The other day, our friend Bridget grilled us with a great set of questions that made us reflect on the last year, where we’ve been, what we’ve done and what it all means. Here are some of our responses. You’ll have to wait for the book for the rest
Have you covered the ground you expected to cover?
Amazingly yes, just not in the order we expected. It’s like the entire route has flip flopped and we are doing everything in reverse order. Despite the planning and order imposed by the park sites, the trip still presents constant spur of the moment of where we are going to go.
If you were to abandon Harrisburg to settle somewhere else, where would it be? Michael: Harrisburg is a lot cooler place than we ever imagined.
But of the 10 cities we might relocate to, here is our list in no particular order:
1. Boulder, Colorado
2. Fort Collins, Colo.
3. Denver, Colo.
4. the Fort Myers-Naples-Bonita Springs, Fla area
5. Miami, Fla.
6. Flagstaff, Ariz.
7. Boise, Idaho
8. what the heck, New York City
9. Lawrence, Kansas
10. Philadelphia, Pa.
There are a lot more coming up with a lot of promise but Harrisburg really shines. Our hometown needs a better publicist. Maybe me! Note to the city of Harrisburg: we are available!
What was your worst on-the-road marital fight/argument?
Michael: The first thing that pops into mind are the over the top screaming matches we have every time we go canoeing. I am sure I've repressed some others. When the canoe doesn't move as fast as I'd like, I blame Gab for not rowing steady enough and on course. Then she blames me and it escalates into madness. Especially difficult when you are going through South Florida mangroves and maps are useless.
What has been the most beautiful (physical, emotional, both) experience of the trip?
Gab’s list:
1. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty/finding my mom’s old apt in Brooklyn.
2. Listening to This Land is Your Land while driving up highway 61
3. Feeling the big sky phenomenon for the first time – I think it happened somewhere around Bismarck, ND.
4. Hiking past the mule train of women wearing the Race for the Cure t-shirts inside the Grand Canyon.
5. Emerging from a 4-day hike inside the Grand Canyon – I don’t think I’ve ever felt so invincible.
6. Listening to “Raindrops keep falling on my head” LBJ’s favorite song, as we finished touring his Ranch in Texas.
7. Watching 4 high school boys in a rock band pour their souls into a 3-song set at the T Lounge in El Paso with our friend Everett last week. This is what music should be.
What was the best meal under $7?
Another tough question! Is here where we confess our affection for Little Caesar’s large pepperoni pizzas for $5? Or how good the 2 spicy chicken burritos for $2 from Del Taco tasted last night?
We don’t usually resort to fast food chains, but when we do, In-n-Out Burger and Whataburger are our favorite regional chains. Phoenix, Ariz. is the first city we have been in where both are available.
The Chimes in Baton Rouge, La. has 25 cent oysters on the half shell almost every day of the week. We found ourselves there more than once.
You can get a bento box filled with rice, veggies, soup, small salad and meal of your choice at Yashimatsu in Tuscon, Ariz. for under $7. We were pleasantly surprised at the quantity and quality of the meal.
Einstein Bros. is tops for bagels and coffee. We like them because they only charge us 99 cents for coffee since we use our own mugs. The coffee is strong and delicious and refills while you are there are free.
When we feel a need to ingest more green things, the salad bar at Ruby Tuesdays is not bad. Not the best, but definitely cheaper than we could purchase the greens from the grocery store. Contrary to what some may think, buying stuff from the store is not always the cheapest option. We look for daily specials, 2 for 1 offers, and half price deals and almost always fill our stomachs for less than $30 a day.
Have either one of you gotten sick while on the road? Flu? Wisdom teeth, whatever?
Thankfully, nothing that heavy doses of multi-vitamins and several fruit smoothies haven't cured. Dramatic changes in climate and/or altitude have the potential for making us feel a little funny. A good night’s rest usually puts us back in working order.
We can only think of one cold (Gab’s) that was bad enough to make us reconsider camping and get a hotel room. That was at Craters of the Moon NM. It was pretty chilly outside; neither of us really minded the change of plans.
Do you crave home-cooking?
Gab: I don't miss home-cooking, but I do miss the act of cooking. There is only so much you can do with a Coleman stove.
What do you miss most about being away from home?
Michael:
My favorite puppy.
Gab:
1. Taking our morning walk along the Susquehanna River.
2. Watering my plants on the fire escape in the morning.
3. Cooking in my own kitchen.
4. Digital cable and the NBA League Pass
5. Sunday morning coffee and Sunday evening pizza at Michael's parents’ house.
6. Curling up under a blanket on our (admittedly uncomfortable) couch and doing nothing.
But here's what I like the most about being on the road:
1. Driving on the open road. Actually, I'm the passenger most of the time.
2. Finishing a long hike.
3. Eating a burger and taking a shower after a week of backcountry camping.
4. Meeting new people.
5. Recognizing a bird I’ve never seen before
6. Celebrating local festivities - like St. Patty's Day in Flagstaff last week.
7. Playing NTN Trivia and winning.
8. Learning.
Tuesday
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