Everything you need to know about taking a Southern-style roadtrip over the holidays!
So it has been quite a while since I have posted an entry, which has absolutely everything to do with classes this semester hitting like a train. With that being said, I think it is important for a student, and really everyone, to take a breather, relax and enjoy the time that you have over vacation!
For me, this involved finally bringing my boyfriend of three years home to meet my family for the holidays. For a European, December in the South was quite a change.
For example, it was warm enough in Dallas to wear T-shirts on Christmas Day.
So, after this shocking information, I decided to show him EXACTLY what life was like in the South. The best way to do this in Texas? A road trip. We planned to start off in Dallas, and make our way up through Louisiana and Arkansas. Not too long of a trip, but just enough to get a feel of what life here is like.
Before I begin recounting adventures in my home country, there is one little piece of advice I would like to share with respect to any road trip. Take your time. I have said it before and I will say it again! It will be a much more enjoyable experience if you see the sights you want to see because you are interested, not because it is an absolute must-see for the country. Stop at the fruit stands on the side of the highway if you want. Go to that little boutique. If you give yourself an agenda, hit every “spot” at the proper time, and allow no flexibility, then your road trip vacation will be nothing more than a list of chores you do during a commute.
So we begin!
The first thing you need to know about a road trip in Texas is that there is one place that you absolutely HAVE to visit (counterintuitive to my last point, but definitely worth it!) This place is a Mecca for tourists, truckers, and visitors from all places. It has everything you could possibly need, from gas to jerky, children’s toys to longhorn-shaped dinner plates. It is one place you should absolutely visit if you pass through Texas. This place is none other than Buc-ee’s.
We stopped at Buc-ee’s for a good 20-30 minutes. It is a nice little experience, without adding too much time to the drive.We picked up Cokes, beef jerky, and salt and vinegar chips. We walked around the homegoods section, looking at inspirational quotes and oil paintings of pigs. The European was not too impressed, instead claiming it looked like a hillbilly Walmart (I encourage you to see and make your own judgements, hopefully a better one!). Nevertheless, our relationship and road trip carried on.
Driving through Texas, you’ll notice a lot of things. Most notably, cows and horses- and a lot of them. However, is something remarkable about the simplicity of the landscape in Texas. Now, you may be thinking, what could possibly be beautiful about 500 cows?
To be honest, I am not quite sure.
There is a certain feeling you have when you are driving for hours on end. A flat landscape, a beautiful skyline, a long drive- it creates this tranquility that you really cannot find anywhere else. There is a reason that people choose to add hours to their commute, traveling by car instead of a plane or train. Sitting in the car for hours, on a long stretch of road with miles ahead of you and nothing on your mind, it really is something special. Having someone to share that with, well, it makes it all the better.
Aside from the beauty of the landscape, there are many more gems to find in the South. In fact, one of the most important things to try is the food. Southern food is a cuisine of its own. There is nothing more rich or delicious than Southern food. I stand by that. Chicken and Dumplin’s (dropping the g is part of the culture), fried okra, roast beef, black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, corn bread, mac and cheese… I could go on for ages.
I usually recommend finding a little diner or hole in the wall where you can find all the fixin’s. However, this might be difficult to do if you are unfamiliar with the area you are visiting, or don’t have a local to show you around. So, I suggest the next best thing, which is of course, Cracker Barrel. There are about 660 locations in the U.S., making it easily accessible to anyone with access to a GPS. And it is great! It is designed to mimic an “old-country” general store, complete with decorations and photos from a different time. It feels like stepping into a John Wayne movie. It’s not too expensive, it has everything you could possibly need to get a feel for the South, old and new. There is a boutique attached to every restaurant, so you can shop while you wait. There are rocking chairs set up with checker boards to entertain kids and adults alike. Coupled with the decor, Cracker Barrel is an overall nice place to see.
After our feast, we continued on our journey. We listened to some great country music (Jolene, anyone???), and talked about life and love and of course, politics. We made plans for the future and kept a running total of how many highway churches vs. McDonald’s we saw. As we were approaching the Texas border, we decided to detour and drive through Louisiana to Shreveport, which is just one of the perks of traveling on your own time.
Shreveport is something in and of itself. There a lot of interesting attractions, depending on what you are there for. Most of my friends and relatives know Shreveport for their casinos, a place you spend one hell of a weekend at and comeback with another mortgage on your house. This, I would like to argue is not the ONLY thing to do there!
The city has a beautiful boardwalk, which we were more than happy to stroll up and down. There were games and rides for the tots, and stores and restaurants for the rest of us. One thing to note about going to a commercial center after Christmas- it is absolutely dead. There were maybe 20 people, including us, in the entire area! For those of you that hate big crowds, this is your dream. In addition, almost EVERY store had sales of at least 60% off. That, my friends, is a deal I will take. We ate fudge and walked around, listening to Tim McGraw blasting through the speakers. We stared at the water around us. It was a bit chilly, just enough to nip your nose. I would definitely recommend stopping there with kids or girlfriends or whatever- it is a cool, fun place to spend a couple of hours. Bonus points if you enter through the Bass Pro Shop!
After we stretched our legs and filled up on fudge, it was time to get back in the car for the final two hours of our drive. For anyone who has taken a road trip before, you know that this is the absolute worst part. We were heading to a small town up in southern Arkansas, and there is not much to do or see. Conversation drops off, everyone becomes a bit more anxious (“a bit” becomes “a lot” if your dad is meeting your boyfriend for the first time).
So we arrived, we ate again, and we relaxed after a long day of traveling. Truly, it was worth it. We needed to get from Dallas to Arkansas, and we could have taken a plane. We chose the road less traveled (unless you drive a semi-truck, in which case it is very, VERY well-traveled, and you go 30 mph under the limit in the left lane). It was nice. We spent a few hours together, doing nonsense couple stuff, and enjoyed one another’s company. We talked and laughed and sang along, just enjoying the “being near your loved ones” aspect of the trip.
Finally, I’d like to note that if I had not been with the European, I just drove up to visit family on my own, I’d probably have driven straight through and not thought twice. My trip would’ve been a helluva lot shorter, but would it have been worth it? Getting from A to B was something I had to do, but making it a fun road trip was a choice I made. When showing your home around to people who are quite unfamiliar, you discover new things and look at the world around you in a different way. You do things you might never do alone, and you make the most out of it.
To me, that is what the holidays are about. Enjoying time with loved ones, and making every moment count.
Where did you go over the holidays? Let me know!
A Travel Date With Laura Kate 