FHMA Day 8: Beagles & Eagles

QUICK FACTS

• Where We Started: Atlanta, Ga.
• Where We Ended: Atlanta, Ga.
• Miles Driven: 78 (1,491 total)
• New States: 0
• Total States: 4 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)

THE DAY'S HIGHLIGHT

There was no sightseeing on Friday, but we did encounter a truly historical sight. Yes, folks, the American University Eagles are headed back to the NCAA tournament after thrashing those pansy "Crusaders" from Holy Cross in the Patriot League championship game. This adds some intrigue to our little journey, since we'll find out Sunday night where AU will be playing next week, which may result in a detour for the FHMA foursome. As mentioned earlier, there are eight places where AU could end up playing, with Dayton, Ohio; Kansas City; and Minneapolis being the easiest for us to reach. Miami and Boise, Idaho, would be the hardest, even though Boise is our favorite little city in America. So we'll see.

The cool part about doing tours like this is you get a chance to see family and friends that you wish you saw more. In Charleston, I had breakfast with one of my oldest friends from college, Jamie Platzer. On Thursday night, had drinks with an old AOL friend, Craig Thomas. Friday was a day full of these types of catchups. First, we had lunch with one of Joan's friends from college, Dave Wittenberg (more on that in the meals section). Then, it was off to see two of Joan's cousins, Pam and Dena. Although their husbands could not join us, we did get to spend some time with Pam's son, Josh, and Dena's son, Joseph. Plus, the dogs got some off-leash time to help them keep fit. And look at the effect it had on Fred:

OK, that's not Fred. That's Kobe, Pam's wire-haired dachshund puppy. He was adorable, though his style of playing, i.e. clamping his teeth on Hank's tail and/or Fred's ears, didn't always go over well with our  guys. That's how dogs play, of course, but our coddled, spoiled beagles decided to do their own thing and spent the two hours making themselves comfortable on Pam's furniture and crapping all over her yard.

Kobe and Hank in a standoff.

Pam's other adorable dachshund, Ozzy, ran and chased a tennis ball for the entire two-plus hours we were there. As far as Ozzy was concerned, the beagles were useless; he was just looking for humans to throw his ball. We obliged, and man, could Ozzy jump.

Joan also managed to get two loads of laundry done, and was in awe of Pam's two-washer, two-dryer setup. I sense this arrangement may be in our future, even if we don't have the four kids Pam does.

From there, it was off to a bar to watch American play. Being that both the ACC and SEC tournaments were in action at the same time, the bar made sure to jam us into a back room so we could watch the best non-scholarship college basketball and not get in the way of the "real" college hoops fans. We had the good fortune of being able to watch the game with Kathie Patterson Rushing, an old college friend who lives in Atlanta, and who I hadn't seen, well, since graduation. But we reconnected via Facebook at the beginning of this trip, and were able to share this momentous occasion -- AU has only been to the NCAAs once, and that was last season -- with two other AU alums as well.

We closed the day by walking the dogs down to Centennial Olympic Park, where Jim decided to run through the fountain there for the hell of it.

That's me in the middle of the fountain. Even when running, it looks like I'm standing still.

ROAD SCRAPS

• I accidentally used Joan's toothbrush a few days ago, and while she brushed it off -- get it? -- I knew she wouldn't be able to ever look at that toothbrush the same way again. So it was no surprise when she announced yesterday it was time for new toothbrushes for both of us. Yeah, like she thought I wouldn't see through that? 
• Joan also was the recipient of the first physical injury of the trip a few days back, though -- thankfully -- no visible mark was left. After watching me carry my camera around for a few days, she finally convinced me that that strap-like thing on the camera was indeed a strap, and should be used like one. So, with my left hand on a dog leash, and the camera strapped around my left wrist, we headed out into Savannah. Now, anyone who has two dogs knows that leashes tend to get tangled, and one of the ways you fix that is to lift the leash over the head of the other person walking the dog. It's a simple maneuver. That is, unless you have a heavy camera strapped around your wrist. Then, what happens -- apparently -- is you smack the other person in the face with a heavy camera. Lesson learned. As usual, Joan had a great sense of humor about it. Then again, she nearly laughed herself to tears when I once slammed a door on my finger a few years back, so maybe she just enjoys pain. She really should be a Jets fan.
• Toothbrush violations and camera attacks aside, Joan really hit rock bottom on our way to Atlanta. Joan had just stopped to use the ladies' room, and was getting something out of the trunk -- with her butt facing out into the gas-pumping area of this convenience store -- when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a piece of toilet paper sticking out of the back of her jeans. She got back into the car, laughing hysterically, and said, "Oh my god, I had some toilet paper sticking out of the back of my jeans." She then started to get out of the car to throw out some trash, and I informed her, "You still do." Five minutes of maniacal laughter later, we got back on the road, freed of any tension and, thankfully, any toilet paper. Welcome to the perils of public restrooms, where the need to line the seat with toilet paper can lead to embarrassing moments like this. Tomorrow's chapter: The propriety of making a cell phone call while sitting on the can, as some guy did yesterday at the Target where we stopped for the toothbrushes. Yuck.
• The Toilet Paper Incident occurred only moments after I had exited the greatest convenience store ever. I'm a big fan of convenience stores, especially on trips like this, where you can get gas, a drink and use the bathroom in one fell swoop. We stopped outside Atlanta for all three reasons, and when I walked into the QuikTrip in McDonough, Ga., I almost teared up. It had a huge soda fountain with 30 different types of soda that took up a third of the place. They had Super Big Gulp-sized cups -- I only drink soda in massive quantities -- and clean restrooms, etc. Once we resolved Joan's toilet paper problem, I couldn't stop talking about how perfect this store was. Joan announced she was considering stuffing more toilet paper in her jeans just to get me to shut up.

 
The world's greatest convenience store. Bring QT to DC!.

• A few beagle-owning commenters (thanks for reading!) sent along this video of a beagle on Letterman the other night playing dead. Pretty funny. The point Letterman makes about beagles isn't really true; they actually have a wonderful disposition. They're just stubborn, and have a mind of their own. If you want to see two examples of how persistent beagles can be when they've decided they want something -- in these cases, freedom -- check out this escape from a pen, and this escape from a crate.
• OK, so I was wrong about Maryland losing to Wake Forest. They won, big. Consider this the end of my sports predictions for the trip. We watched the end of the game at the hotel, and while I considered heading down to the hotel bar to witness the debauchery -- c'mon, these ARE Maryland grads, for god sakes -- I chose not to. After all, it's not like they're actually in the NCAA tournament yet, unlike some other team I know.

MUSIC REPORT

• Random iPod shuffle song of the day: "All You Need Is Love," by The Beatles. Not one of my favorite Beatles songs, but at least it wasn't from John Williams or a soundtrack to a horror film. What are my favorite Beatles songs, you ask? Thanks for asking. Those would be "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," "The Two of Us" and -- believe it or not, a Ringo song -- "Don't Pass Me By."
• Most-played albums: Mostly R.E.M., though we weren't in the car all that much.  Today will be a different story, however. We won't be hitting Alabama until the end of the day, but we're preparing for some Martha Reeves, Nat King Cole, Percy Sledge and Hank Williams. But no Jim Nabors (aka Gomer Pyle) or Bobby Goldsboro. You haven't lived until you've read the lyrics to "Honey,"

MEAL REPORT

• Lunch: Uptown Cafe, Lawrenceville, Ga: We went to lunch with Dave Wittenberg, a friend of Joan's from college, and he took us to the kind of place you'd never find in a travel book or even in Roadfood. It was a tiny -- and I mean four-table tiny -- Middle Eastern place in Lawrenceville, Ga., about 30 northeast of Atlanta. And it was terrific, from the hummus to my chicken gyro. All in all, a great find. My only complaint: Like Babu Bhatt from "Seinfeld," who named his unsuccessful Pakistani cafe "The Dream Cafe," I do wonder why someone who makes such good Middle Eastern food would go for "Uptown Cafe." I thought, like Jerry, maybe I would suggest that, but I didn't want to become "a very, very bad man." Jim Nutrition Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5). Restaurant Rating: 4 stars (out of 5).

• Dinner: The Varsity, Atlanta, Ga.: We stopped at this legendary drive in, and because we'd left the dogs in the car for the basketball game, we decided to eat in the car with them. That may have been part of the reason we were sadly underwhelmed by the totally unhealthy meal we had. Joan went for the chili dog and onion rings; I went burger and fries. The food was slightly cold, and unremarkable. We both took a walk inside, and the atmosphere was very cool. Too bad the food didn't match on this night. Jim Nutrition Rating: 2 (out of 5). Only because the portions were tiny, and we I left a good amount of my fries behind. Restaurant Rating: 2 stars (out of 5). Based on all the recommendations we got for The Varsity, we must have hit a bad night.

The interior of The Varsity, where the counterpeople continually bark out, "What'll you have?" Even when no one seems to be waiting.

HOTEL REPORT

• Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, Ga.: Love the hotel, love the view. One interesting note about this hotel. It was exactly one year ago today that the hotel was battered by the tornado that slammed into downtown Atlanta. The Westin, which is more than 70 stories, got hit hard and suffered significant window damage. A year later, a lot of those windows remain unrepaired, and no one we talked to seemed to understand why. Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5).

 
Dozens of damaged windows remain unrepaired at the Westin Peachtree Plaza.

TRAVEL WEB SITE OF THE DAY

• Roadside America: Tired of boring historical sites, national parks and art museums, and just want to know where every Paul Bunyan statue is, and where there might be a Jell-O Museum? This is your site. This month's special: Weird roadside creatures.

COMMENT OF THE DAY

From Diana Giammarco:

• Jim and Joan,
  I am truly enjoying the FHMA trip, as I live vicariously through your fabulous writing and photos!
  I have a question about Jim's profile: are you telling me that Jim really doesn't look exactly like Brad Pitt?? Joan has been telling me that for years! Enjoy! Diana

Nice. Very nice. :-)

UPCOMING PLAN (subject to change)

• Today: Andersonville, Plains and Warm Springs, Ga., and dinner near Montgomery, Ala.
• Tomorrow: Alabama, specifically Montgomery and Mobile.
• The Next Day: The Gulf Coast, probably Mobile and Pensacola, Fla.

BONUS BEAGLE PHOTO

Hank practices his "Adopt me, please" look, in case he ever needs it again. He won't, but it's always good to stay sharp.

Comments

[Steve Klein]

No Tour of Georgia this year. Now now we have the Tour of California, major international cycling event (more than 2 million fans turned out to watch but there probably weren't 200 words about it in the WashPost -- not that we want to be talking newspapers here!). And the Tour of Missouri brings the world's best cyclists back to the U.S. in the fall (and 200 more words in the Post). I have no idea what this has to do with your trip; I guess because you're in Atlanta and it made me think of the dearly departed tour. And everyone is talking about March Madness and I just don't care -- maybe about 200 characters worth. Thank goodness for niche journalism, eh?

[Woody]

Varsity never has good days. It survives on tourists and those with no taste buds (heavy smokers). The homeless Easter bunny photo didn't make it. Like you see that everyday. Love the Seinfeld reference very fitting. Enjoy your travels. Loved seeing Joan and meeting Jim and the kids. Go Eagles

[Fran]

Have you seen this! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031301235.html

[Karen G.]

Two comments:

1) Those dachsunds are all kinds of cute.

2) Forget the QuikTrip. WaWa is the best minimart evvvvvvver. Check it out.

Oh, and go Eagles. Steve is working out his potential travel plans right now.

[Beth Jacobsohn]

I too must put in a plug for the great and awesome QT! We discovered the QT on our trip out west a few summers ago. Must have been in South Dakota or Wyoming or somewhere. I had the exact same response when I saw the fountain drink section. NIRVANA!! (Have I mentioned that I have an unhealthy addiction to fountain drinks? Bottles and cans simply don't cut it anymore.) The kids went bonkers over the drink selections too. Any flavor fountain drink you could imagine, flavored syrups to mix in, smoothies, slushies -- you name it -- they've got it. Our son Alex still talks about QT -- we look for it on every trip. And though I haven't been to a WaWa in awhile, I did grow up with WaWa and it didn't come close to QT. OK -- to be fair, that was about 30 years ago. Perhaps they've updated.

[Anne]

When you get to Pensacola you should try going to McGuire's pub on the beach... I just moved down here a week ago and that place is pretty fun.

[Elliott Gordon]

Personally, I wouldnt have even fed Fred or Hank the Varsity food. It is always bad.

[Ellen Zangla]

Several things:

1) Diana G. wrote, "I have a question about Jim's profile: are you telling me that Jim really doesn't look exactly like Brad Pitt?? Joan has been telling me that for years!"
Does this mean that Joan has been saying that Jim does look exactly like Brad Pitt or does not look exactly like Brad Pitt? Could be read either way, methinks. :)

2) If Hank ever needs a new home he's coming here.

3) Love the photos of The Varsity (the lights are lined up really well) and the Peachtree Westin.

[Mark Potts]

I think I can explain the confusion between Jim and Brad Pitt in these simple terms: Brad Pitt has six-pack abs. Jim has pony-keg abs.

[Jim Hassert]

Carolyn and I were wondering about the beagle story in the Post as well. It's been advertised on the radio the past several days. Until I came across the link above (posted by Fran)...we figured it was the two (four) of you.

We're enjoying the trip...thanks for taking us along!

[Daryl]

The Varsity is great at 2:00 AM, and you gotta have the fried pie.

[Bridget]

You'll love Phoenix! There's a QT every couple of miles. The kids and I make a trip at least once a week for the frozen slushees. Yum!

[Tamara & John and their beagles, Elvis and Abbey, from Michigan.]

Thanks for making the comment about beagles. You hit the nail on the head. GREAT dogs, but they are very stubborn and VERY smart. We continue to enjoy your blog; Tamara is a writer (and John is a decent photographer, as well) and is getting ideas for our next trip. Go Spartans (Michigan State)!

[Rebecca]

I almost choked on my breakfast yesterday when I saw the article about a road trip with a beagle on the front of TWP's Travel section.

They totally ripped you off.

[anniegroer]

am traveling overseas, too much stuff on my iphone - can you delete me for the next three months/ thanks, your trip looks like a blast