One of my favorite stops was when we were driving through Alabama. We saw a huge battleship in the middle of a city. We stopped and visited the USS Alabama.
@chienfou@mike808@PlutoIsAPlanet my wife took me to the one in Sikeston when she surprise detoured us to go see the world’s biggest ball of string. Now the one in Foley is pretty much a required stop on the way home from Florida, but the waits are long on Saturdays which is when we always go by.
One trip we had my mother in law with us and the dogs in the car, but my wife insisted we were going to stop. So they decided what they wanted to split. My wife and I went in and ordered while my mother in law hung out with the dogs. After my wife ate her part of the meal, they swapped out. The waiter never asked but I saw the look of confusion the first time he came back and I was sitting with a new woman who was eating the same food as the old one.
Throwed rolls are great, and I love that okra and the mac and tomatoes. It almost doesn’t matter what I order off the menu, I just want the stuff they bring around. It’s probably a good thing I only get by one every year or so.
Decades ago in Spain my husband and I saw a trailer with a sign that said “Museo de Miniaturas” - inside each side of the trailer had glass panels and behind them, in their words on the flyer, “all the tiniest things in the world that you never expected to see.” Well, the second half of the sentence was true! A weird assortment of random little objects - it was goofy, but fun.
Only one I remember was stopping at what was then referred to as Indian shops (now would be Native American) and just looking at the stuff they sell. Oggling jewelry. Thinking about how much work goes into a blanket, basket or pot.
Never was a road trip gal
@Cerridwyn@jst1ofknd We stopped at a grocery store on the Navajo nation and ended up getting invited to stay at the guy in line in front of us’s grandmother’s house on the Nation (he lived with her). The next day we hired him as a guide and saw all sorts of cool things on the nation, including some cliff dwellings we could just walk around as they were just “there”. Also walking up to that someone had put a pipe in the ground and water was flowing out of it for animals. No trough or anything, just the pipe with water bubbling over. Our guide leaned over and drank from it as if it was a water fountain. My kid was very impressed with all of this.
It was one of the highlights of our trip. So very unplanned and so very cool. Oh in the morning his grandma wore her traditional dress and the most amazing, huge!!! sky blue turquoise and silver necklace (necklace doesn’t even seem like the right word it was so big).
@jst1ofknd i keep meaning to go back to visit avery island as an adult… I’ve gone 3 separate times in my life and all i remember is mosquitos… swarms of them that were focused on me in particular… there wasn’t enough Off on the planet to help me…i can’t remember anything else of my trips past that…apparently i was delicious
@macromeh nope, missed that, bummer!
We did have a FANTASTIC bread pudding at the Irma Hotel in Cody, WY (named for Buffalo Bill’s wife and featuring a cherrywood bar given to him by the Queen of England
Once, about 15 years ago, I was on the phone with Esteemed Friend who was in that area. He hadn’t traveled around there before. He was doing the Florida-to-Baltimore drive.
His laptop was dying and he needed it for work pretty quick. He didn’t have a dc/ac converter or a dc-laptop-charger on him.
I told him “there’s this tiny little place called South of the Border. On the interstate.
They’ll sell a converter, I bet. You’re not that far away.”
I gave him some directions. Told him to keep an eye peeled so that he didn’t miss it.
He did buy a converter there
When he called me, he said he’d never forgive me for sending him there.
But he was laughing. And not in a tearing hurry to head north.
@cranky1950@f00l I love that place but no one else ever wanted to stop so I just watched sadly as we drove past. Maybe I’ll make a pilgrimage someday by myself. I think there’s a hotel.
I did a two week drive back from Florida (to mi) stopping at all the cool and weird places. It was lots of fun and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Good and gem mining was probably my favorite. Also did a lot of wine tasting in that town too and hit a mountain, it just jumped out at me.
@star2236 Been there… done that! I live in central AL and went to the GA state park near Helen over new years 2018/2019. On the way back we stopped in Dahlonega and met up with my son and (one of) his girlfriend(s). We had lunch at a super restaurant run by a German couple and a Swiss woman called Bratzeit. They have a lot of authentic German/Alpine foods, but if you plan ahead (24 hour notice to the restaurant) you can get fondue and raclette. Both were great, and we had several folks stop by the table and ask what we were having. They were disappointed when they found out it was a special order…
There is (was?) a pretty cool “wine trail” around the town square which is several shops connected to local vinyards where you can sample wine by buying a commemorative glass ( $10 ?) and taking it around the circuit. Definitely worth a stop whenever you are out this way again!
/giphy prost!
@chienfou
I didn’t know about the wine circuit, I went to many of the vineyards myself, probably why I hit the mountain. Didn’t eat at the German place but do remember so really cool all you could eat baked potato and topping place I ate at. This was in 2014 or 15? I do wanna go back, I had a lot of fun in that little town?
One of my favorite stops was when we were driving through Alabama. We saw a huge battleship in the middle of a city. We stopped and visited the USS Alabama.
@jst1ofknd The city is Mobile, AL.
@jst1ofknd @mike808 was it stationary?
@mike808 @unksol
Yes. Not only was there a battleship, there was a submarine and a while museum of stuff.
I can tell you this, a big guy like me could not survive on a submarine.
@unksol
yes, it is docked in Mobile and available for tours.
@chienfou pun pun puuuunnnj @jst1ofknd @mike808 lol the uboat at Chicago almost smacked my head a few times. Ships in general dislike the tall
Lambert’s cafe. Yep. I stop for food.
@PlutoIsAPlanet The OG location in Sikeston, MO or the one in Foley, AL?
@mike808 @PlutoIsAPlanet Catch any rolls?!
@chienfou @mike808 @PlutoIsAPlanet my wife took me to the one in Sikeston when she surprise detoured us to go see the world’s biggest ball of string. Now the one in Foley is pretty much a required stop on the way home from Florida, but the waits are long on Saturdays which is when we always go by.
One trip we had my mother in law with us and the dogs in the car, but my wife insisted we were going to stop. So they decided what they wanted to split. My wife and I went in and ordered while my mother in law hung out with the dogs. After my wife ate her part of the meal, they swapped out. The waiter never asked but I saw the look of confusion the first time he came back and I was sitting with a new woman who was eating the same food as the old one.
Throwed rolls are great, and I love that okra and the mac and tomatoes. It almost doesn’t matter what I order off the menu, I just want the stuff they bring around. It’s probably a good thing I only get by one every year or so.
As a kid, Stuckey’s and Shoney’s Big Boy.
In college, “DTQ” (Drive Thru Daquiris), a New Orleans icon.
Growed up, Buckee’s.
Any Bucee’s.
I’m wearing a Bucee’s New Braunfels t-shirt at the moment.
Anything else that looks fascinating. Esp signs that indicate a waterfall.
If I have on board a huge paper-printed map or atlas, any attractive picnic area.
Those “history” roadside markers.
If I’m aimed on a route I travel frequently: any interesting looking alternative path or detour that doesn’t make me way way way late.
@f00l Like this place? (snicker)
@mike808
Yeah. Perfect!
@f00l Impromptu stops can lead to interesting places. We’ve have a few adventures like that.
Decades ago in Spain my husband and I saw a trailer with a sign that said “Museo de Miniaturas” - inside each side of the trailer had glass panels and behind them, in their words on the flyer, “all the tiniest things in the world that you never expected to see.” Well, the second half of the sentence was true! A weird assortment of random little objects - it was goofy, but fun.
Only one I remember was stopping at what was then referred to as Indian shops (now would be Native American) and just looking at the stuff they sell. Oggling jewelry. Thinking about how much work goes into a blanket, basket or pot.
Never was a road trip gal
@Cerridwyn
We stopped at a Navajo road side vendor in Arizona once. It was interesting to talk to them.
@Cerridwyn @jst1ofknd We stopped at a grocery store on the Navajo nation and ended up getting invited to stay at the guy in line in front of us’s grandmother’s house on the Nation (he lived with her). The next day we hired him as a guide and saw all sorts of cool things on the nation, including some cliff dwellings we could just walk around as they were just “there”. Also walking up to that someone had put a pipe in the ground and water was flowing out of it for animals. No trough or anything, just the pipe with water bubbling over. Our guide leaned over and drank from it as if it was a water fountain. My kid was very impressed with all of this.
It was one of the highlights of our trip. So very unplanned and so very cool. Oh in the morning his grandma wore her traditional dress and the most amazing, huge!!! sky blue turquoise and silver necklace (necklace doesn’t even seem like the right word it was so big).
Ah the saw
Say
@unksol hmmm… I am not sure what went wrong here… Apparently I’m glitchy.
@unksol
/giphy glitch in the matrix
One of my favorite planned stops was Avery Island Lousiana. This is where the Tabasco bottling plant is. They also have Jungle Island there.
As soon as we got there, the smell of Tabasco permeated the air and was like sweet ambrosia to me.
We did the tour for the Tabasco plant and drive through your of Jungle Island.
It was well worth the stop.
@jst1ofknd i keep meaning to go back to visit avery island as an adult… I’ve gone 3 separate times in my life and all i remember is mosquitos… swarms of them that were focused on me in particular… there wasn’t enough Off on the planet to help me…i can’t remember anything else of my trips past that…apparently i was delicious
@jst1ofknd
You are a man after my own heart.
Never been to the plant. But I’ve been known to drink Tabasco straight.
@amehzinggrace
Are you no longer delicious?
@amehzinggrace @jst1ofknd
No longer delicious. : (
A sad fate for so many.
@jst1ofknd unknown as i avoid mosquito infested areas as much as humanly possible
Corn Palace in SD was a fun stop on a cross country RV trip the circled the western half of the country
Kinda kitschy but still pretty cool…
@chienfou Did you hit Al’s Oasis, too? Their deep dish apple pie topped with cinnamon ice cream is to die for.
@macromeh nope, missed that, bummer!
We did have a FANTASTIC bread pudding at the Irma Hotel in Cody, WY (named for Buffalo Bill’s wife and featuring a cherrywood bar given to him by the Queen of England
@cranky1950
South of the Border
@cranky1950
Yes, everyone needs to live there forever.
And that place needs to get more advertising signs and billboards. It’s so damned hard to find.
@f00l
@f00l
@f00l
@f00l
@cranky1950 @f00l This kind of reminds me Uranus, MO
/image Uranus, mo
@f00l
@f00l
@f00l
@f00l @tinamarie1974 Great resume entry! Fudge packer at Uranus.
@f00l But alas PC has finally caught up to Pedro, the signs are being changed out.
Bilboard Article
@cranky1950
Once, about 15 years ago, I was on the phone with Esteemed Friend who was in that area. He hadn’t traveled around there before. He was doing the Florida-to-Baltimore drive.
His laptop was dying and he needed it for work pretty quick. He didn’t have a dc/ac converter or a dc-laptop-charger on him.
I told him “there’s this tiny little place called South of the Border. On the interstate.
They’ll sell a converter, I bet. You’re not that far away.”
I gave him some directions. Told him to keep an eye peeled so that he didn’t miss it.
He did buy a converter there
When he called me, he said he’d never forgive me for sending him there.
But he was laughing. And not in a tearing hurry to head north.
@f00l One of the few places that you can still buy highway bingo cards and stuffed alligators.
@cranky1950 @f00l I love that place but no one else ever wanted to stop so I just watched sadly as we drove past. Maybe I’ll make a pilgrimage someday by myself. I think there’s a hotel.
@cranky1950 @sammydog01
Make them stop. After all these years you are owed.
@cranky1950 @f00l Next time we go to the beach I’M STOPPING AT SOUTH OF THE BORDER! I may have to fake a bathroom emergency.
@cranky1950 @f00l @sammydog01 we want a full report and pictures documenting your visit.
If you’re gonna go somewhere, you should get something to remind you of where you’ve been.
https://fb.com/Souvenir-City-144182815678311/
@mike808 been there!
/image waffle house
I did a two week drive back from Florida (to mi) stopping at all the cool and weird places. It was lots of fun and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Good and gem mining was probably my favorite. Also did a lot of wine tasting in that town too and hit a mountain, it just jumped out at me.
@star2236 Dahlonega GA?
How did you know?
@star2236 Been there… done that! I live in central AL and went to the GA state park near Helen over new years 2018/2019. On the way back we stopped in Dahlonega and met up with my son and (one of) his girlfriend(s). We had lunch at a super restaurant run by a German couple and a Swiss woman called Bratzeit. They have a lot of authentic German/Alpine foods, but if you plan ahead (24 hour notice to the restaurant) you can get fondue and raclette. Both were great, and we had several folks stop by the table and ask what we were having. They were disappointed when they found out it was a special order…
There is (was?) a pretty cool “wine trail” around the town square which is several shops connected to local vinyards where you can sample wine by buying a commemorative glass ( $10 ?) and taking it around the circuit. Definitely worth a stop whenever you are out this way again!
/giphy prost!
@chienfou
I didn’t know about the wine circuit, I went to many of the vineyards myself, probably why I hit the mountain. Didn’t eat at the German place but do remember so really cool all you could eat baked potato and topping place I ate at. This was in 2014 or 15? I do wanna go back, I had a lot of fun in that little town?