Day 1, The Trip

Sorry I'm behind on these posts. But here's my account of My and Ashley's tip to Florida.

I was awakened Sunday Morning around 8 o'clock by Ashley who had gotten much more sleep that night than I had. Apart from normally having problems getting to sleep, I had to pack up. I had just graduated college and moved out of the dorms that day. So It wasn't that I had to pack so much as unpack then repack. I was up late as she slept. Once we woke it took a few minutes to load the car. Once we did we drove by McDonald's and grabbed breakfast at the drive-thru. She got a McGriddle and I had a McMuffin w egg, but without cheese -- for 2 reasons. 1. I'm partially Lactose intolerant (meaning is still can digest dairy, just not much) 2. The cheese that McDonald's (and almost every fast food chain in America) uses what I consider the lowest form of cheese. It is nasty and covers the flavor of what you're eating. Trust me, just once, get that cheese burger without cheese. It tastes much much better. You should use better cheeses on sandwiches, But I digress.
We were quickly on the road. Soon we were caught in a rainstorm that blanketed the entire southeast US. We started on the Mississippi river and made for Florida. We had a 13-14 hour drive ahead of us. Once we gasses up the car, we were on our way out of Vicksburg, MS, before 9 o'clock central standard time. After a few minutes, the rain had begun to pour. It rained on and off as we traversed Mississippi. Otherwise, the trip was uneventful. So the randomness began. Among conversations about the previous few days, Ash sang along to a few songs playing from her iPhone, I did crosswords and played my PSP and I gave her some sour candy. Her reaction was priceless.
After a little over 2 hours we had our first pit stop at a convenience store just off the border of Mississippi and Alabama. While there, Ash got a few sodas and some sunflower seeds. From there I began to drive. I drove all the way through Alabama - including my first time to drive through the tunnel in Mobile. It rained the entire way through the state. But otherwise the trip was uneventful.
It was sometime in the afternoon when we arrived at the Alabama/ Florida border. We took a pit stop to taker pictures under the Blue Angel jet at the welcome center. After a short break I was back in the driver seat for the next leg of the journey. Again, there was nothing unusual that happened on the trip from then on. After a while my back began to hurt so I decided that I needed a break from driving. It was also time to gas up so I pulled into a Chevron somewhere and Ash pumped the gas, which might as well have been 3 dollars per gallon. From there, Ash drove. We eventually stopped at a British Petroleum that was very uptight about who uses their toilets. Paying customers only! So we got twinkies.
It was mid afternoon and we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We decided to get food in Tallahassee, but it was still a ways away. Again, the trip was uneventful. Upon reaching tallahassee, we found a Five Guys Burgers and Fries. If you haven't eaten at one, you should. They have the best burgers and fries around, beating out the big chains in taste and value. Each burger has 2 patties and your choice of topping. Ash had a cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, and mustard, while I had a regular burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions and Frank's Hot Sauce. Delicious. Go and find one near you and have a burger!
Once we left, we had to find our way out of Tallahassee. It was still daylight, but the hours were getting late. We still had around four hours to go. We did see something unusual after we got back on the interstate. On the opposite side, a truck complete with a rig was pulling an airplane! Yes, and airplane. That thing was "flying" down the highway.
After an hour or so, we stopped at a rest area. Here we once again switched off driving and I took the wheel. I drove the rest of the way. A few hours later we got more gas at a shell station and then it was none stop to Cortez.
My back was not getting any better, so I stuck my neck pillow on my lower back and it seemed to help.
At around midnight we got into the Cortez area and after a few minutes we located the house. Tony, the homeowner, greeted us and so did the two dogs we were to watch. Both great danes. After taking a few minutes to get settled, It was time to go to bed. Tomorrow we will get to know the house, owners, and dogs.