Beginnings

Austin, Texas, Thursday June 5, 1:30pm
Today is the day before the big day, the day when I embark on my monumental road trip. As most of you know, I've been on sabbatical since last November (Helen would say unemployed), and one of the things that I've always wanted to do is take a road trip to explore and experience golf and food around the United States. This is an ideal time to indulge myself, and I have been conceptualizing and planning this trip for quite some time. Helen is a fantastic and loving wife for allowing me this luxury, and I love her all the more for it.

To take me on this journey, I have recently purchased a used minivan which I plan to use as my primary vehicle as well as a place to sleep in when the alternatives are limited. In true Australian tradition (a habit she picked up while studying there), she has named the minivan “Bart”, and so Bart and I will be leaving tomorrow for a grand adventure.

Photo 1 – Young and Bart the minivan














Photo 2 – Sleeping quarters














I have a rough agenda for parts of my trip, two of which are attending the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego next week, and a week of visiting Ray and Michelle, my brother and sister in law, with Helen in Seattle and Vancouver in late June and into early July. Other than those two events, my schedule is still undecided. This uncertainty is part of the appeal of a trip like this, not having a set agenda or list of places to go, just a sense of adventure and exploration.

One of the things that I would like to do is to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH 101, from San Diego to the Monterey Peninsula and into San Francisco. I'm told that this is an incredible drive, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

The second thing that I would like to do is to culinarily explore the various places that I visit. While in the southwest, I will seek out locally famous Tex-Mex and southwestern cuisine. When in California the plan is to explore the fusion of flavors for which it is renowned, along with many of the Korean restaurants that are all over LA's Koreatown. In the Pacific Northwest I want to experience the coffee culture in Portland, and of course the Asian food in Vancouver (a week of sushi, dim sum, and curry!!). All the while, I will be on the lookout for any barbecue places that serve meat slow cooked for at least 10 hours. I don't care if it's Texas style, Memphis style, St. Louis style, or Carolina style barbecue, I want to sample it all.

Along my trip I will try and post as frequently as possible to give insight and share photos of the golf courses that I visit, the food in the small, out of the way restaurants that I find, and the unique and interesting people that I meet.

Feel free to leave me any comments and encouragement!