option. All we had in the morning was a cup of coffee and a pastry. But at the park they were handing out free peanut butter moose tracks ice cream. For every scoop you ate they would give a dollar to the Salvation Army. Lunch was served. Michael musty have jumped into the wrong line because he got a skimpy amount compared to my 2 and a half scooper. After we finished our first serving, we said what the hay, and went back for more. This time the sizes were relatively the same. All in all we must have helped donate 6 dollars, go us! We were also given this weird new snack at a kiosk called Combos. As Michael put it they were stale pretzels hollowed out and filled with that shitty cheese from school you dip mini breadsticks in.
The underground mall and financial district with it's many parks was also a great experience as we walked deeper into the heart of Atlanta. With part of the day well spent we walked back to the car and drove towards the coast. Kure Beach, North Carolina was our next destination. Michael has family here, his Uncle Michael, and his Aunt Gladys, who are both great people. Up through South Carolina we would make it to Kure Beach around 8 o'clock . We both agreed that after growing up and living in a California beach town such as Pacifica, seeing the other coast like this caught us off guard a bit. It was essentially a normal beach town, with less surfing and more fishing, there wasn't really a different feel. The few things that you could distinguish as different were the houses and people. Even though they spoke in a southern accent and dearly loved their confederacy, they still held some sort of a stereotypical California beach vibe.
Getting to Michael and Gladys' home we were greeted with a beautifully cooked, and much appreciated hot meal. Driving through the south when veggies are offered as candied yams, fried okra, and canned peaches, you will take what you can get. This healthy meal was such a welcomed change. A quick drive along the coast we were given a tour of the local beach area. With stories of spirits, sharks, gators, and locals, it was interesting to hear about the small vacation town. We even stopped off at the pier, the local hangout spot for kids and fisherman alike; it was even used as a spot for dates. Walking up and back we looked to see if anyone had gotten lucky and hooked one or two fish. The cool night air, and small wind felt great across our faces walking along the pier. You could already tell the heat and humidity next to the coast was beginning to settle down.
With a good nights rest the following day was open to the books. A hearty breakfast, something we haven’t had at all on this trip, got us up and going. Excited that we were on the other side of the country the first thing we wanted to do was go to the beach and check the water out. How would it compare!? It was amazing!!! We approached it as if it were the Pacific, ready to dab a toe in and test the water. I don't think we were ready for how warm it was. Like a luke warm bathtub we plunged in and spent nearly 2 hours messing around and just bobbing with the ocean. Unfortunately there weren’t any beach babes, but the experience was great all the same.
The sun never really showed its face, but that didn't matter. With a little time on the beach drying off we would eventually make it back for a shower. Cleaning out and prepping the car we would leave Michael and Gladys at 1'o clock. Thank you so much for your warm hospitality. The Carolina BBQ was great too, thanks for the heads up. After eating some vinegar based Carolina BBQ our next stop would be 6 hours away. D.C. Here we come!
The sun was just beginning to set as we entered D.C. Parking close to the Jefferson memorial we were excited to get out, stretch our legs, and explore the area. Darkness would settle in but that didn't stop us from walking all over and finding one memorial after the next. On this particular warm night we would visit the Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, and FDR memorial, with shots of the adjacent monuments. Midnight came fast and we left for our Walmart 20 minutes out. The next day would hold a lot in store for us as we would meet up with our friend Shayna. At this point in time our trip has reached 4,500 hundred miles, right around half way in terms of distance. We'll get this post up as quick as possible, and follow it with our tales of DC. Hope everyone is having a great summer, have fun errrybody!
-Step Up (to) the Streets!
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