10/07/2010
It's been ages since my last post, I know. A lot of things happened in the past 2-3 months, which, to be honest, I am not going to write about. So, if you already know about all the things I've been up to lately, great. If not, then you are probably not even supposed to know.
A bit more than a week ago, D. and I boarded Charlie to embark on a relatively short road trip.
Ultimate destination: Huntsville, Alabama.
Her mom was throwing a surprise party for her dad, so we were going to be part of the surprise.
We set off on Thursday the 1st. To get there, we covered just over 1300 kilometers but before arriving, we stopped at Birmingham for a couple of nights, to see a few friends.
Somewhere in Texas. Agreed, 4th of July was closing in, but still... On cupcakes???
We found this representation of a hanging on the side of a highway. Crazy thing, it was part of the landscaping of a lawyer's office!
Found an Athens in Texas.
And then one in Alabama.
The pig is a local landmark for Alabama.
So is Hooters and its educational events...
Did you know that Birmingham has a beach??
When we made it to Huntsville, the "What The Fuck???" moments kept pouring in... Huntsville is known for many memorable elements.
Big shopping centers.
Delicious beverages.
Life changing questions.
And its rocket and space program history.
Seriously, there are rockets on the side of the interstate.
You don't see that every day!
The welcoming committee?
The party was a great success, her parents were happy to see us, we stayed 2 days and then we went on our way. Now, having plenty of time to get back, we decided to avoid the interstates and drive back through backroads and small towns. Keep in mind, we are talking about some of the most stereotypical "southern" states one can visit. Driving through the small, unknown town of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and East Texas is not something to be taken lightly. Time has indeed stopped in many of those places.
However, that does not mean we digressed from the WTF theme of this trip.
A giant crawfish in Alexandria, Louisiana. Mind you, the whole city seemed to be "closed for remodeling", a sign many stores decided to decorate their fronts with.
Back in Texas. (Making sure nobody misses it.)
A police car in Jasper, Texas! (?!?!?!?)
A choo-choo train in College Station, Texas.
It was a short trip with immense amounts of fun, but I'm happy to be back in Austin. :)
M.
While in Birmingham, I chilled for a couple of days at a friend's place out in the fields.
Zach, who was introduced to me by D. is a craaaaaaaaaayze dude who lives in a dreamy house in the middle of nowhere, amongst the cotton fields. At night, you hear nothing but the crickets and the coyotes. During the day, you hear nothing but Zach's insane, louder-than-Harleys laughter and his 2 dogs. To get an idea, his back yard has a huge, peaceful pond in the middle.
I spent a couple of days out there doing nothing but relaxing and chatting for hours on end with someone I consider a close, new friend.
Feeling rested and rejuvenated, I'm headed up north for a few skydiving stops. :)
M.
Due to a couple of things that were thrown at me (referring more to ideas, rather than bottles), I decided to leave New Orleans a bit early and head up to Alabama. Birmingham to be more precise. The first place I was taken to visit was -dramatic music and deep voice applied- THE SLOSS!!!
Sloss Furnaces used to operate as an iron producing furnace that got shut down almost 40 years ago. Nowadays, it operates as a museum. Most interesting thing about it though is that it is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in the US, due to its history of work accidents and murders that took place.
Have a look at the photos below and let me know if they give you the chills or not... ;)
Maybe the dude just hiked the Grand Canyon...
The terror is obvious in our eyes!
We need to get out of here, FAST!
I ain't afraid of no ghosts...
Sloss from the top (I was not supposed to be there).
Did I mention that the best Halloween Haunted House party is held here annually? hehe
M.
Posts
