St Louis MO
Durham NC (traded LS430 for Escalade)
Atlanta GA (CNN, Coca Cola)
Dalton GA (Visited Austin, drove Roadmaster and Town Car)
Nashville TN (Country Music Hall of Fame)
St Louis MO
Total Distance: 1,785 mi
My dog stayed home for this one. We loaded up the Escalade and headed east.
I PASSIONATELY HATE DRIVING THROUGH ILLINOIS.
The Escalade’s ride quality and seating comfort were superb but the wind noise, a common problem for 2007 Escalades, was rather annoying.
*sigh*
Thankfully, I packed my iPod, iPad, and Thinkpad so I had plenty to keep me occupied while we traversed the Land of Bland.
I just ordered a fifth-generation iPod Nano from Cowboom. I can’t understand why it has a video camera.
The FM tuner is sort of handy as well as the spoken menus for the blind, and the sound quality is the best of any iPod I’ve ever heard.
Somewhere in Tennessee.
I picked up one of those much-hyped Magnum ice cream bars. Highly overrated. It was a chocolate-caramel mess with hardly any ice cream.
Ian loaded up on caffeine to stay awake.
You know you’ve traveled quite a bit when you recognize gas stations in the middle of nowhere.
I don’t know how <em>not</em> to buy a Moon Pie when I see one.
Motor Trend says goodbye to the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Town Car.
Ian thought we’d make it to North Carolina by 1am, a terribly unrealistic goal when leaving Missouri at 3pm. The hotel booking had to be extended.
I’m sitting in an Escalade eating a Big Mac. There’s something grossly (and delightfully) American about that.
Arrived at the La Quinta in Durham NC.
It’s about 6am EST.
This $60 room was impressively new, clean, and quiet.
Has a little entrance nook.
Yep, that’s a bathroom. It has double doors that don’t lock.
There’s a sun-blocking shade behind the curtain, great for people like me who sleep in.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next morning (very late afternoon, actually).
Dressed in argyle and ready for action... to go trade in a car.
An unusually shiny elevator. I have a weird habit of taking pictures of elevators.
Goodbye, Escalade. I hardly knew you.
Arrived at the Ford dealership and took the 2004 LS430 for a drive. It was, through and through, a very sharp car.
You can read my Lexus review here:
http://jesda.com/2011/11/01/review-2004-lexus-ls430/
The interior configuration was strange. There was a “great room” design with cafeteria-style desks, showroom vehicles, and a waiting area all in one place. You could hear people five feet away talking about their personal finances and using all kinds of negotiation tactics. I listened as a husband and wife pushed hard for a better deal on a Ford Flex, sending the salesman back repeatedly to chat with his manager.
While the intent with this layout was probably to make people feel more open and comfortable, I found it to be unprofessional and unnerving.
You can’t visit the south without eating barbecue. I asked the salesman for a recommendation, and this was the only place he could think of.
Hush puppies are served as free appetizers. I ordered a place of chicken, “barbecue”, potato salad, and onions and squash.
The style served in the Carolinas emphasizes mustard, used in the bowl of yellow slaw displayed above toward the back. When you order barbecue, you don’t choose your meat -- the word “barbecue” automatically means pulled pork. I asked for sauces but unlike Texas and Kansas City styles (or maybe this is just a Barbecue Lodge thing), you don’t get a selection of sauce bottles on the table ready to squirt, so she brought out a bowl of red sauce typically used for chicken.
The chicken was excellent, the pork was tender, and the squash was mushy but tasty. What really stood out was the mustard-based cole slaw, something I’d like to see more of outside of the Carolinas.
We went to Wal-Mart for travel supplies (car chargers and snacks). Outside, someone was approaching strangers and telling them about Jesus. The larger black fellow was listening to the evangelist, nodding his head, “Oh, oh really, yeah, hmmm.” Poor guy.
Headed back to the La Quinta to rest and plan the rest of the trip. We could head back to St Louis, or we could head to Georgia and see what’s there.
This regionally unique beverage was in the hotel vending machine. It’s basically cherry soda, quite tasty.
250 calories for the 20 oz bottle. Talk about empty calories.
The following morning. Some guy who just bought a Lexus LS430 doesn’t know how to park.
Yep, some guy.
Its a plain looking car but the wheels help.
I decided to camp out in the back seat, enjoying heating, cooling, vibration, massaging, reclining, sunshades in all directions, and personalized climate controls with upper and lower vents.
A button on the side of the front seat allows me to move it forward, giving me extra space with the back seat reclined.
A place to cool my beverages.
Privacy shades for VIP passengers.
I got a couple looks as we cruised around town. I’m not very important; I just enjoy sleeping.
Part 2: From Durham NC to Atlanta GA
I pulled out my iPad and shopped for hotels in Atlanta.
Ended up with a Crowne Plaza location for only $40, a smoking deal in such an expensive neighborhood, so I thought.
Nice suburb.
After looping around and getting lost, we finally arrived.
The beds were comfortable but the carpet was dingy and it smelled a bit like smoke.
This smoke detector looks to be older than me (I just turned 30).
We were exhausted so we slept early.
Got up at around 6am and looked online for breakfast. Found a well-reviewed place called Goldberg’s Bagels.
The Lexus navigation system is adequate, pretty decent for 2004 but rapidly its showing its age.
I left a scathing review on Priceline of Crowne Plaza Perimeter Atlanta.
In addition to the miserably ineffective heat and strange odors, I found roaches crawling around the following morning. I rang the front desk to let them know about the bugs as I was checking out, and their attitude was one of total indifference.
Below is a video of the drive to breakfast.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkXBShx29hg[/youtube]
Atlanta traffic starts early, and heavy.
Appealing Jewish-inspired menu.
Interesting decor.
I ordered eggs, a fruit bowl, latke (potato cake), and corned beef. It was excellent, one of the highest-quality breakfasts I’ve had in a while.
Some pickles.
We headed back to the hotel to look up tickets for the CNN tour and Coca Cola. They ended up being $30 per person for both. CNN wanted $50 for the Robin Meade Morning Express tour. That’s a lot of money to see someone who may or may not be there.
Heading into Atlanta
Sharp looking Infiniti M45.
Driving through the park.
We parked across the street from CNN for $10.
This used to be an amusement park, thus the layout.
For the first six months, this building was home to the first indoor amusement park known as The World of Sid and Marty Krofft. The escalator (on the right) was intended to build suspense, verified by Guinness as the longest freestanding escalator in the world. The building was hit by a tornado in 2008.
A genuine artifact from Desert Storm.
Gift shops and such.
Eight stories, 205 feet long.
We were given a live glimpse of what they see in the control room, managing multiple feeds and using voice commands to sequence and direct them.
We then went into a simulated studio, complete with a touch screen, green screen, anchor desk, and teleprompter.
What the anchor sees. The papers on the anchor desk mirror the teleprompter feed, available to read in case of a teleprompter glitch.
Our tour guide demonstrated the fancy touch screen.
A demo of the traditional green screen. A volunteer put on a green cape. His head floated over the northeastern United States.
The news room. They receive tips and scan for information. After confirming with two sources, they submit it to editors who then decide what to use on air.
In the far back you can see a conference room separated by glass doors. That was the original broadcast studio, and this was the newsroom you saw in the background.
Another newsroom.
We got to see Suzanne Malveaux doing a live broadcast. The studio was in a room separated by glass. Photography was not permitted.
We also visited the studio used for Morning Express on Headline News, but again, photography was not permitted.
There used to be an ice rink on the main floor. It was changed into a map of the world.
Brass medallions on the floor indicate locations of CNN’s international news bureaus.
A not-so-bright woman called 911 because she was lost in a corn maze. She was only 25 feet away from the exit when she dialed.
Earlier in the tour, at the top of the escalator, they took our photos. We bought one at the gift shop.
The real printed photo is much sharper.
We headed a few blocks down to the “World of Coca Cola”
Inside were museum exhibits, a “4D” theater with water and moving seats, promotional films, a small in-house bottling facility, a small theater playing old Coca Cola ads, and most importantly, a tasting room for sampling Coca Coca products from around the world.
The first soft drink consumed in space!
Space cans.
I predict diabetes in their future.
They covered the New Coke debacle.
Several fountains dispensed drinks from around the world. I enjoyed most of the Asian beverages, especially the apple soda from China (far right), the Melon Frosty Fanta from Thailand (far left), and Bahrain’s Pineapple Crush (third from left).
I think I was the only person to like Beverly, a bitter Italian grapefruit flavored soda. I contacted Coca Cola asking where I could find it in the US; they said it was only available in Italy and at the World of Coca Cola in Atlanta.
I don’t know why anyone in Honduras would name a drink “Delaware Punch” I assumed it would taste like sewage, much like the state, but it was grape.
I’ve had Inca Kola before and enjoyed it.
Manzana Lift had a punchy flavor.
The African drinks were sweet but with less ‘brightness’. Uganda’s Fanta was delicious.
Krest Ginger Ale had a nice spice to it.
Sampling cups.
Everyone was given a complementary glass bottle of Coca Cola, made here minutes earlier.
After trying to be a badass by sampling everything, I felt a bit ill. Drinking original Coca Cola was a welcome relief.
The Coca Cola 4D theater was more irritating than involving. The chairs were supposed to rock back and forth to simulate motion. Instead, I felt like a baby being shaken to death. And instead of light mists of water to simulate being outside or near a body of water, I was squirted in the face with a coarse stream, as if some ***hole was standing in front of me, pissing in my face.
We headed north to Dalton to see Austin, a friend of ours.
I don’t remember why we got off I-75, but a train was just here and I missed it.
The Lexus gave not-so-compete directions to Austin’s house...
...so I pulled it up on my iPad. Google’s directions aren’t that great either, but with the two systems combined, we managed to find it.
I got to drive Austin’s Town Car as well as his Roadmaster.
You can read my review of both cars here:
http://jesda.com/2011/10/18/got-two-gra ... d-lincoln/
We headed to Schlotzky’s for dinner. I MISSED SCHLOTZKY’S
So. Much. JOY.
After a few hours of driving each other’s cars and goofing around, we were exhausted. Ian and I hit the road and wandered over to Nashville.
Part 3: We left Dalton GA and headed to Nashville TN.
I got on Priceline and ended up bidding for a room at this place, the Hotel Preston just east of town.
The reviews were... interesting. One person on Yelp insisted that the place was haunted.
This is the elevator, lined with a padded, bright red animal print.
The room was pleasant, if not new.
Interesting headboards.
Portraits of country musicians.
Hank Williams Jr
Nice view of the airport. Unfortunately, there were no flights to watch this late at night.
The guy at the front desk recommended a place for pizza delivery. My expectations were pleasantly exceeded.
Most of the reviews said that Hotel Preston was an average airport hotel masquerading as boutique, and I suppose that’s true. The decor was fascinating and the lobby was beautiful, but it could use a minor refurbishing.
There were some interesting features, however. You can call the front desk and ask for a beta fish in a jar to hang out with you. They call it a “beta fish companion.”
I’d stay here again, even if its haunted. Customer service was outstanding, but I do wish the shower had more water pressure.
We headed into Nashville to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. This town is recovering briskly from flooding.
This coin shop next to the CMHOF sold parking spaces. Smart use of land.
It’s HUGE.
The former SBC building, renamed “at&t” after SBC bought the old AT&T and adopted the brand name.
Nice atrium with live music and a small cafe.
We paid $20 per person for tickets, a bit steep, but the presentations were nice.
Archival room.
Small studio.
Way, way over the top.
One of Elvis’s Cadillacs
TV in the back.
Some episodes of Beverly Hillbillies
The set of Hee Haw
Oh look, an Impala!
A producer’s office from the 90s.
A display dedicated to Taylor Swift
The Apple iBook she used to make a couple music videos.
There was a huge section devoted to Hank Williams Sr and Jr.
A small viewing room played music videos and performances by controversial or politically motivated artists, one of which included Martina McBride’s “Independence Day”, a song about being a victim of domestic violence and finally getting even.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VPpAZ9_qAw[/youtube]
And there was Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill” which offended a lot of Catholics.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcdONaKSQM[/youtube]
A catchy, innovative, provocative tune.
Videos of honorees being inducted.
Hall of Fame rotunda
One of several Hall of Fame plaques. I’m a Strait fan.
Leaving the rotunda.
Ian bought a bumper sticker. This looks inappropriate on a Lexus.
I was disappointed that the museum didn’t focus more on the instrumentation and what makes country music sound like country. There were listening booths setup to hear tunes from different eras of country but none of them worked. There was a mention of the early British folk songs that directly influenced American country and folk, and some instruments were highlighted and described in detail like the distinctive, ‘weeping’ pedal steel guitar.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHj_gEC69Cg[/youtube]
The most impressive display, aside from the rotunda itself, was the thorough video presentation on controversial artists and songs.
Otherwise, most of the focus was on personalities, award shows, and outfits. This was a museum for popular music fans and tourists rather than musicians and technical enthusiasts looking to discover something unique.
We stopped at Jim and Nick’s for barbecue. Collard greens cooked nicely, sweet mayo-based slaw, and for some reason there’s pickles on the ribs. In the back of the photo are sausages.
After that huge meal, I fell asleep.
The LS430 might not be very interesting to look at or drive, but I enjoyed it as furniture.
Sorry to anyone I didn't have time to stop and see!
Additional pictures of the World of Coca Cola and Country Music Hall of Fame are here:
http://jesda.com/2011/11/12/part-2-tour ... -nc-ga-tn/
http://jesda.com/2011/11/12/part-3-tour ... -nc-ga-tn/
