Day 7, Thursday May 30^th:

The day started when we joyfully left the Nashville hotel at 6am.  We made our way over to Memphis where we quickly viewed Graceland and then went to Carol Schneider’s house (Grammy), Keith’s grandmother. Grammy was very hospitable and told us that her door was open for us to stay as long as we’d like.  We went to Corky’s  to get the full Memphis BBQ experience.  The amount of food we ate was overwhelming. The onion loaf and nachos were followed by wet and dry ribs, catfish, pulled pork, and chicken. Grammy also insisted, even with our full stomachs, that we try the desert. After ordering the pecan pie and brownie sundae our appetites made just enough room to dig in.  

We arrived in New Orleans by 8:30pm and then decided to just stay in for the night and relax.

Just kidding we went out to Bourbon Street,

~Jeremy, Max, and Adam

Day 6, Wednesday May 29^th:

Given the long week we’d been having, peppered with insufficient bouts of rest we decided to sleep in this day.  Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, we were ready to take on Nashville, one of music’s most beloved and historical cities. Starting off at the Country Music Hall of Fame, right next to the Music City Center, it was clear that our day would be filled with music related sights and experiences.  Walking through the surrounding rose garden, we found the Music City walk of fame, where painted stars overlying the walkway each represented a Nashville born and bred musician. 

From there we found ourselves at the Schermerthorn Symphony Center. While trying to sneak in to see a performance we made a friend in an employee that worked there. She showed us the best spot to peek in at the brilliant looking concert hall and the orchestra rehearsing onstage. 

We then walked around historic Broadway, with its many colorful bars and shops, amongst which we stopped in to a vintage guitar shop, a cowboy boot and hat store, and Jack’s Barbeque - a local favorite.

We even attempted to get into CMT television studios (but were denied access by security).  After getting a good sense of Nashville’s downtown in the daytime, we ventured to the outskirts of the city to check out Centennial Park.  This park is noteworthy for its many live-music stages and for having the only full scale model of an Athenian Parthenon in America.  

Being the middle of the week, there was little live-music going on, but the Parthenon was truly a spectacular rendition of the original. Because of the park’s proximity to Vanderbilt University we decided to walk through the campus, and enjoy the collegiate nostalgia on our way to Music Row, a strip of famous studios where many musicians have started their careers.

At this point we were ready to start our evening. After heading back for a quick shower and some rest we headed back down to the already lively Broadway. Our first stop was the legendary BB King’s Restaurant and Blue’s Club where we enjoyed the music of Alyssa Jacey, and the Herschel Bailey Band. 

The music was fantastic as well as the food, and we even experienced some local flavor in the form of a duo of older men who called themselves “Bang This”. We later found them on the street and they gave us their business card.  It is recommended that you check them out.

From there we went bar hopping to take in some of the local music.  The Music City came alive with sounds of Country, rock, and jazz.  Almost every bar we visited had a live band playing - truly an appropriate end to the evening for one of America’s most musical cities.    

~Jeremy, Max, and Adam

Day 5, Tuesday May 28^th:

In an attempt to take the day by storm, while still getting to Nashville in time to enjoy our evening, we decided to start our day at 3am. This consisted of groggy laundry folding, a trip to a McDonalds that seemed more like a homeless shelter, and a beautiful Virginia sunrise. Why so early you may be wondering?  We were embarking on the Blue Ridge Parkway today, a majestic 469 mile drive through the peaks and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains.  Getting there at 6:00am and driving through for 12 hours was an experience unlike any other.  The tranquility and majesty of those mountain valley views is truly something to behold.  

Eventually, once some of the exhaustion wore off, we decided to break off the parkway for a bit to get some authentic southern chicken and waffles. While we figured we were heading to some small time diner in a little podunk Virginia town, we somehow found ourselves in the bustling city of Roanoke, VA. This turned out to be a happy little surprise, as we got to see the city’s unique architecture (see. Taubman Museum of Art), and still got what we came for at the not-so-small-time Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles.  

From there we made our way back to the parkway and forged on. One side-effect of spending so much time together, in such close proximity, is that you really learn a lot about your travel companions. For instance, did you know that Max’s number one fear in life is bugs? This information came to humorous use in the form of some good-natured pranks, some girlish screams, and a few chuckles to be had as we attempted to have a nice picnic lunch while Max –spooked by a few spiders - opted to eat in the car.  We all enjoyed the laughs and it helped to bring levity to what was becoming a very long day.  After 400 of the 469 miles we decided to get off the parkway.  The day was getting late and we were becoming very tired and itching to get out of the car.  Realizing that we were not going to make it Nashville in time to enjoy our night there, we stopped at a very mediocre BBQ restaurant in Knoxville instead.  We were happy to find this place however, since most places in the area were closed by 8pm, and were just glad to be out of the car and have something to eat.  By this point the day was getting late and we were going on our 19^th+ hour of being awake. Exhaustion was setting in and this lead to interesting conversation pertaining to our life goals, conspiracy theories and the role of media in creating mass hysteria, as well as minor to sever sleep deprivation hallucinations.  Finally we made it to the hotel around midnight in what should have been our grand finale.  As we entered the lobby, however, we soon realized that this was the icing on the cake of what had been the day that almost never ended.  The Nashville Day’s Inn looked like an abandoned warehouse under construction.  Once we were sure we were not going to be murdered, we checked in and were led to our room. 

The room was actually not that bad if you could ignore the smell of paint, the 15 minutes it takes the water to get hot, and the metal rods digging into Adam’s back on the cot.  We all quickly passed out, and all in all it was a successful 21 hour day, and truly an adventure fit for a roadtrip.

~Jeremy, Max and Adam

Day 4, Monday May 27^th:

Jeremy, Adam, and Max started the day by grabbing lunch with Adam’s friends at a local pub which had great burgers, pizza, and house-brewed beers.  After the meal, we all took the metro to the National Mall and Memorial Parks.  Upon arrival we were able to witness the Memorial Day Parade, characterized by talented high school marching bands and army vehicles carrying war heroes.  The rest of the day consisted of viewing art exhibits, the capitol building, the Lincoln monument, the Washington monument, the WWII monument, and the reflecting pool.  

After a long day of walking we said goodbye to Adam’s friends and went in search for a crab dinner.  Our first stop was at the Bethesda Crab House which unfortunately informed us that they had no crabs.  We then made our way to a seafood restaurant called Steamers in a committed search for the crabs we initially set out for.  Unsure of how many crabs they actually had left we decided to order a dozen anyways.  Our fortunes quickly turned for the better when the crabs were delivered to us as we realized we were given well over 20.  Adam was able to quickly teach both Max and Jeremy how to properly go about cracking and eating these crabs, and the feast ensued. What followed included beers being guzzled, gavels smashing crab shells, old bay seasoning covering the table, and fragments of shell and meat flying through the air. The once, spotless table was empty after an hour of extraordinary effort. All crabs eaten, the trio ended the day truly satisfied.

~Jeremy, Max and Adam

Day 3, Sunday May 26th:

Waking up at 5:30am to a rarely quite Hoboken, Max and Jeremy left towards Delaware to pick up our next companion - Adam.  With only five hours of sleep the night before we decided to stop for coffee, which was Jeremy’s first.  Jeremy quickly slurped up the Mocha (5 syllable) sugar filled caffeine boost and we jumped back on the roads.  High hopes were set for picking up Philly Cheese Steaks at Carmen’s Deli on the way at 8am.  Unfortunately upon arrival we were informed that they were closed for the holiday weekend.  We improvised and found ourselves at a small wooden shack, with a sign that read ‘Philly Pretzel Factory’.  Upon walking in we were quickly enticed by the pretzel wrapped sausage.  Moments before going through with our decision, a fresh batch of pretzel wrapped cheese steaks came out of the oven.  So it seems, it was meant to be.  Soon after breakfast, we picked up Adam at his sister’s apartment at the University of Delaware.  Congratulations to her on her graduation from college. 

Now the three of us together we were off to DC.  Arriving at 11am we met up with Adam’s friend Johnny who we will be spending the next few nights with. As soon as we introduced ourselves and dropped off our bags we immediately set out to catch the metro to go out to Nationals Park for the 1:30pm game against the Phillies.  $5 tickets were available but only if all people were visible from the ticket window.  Our problem was that we were still waiting on 4 others.  We scoured the crowed for 4 individuals who would be willing to stand and wave from a distance as we bought tickets.  All the Phillies fans were more than happy to help us, although some of the locals seemed to be a little less willing.  Eventually we gathered enough people and got back in line.  Unfortunately by the time we got to the front there was only one $5 ticket left. After an unsuccessful, yet thrilling, attempt at scalping tickets for eight consecutive seats, we discovered we could wait until the game was sold out and then buy standing room only tickets.  

We didn’t have to venture too far to kill time as there is an old shipyard across the street that was remodeled into an outdoor area with a live band, vendors serving food and drink, and games of cornhole.  In the middle of a remolded shipyard, we found the tailgater’s paradise.  

After getting standing room only tickets, we went in to watch the game which was a pitching duel between Stephen Strasburg and Cole Hamels.  After both pitchers had retired the side in the first inning, we migrated over to the Ben’s Chilli Bowl Stand and ate their ‘Half-Smoked All the Way’ chili dog.  The perfectly cooked sausage was topped with cheese, sauerkraut, and spicy chili.  The well worth it ballpark snack gave us the energy we needed to scour for empty seats.   We were able to find seats in the last row of the upperdeck and watched the rest of the game from there.

We rested up a bit in the late afternoon before heading back out, meeting back up with more of Adam’s University of Maryland crew. A lovely Thai dinner at the Siam Bistro, was followed by some pre-game drinking and games.  Once midnight came around we decided to head out to Adam’s Morgan, a happening area for nightlife in DC, and settled on the aptly named Madam’s Organ Blues Bar.  After a night of drinking, live blues music, and interacting with some very eccentric local characters, the night came to close with what can only be described as the largest slice of pizza this side of the Mississippi, the infamous Jumbo Slice. ~Jeremy, Max, and Adam

Day 2, Saturday May 25th:

The generosity of my aunt and uncle continued  the next morning in the form of bagels and lox. My Aunt and Uncle’s generosity was much appreciated as this would be my last home-cooked meal for quite some time. 

In the late morning I met up with Max at his parent’s house.  After some relaxing and laundry we headed out for the day.  The day started with a tour of MLB Network.  We went through the entire building and were able to go inside the control room to see what goes on behind the scenes during games, as well as, visit and walk through the sets of the many shows. 

After we settled in Hoboken we jumped on a train that shot us through the bottom of the Hudson River, bringing us from New Jersey to New York City. We spent the evening in NYC meeting up with fellow Minutemen Chris Tucci and Andrew Krepow at a restaurant next to Madison Square Garden.  Chris and Andrew focused on the Rangers game while Max and I were excited that the Yankees managed to make it on a television.  We all had quesadillas and beer as we caught up and reflected on college years.  After a few hours of catching up, Max and I headed back to Hoboken to rest up for the journey to follow. ~Jeremy and Max

Day 1, Friday May 24th:

Today I left Brighton at 4:30pm and arrived in Larchmont, NY at 8:00pm.  Literally battling Memorial day traffic,  a truck nearly ran me off the road - but I survived.  Spending the night with Helene and Leonard Raifman’s was very filling.  Upon my arrival we promptly ate dinner which consisted of salad, broccoli, pasta, meatballs, and garlic bread, all washed down with a bottle of wine.  Dessert could have been a meal on its own, comprising of a fruit platter, chocolate ice cream, and staring the delicious 3 containers of cookies.  Afterwards, we nursed our food coma as the three of us simultaneously dozed off while watching tv.   ~Jeremy

Team O.C.D

Ok, ok... so I didn't realize until right now that our team "Our Civic Duty" abbreviated is O.C.D... Anyway, its about time the world meets this extraordinary team:

Jeremy Sherman: Team Leader

This trip is the brain child of Jeremy Sherman CPA and Pioneer. By day Jeremy crunches the numbers and files that papers. By night Jeremy plans, produces and sets in motion the big events that need taking care of. The go getter of the group Jeremy is the lease holder on the Honda Civic we will be piloting for 11,000 miles over six weeks. 

Evan Kellogg: Trip Producer (and mechanic)

Evan is the driving force behind the scheduling and planning of this voyage. In the real world Evan is an Electrical Engineer. In regards to team O.C.D Evan is the guy who has figured out, to the cent, what the voyage will cost everyone, the travels times, down to the minute, that we will be on the road, and the google maps navigator (making sure the GPS does its job correctly).

Adam Wilner: Travel and Life Enthusiast

Adam was the first one to sign on for a crazy adventure across the country with Jeremy. He is our guiding sherpa of go with the flow and general manager of making sure we have fun mixed in with all the plans. In the real world Adam is a Web Developer and we're pretty sure he designs torpedoes or something!

Max Pacman: Travel Companion Extraordinaire  

Max heard the call to arms from his friends in MA and rose to the challenge in glorious form! Max is the first to be joining Jeremy on his quest and is in charge of making sure none of us fall asleep at the wheel. In the real world Max is a Production Analyst and thats pretty awesome!

Ravi Patel: O.C.D Vice Coordinator 

Ravi Patel is our long distance companion who is making the trek to chase us down all the way from West Virginia. In the real world Ravi is a hotel Manager but on this trip he has been appointed the Vice Coordinator. Essentially Ravi's job is to make sure that we don't over indulge in our vices!

Keith Weiner: Phoblographer/Videographer

Trip photographer/videographer/blog writer and YOURS TRULY! It is my job to make sure that every second of this trip is documented, recorded, and captured in one way or another. Essentially lured out of a safe job with the promise of being able to photograph all over the country, I have accepted the role as team Phoblographer (photo blogger). Without question I will be driving everyone nuts with repeated requests to "Quick Pull Over!! I wanna take picture of that over there!" and my general overall nature of being a little high maintenance. In the real world I'm a _________. So thats what I am hoping to get out of this trip. Special thanks on my end must go to Kathy, Marty, and Henry Weiner, Sally and Bob Huebscher, and my excellent group of friends for their support and for challenging me to move my life forward every day. 

~Stay Tuned and Look Forward to DAY ONE UPDATES~

Our Civic Duty

 Hey there world! Over the next six weeks a group of ruggedly good looking adventure thrill seekers will be journeying across 'merica. Our trusty group is on a mission to "Experience America". Now here  is the insane part... We are six grown men who will be driving roughly 11,000 miles in a leased Honda Civic. Friendships are bound to be tested and sanity is certainly going to be lost. Truthfully the car probably won't smell awesome but hey we'll be doing everything in our power to stay clean, healthy, and sane! As we travel you can expect some breath taking photos from some of the greatest natural wonders our country has to offer, accompanied by some inside looks at our antics on the road.

We hope that you will follow us on our journey across the country. Spread the word that there are six weary travelers looking for places to crash with stories to share!