Stops between GSP and AUS
Jan 29, 2017, 1:11 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: About 45 miles NW of MCO
Programs: Acapulco - Gold, Panama - Red, Timothy Leary 8 Mile High Club
Posts: 29,258
Ha! That's funny. I have stayed in Anniston and Oxford a few times while doing track days at the Talledega Grand Prix track (not the giant oval, the smaller, fun one). If you need a quick gas and drink stop, it will do the trick. Not the most exiting place I've stayed overnight though. Just go to the exit with the HGI and the Mellow Mushroom, not the one with the Walmart. Scaaaary. lol
About 3 miles north of Walmart is the hotel Finial in a 100 year old haunted mansion. Outstanding breakfast too.
Oh, and that is the worst managed Mellow Mushroom of all time. No one local goes there.
Feb 14, 2017, 6:23 pm
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,492
Just a quick update...
Thanks for all of the suggestions!!!
After stopping at the BMW museum for some pictures, I hopped on the I-85 and drove down to Atlanta. I think I left around 4:15 or so.
There was a little traffic through Greenville. It was steady down to Atlanta, not heavy until the last few miles before I exited.
I was at the Homewood midtown, which ended up being a great location!
Temperature was very cold (low 40s) and I didn't have a jacket, so I took an Uber to Zocalo's...it was $2.99 so well worth it.
Zocalo's was amazing! I had the mole, as I'm a big fan and wanted to compare. The portion was huge, and it tasted great too. My waitress was fantastic too.
I didn't know it (I don't remember anyone here mentioning...) but Zocalo's is in the thick of a bunch of gay bars. Most of the people in the restaurant were heading over after, and I tagged along with a few people and went across the street to Blake's On the Park. Was pretty good, typical bar atmosphere (well I guess typical, hadn't been to a bar in the US for ages).
Took Uber back to hotel.
Temperature was even colder the next morning, around 30F when I woke up. I ended up just getting my car and began my journey westward.
I stopped at each state welcome center (AL, MS, LA). I ate lunch at a Bojangle's near Birmingham, AL. Stopped for gas at Sam's Club in Oxford, AL, Meridian, MS, and Monroe, LA.
There's a fantastic park along the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, and I stopped and walked around there for around 30 min. Was really nice to stretch my legs, and by that point the temperature was in the low 70s.
Shreveport was ok. I stayed at the Hilton downtown, and was able to walk to get dinner at Nicky's (Mexican, and supposedly the best place downtown).
It was so nice when I drove about 20 min from Shreveport on Saturday morning and stopped at the Texas welcome center. ^
(though I still had 5 hours of driving from there).
Other than Atlanta, there really wasn't any traffic along my route to speak of. Perhaps a few blips around Birmingham and Jackson. It was slightly heavy from Monroe to Shreveport but moved (I left Monroe around 5pm on Friday).
The very worst traffic of the whole trip wasn't far from home, between Waco and Temple, TX.
There were a couple of places where I passed police along the route, but I kept my speed around 5-7 over the limit. Survived without any tickets.
Thanks for all of the suggestions!!!
After stopping at the BMW museum for some pictures, I hopped on the I-85 and drove down to Atlanta. I think I left around 4:15 or so.
There was a little traffic through Greenville. It was steady down to Atlanta, not heavy until the last few miles before I exited.
I was at the Homewood midtown, which ended up being a great location!
Temperature was very cold (low 40s) and I didn't have a jacket, so I took an Uber to Zocalo's...it was $2.99 so well worth it.
Zocalo's was amazing! I had the mole, as I'm a big fan and wanted to compare. The portion was huge, and it tasted great too. My waitress was fantastic too.
I didn't know it (I don't remember anyone here mentioning...) but Zocalo's is in the thick of a bunch of gay bars. Most of the people in the restaurant were heading over after, and I tagged along with a few people and went across the street to Blake's On the Park. Was pretty good, typical bar atmosphere (well I guess typical, hadn't been to a bar in the US for ages).
Took Uber back to hotel.
Temperature was even colder the next morning, around 30F when I woke up. I ended up just getting my car and began my journey westward.
I stopped at each state welcome center (AL, MS, LA). I ate lunch at a Bojangle's near Birmingham, AL. Stopped for gas at Sam's Club in Oxford, AL, Meridian, MS, and Monroe, LA.
There's a fantastic park along the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, and I stopped and walked around there for around 30 min. Was really nice to stretch my legs, and by that point the temperature was in the low 70s.
Shreveport was ok. I stayed at the Hilton downtown, and was able to walk to get dinner at Nicky's (Mexican, and supposedly the best place downtown).
It was so nice when I drove about 20 min from Shreveport on Saturday morning and stopped at the Texas welcome center. ^
(though I still had 5 hours of driving from there).
Other than Atlanta, there really wasn't any traffic along my route to speak of. Perhaps a few blips around Birmingham and Jackson. It was slightly heavy from Monroe to Shreveport but moved (I left Monroe around 5pm on Friday).
The very worst traffic of the whole trip wasn't far from home, between Waco and Temple, TX.
There were a couple of places where I passed police along the route, but I kept my speed around 5-7 over the limit. Survived without any tickets.