By the Numbers: 3 Months on the Road
On March 7, we celebrated 3 months on the road. Some days it feels like we've been out here for a lifetime. Others days it feels like we just started. When we have those moments, a list like this quickly pulls us back into reality: we've seen and done A LOT since we left. So we thought we'd do a breakdown for you. What 3-months full-time on the road looks like. By the numbers.
visited 11 States
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama (twice: Birmingham, Mobile), Georgia (twice: Atlanta, Savannah), Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.
stayed at 18 State Parks + 1 National Forest (+ 1 rest stop + 2 driveways)
Dead Horse Ranch SP, Patagonia Lake SP, Oliver Lee Memorial SP, Brantley Lake SP, Davis Mountains SP, Guadalupe River SP, Sea Rim SP, Saint Bernard SP, T.O. Fuller SP, Wall Doxey SP, Oak Mountain SP, Fort Yargo SP, Historic Blakeley SP, Meaher SP, Saint Andrews SP, Skidaway Island SP, Paris Mountain SP, Lake Powhatan National Forest, Morrow Mountain SP.
worked at 29 coffee shops
This includes everything from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to local shops like Hey Cafe, Coffee Fox, Sentient Bean, Serda's, Deja Brew, Who Dat Cafe, Bluff City Coffee, City + State, Cups of Oxford, Urban Standard, Octane, Coffee Underground, Clingman Cafe, West End Bakery, and High Five Coffee.
Traveled 12,000+ miles + changed the oil 2x
We could go through and calculate actual miles for those of you that love stats. But I know this much to be true: we've had 2 oil changes. You're suppose to change your oil every 3,000 miles. We've been about 3,000 miles over each time. So we're changing it like everything 6,000 miles. I know, I know. Trust me: we have no intentions of making it a habit...
Ate out 43 times (this includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, sandwiches, etc.)
- Cottonwood: Randall’s, Harry’s Hideaway
- Jerome: Haunted Hamburger
- Sedona: HP’s Cafe
- Patagonia: Gathering Grounds, Wagon Wheel
- Alamogordo: Casa de Suenos
- Carlsbad: Buffalo Wild Wings (we had a gift card, okay?)
- San Antonio: Barbaro, Auslander Biergarten, Daily Grind in Boerne
- Port Arthur: Judice's Cajun Market
- New Orleans: R.O.’s, Cafe du Monde, Pho Cam Ly, Who Dat Cafe, Melba's
- Memphis: Central BBQ, Gus’s Hot Fried Chicken
- Oxford: Ajax, City Grocery, Lamar Lounge
- Birmingham: Surin West
- Winder, GA area: Chinese take out, Thai takeout, Friends Bar & Grill
- Atlanta: Hi-Five Diner, Waffle House, Cakes & Ale
- Mobile: Panini Pete's, Felix’s Fish Camp
- Panama City: Patches Pub (try the pizza!)
- St. Augustine: Burrito Works, Crave
- Savannah: Zunzi’s (2x), Vinnie Van Go Go's
- Greenville: Chicora Alley, Barley's Tap Room & Pizzeria, Sushi Murasaki, Sully’s Steamer
- Asheville: Asheville Sandwich Co., High Five
- Charlotte: Red Ginger (thanks, big brother!)
Grabbed a drink at 26 bars
Some of the drinks we had with supper and the establishments are listed above. But others were at fancy hotels like The Peabody and Grove Park Inn and The Sun Dial. Others were street drinks from vendors like Wet Willie's. Better yet, some were actual bars like The Garage, Bar Tonique, Carousel Bar, NOLA Brewery, Lamar Lounge, Swamp Rabbit Brewery and Velo Fellow.
Ate frozen yogurt 5X + Ice Cream 1x + Donuts 2x
For me, this is the most disappointing stat. I promise to up my froyo game here. But some stops included Sweet Frog (Gotta say, not a fan. No mochi...), Menchie's (amazing), and Blueberry Frog (okay).
We also had actual ice cream at Leopold's in Savannah. Try the Tutti Frutti! And donuts...now this is Carson's fave breakfast food. But also a sad stat here. Only twice have we stopped at an actual donut shop: Shipley's Donuts in Port Arthur and Desert Donuts.
Dined on fast food 9X
Yep, it happens. But we think 9x ain't too shabby. We've been repeat offenders at Whataburger and Wendy's. And we got chicken fingers at Zaxby's. Free Chipotle in Mobile. Dairy Queen once after our disastrous trailer breakdown in Birmingham. Some terrible Sonic on West Texas. And I got a chicken finger and potato log on the road in Mississippi. I don't regret it. Not even for a second.
Hiked 18 trails. Gazed at 8 lakes. Saw the ocean 4x. Stood at 5 scenic lookouts into the mountains
We've done a lot of hiking! Some of our favorite trails include the Sonoita Creek preserve in Patagonia; Dog Canyon trail at Oliver Lee Memorial SP. Any of the trails at Davis Mountains SP; The boardwalk trail at Sea Rim; T.O. Fuller has a pretty great loop; The trail around Wall Doxey lake is short but sweet; Dauphin Island is meant to be biked; the Swamp Rabbit trail into Greenville is great for biking or running; the Hardtimes Trail near Lake Powhatan in Asheville is an easy tread with views of Biltmore, DT Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read 9 books. Watched 13 movies or TV episodes.
Books include The Illustrated Man, The Fishermen, 100 Years of Solitude, Into Thin Air, The Longest Road, Oyster, Easy in the Islands, Blue Movie and Dead Man's Float.
TV episodes include The Leftovers (Seasons 1 &2), Homeland, Walking Dead, Fargo Season 2, Better Call Saul, The Jinx. Movies include Truth, Jurassic World, The Overnight, Tangerine, Meru, Under the Skin.