Made a costly wrong turn but finally made it to Kennedy Space Center. It feels too much like Disney World but then once you’re next to these rockets and spaceships you can’t help but really be in awe, Disney and all.

Arrived in Savannah while it’s dark. Checked in to Perry Lane Hotel and headed to The Grey for dinner which is fantastic. Food is probably some of the best in the area but cocktails and setting are really tops. It’s in an old Greyhound station that was pristinely restored. Though tomorrow will feel different, we get the feeling there is a strong group of young cool kids bringing their own ideas to life in Savannah.

Pearl’s chicken was great. We ate a lot of meals on hoods of cars on this trip; universally delicious. You really feel like you’re cheating the system when you’re in a parking lot or gas station surrounded by bad options — but then you break out the good leftovers. Probably makes it taste like 20 percent better.

Breakfast at Grey Market (same people as The Grey). Cute spot. We walk around the area, which feels way too sleepy for a Monday. Where is everyone??

Went to Husk to get some food for the road, but they don’t allow that. So we cheat the system by sitting down, ordering, taking one bite then asking to wrap it up. Boom.

Pit stop (wing stop) in Atlanta. The place was empty and it took 20 minutes to make them but one of the best food moments of this whole trip - Lemon Pepper wings at LT’s wings. How to even describe these wings?? Perfectly crisp, tender, insane flavor.

We'd planned to go to Birmingham for dinner at Highland but it’s closed on Monday. Oops! Pivot and go straight to Montgomery to see the Legacy Museum just in time before it closes for the night. Not a fan of Montgomery but it’s worth a trip there for this museum. Montgomery, not Nola, was the largest port of slave trade and this museum was built basically on the port. It connects the dots very clearly from then to now, and really works to honor the people who were enslaved and discarded.

Neither of us slept a wink last night but the biscuit at Cahawba House singlehandedly turned our morning around.

Montgomery: bye forever. We stop at Meat Boss in Mobile, AL for some excellent BBQ. Great choice.

Arrive at Soniat House before sundown. Gorgeous house with a hard past. Everyone is lovely and really nice and open to discussing this place’s history.

For dinner, we went to Compare Lapin which was highly recommended. Fab biscuits but otherwise we’re not really feeling it. After we check out Marjie’s, a small new spot which we love. We’re too full from our first dinner so we just get a couple small things, both of which are great.

I make my way to James H. Cohen and Sons, which specializes in antique weapons and jewelry (don’t ask). But they happen to have a wonderful collection of coins. I fall in love with this owl and take her home with me.

Went to Cochon for the mortadella sandwich, a variation of a muffaletta which was invented by the Italian immigrants who settled in New Orleans. Fab sandwich. We walk around the Warehouse District after (delightful) en route to the Garden District (also delightful) trying to work up an appetite.

On to Willie Mae’s Scotch House for fried chicken. I don’t know if this is necessarily one of my absolute favorite foods but as far as fried chicken goes, it is most certainly the best I’ve ever had.

Before going back to our hotel, I throw all caution to the wind and get a beignet and chicory coffee at Cafe du Monde.

Dinner at Petite Grocery. We go in skeptical because it’s not the funnest atmosphere but the food didn’t disappoint. Definitely worth it.

After dinner we head to Preservation Hall and catch the house band. Amazing kid named Calvin Jordan on the sax. New Orleans is incredible!

One last stop at Madruga for coffee and their great chicken empanadas before we hit the road. Bye Miami!

We decide to stay one more day in New Orleans becase you can’t eat everything you wanna eat in 2 days there. We go to Turkey & the Wolf for sandwiches. Top 2 meals of the trip, if not #1. We get a collared greens melt, a lamb roti, and a cabbage salad. The collared greens melt is the best sandwich I’ve ever had. Hands down.

Dinner at Peche. SO GOOD. One of the best for sure. The scene is eh but the food makes up for it. We had gumbo, smoked tuna dip, oysters, catfish...a stupid rum cake put us (me) way over the edge but it was excellent.

We’ve managed to find a yuppie third wave coffee shop every place we go. Whatever let me live. Grab a good coffee and breakfast from HiVolt which is a local chain but cute and still local feeling.

This is a difficult but important experience. This is the only plantation restored and dedicated to telling the slaves’ stories in their own words and honoring them. The guide was amazing. He talked about making corrections and how hard it can be. He said there are kids who live a few blocks away - always have and always will - and will never visit the museum simply because they don’t have a parent saying “hey let’s go visit this museum and talk”. He talked a lot about the Native American influence in both escaping and then often assimilating into their culture. The Underground Railroad didn’t begin till farther north so really Native Americans played a huge role. He talked about the emotional and psychological tactics used by slave owners - share cropping for example. The slave owners had to keep black people divided in some way because if they united, the slave owners would be easily out numbered. We left a little early to make it to Houston in time, so we didn’t get to see the big house but honestly it probably would have made me too ill to step inside.

Hip hybrid BBQ situation. It’s really good but if you go to Austin, just go for the classics. Sorry Loro.

We go to Veracruz All Natural for breakfast tacos. Really delicious though I don’t think the ceiling on how good a breakfast taco can be is really that high. Sawee. Cool spot though and worth a visit.

Holy crap. MICKLETHWAITS. We don’t bother with Franklins, and thank god. This place is incredible. There’s a small line which moves fast. Glad we’re here early and in the off season because we probably wouldn’t have the patience to wait in a real line but damn. We get beef ribs (the best we’ve ever had), lamb, pork shoulder, cheese grits, peppery Cole slaw. Great but it’s all about those ribs. We get a chicken sandwich and smoked chicken salad for the road. What a delight this place is.

On our way out of Austin we stop at Hamilton Pool. A really cool state park that feels like a secret. You have to make a reservation to go, so it never gets crowded.

Arrived in Marathon! This place rules we can tell already. We were going to stay for one night but decide to stay two. What a cool weird little town. We get prickly pear margaritas at the Buffalo Bar. This place has the best vibe, you just feel transported. Also incredible buffalo burgers and skillet brownies.

We drive an hour to big bend and hike Lost Mine trail. It’s pretty empty because of the government shut down, and the toilets are WHOOOBOY... The hike up feels a little monotonous and we consider bailing before the top, but thankfully decide to keep going because it’s breathtaking. At the top we start chatting with an older couple who are so cool. They’re retired and are now fully committed to hiking and seeing the world. They have their own walking sticks. Goals. The view from the top is really something to see.

We get to Marfa and then decide to stay for the night. Most of the art stuff is closed but we both really love it here. I assumed it would be pretentious and it wasn’t at all. We get incredible coffee at Do Your Thing and then market picnic for lunch on nuts and sardines again.

This hotel is so cool and they are obsessed with the movie “Giant”. Also home to the most important food moment of Marfa - we buy these tourist nuts from the lady at the Hotel Paisano gift shop. I’ve since ordered pounds of them on the internet. They are the best nuts I’ve ever had.

Got up early and hit the road, going from Marfa to El Paso. We go to H&H Carwash for breakfast. It’s exactly what it sounds like, half car wash half counter diner. A lot of people go there just for the food, but probably most people go there just for the owner. He’s an old devil who flirts with anything!

We go to Phoenix to sleep and eat pizza. Some say this is the best pizza in America. It’s incredibly unique and tasty but “best pizza in America” is a tall order. We get a really good market salad and two pizzas. One is half ROSA (red onion, parmigiana, Rosemary, Arizona pistachios - Neels favorite) and half WISE GUY (wood toasted onion, house smoked mozzarella, fennel, sausage - my fave) and also a Margherita pizza. Overall incredible, and really nice local, cozy feel inside.

Not amped about much in Phoenix but go to this place for breakfast. It’s sort of a thing; Guy Fierri has most definitely eaten here. But it’s actually really good, and moreover, they have the best hot sauce we’ve ever had. We buy a bottle to take home and are already almost done with it.