Day 1: New Orleans, LA to Birmingham, AL. Distance: 342 miles
A long road trip seemed like the perfect idea as the world of 2020 drifted away, and with it, the ability to travel again here within the US in 2021.
My family loyally travels to Ocean City, Maryland annually, a family tradition that started about 65 years ago with my Nana and her sisters and brothers (she’s now 88 years old), and that now results in at least 40-50 relatives all descending upon the Ocean City beaches every year on the last week of June.
So with that destination in mind, I mapped out a route there, with stops along the way in Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia.
I believed the time on the road would give me a chance to get re-inspired and creative after a difficult 2020 where my creativity felt muted. Driving vs. flying is also the only option since I don’t want to leave my dog Barley, who is a constant presence by my side whether that be on long road trips or to local bars throughout the French Quarter in New Orleans where I currently live (see picture below for evidence).
I researched an itinerary that would be pet-friendly every step of the way. My first night, I stayed in Birmingham, Alabama at a La Quinta hotel off the highway, where I stopped at Good People Brewing Company, a brewery I love for the beer and also because they are very dog friendly both inside and outside.
I was expecting to get there and relax for awhile, sip on a beer and maybe order dinner from the food truck outside while writing and relaxing after the drive.
But I didn’t enjoy that first night of the road trip as much as I thought I would. I wondered what others thought of me as I sat there alone on a Saturday night at a small table in the corner of the taproom next to the bathrooms, with my computer open, and my dog sleeping on the floor next to me.
Just outside, a large private party was taking place, perhaps a wedding shower. There were balloons tied to every table and people were dressed semi-formally. They hugged each other in greeting and it was nice to see socializing and reconnecting and social nearness, and with it I thought about how great this all was to see. That made me smile.
My only real social interaction that night after a long drive alone came in the form of two 8-year old kids, who asked to pet Barley.
I like the freedom that road trips provide, but there’s an inherent loneliness that comes along with solo road trips. This first night it was all-consuming as I weighed my plans for dinner. I no longer wanted to have dinner out and I knew that eating dinner at my hotel room would be more peaceful and comforting. I settled on a made-to-order sandwich and soup from the Publix grocery store near to my hotel and went to bed early – to prepare for another 350 mile drive the following day.
All in all, a good day and I knew that the days following would be filled with social interaction of friends and family and so I happily savored the quietness and settled in for a good night’s sleep.
