Peiback's a Blog

I haven’t traveled with my girlfriends (Carol and Amanda) in a long time and the road trip from Tampa, FL to Brooklyn, NY was a good excuse to get away with them. Carol had to drive her father’s 99′ red Dodge van from Florida to New York. Her father was unable to make the drive since he was recuperating from a surgical procedure. We nicked name the van the love machine since it had ample space in the back with carpeting! Despite the ample room, I had motion sickness in the van and slept most of the drive in the back seat.  Amanda has documented my naps on her site.

DAY 1 and 2

It all started with our one way trip on Jet Blue from JFK to Tampa. From there Carol picked us up and drove to Orlando, FL. Home of the happiest place on earth (more like a tourist trap). Despite the ants at the hotel and the slow bus to theme park service, we made most of our two days in Orlando, FL.  Since this was our unofficial “g-rated bachlorette party” I had a picture taken with Chip and Dale (they didnt want our dollars despite Carol waving a wad at them jk). Then the flirtatious Donald Duck in Mexico gave me a kiss on the cheek (shhhh. dont tell Francis!). All in all despite the $149 entrance fee for Disney World and Epcot we had a ball.
Alas, we had to leave the happiest place on earth and journey to our next stop Savanah, GA.

Day 3 and 4

We arrived at the Microtel in Poole, GA at 9pm. I have to say, the people in Georgia are really friendly and Paula Dean is like a super celebrity there. We didnt spend too much time there because the next morning was the 6 hr drive to Raleigh, NC. I recommend at least a day in Savanah to take in the gardens and the beautiful houses they have.

The next state we passed through was South Carolina. One word of advice….drive past that state. It seems that the folks in South Carolina make it known that you are not from there.

Along I-95 there were funny signs advertising the South of the Border attraction.

Envision a 99 cent store with a Mexican twist, their mascot was a guy in exaggerated mexican garb named Pedro. It was worth a stop to check out all the kitsch they had. I left with a Pedro magnet as a momento.

Day 4 (night time)

We finally arrived in Raleigh, NC at 9pm, it was so good to see my friend Ying. After 3 days of driving and encountering non-NewYorkers, I was happy to see a familar face. Not that Amanda and Carol are bad company. It also meant that I was closer to home. My other friend, Mayling, was sick when we arrived in NC and I missed out in seeing her. This was my third time being in NC and I finally had N. Carolina BBQ! They are known for using vinegar in their BBQ sauce. It was pretty good and I like a bit of tart in my BBQ.

Day 5
We stopped at Denny’s in Wake Forest, NC prior to heading out to Baltimore. It was Sunday and people we dressed in their Sunday best to eat at Denny’s prior to going to church. The restaurant was full of families dining on eggs and pancakes. Lucky for me it was “church day” since I would of have been forgiven for the comment I made: “Sweet tea tastes like drinking a bag of Domino Sugar”. The unsweetened ice tea was pretty good in the south. They brew their tea very strong but with the addition of simple syrup it was overwhelming.

We finally made it to Baltimore, MD around 7pm and we explored the Harbour and dined at the Philipp’s Seafood Buffet in the Harbour Center. I love the bucket they give you for the shells, it comes in handy if you don’t like something you picked up.

Day 6
For breakfast we went to Burkes Cafe in Baltimore. The blueberry pancakes were very good and I doggie bagged some for the road. We were itching to get on the road since NYC was 4 hrs away. The last stop on our road trip was the King of Prussia mall where my friend bought an accessory for her LV bag. The mall was big but they lacked any good labor day sales.

After 6 days on the road, driving along I-95, the Verazzano Bridge was a sight for sore eyes. We were home in Brooklyn, NY and in one piece!