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Archive for the ‘Road Trip’ Category

Jenna and Ryan DO AMERICA – Volume 4

Posted in Road Trip, tagged , , , , on September 7, 2012 | 9 Comments »

Welp… The Grand Canyon was incredible.

I really wish we had a hidden camera on us while we were actually doing the camping part. Our reality show would have played out something like this: The camera would have panned around the North Rim Campground focusing in on all of the serious camping groups, families with airstream trailers, hikers with elaborate tents, etc… then that “idiots attempting to complete a seemingly simple task” background music would begin and it would zoom in on our little campsite – which consisted of a two-person tent held together by some tape – and Ryan and I trying to light a fire with a mini Duraflame log and some paper towels, swatting away insects, and drinking wine out of a box.

  

I guess we didn’t really think the whole camping thing through as much as we should have but we compiled a list of items that we will be SURE to bring next time:

- A tarp

- Tape

- Rope

- Pocket knife

- Wood

- Newspaper

- Mattress pad

- Lantern

Once we got through the first night of “sleep” atop the pile of rocks on which we decided to place our tent, we got up in the morning and got ready for a hike… to me this meant putting on the same clothes I would wear to a yoga class, filling up a bottle of water, and heading out. The hike ended up being over 10 miles but it was so damn worth it. You always hear about how spectacular the Grand Canyon is and how moving it is to actually see it and blah, blah, blah but for some reason I wasn’t expecting to be THAT impressed. I was. I mean, it is unbelievable. That first time I saw it my jaw just dropped. I was also kind of thrown off by the fact that anyone can go right to the edge of this thing, really anywhere they want along the rim, and accidentally plummet to their death. I think maybe I was expecting like railings or something? I don’t know.

Anyway, we got back from the 1,000 hour hike, passed out for a couple of hours and woke up to rain sprinkling on our tent. Give me inclement weather in a tent on night 2 of this trip and I would have been fine but thunderstorms on night 8 almost had us packed up and driving through the night to the West Coast.  Luckily, the rain eventually subsided and we started in on our dinner. You are CRAZY if you think we didn’t make Velveeta Shells and Cheese while camping. That’s right. You know my feelings on Mac and Cheese and it just had to happen. We also made an egg concoction consisting of onions, peppers, corn tortillas, and enough pepper jack cheese to kill a man. We were pretty damn proud of ourselves to be honest. Tell me to provide you with shelter for a night and I’ll give you a pop-up tent held together by medical tape. Tell me to make you dinner with a match and a box of Velveeta and you gotchyoself a meal.

  

So our final stop on this trip was what I consider to be a success. After 48 hours of not bathing (during which we completed a 10 mile hike and an 11 hour car ride) we decided against making any additional stops. The most human interaction I wanted at that point was telling the nice young lad at McDonald’s that I didn’t want ketchup on my cheeseburger.

Our final trip totals:

- 3,795 miles

- $628 in gas

- Hundreds of national treasures such as the Grand Canyon and Prairie Dog Town

- Approximately 27 meals

- 2 Subway Veggie Delites

- 0 cases of West Nile

ahhhhh… finally… the other coast

We are finally here in San Diego and I can’t imagine getting here in a better way than what we just did. I can’t wait to get settled and start to post about cooking again. I also can’t wait for our belongings to get here (sent over with a moving company) because I am currently sitting on an air mattress on our living room floor.

This concludes the 4th and final volume of Jenna and Ryan DO AMERICA. The complete box set will be available Spring 2013. Until next time  folks….

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Jenna and Ryan DO AMERICA – Volume 3

Posted in Road Trip, tagged , , , , , on September 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

I wrote this on our way to the Grand Canyon on 8/30 but haven’t been able to publish on a count of my not having an internet connection until now…

Well we have officially been on the road for a week which is seriously hard to believe…  I think travelling through time zones and not really needing to know what day of the week it is has made me lose all concept of time. Right now, for instance, I just looked at the clock in our car that says 2:19pm. Then I looked at my computer clock that says 3:19pm. Then I pick up my phone which tells me the actual time of 1:19pm. It’s Thursday, August 30th but really I only know that fact because my Google Calendar told me so this morning in an email. ANYWAYS, all of that was just to let you know that I’m skating the fine line between sane and off my rocker and you know what? I kind of like it.

So here are the stats as of now:

- 2,953 miles

- Just logged our 12th, 13th, and 14th states at Four Corners (my big toe in Utah COUNTS)

- $475 in gas

- 14 packs of TUMS

- 3 sit-ups… collectively.

Santa Fe was AWESOME. I am so glad we decided to stay 2 nights because 1 just would not have been enough. Not that there were more than 4 other humans out after 8pm there but having the whole day yesterday was essential. We arrived late afternoon on Tuesday and went to The Bell Tower Bar for a good view of the sunset. We anticipated doing some drinking since we weren’t going to be locked in a car at all on Wednesday but once we ate wayyy too much Mexican at a place called Mucho Gusto (which was very good by the way) we were too delirious to be in public so we called it a night. Turns out sitting in a car for 5 days straight really takes a lot outta ya. So yesterday morning we went the “Treat Yo’self” route and took a little trip to a place called 10,000 Waves which is a Japanese spa and wellness center about 20 minutes from the downtown area of Santa Fe. They have these communal “baths” and saunas that are outdoors and meant for total relaxation which is certainly imminent once you come to terms with the fact that the whole ordeal is clothing optional. It was incredible. I’d like to find a place like this in San Diego that I can visit at least once a week where I am guaranteed not to know anyone… which shouldn’t be an issue considering the fact that I know approximately 2 people in Southern California.

So once we released all of those fast food and booze toxins at 10,000 Waves, it was time for more Mexican food. Café Pasqual’s came highly recommended so there we ordered the Huevos Rancheros and their breakfast version of a Chile Relleno and my GOD. They were AMAZING. The Huevos had two perfectly cooked eggs over melted cheese on top of an almost stew of black beans, green chiles, corn tortilla, happiness, and rainbows. The corn tortillas are by far the best I have ever had. They made me want to try to make them myself so expect that in a future post.

   

After waddling around the downtown area of Santa Fe as well as Canyon Road for the rest of the day, we went out to dinner at a place called Jambo Café that a very nude man at 10,000 Waves recommended to us. Jambo is African and Carribean cuisine which makes it pretty much one of kind in the area and it was great. I don’t know how we were even eating at that point and not only that but food with Moroccan and Jerk flavors? Come ON Jenna. I was playing with fire at that point and practically washing every bite down with a TUMS but it was worth it. If you ever find yourself at the Jambo Cafe do me a favor and order the Coconut Shrimp as an app… You will not regret it. After dinner came another attempt to experience the “night life” of Santa Fe but I get the feeling there really isn’t much of one. We ended up being approximately 1/4th of the crowd at a bar for a few drinks then we called it a night.

So Santa Fe was another great stop and I will definitely be going back (and staying at 10,000 Waves so all I will need to pack is a pair of flip flops).

“May Peace Prevail on Earth” at 10,000 Waves

The drive from Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon has been, well, long. We just stopped at Four Corners which was not exactly what I expected but I got a fantastic shot of my sausage fingers sprawling over 4 different states all at once, and an equally awkward pic of Ryan laying down on the monument… so that was pretty cool. What you don’t see in the photos is that we are surrounded by a crowd of at least 30 tourists waiting to do the exact same thing.

   

Onward to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon now! I’m sure that Ryan and I attempting to camp/hike/be outdoorsy will be hysterical so stay tuned…

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Jenna and Ryan DO AMERICA – Volume 2

Posted in Road Trip, tagged , , , , , on August 28, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Open Road

Well folks, we have had an EVENTFUL couple of days since leaving Memphis. We are currently en route to Santa Fe, NM after a night in Dallas, TX and a night in Lubbock, TX. As I type this we are on our 2,471st mile of travel through 12 states, have spent $400 on gas, and have made it into Part 3 of the Hungry Games book we bought on iTunes (the closest I would ever get to winning something like the Hunger Games would be if we happened to break down on this completely desolate road we are on and Ryan tried to eat the chocolate chip cookies we have stashed in the backseat).

Four-way stop

So let’s talk about our stop in Dallas. We actually stayed just north of the city in McKinney, TX with Kendall and Jeff who are commonly referred to as Ryan’s alternate set of parents. We seriously could not have asked for a better night in the Dallas area because of these two. Here’s why:

1)      They greeted us with cheese.

2)      They like wine more than we do.

3)      They did a Blackened Cajun Catfish Fry in their backyard for us – picture filets dipped in melted butter, covered in a homemade Cajun rub and then cooked in cast iron skillets on their grill then topped with a white gravy-ish shrimp sauce. It was unreal.

4)      Once we were a few bottles of wine deep we got a really great account of all of the neighborhood gossip which would give a Real Housewives episode a run for its money.

5)      Two words – Pecan. Pie.

catfish fry

So thank you to Kendall and Jeff because that night was a definite highlight of our trip thus far.

After we left McKinney (with a HUGE bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies – THANK YOU KENDALL!) we decided that we would go through Lubbock, TX for the night then swing through Roswell, NM on the way to Santa Fe. Ryan’s to-do list was a nice big steak while in the state of Texas so we went to a place called Triple J’s in Lubbock which was a little underwhelming. The REAL excitement in Lubbock was our trip to a little enchanted place called Prairie Dog Town. That’s right. Prairie Dogs. It was a sectioned-off area in a park that is the home to what has got to be hundreds of the little guys. As far is sight-seeing is concerned, this type of attraction is right in my wheelhouse.

  Prairie Dog Town

A couple hours after our departure from Lubbock this morning we did a quick stop in Roswell, NM which if you didn’t already know is the Dairy Capital of The USA. Who knew!? Here I thought I was going to have a close encounter of at least the first kind (there are three different kinds of close encounters, but you probably wouldn’t know that since you didn’t just spend the last hour at a UFO Museum) but unfortunately there are no sightings or abductions for me to report… yet. I did manage to pick up a few GEMS of postcards and get a talkin’ to about UV Radiation that is being used by the US Government to cloud our minds while they cover up UFO crash sites and the like. So I would count our last stop as a success.

Aliens

Honestly, the drive through this part of the country has been almost more enjoyable than the drive through the mountains in the North Carolina/Tennessee area only because it is so incredible how little there is out here. Whoever said that the drive through Texas is a whole lot of nothing clearly has never driven through New Mexico. I think because Texas was so flat you don’t really notice how far the road goes on ahead of you because you can’t really see where it ends. New Mexico is hilly so when we get to the top of hill, all you see in front of you is empty road and just an expansive empty land around it. It is pretty crazy and these pics barely do it justice. Being practically the only car on the road for the last 1000 miles has just been a constant reminder that we are actually on a road trip across the country… well that and the fact that my backside has been asleep for 5 days.

A two day adventure in Sante Fe, NM is up next followed by another two days of camping at the Grand Canyon which should be very interesting. Until next time…

rear view

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Jenna and Ryan DO AMERICA

Posted in Road Trip, tagged , , , , , on August 26, 2012 | 12 Comments »

Mapless

“What you take from here is map less.”

So it’s been awhile since my last post and for this I sincerely apologize. I know how much reading this blog means to you and your everyday life. Frankly, I don’t know how you have survived this summer with only a couple of my hilarious and incredibly interesting posts to read… But (somehow) you have made it through and here we are. So why have I been such a slacker in the blogging department? Well, it certainly hasn’t been because of a lack of eating, that’s for sure. The real reason is because I have been insanely busy planning our MOVE ACROSS AMERICA. That’s right. Ryan and I have quit our jobs, packed up, and are currently en route to San Diego, CA. Please don’t ask me why unless you consider “because we felt like it” a valid answer.

Road Trip - Memphis SunsetSun setting as we drive into Memphis

We are taking about 8 days to get out there and since the majority of our sight-seeing is most likely going to be visiting places that can be seen on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I decided I’m going to blog about our ROAD TRIP!

Tupelo Honey BiscuitsBiscuits from the Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville, NC

Here’s our planned route:

8/23: Boston – DC

8/24: DC – Asheville, NC

8/25: Asheville – Memphis, TN

8/26: Memphis – Dallas, TX

8/27: Dallas – Amarillo? (This is tentative, depending on how rampant the West Nile virus is at this point because that WOULD happen to me)

8/28-8/30: Santa Fe, NM

8/30-9/1: Grand Canyon, AZ

After 9/1 (if he hasn’t murdered me and disposed of my body somewhere in Arkansas or New Mexico or the like) we’ll either head right to San Diego or maybe stop in LA… or dare I say… Vegas?

We are currently driving from Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX which should be about 8 hours but since I insist on drinking approximately 100 bottles of water every time we get in the car and thus need a restroom every 100 miles it will probably be more like 9. So far we have driven about 1500 miles through 9 states, spent about $237 on gas, and eaten about 93,839,993 calories collectively.

Road Trip - Asheville SunsetSun setting as we drove into Asheville

Some of the more notable meals include the cheesesteak and roast pork sandwiches we had at Carmen’s – a deli we came across in a LOVELY little town called Bellmawr off the highway in NJ on day one. Dinner at Cava on 8th St. in DC. Lunch at the Tupelo Honey Café in Asheville, NC, and Ribs and Brisket at Rendezvous in Memphis, TN (We unfortunately did no “Walking in Memphis” in our time there, we opted to take a Trolley after the hotel bellhop asked if we had a weapon to defend ourselves when we told him we were walking to the restaurant).

Carmen's Roast Pork, Broccoli Rabe, and Provolone   Carmen’s Roast Pork, Broccoli Rabe, and Provolone – Consumed in the car in a Walgreen’s parking lot because that’s how we roll.

So now off to Texas… I think I see a giant steak in our future. Any suggestions on where to stop are welcomed, as are job offers in San Diego and tips on how to keep yourself entertained for 3,300 miles of highway.

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