Road trip movies

Life is one beautiful trip

I stumbled across a previously undiscovered Christopher Walken movie the other night, called $5 a Day, released in 2008. How could I not have seen this before? It was fun, quirky inspiration for my own trip, and also the second Walken road trip movie I could recall. 

In that spirit, below is my list of favorite road movies, in no particular order.

$5 a Day – Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone

Almost Famous – Kate Hudson and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Amelie – Natalie Taotou The colors are rich and the set decoration is lush.

Around the Bend – Christopher Walken and Michael Caine Hasn't it been established that Christopher Walken dances in every movie in which he appears?

Blues Brothers – Dan Akroyd and John Belushi One of my favorite quotes of all time is from this film. "It's a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

Seven Years in Tibet – Brad Pitt Brad Pitt and the Dalai Llama. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Tommy Boy – Chris Farley and David Spade The deer scene has made tears come to my eyes every one of the 17 times I've watched this movie.

Twister – Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton While technically not considered a road movie, they sure spent a lot of time driving around; and who doesn't like flying cows?

So what are your favorite road movies? Drop me a line in the comments.

Today's tune

Orinoco Flow – Enya


Today's Gratitude
living close to the beach
the things that go wrong
first cool breeze of the season
Griffin, always

Do not entrust me with your secrets

Life is one beautiful trip

If I were ever held hostage by aliens, terrorists, bank robbers, or home invaders, I would cave immediately. Simply withhold my coffee and I will tell them anything they want to know. I will even make up stuff that is completely untrue and irrelevant. Don't entrust me with your secrets. Never give me a security clearance. I will tell all in order to get that cup of dark, hot brew.

It's a classic. And yes, I really was up at 5:46 a.m.

In preparation for my big trip across the USA, the first thing on my packing list was coffee. I am a French Press purist. Griffin even bought me a mini French Press to take with me when traveling. For camping however, I didn't want to pack and haul glass, so I purchased this classic red beauty. It even matches the splatter ware I picked up last year from the community thrift shop. I may not be a camping pro, but there is no reason why I should not look like one. 

Being the practical soul I am, it was imperative to practice using the pot before I was shivering and desperate for that first cup in the morning, in a national park campsite somewhere out west. 

First step: Google it.

Wow, people really hate percolators. There were plenty of articles and YouTube videos to be found, and most of them were scathing diatribes on the bitterness of percolator coffee. 

As a control, I started with the same water to coffee ground ratio as always.

Next, wait for the water to start rising through the tube in the percolator and it will pop into the glass knob on the top and fall back through the basket, dripping through the coffee grounds.

Online instructions varied on how long this process should be allowed to go on, with three minutes as the maximum. My memory banks kicked out something about my mother always letting the coffee brew for 2 minutes.

It is insanely hot! First of all, the brew has just come off the burner and is not the result of leisurely drops of water slowly meandering their way through the grounds. Secondly, it has been poured into a thin metal camping cup. 

The results: rounded flavor, not bitter, but a little weak. Griffin's response was the same.

It was time for a second round, so I cleaned out the pot in preparation for another. Upon opening the basket to empty the grounds, it appeared that some of the grounds were still dry. 

For the next batch, I doubled the amount of grounds and extended the perc time to three minutes. 

Results of round #2: Dang. Still not soaking all of the grounds. So, of course it is no stronger.

Maybe it is time to reconsider the French Press.

Today's tune
The Four Seasons, Spring, Movement Three, Allegro Pastorale – Antonio Vivaldi

Today's Gratitude
the French Press, of course
hearing the morning birds
Having the laundry room on the first floor beats the crap out of doing laundry in my former basement, known as the Pit of Despair.
Griffin, always

Dupont State Forest

Life is one beautiful trip

Clan Roe hit the trails at Dupont State Forest and brought Scooter and me along. We hiked High Falls and Triple Falls with time out for Eoghan and Duncan to enjoy the cool, clear water. Scooter took a dip, too. 

Scooter will follow Gretchen anywhere. 

Scooter loves hiking. Just look at that smile.

High Falls

That's Pat behind me with Atticus and Petey.

Gretchen, Atticus, Petey, Scooter, and me

with me every mile of the way

Hunger Games scenes were filmed here.

Monday morning, it was time to head back home after a wonderful weekend. My path took me down Route 25 through Flat Rock, NC. Miss B (Miss B is the car. She is so sweet she needs a name. ) sure loved taking the twisties on her low profile Pirellis. Fun drive in the cool morning breeze. 

For those of you who think there may be a shortage on confederate flags, look no further than the Dixie Republic in Travelers Rest, SC. There is no apostrophe; I checked. This will drive my editor friends crazy. 

Dixie Republic Southern Merchandise in Travelers Rest, SC

Next up was a stop at the REI in Greenville, SC. I mean really, it was practically right on the way home. Look at that floating tent. It's designed for camping in Area 51, which I will be driving by on the way to California next month.

Like a kid in a candy store

Today's tune

Parliament – Mothership Connection

You have to watch this. It's too much fun. Funkadelic aliens. 

Today's Gratitude

safe travels

great weather this weekend

Gretchen's righteous cooking

Griffin, always

Hendersonville, NC

Life is one beautiful trip

It's off to visit friends and attend the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville, NC. Although I have come to really appreciate the GPS built into my car, old fashioned maps are still the best for meandering road trips. Look for the roads that run parallel to the highway and go exploring.

Going old school. When is the last time you saw one of these?

The day started with me turning my beautiful BMW into a redneck drying rack. 

It's always fun to take the back roads. You see so much more than what is visible from the highway. The slower pace gives you a chance to appreciate the little things and be aware of more detail. 

Stately decrepitude

It was a picture perfect day heading up 176 through Wells, South Carolina.

Cotton fields of South Carolina

There are interesting things to see when stopped at a crossroads.

When putting it up on blocks just isn't enough

Scooter got to hang with new friends this weekend.

Atticus

Petey

Then it was off to the festival. People. Food. An explosion of color.

Painted gourds

Eoghan showing me the birdhouses

Eoghan practices his firefighting skills.

The Memory Makers Quilt Guild hosted a quilt and craft show at The First Baptist Church.

She looks like MZDAIZY, my 1999 Beetle. 

 Then it was back to the house for a lesson in beekeeping.

My friends Pat & Gretchen are the cutest couple.

Pat makes smoke by burning burlap, egg cartons, and grass. He has to be careful not to over smoke the bees, or the taste will be evident in the honey. The bees think there is a fire, and they instinctively feed up in defense, then they can't bend over and sting. 

There could be 25,000 bees in there.

Scooter is wiped out after our busy day. Hopefully, he has learned not to chase honey bees again. Momma Gretchen had to pull a stinger out of his eyelid and dose him with Benadryl. 

He's recovering peacefully.

Today's Tune
Peaceful Easy Feeling – Eagles

Today's Gratitude
stargazing
Gretchen's quick thinking & good eyesight
cartographers
Griffin, always