The New Year means setting new goals, trying new things, and discovering new ways to experience life to the fullest. The other day one of my co-workers had asked me what my New Year's resolution was. I didn't know how to answer that question since there is always something that I want to accomplish. But then I told her that one of my resolutions for this year is to travel more and get to know more about the Midwest. I've been living in Omaha, Nebraska for about 3 years now and there are places that I have not had the chance to visit. But luckily, road trips are always a fun option for a weekend get-away!
One of the things I love about road trips is being able to see the changes in scenery. Like when you're leaving Omaha for example, you go from city-scape to rural real quick. There are a bunch of farms, ongoing corn fields, random cows roaming around, and at times you get those random billboards promoting adult stores that makes you wonder why the heck they have them in the middle of know where. Beats me.
Road trips are also an opportunity for me to take pictures and capture moments because who knows when I'll be back. With that said, here are a few highlights from a trip my boyfriend and I took before the New Year:
One of the places my boyfriend and I visited during our road trip was to St. Louis, Missouri. My boyfriend seemed pretty excited to show me around since he travels there for work sometimes. Although we didn't get to walk around St. Louis as much due to time, we did get to pass by Gateway Arch which is located in the Downtown area. Gateway Arch is about 630-feet tall and is known as the tallest man-made national monument in the United States. From what I've read online, you're able to take a trip to the top of the arch and experience an unforgettable view of the city and of the Mississippi River. I wasn't able to get a closer look of the arch due to all of the construction going on but it was still an amazing sight to see!
As much as we wanted to stay in St. Louis, we filled up the tank and we were back on the road to our next stop...
4.5 hours later we had finally arrived in Nashville, Tennessee. All that driving made us both really hungry so we searched on Yelp to find what was close to us. My boyfriend's cousin had recommended us to try The Loveless Cafe.
We were a bit confused as to where the cafe was located since there were three buildings on the same area. As we walked to the middle of the parking lot, we found the cafe! It was inside a white-colored country home that had a neon sign brightly lit with the words "OPEN". As we entered I was amazed by all of the photographs that hung on the wall of famous country singers and Hollywood actor/actresses. They also had a cute fireplace that had stockings hung from atop. There were so many things to look at that by the time the waitress came by, I hadn't taken pictures!
As the waitress walked us to our seats, I felt the biggest smile on my face because the cafe was so cool. The walls had colorful art pieces hung, the place mats had a crossword puzzle and a snippet about the Loveless Cafe, and even the bathrooms had a touch of retro style to them. As our waitress came by to take our order we each decided to try the sweet tea and their fried chicken salad. As she was about to enter our order she asked if we wanted to try their famous home made biscuits. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and said "Yes!".
Once the waitress came back with our food all I could say was, Oh My Gosh!!! The food here is amazing! The sweet tea was not too sweet or bitter, the fried chicken salad was a mouthful of heaven, and the biscuits...the biscuits were phenomenal. (No exaggeration here). My boyfriend and I were both surprised at how good it was! As soon as our to-go boxes came and we paid the bill, we thanked the waitress for her recommendation and continued our adventure, with full stomachs. If you're traveling to Nashville I highly suggest checking out The Loveless Cafe! You won't regret it!
As soon as we left the cafe, my boyfriend asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to walk around Broadway Street because that was where all the country bars were. I'm not big into country music but it would be fun to see what it was all about!
As we reached Broadway Street, we were stunned to see how lively this place was. Every bar had a band or two performing. We didn't think there were many people in the bar because from the outside it looked empty but once you passed by them you can see people jamming out. There were also street performers singing and dancing as we walked passed them. It was pretty groovy!
We even found the Johnny Cash Museum which I was super excited about!!
As soon as we arrived to the car, my boyfriend entered the address to our final destination and we were back on the road. 3.5 hours later we arrived in Atlanta, Georgia! Yay!
Our first stop was to the magical World of Coca Cola, located in Permberton Place, in Downtown Atlanta. There were so many people standing and walking around taking pictures! Since the line to enter was huge we decided to walk through the Cola-Cola gift shop instead.
As we walked to the entrance, we spotted this giant Santa Claus ornament. It reminded me of the holiday Coca-Cola commercials where they have the Santa Claus or the polar bear take a sip of a refreshing bottle of coke. It was definitely a Kodak moment!
At the end of that adventure, we decided to explore more of Permberton Place and see what else we could find. Right across the street from where we were was Centennial Olympic Park: Home to the 1996 summer Olympic games, in Atlanta. This 21 acre-park is known for it's legacy for hosting this historic event, and for revitalizing residential and commercial development in Atlanta. I was just amazed at how beautiful this park is and how much history it has just by looking at the engraved bricks on the walkway.
After a long day of walking around and exploring, it was time to have dinner. My boyfriend contacted his cousin who lives in Georgia and he suggested that we try a popular burger joint in town called, The Vortex. The name sounded pretty intense but we gave it a go!
The Vortex is located in a neighborhood called the Little Five Points, which is about 10-15 minutes from Downtown. We definitely had no trouble finding the place, as you can see! The Vortex is known to have the "Best Burgers" and is ranked as "One of the Top 50 Restaurants Atlanta." My boyfriend's cousin suggested that we read the history and rules which were located behind the menu. The "Idiot-Free Zone" made me laugh. They sure got jokes! There were so many things that were unique about the place like the decorations which (a mix of antiques and other things), the giant motorcycle that was hung above the bar area, the mini medicine shot cups, and of course the delicious food! Since there's a bar, you have to 21 years old or older, to enter.
As we slowly finished our final bites of yummy goodness we decided to go for a walk and see the last bits before the long voyage back. What I loved about Little Five Points was that it brought out the artistic culture. It had a variety of local vintage shops, boutiques, coffee and record shops, and a mini hang out spot for street performers. It was great way to end an adventure-filled day.
As we started to head back, I pulled out my camera and skimmed through all the pictures I took. It reminded me of how awesome it was to be able to plan a road trip with my boyfriend and be able to visit places that we've never been. This trip was filled with lots of sight-seeing, picture taking and delicious food, and was a weekend filled with happiness and travel adventures!
Until next time!
From LA, With Luv
Fati <3
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