Destination for Connections

The show was originally scheduled to play Columbia, SC this past week, but the performances were cancelled because of Hurricane Florence. We rerouted our tour to spend a weekend off in Atlanta! We stayed by Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta, which named itself "Your Destination for Connections." While this phrase probably has something to do with the Summer Olympics of 1996 when the park was created, it certainly holds true for our weekend thanks to the number of Bird scooters in and around the park. A few posts ago I wrote about the sudden appearance of motor scooters all over OKC. The Bird scooters were also all over ATL. This provided a perfect, and cheap, opportunity for our company to explore the city. Part of the game is hunting down the scooters themselves. It's an adventure. Here are some places I got to see thanks to Bird, Uber, and a hurricane:
Sarah and I found Pittypat’s Porch for Southern dining on our first night. We sat on the porch and lived our Scarlett O'Hara dreams by eating cornbread, biscuits, and muffins while drinking Watermelon punch and the appropriately named Hurricane down Peachtree.

Our second afternoon in Atlanta began with a sea lion show in the Georgia Aquarium. They're so similar to dogs, it's fascinating. We also saw the dolphin show and the aquarium's four whale sharks, which were rescued from being eaten in Thailand and shipped via UPS for free. 

Tin Lizzy’s is open late and makes a great veggie quesadilla.

Our third day started with an accidental Uber ride to Bread and Butterfly. This was fortunate for me, because I heard about their wonderful pistachio macaroons, I even dreamed about them the night before, but I didn't think I would go because they were kind of far away, too far to scooter, so I thought I wouldn't get to explore their flavors. But, due to a communication error, my cast and I ended up there and I purchased one macaroon, received two, and then ate them both before getting into another Uber to find the actual place we were supposed to go for brunch.

The High Museum usually offers a student ticket rate, but since a majority of the exhibits are closed for renovation tickets were sold half the price of adult admission. We walked through their collection of paintings and sculptures titled The Outlier and views the works of Gertrude Koch, Mina Lowry, and Janet Sobel.  Koch and Lowry sketched with graphite, colored pencils, and ink and painted with watercolor, and the combination of these tools gave their pictures a photographic quality. I've included a photo of one of Sobel's works because it reminded me of the black lit 3D highlighter/sharpie drawings I saw at Meow Wolf a month ago.

Sonic Playground by Yuri Suzuki. noot noot.

Enamel on glass with oil and sand on canvas gives a similar effect as sharpie on highlighter under blacklight with special glasses.

Music Midtown was happening by the Atlanta Botanical Garden. We walked by both and entered neither but I'm sure they're magic.

I took a Bird to explore the other side of the city. I stopped a the MLK Memorial, the Krog Tunnel and Market (where I ate Fred’s & Yalla falafel pita), walked The Loop (which is lined with with historical photographs and articles about the Civil Rights Movement), and Ponce City Market (where I looked at bougie things and drank free water.)

For eating I recommend Ted’s Montana Grill. You are greeted with pickled cucumbers, which I learned are not the same as pickles. They have their own taste and now I only want those and never plain cucumbers or pickly pickles. Each table includes a map of the western prairie, and you are encouraged to try their freshly squeezed lemonade. Don't be surprised if it just shows up on your table for free. The veggie burger with pepper jack is delicious and so are the garlic mashed potatoes.
After you eat the garlic, ride the Skyview Ferris Wheel in Centennial Park and kiss your love. 

On our final morning, Marco and I climbed Stone Mountain. Our plan was spontaneous. I had heard of the mountain and wanted to climb it, but it's a half hour drive from the city, so I thought I would have to put that plan on hold, but luckily Marco told me he was planning on going and was open to letting me join. After a half hour of a smooth jazz Uber we hiked the giant granite boulder into the sunrise. The mountain is covered in small yellow flowers, pine needles, and not a lot of people at 6:30AM.

Here it is again

Live. Work. Play. Visit.

We've hit two cities a week since I last wrote. I've compiled a list of eventful happenings during our time in the South. 

Here are a few notable Jackson, MS things:

The Bulldog is a library-looking kind of bar that serves Purple Haze, which is exciting for those that enjoy (I enjoy sometimes.)

Our venue was surrounded by horses and had a Civil War ghostie and had a volcano under it?

Also at our venue

As soon as I walked into Seattle's Best I was asked, "Are you famous?" Apparently a few stars from Love & Hip Hip were there earlier this week, so now the manager likes to check for fame.

Wonderlust hosted a Harry Potter drag night on September 1st for those that missed the Hogwarts Express/already graduated. The bar was decked out in floating candles and Hogwarts letters.

Leatha’s isn't in Jackson, but it was delivered to the New Stage Theatre where I ate lunch with the staff and met the new apprentice class. I was told to put the port on a King's Hawaiian roll with the home made bar-b-que sauce and coleslaw. I don't like most of these things but today I liked all of these things. I even ate ribs, which I normally don't like, and wow. If you find yourself anywhere near Hattiesburg please go to Leatha's, even if you're vegan just do it.

Leatha's

"Don't walk around after dark."

Dothan, AL is covered in peanuts.

My cast and I bounced, climbed, and tumbled at Axtion. This was my first and not last time at a trampoline park. It had been years (maybe since 2002?) since I climbed a rock wall! 

Bird & Bean Coffee House in its exposed brick glory served up Bird & Bean Mocha (oo) and Caramel Apple Latte (festive) and cookie sandwich with buttercream (yes) and free pound cake (if it's for free it's for me.)

The smallest city block

"It's nice to have you in Birmingham."
My friend Alison came across the Breakup Cookie when she was on tour a few years ago. My first task when I arrived in Birmingham, AL was to run over to Church Street Coffee & Books and taste the salty half-baked good good.

Reed Books sells old books and more.

This is a familiar phrase but I don't know why.

Some Birmingham bars are open twenty four hours, and the way they get away with that is by having everyone sign up to be a member. So I'm a member at Al's on Seventh now. Our first night there included karaoke, and our last evening featured a drag show. Our favorite queen was Cora Blue.
Other bars I recommend are Tin Roof for dancing and big Jenga and Paramount (where I had my first White Russian) for arcade games.
We stumbled upon the city's First Friday street festival. The open air market, live music, and cobbled streets reminded me of Philadelphia's First Fridays.
For eating I recommend Wasabi Juan's Chicken Little Tacos. These are filled with cream cheese, jalapeño, ninja sauce, and sesame seeds. Their salsa is also the best I've tasted. I actually said, "Wow," when I took a scoopful.

Also in this neighborhood is a cute speakeasy called The Marble Ring. Enter through the police call box at Hot Diggity Dogs and enjoy beverages and hot dogs on the porch or in a bathtub.

Birmingham's Rotary Trail and Railroad Park allow you to take in the infrastructure of the iron city while sniffing plants. 

Also, our hotel pool was surrounded by snail friends. I don't see snails often, so I enjoyed this.

"Live. Work. Play. Visit." is the motto of Albany, GA but also this tour.

But where is Rock City?

The streets are filled with turtles but the Turtle Club was nowhere to be found.

Dianne and I visited the Ray Charles memorial by the W Broad Ave Bridge over the Flint River, which flows from Lake Chehaw. The river was filled with clam shells, which was surprising, and was located near a cluster of city museums that weren't open.

The Cookie Shoppe serves a variety of Southern goodness and also cookies. I purchased this sugar free cheese cookie because I was curious. It tasted like the dog biscuit I ate backstage during Bridge to Terabithia, which I also ate because I was curious.

Bandit and the Babe is a cute boutique located in the center of town. It sits on the first floor of an apartment building which has these wonderful hammocks.

This hotel pool had a Giant Water Bug swimming around in it. Hello.

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom

As we travelled from Waco to Corpus Christi the following phrase rang: “from dirt to ocean.”

My birthday eve began at Water St. Market with a large bowl of spinach artichoke dip I shared with no one, two rolls of vegetarian sushi, and a warm brownie covered with a scoop of vanilla and a candle that Kayla, Quentin, Josh, and I blew out to celebrate our birthday.

Santa Fe still haunts us

We moved over to Hidden Door to celebrate with Selena and big Jenga. We were the only ones dancing in the plywood bar, and that is ok.

Kayla and I share scenes and a birthday.

I spent my birthday watching the sunrise over the Gulf in Corpus Christi. After taking in the nineteenth century architecture of the homes in Heritage Park I went downtown. I've never had dukkah before, but Dianne and I stumbled upon Green Light Coffee Co. where I ate soft toasted bread covered in avocado and dukkah and it was wonderful. I also had a lavender matcha latte and it tasted like my front yard and I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing.

A package from home. All things made in Philly!

A short ride to Northbeach revealed a warm rocky beach. The large grains of sand were accompanied by the tiniest white shells I've ever seen, very warm water, a dead catfish that Emily picked up two times, and seagulls that almost carried Emanuel away. As we conversed on the shore I found myself making a stage out of sand and set pieces out of shells and drift. It's been years since I've done something like this, but I found myself doing it without thinking, and I almost went somewhere. Maybe it's because when I was in elementary school I would spend my birthdays doing the same thing on the coast of the Outer Banks.

A 27 birthday shoot

I watched the sun set at Harrison’s Landing over a Caribbean salad.

Some other important things:

Art in Texas

The Texas leg of our tour has come to an end and the biggest take away I have is actually something I discovered a few years ago that this tour (to rural gay bars) caused me to remember: every floor can be a dance floor if you believe. Bidi bidi bom bom.