The road trip is over, but I do need to fill in the last few days on the road and how I got to this point. So here it is, my last entry from the road trip.

Thursday December 2 - James' father sent me away with homemade energy bars and bean soup. Being so far north from 40, I decided to go diagonally through Oklahoma toward Muskogee on route 62. The road was a pleasant drive and featured numerous historical markers about Native Americans. I could sense the rich heritage, it was overwhelming. The subtle differences were everywhere. I had plans to play at a course in Oklahoma City next to a flower garden, hoping the sun was on my side as the evening crept on. As it happened, I had plenty of time to play 18 holes. These 3 guys waiting at the first tee asked me if I would play skins with them instead of playing by myself. I loved playing along with them, they gave me some pointers and seemed genuinely excited when I had some great drives. After leaving the course I decided to treat myself to Waffle House for dinner. Those damn restaurants were everywhere, I figured I would do my part to support the local cultural flare. I listened to a little football on the radio that night before tucking away into bed.

Friday December 3 - I figured I would average 1 state per day as I made my way back to San Francisco, which meant I would be staying in Texas next. I did not do much besides buy gas in Oklahoma City that morning before I got on the road towards Amarillo. The drive went by rather quick, even though it took most of my day. Once in Amarillo, I took the 40 West loop through the city which also happened to be the old route 66. There were plenty of homages to the rich history of the road and lots of historical signs/buildings adorned with 50s garb. I stopped along the road at a dollar store to buy a can opener and kill some time walking around walmart. The Christmas hoopla had turned that place into a zoo, so I thought it better to leave the cattle to their farm. I didn't feel too tired and Texas just didn't seem like a place I wanted to be very long, so I got back on the road and decided to drive until I found something that felt 'right.' About an hour after leaving Amarillo I pulled into a picnic rest area to cook my dinner for the night. James' bean soup made the cut as well as pasta. At this time, I had a moment a clarity. It was quite improbably, but maybe that's why it happened. Here I was on the side of the road, at night, somewhere in Texas, with the wind howling, big rig trucks passing by in the distance, a metal sign clanging against a fence post somewhere in the distance, bean soup aroma filling the air, the night sky looking so bright. It all came together in a supreme moment of awareness, perspective and peace. I drove a few hundred more miles that night and stayed at a hotel in Tucumcari, New Mexico my belly full of beans.

Saturday - December 4 I figured I would stay in Albuquerque this night so I made my way west on 40, continuing the trek home. High desert vistas and sparse vegetation were beautiful, contrasting to the tall green redwoods of Washington or the small orange/red/yellow trees of New Hampshire. Albuquerque stood out as a beacon of life in the desert. Believe, there is nothing for miles in either direction. I knew that Albuquerque had a couple disc golf courses so I made my way towards the nearest library hoping to find their locations online. Well, the librarians informed me that I had to buy a library card in order to use the computers. No guest pass, nothing. I was never going to use this card except once in my life and only for about 15 minutes. They wanted 3 dollars for their library card and I said fuck that. I picked up my things and decided I didn't want to stay here very long. I didn't need to play their courses or look up cool things to do anyways. I left Albuquerque about 10 minutes later, drove down the road and drank some beers at an Indian Trading Post along the road. The day was winding down and I sat and enjoyed the sunset against a rocky vista. I got back in my car, putting plenty of distance between me and those stupid libraries. Gallup, NM presented itself and I made camp for the night. This night was exceptionally cold, the snow surrounding my car the next morning being little surprise.

Sunday December 5 - I woke up this day knowing I needed to get to Flagstaff so spend the night in preparation for the Grand Canyon. I was not a long drive between the 2 cities but I made use of my day by stopping at the Petrified Forest National Park. Honestly, I didn't know the park layed along 40 and I loved what the park offered in terms of scenery. It only lasted a couple hours (the park is about 27 miles long) but I loved it a lot. Rocks of differing origins painted the sands multiple colors, giving a beautiful background to the multiple petrified wood logs which dotted the landscape. Even though the wood has been victimized by thieves over the years, huge logs are still readily available to touch and admire. Great views are wonderful to behold, but getting your hands on the history is a different, exciting beast altogether. I highly recommend the park as a great alternative to high-priced gimmicky tours. For 10 bucks, petrified wood is the real deal. Flagstaff had plenty of snow when I rolled up later that night, exhausted from hiking all over looking at wood.

Monday December 6 - I had a delicious breakfast that morning and used the map I got in the hotel lobby to find a disc golf course nearby. The 18 holes were quite picturesque and the course offered something I'd never experienced before: snow! Each hole had some snowbanks and the trees buttressed holes quite nicely. I was only one out there and the solitude was reassuring. The Grand Canyon was the big ticket item on the plans and I didn't waste any more time in Flagstaff than I could. What an awesome place, the Grand Canyon is. Wow. I hiked along the rim for hours, venturing down the Bright Angel trail for about a mile before the blisters on my feet and the lack of hydration in my system caught up with me. Experiencing such a landmark, even though alone, gave me great perspective as to the significance of myself as well as the canyon. Mainly, the insignificance of it all arose deep within me. I pondered a lot looking out at that huge hole. And just as soon as I got into my car, I was over it. I drove back towards 40 in silence, peace, at rest, accomplishing what I set out to do. I had a monster with me to keep me awake as I drove on in the night towards SF. I knew I didn't have the capacity to make it all the way home, I didn't have the stamina to drive 12 hours. I blew past Kingman, Needles, Barstow, Boron, the Mojave National Preserve, like it was all happening outside of myself as I drove along the road. I saw it all happening from above, bright lights off in the distance, beckoning to me a horizon which replicated itself constantly. When alcohol and caffeine had done their job of making it this far, Bakersfield seemed as good a place as any to turn in for the night. My eyes in a glaze, my stare used to the constant oncoming lights, the sterility of a stopped car in a parking lot unnerved me. And then I was tired, and the comfort in the back seat was unlike anything else.

Tuesday December 7 - What is there to say? I had driven along 5 north and south hundreds of times, dreading the blandness of it all. But this time it didn't matter. In fact, dare I say it, it was rather enjoyable. I had quiet when I wanted to think, my old familiar sport talk radio stations when I wanted to hear them again, knowing I was only a few hours from finishing the greatest thing I'd done with my life up until this point. The kind of thing I will look back forever from my life and enjoy, relish, miss. Each passing city brought the old familiarity back, except it was tainted somehow by the 'new' which I had been surrounded by for months. The new washed over everything, giving it a new coat of paint, which I can admire, wholly for what it is.

12:30 pm Tuesday December 7 2010 - I arrived back in front of the house I had left 82 days earlier. So much had happened since that moment when I set out, unaware of what lay ahead, hungry for the new, the different, the unexpected. I wanted to know what I didn't know. Along the way I found what I was looking for.

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Okay okay, I know you've all been anxiously waiting for me to update my last leg of the trip through the southwest so don't let me hold you any longer. Lets start from where we left off.

November 26 Friday - Josh's family sent me away with a large goodie-bag filled with muffins, cookies, granola bars, apples and oranges. I snacked life a king while I made my way through Nashville and on to Memphis. Mike V met up with me near his house accompanied by his rommmate (and girlfriend). We walked to a local sushi bar where I ate a very tasty chicken pho bowl. After that we all made our way to a bar that I can't remember the name of (something about lonely...) We all split a pitcher and hung out before they all went back to Carlos' girlfriend's house and I found a nice parking spot next to a school to spend the night.

Saturday - Having the entire day to myself, I decided to go to downtown Memphis to check out the National Civil Rights Museum as well as all of the blues cafes. Touring the museum was a thrill: they did a good job of recreating the timeline of the numerous protests and moments in history which shaped this country. The Martin Luther King jr exhibit was especially insightful into the assassination and recreation of the way it all went down. It was quite moving and I'm glad I stopped by. I toured the blues cafes and many shops filled with Elvis memorabilia (his house was too fucking expensive to visit) and jazz music. After stopping by a piggly wiggly to buy some beer I went back to my favorite parking spot to go to sleep.

Sunday - I woke up early due to the 40* weather and decided to go onto Arkansas without further notice. I crossed the Mississippi and stopped by a welcome center to find the nearest disc golf course. As luck would have it there was a fine 36-hole course in North Little Rock which just happened to be on the way to my next stop. I met these 3 cool guys (one of whom was having a birthday that night) at the first tee and we played both courses together. They were all locals and traded stories about the perils of college life. After leaving Burns Park, I made my way to Fort Smith in order to spend the night.

Monday / Thursday - As has been my custom, I had a wonderful Hampton Inn continental breakfast to start my day. James called me back that morning and I was off to Fayetteville to meet up with my friend I hadn't seen in ages. I played the local disc gold course in town while I waited for him to get off work. That night (abnd for the next 3 days) we played magic and video games together. It had been ages since I was able to play with him and we made the most of the couple days. I visited the Arkansas Razorbacks campus while I was there and enjoyed the scenery. Damn, there were lots of pretty girls, I mean, total babes. Very nice. It was nice to relax for a couple days at his house since it would be the last place I would be able to use a bed for a week. On the last night James and I rode our bikes around a park in the freezing weather but it was still enjoyable as it reminded me of what we used to do in high school before we drove. And for a brief second while hanging out in his room, I forgot that I was in Arkansas, I was just in my buddy's room. James' dad also made me some homemade clif bar type chewy things for me to snack on for the rest of my trip. I drove to Oklahoma City Thursday and spent the night after a big dinner thanks to Waffle House (first time for everything).

I shall finish the next entry tomorrow since the computer I am logged onto in the library here in Flagstaff has 5 minutes left on the time. Be back soon!

So here I am about to make my way to Memphis, but let's take a look at the past week and how I got here. 

Last Sunday the 21st - I left Megan's house with a sack of banana muffins and some sweet coke caps and got on the road to Tennessee. My friend Josh (the brother of Ryan's old roommate Caleb) lives in between Nashville and Knoxville in a town called Cookeville. Just north of Chattanooga were some sprawling hills which were wonderful. Some time that night I rolled into Josh's place which was quite impressive. A lake in the backyard, a swanky bachelor pad in the basement and a comfortable guest bedroom (thanks Caleb) to stay for the night. Josh took me over to a friend's house that night to hangout but it ended up being cut short due to my constant dozing off during conversations. I properly conked out once we got home and (thanks to the time change!) benefitted greatly from the extra hour. 

Monday - Josh took me over to Silas' house so we could all go play disc golf at a park in town. We played for skins and Silas narrowly edged me out 9 to 8 with Josh picking up a lone 1 skin. Afterward, Josh took us for some sweet tea, something I have fallen in love with ever since Georgia. We watched a movie that night while splitting chips and spinach dip. 

Tuesday - Josh had a job interview in Nashville which was nice because I got to hitch a ride with him downtown and then walk around the area while he was busy. I walked around Broadway Street, the home of plenty of bars and lots of musicians trying to make it bigtime. I stopped by the Charlie Daniels Museum and Jack Daniels Museum while listening to the constant blare of honky tonk inside the bars. I bought a few souvenirs and met up with Josh who took me to Murfreesboro for some disc golf on his favorite course in the area. It ended up being cut short due to darkness, in which case we headed back to Nashville to see  the Opryland hotel. The mall next door was closed due to the flooding which ruined hundreds of shops last Spring. The hotel itself was very ritzy and had numerous open expanses inside the building which featured air balloons, waterfalls, boat rides and mountainous wildlife. It was spectaculr and opulent. We made it back to Cookeville late that night and we fell asleep watching Planes Trains and Automobiles. 

Wednesday - Josh met up with Silas again and they took me to Burgess Falls, a state park in town. We hiked down to a secluded waterfall which cast mist all over us in its wake. It was beautiful and its massive weight drowned out our voices. Layers of rocks surrounded the falls, detailing the thousands of years of history all around us. After a few hours we headed back to Silas' house while exchanging some very funny drinking stories. The very best guy talk. My idea for beer pong was supported by everyone and when Silas' girlfriend Erica got home we made our way down to the basement with some Yuengling to play with. The games were very fun with everybody playing well and enjoying the atmosphere. I won a few games and then Josh's friend Ashley came over with some Keystone light and we alternated teams and sides. On a side note, I could not be stopped on a 2-rack. 5 and 0 baby. Overall it was a great night which ended with me again falling asleep on the couch. 

Thursday - Josh was kind enough to let me join him and his family for their non-traditional Thanksgiving festivities. We arrived quite early just outside Knoxville for a plentiful breakfast which was going to setup the Thanksgiving chili coming later. Sausage hash browns, bacon, eggs, biscuits & gravy, grapes and a french toast/blackberry jam concoction all made their way onto my plate. Everything was delicious and went down easily with (you should've guessed it) a big glass of sweet tea. Even though we felt comatose and ready for a nap, Josh and I felt like exploring. After an hour hike into his family's backyard property which included a serene lake viewing, we drove to a nearby disc golf course for a quick 9 holes. A nice guy who ended up playing with us named Andy told us during the round of an even better course only 10 minutes away built on the site of an abandoned golf course. After the quick round of 9 we decided to make the short drive and it was well worth it. There were 4 tees for each hole and they ranged from beginner to super-duper long and hard (that's what she said). The course had lots of sprawling grassland, with the old tree and bunker hazards playing quite well given its new nature. One large water hazard was exciting and some of the wooded holes made for a challenging drive. Like a sav, Josh found a disc lost in the woods which was in very nice condition. We finished the round after a couple hours (Josh's bathroom break at hole 15 at a nearby abandoned putt putt course being the main culprit in extending the round's length) and made our way back for the taco salad and chili. It was delicious, I felt stuffed. We played a little Scrabble before driving back in the rain to Cookeville. 

Today, Friday - Josh's parents have been super nice to me all week and it will be tough leaving this place which has been very cool. 4 disc golf courses, a great night of beer pong and large southern breakfasts are just some of the things which I will take away from the experience. I'm making my way westward and even though the trip is winding down, I still feel the the freedom laid out in front of me. 

Me and Megan hanging out in Georgia.

The wall that still stands by Pitt where Bill Mazeroski hit his World Series-winning home run.

Tea Bags bar located next to David's house. What.

Party People.

Holly's get-together was a rousing success. Thanks to her and her friends for making it wonderful evening.

Tonight, Megan took me out with her family for a nice mexican dinner at Frontera. A nice restaurant they were surprised did not exist where I am from. Her family is very nice and are taking me out tomorrow morning for a jaunt around Atlanta. Apparently there is a lot of civil war history in the area.

Monday I spent the night in Sweetwater, Georgia after driving from Pittsburg through Huntington, WV and Knoxville, TN. I had another free continental breakfast courtesy of the Hampton Inn and Suites. Bacon and eggs and Biscuits/Gravy!

Tuesday afternoon I arrived in Atlanta and killed some time waiting for Megan to get off work by going to a couple malls a nearby disc golf course I found online at the mall Mac store. It was 18 pretty difficult holes in Roswell which wasn't too far. The course was the best kept I'd seen so far: the tee boxes were all clearly labeled and swept, the baskets looked like they were painted yesterday and the OBs were lined with nets to prevent runaways. Each hole also had a sign indicating how the hole played and various notes about the surrounding environment. It was wonderful to see the dedication which went into making the course. Afterwards I napped at a Walmart until my friend called.

I've been staying just outside Atlanta in Conyers, GA with another sg friend. There was a keg of Bud Light Tuesday night which we helped finish. It turned out to be a crazy party, I finally got to sleep in a twin bed again. We've been playing Black Ops and Borderlands which are pretty cool games. I've had some authentic homemade sweet tea along with a heaping helping of birthday lasagna.

On Wednesday night Megan, her boyfriend and 2 friends invited me to an event at this local movie theater called "Bad Movie Night." The movie they showed that night was called Alien Private Eye. What. Go see it now. It had something to do with a black disc broken in 2 which fell to earth and created a drug '1000 times more addictive than heroine.' The movie was extremely unintentionally hilarious and I highly recommend it to everyone as a truly great example of 'so bad it's good' movie-making.

I'm leaving for Nashville tomorrow to spend a few days with Caleb's brother Josh. His house is supposed to be pretty big with lots of land on the property.

I had a wonderful time in Canada!

Mere was a wonderful host and showed me lots of cool places around Montreal. We went to a museum with her tres cool amis, went shopping at the mall, walked with me around multiple dollarama stores, laughed at a bad scary movie (and laughed at some good ones) and she even let me use her salt & pepper. Such kindness does not go unnoticed. I have plenty of souvenirs and even did some international Christmas shopping. Bon Idee!

Last weekend, I drove all day from Montreal to Pittsburgh. I passed through Rochester, Buffalo and even this small town in upstate NY called Mexico. What.

I met up with Holly and David upon arrival at this bar around the corner from his house. The area is ripe with pubs and cheap places to eat.

I've been sleeping in the past week, staying up late drinking and playing video games. David knew of a sweet disc golf course right next to the Pitt campus which we played over the course of a couple hours. I went back several times to play the course because it was very well made. It's been chilly out but no snow in the area and surprisingly warm during the day. We have also played some indoor ultimate frisbee at this complex on campus the past two Saturday nights. The indoor atmosphere has been been very cool and I would love to come back and do it. I've never played inside but seeing as how it was 10 at night and 30 degrees outside, it was a good idea.

This past Tuesday night Holly invited some awesome people over for a potluck and it was a great night. There was homemade Sangria, wine and cheap beer which I made sure made an appearance. Thank you Holly for having us over at your house!

Wednesday night I went to Hambone's for some Obscure board/card games with some cool young people. I even got a deal on my Coors Light. Score!I also got to see David play in a band at this bar called Spin. I smuggled some booze in and felt great with the covers they were playing. I also got to chat with a cool girl named Carly who also plays frisbee and lives in the area. We chatted outside over box wine and beer which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm leaving Sunday morning for Huntington, West Virginia where I will be for a couple days. Tuesday night I will be arriving in Atlanta and staying there for who knows how long.

Will be able to post pictures sometime this week of all the shenanigans. I really liked the city and could see myself here in 2011. We'll see...