TravelStream™ news feed for member freedomdave on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/freedomdave en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:46:33 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005210900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005210900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005210900/tpod.html Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:46:33 -0500 Freedom Dave and The Rooster

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Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States

11/08/01- Well, guys the day has come.  I begin my journey at sunrise or whenever I wake up.  Ha ha. It's now 4:15 A. M. and I'm trying to finish everything I need to do before I leave.  Real tired. I'll be in Orlando tomorrow in a tent somewhere.  Don't forget to email me. 
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Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

ENTRY DISCLOSURE:Since I had to rescue this blog off of Archive.org some of the actual entries from my trip are missing.  I'm trying to fill them in as I go from memory alne.  This entry is one of them, so I'll give you my perspective on this part of the trip as I remember it today (12/25/2008).
Knoxville, TN.  I remember the drive to Knoxville from Nashville.  While Nashville is very well groomed in appearance, Knoxville is a bit dustier.  A bit more thrown together.  The orangish sand peeks through the balding hills and the city didn't seem to me to be much more than a collection of motels, fast food eateries and finally the college campus.  By looks alone, I'm really not sure why anyone would choose to move to Knoxville except for the purpose of going to college there.  I didn't get to spend more than a day or two there, so I'm not an expert on the city, but for the most part it was pretty lame.
The people I met weren't lame though.  I drove into town and quickly found the local Phi Psi chapter.  I gave the secret handshake and told them what I was doing and the brothers were eager to let me stay with them.  They invited me in and told me a story about how they hired two strippers for a party and how one of the local cops showed up and fucked them both on the floor in front of the entire frat.  At the time the guys didn't want me telling anyone about that story, but it's now seven years later so I'm pretty sure their cop friend won't get found out by his wife or his job.  
Soon after the story we went to eat at the local grease pit, got some beers and headed back to the frat house.  2Live Crew was performing that evening, but only the Chinese looking member of the group was there.  That's about how much I remember from Knoxville.  I think I dropped some CDs off at the local radio station, but I can't be totally sure.  Wouldn't of done much good.    
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Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Nashville, TN 12/03/01 - Off to Nashville. The mountains heading West out of Georgia were a welcome change from the flatness of landscape I had experienced so far. Last night was a blast so I woke up late this morning. By the time I got into Nashville it was dark. I knew my fraternity had a house at Vanderbilt. Just had to find it...  Well I found it.  After my introduction to the brothers in the house we got around to the serious business of playing beer pong.  Apparently these guys have been practicing.  A duo named Brady and Carter ruled the table.  I went through multiple partners trying to knock them off the table, but to no avail.  These guys were unstoppable.  We almost had them one game.  They were down to their last cup of beer.  We had three cups left.  All we had to do was toss the ping pong ball into their cup before they got ours.  I was so drunk by then that I was seeing two cups.  A miss here by us and another miss there and then all of a sudden Brady and Carter unleashed three strikes in a row.  Defeated we had to chug a beer each.  That was it for me.  
Brady was a big guy.  Maybe 6ft 230 lbs.  I don't know how it happened but we got into a wrestling match. To look at me nowadays I guess people wouldn't expect me to be an athlete.  I did have my glory days in high school.  I think Brady thought he'd be able to pin me pretty quick.  We were clenched arm over arm we my head centered in his chest both of us vying for balance and the dominant position.  Although he was a bit bigger than me through the clench I could feel that he would not be able to over power me.  All the brothers in the house (maybe 15 of them) looked on.  I could feel their stares and I could tell by their eyes and the buzz in the room that they fully expected Brady to dominate probably like he'd dominated them in wrestling matches past.  Now Freedom Dave is no light weight but I don't think people have ever expected me to be at all athletic.  All though elementary, middle and high school I usually got picked last or next to last right in front of the mentally handicapped kid.  So I was used to being bet against.  
Brady's arms were completely surrounding my shoulders and his hands were locked behind my back.  He had a weight advantage over me by about 25 lbs.  With practice his natural ability and strength would be hard to beat, but today his lack of experience caused his fall.  Using the over/under wrestling technique I learned in JV wrestling practice I instinctively switched my arm placement and used his bodyweight as a lever against him.  The positioning was now mine and I pinned him quickly and painlessly.  Suddenly I felt my underwear being pulled painfully higher, higher and higher up my ass until the elastic band ripped.  I was being given the wedgy of a lifetime from one of his chapter brothers.  Good thing I was wearing tiny whiteys because I would have been pissed if my good boxers got f-ed up.  Anyway it hurt like hell but it made me feel good that the guys in that house stuck up for each other like that.  Despite this I could feel the awe of the brothers for me having pinned Brady (at least I think I felt their awe, ha ha).  Nobody could believe it.  I could.  I'm a good wrestler. Always was.  
Well, we all drank some more and talked and joked around and I let the guys listen to the music I was promoting.   I was finally feeling like I fit in there.  For some reason I think the wrestling match was their way of initiating me into their chapter.  I felt like one of them.  Brady tried to make me drink some bourbon straight from the bottle but I wasn't having it (well, OK I had one small swig).  To make an already long story short before we all passed out my friend Brady wrote a note for me to put on my car so it wouldn't get towed.  It simply said, "DON'T TOW.    BRADY."  I woke up early and hung over the next morning and checked on my car.  It didn't get towed.  From then on I swore to keep that note on my car for the rest of the trip.  So far it's worked.
      
   Fun at Vanderbilt (Nashville, TN)
LESSON LEARNED- When in Rome do as the Romans do.
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Athens, Georgia, United States

Athens, GA 12/01/01 - I had certain preconceived notions about Athens before I got there.  You see my mother attended school there for a semester back in the 60s and at the time I guess the attitude was a little racist down in those parts.  Yeah, she said she met people who really thought Jewish people had horns and the whole segregationist movement was in full effect.  So when I first got into Athens I was a little apprehensive of what the people there would be like.
   
Unfortunately, I got into town on a football weekend so all of the hotels were booked.  The ones that did have vacancy had high prices for even the smallest rooms.  I guess I would have to do the old sleep in the car thing again.  This was something that I wasn't looking forward to.  It was a little chilly and my back was starting to hurt from sleeping in my car for a few nights in a row in Atlanta. I decided to try and find the downtown section of the city and see what was going on.  It's a funny feeling being in a city you've never been to before. Everything is so new and seems so wide and deep and unexplored.  Kind of feels like you are diving in the ocean and moving through water when you are in a new town.
Downtown Athens was a little chilly this night. UGA's last football game was the next day so things were a hoppin. In fitting in with our recent times and world happenings I just happened to run into an interesting little peace demonstration just as I parked my car on Broad Street. Actually, this was the first peace demonstration I had ever seen in person. A line of people holding candles, peace signs and other anti-war offerings moved down College Avenue and onto Broad St. Seeing this demonsration of liberal values so openly displayed suddenly shifted my preconceived notion of Athens as the conservative, intolerant Southern town of my mother's time. I don't know why this suprised me so much. After all, Athens spawned the amazing ultra liberal rock group R.E.M. Even so, old towns usually hold onto some of their traditional habitual values. Across the street from the demonsration I heard several shouted and scattered insults from the vocal conservative minority. I wasn't sure which side I was on but all I know is that it was definitely entertaining. Although, one loud guy on a snorting and popping Harley shouted, "get out of this country," and would have probably loved for a riot to break out, I don't think there was any chance of the two sides becoming violent. There were enough police on scene this brisk night to put any foolishness to rest quickly.
Anyway, the rest of my night downtown was a test of endurance for me. I was tired from traveling and still didn't have a place to stay. I decided to try and see some live music. There's almost no better place for this than in Athens. I slid over a place called Tasty World which is one of Athen's six or seven venues for live original un-signed and sometimes signed musical acts. As I found out from the guy at the door there are about 600 bands that call Athens their home and about 3000 loyal fans shared among the bands. My favorite band that night wasn't from Athens but from New York City. They rocked righteously like an overweight Rush on speed. They are called The Brought Low. Do check them out.   
At 1:30 AM I finished the last sip of my pint of Guiness and headed for my car. Still no place to sleep, but I knew my college fraternity had a house on campus. Even though I'm 29 I knew if I found the house tradition dictates that hospitality be shown to a fellow brother. Even a chunky balding one like me. I was right. The brothers were more than hospitable and their house was beautiful. With a fire burning, a leather couch for me to crash on and ESPN on television I was in heaven. Saturday would be even better.
12/02/01- Game day. The Bull Dogs were playing their last game of the season at noon. Red and black were the colors of the day. I woke up at 9 AM. I could smell the hot dogs cooking. I took a hot shower and changed clothes. The frat's pledges were at work early and set up a fine liquor table. I guess 10 AM is not too early for a Bourbon and Coke. Add to that personable guys to tell jokes and share life experiences with, a fresh sprinkling of young beautiful girls, and free tickets to the game I knew I had to stay one more day.
           
Lesson Learned: Everyone should join a fraternity in college.  Why?  Because it's a nationwide network of people that you will always have access to and it's fun.
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Atlanta, Georgia, United States

ATLANTA, GA 11/26/01-   Back on line!  It's hard to comprehend how the sprawling metropolis of Atlanta rises up from it's humble country surroundings.  The ride from Tallahassee to Atlanta is full of cotton fields, Piggly Wigglys, truck stops and kindly southern locals.  Everyone speaks with a slow Southern drawl and owns a pick up truck.  Because there are no city lights the night is dark and the sky is packed with stars.  Then suddenly Atlanta rises up over the horizon.  It's buildings are huge, it's people are quick, and the traffic is crazy.  The traffic around Peachtree St. is unbelievable.  I don't think there is a single left turn lane or left turn signal on its entirety.  People drive fast and you had better keep your eyes open and stay awake because if someone needs to make a left turn they'll stop in the middle of traffic.  If this happens you either have to wait behind them until they finally turn or you'll have to make your move and cut to the right in order to swerve around them.  If you do decide to swerve make sure you check your rear view mirrors because everyone else will be trying to do the same thing and they'll run up your backside real quick unless you punch the gas.  Dangerous driving indeed. 
If you can survive the drive Atlanta is a pretty cool place.  Atlanta is entrepreneur land.  If you are a go-getter Atlanta is the place to be.   Just hanging out at the Kinko's on Peachtree and 17th I ran into an A&R rep for a small record label, a web-design guru, and a internet business consultant.   I crashed at my friend John's house for a night. He owns a furniture company.  Going out to lunch that very same day I ran into the program director for 99X which is a large commercial radio station in the area.  All in all Atlanta's not a bad place to meet people.  Not bad at all. 
Unfortunately, my friend wasn't home for most of the time I spent in Atlanta so to save money I spent about three nights sleeping in my car.  I think I'm actually starting to get used to it.  NOT.  Ha ha.  Luckily, I made some friends at the local gym and they let me shower up.  Freedom Dave don't like to stink.  At the gym I met the South African owner of a really nice jewelry store, and a really cool Moroccan dude who just happened to be one of the owners of a cool pizza restaurant and bar. 
 Lesson Learned: Always be friendly and courteous to everyone you meet and you'll never know who you might befriend. 
Today the plan is to climb up the Westin Hotel.  This building is 73 stories high and I'm sure It'll be one hell of a challenge.  I'll have pictures up on this site pretty soon detailing my expedition. 
11/30/01- OK.  The challenge I faced at the Westin Hotel was enormous.  I couldn't climb the tower my friends.  It's not because my legs were too weak, it's because security at the hotel in no way lets anyone in the stairwell unless it's an emergency.  Freedom Dave understands, but I was forced to pay $7.50 for a ride up the elevator to the observation level.  Now this is still a challenge.  Why you ask.  Well Freedom Dave is scared of heights.  I hate flying and observation elevators, but for you my friends I will risk my life and conquer my fears.  The view was amazing and I was able to get some good footage of  the view from the top and riding down the elevator. 
      Views from the ground and observation level at Atlanta's tallest building- The Westin Hotel. 
Lesson Learned:  Things rarely work out exactly the way you plan
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Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Tallahassee, FL 11/17/01 -  Good old Tallahassee.  Spent about 6 years up here going to college.  Yeah, I was on the extended plan.  Luckily, for me my mom lives an hour west of Tallahassee in a small town called Sneads.  A real small town.  Real small.  Small.  Went to church with her Sunday morning.  If I didn't it would be mighty hard trying to stay in her house.  After church we went to a small country buffet called "The Home Place".  If you ever drive though Sneads on your way to a real city like New Orleans, do stop by The Home Place.  This was real home cookin' and it was all you can eat for only $4.25.  I'll try to put a map to it on the site very soon. 
11/18/01- Freedom Dave was on the radio for a full half hour!  You heard me right.  Florida State's (real) college radio station, V-89, put me on their News Talk show.  They even played one of the songs off of the album "Voices."  At first the DJ in charge, a guy named Rich, really tried to grill me with the questions.  I understand though.  He wanted to make sure that I wasn't just any crazy dude traveling around the country in his Jeep.  The conversation went well.  It's hard to tongue tie Freedom Dave.  That's because I really am on a mission I believe in.  I want the Underground Music Scene in South Florida to get huge.  I mean bigger than Seattle or even Puff Daddy.    Now I loved the music that came out of Seattle in the early 1990s when the scene was bigger than Jesus and I respect the promotional abilities that Mr. Diddy displays, but South Florida needs to blow up and blow up big and soon!  There is definitely too much talent down there not to be recognized. 
Now back to Tallahassee.  By total coincidence I ran into an old friend, Ian, at the FSU library.  Ian is a kick ass drummer.  Strangely enough he happens to be in a band with an old buddy of mine named Jason.  I was hoping I'd run into Jason but the problem was that I lost his number.  Now that I ran into Ian it solved that problem.  Cool.  They've got a real good band named Isaiah Moon.  Check em' out.  Anyway, ended up crashing at Jason's house that night.  Jason introduced me to a fun new way to pass the time.  He has this cheap toy plane that you pump up and it really flies.  It may sound stupid, but trust me, after a few beers or what ever your drug of choice may be, that thing is non stop fun.  It's also good exercise because you pump it up by hand and then when it's coming down you try to catch it.  On a good flight that thing might be doing circles at a hundred feet.  It slowly spirals down and it either does a really cool crash land or if you're good or lucky you catch it. 
11/23/01- The only bad news I've had in Tallahassee is that a cute little kitten my mom found just died.  It's name was Pewey because he really smelled. I don't know what made him so sick.  We just brought him to the vet and he got some medicine for his worms.  The doctor said he should be OK.   I found him outside this morning covered in flies.  He was still alive when I picked him up.  From a small distance he looked dead, but he wasn't.  It was so sad because when I picked him up he started purring softly.  He was so weak he couldn't keep his head up and his body was limp.  I quickly brought him inside and cleaned him off.  I gave him the rest of his medicine and tried my best to nurse him back to health.  Sadly, a few hours after I found him he passed on.  He was a good, cute little kitten and his short stay on this earth did make a difference.  Good bye, Pewey.


Pewey Ian Flaxman Naranjo  11/01/01- 11/23/01
11/24/01- I climbed the Tallahassee capitol building today.  It stands 22 stories high.  Not a bad place to get some exercise.  Your legs really start feeling it around the 15th floor.  Unless you are Sebastian Coe the Tallahassee capitol building should be pretty good exercise for you.  Unless you are Jabba The Hut then it shouldn't be that hard to make it to the top.  I met some really nice people once I made it to the 22nd floor observation deck.  I took some pictures with my new digital camera, but unfortunately I dropped it and the batteries fell out causing the camera to lose it's memory.  Sorry Sheena, Dave and Neal.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005893040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005893040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/freedomdave/2/1005893040/tpod.html Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:47:18 -0500 Freedom Dave and The Rooster

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Gainesville, Florida, United States

GAINESVILLE, FL 11/16/01 - Crisp day.  Even though I'm a Seminole, I've got to admit that Gainesville has got one hell of a campus.  If I were to dream up the most ideal setting for a university campus it would probably look like the campus at the University of Florida.  It's spread out and green.  People are playing Frisbee on the lawns and kicking around hackee sacks.  Anyway, found a real cheap hotel to stay in called the Bambi Motel.  It was surprisingly clean.  I guess I could have camped out but for twenty bucks I couldn't turn down a clean bed, hot shower and cable TV.  Truth is that I still haven't figured out how to put up my tent. 
I somehow finagled my way into the college radio station and met one of their DJs named Justin.  Cool guy, but I guess he didn't have much pull there because I couldn't get on the air live.  Actually, their radio station is not really what I'd call a college radio station.  It plays some cool music (I guess), but nothing new.  It's really a corporate radio station run by college kids.  It's all cool though.  Justin said they do have an underground music show on Saturdays.  I gave him the package of CDs, introduced myself as Freedom Dave to some of the people in the office (they all looked at me like a fool) and went to go eat in the cafeteria a few buildings away. 
Ah, the dilemma of corporate radio.  What makes the songs they play any better than the songs of my brothers and sisters in the underground?  Nothing.  I guess air time is like real estate.  If you own the real estate you put the house you want on the property.  One day the underground will rise up and overthrow the housemasters.  We will own the real estate.  Just wait and see.
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Tampa, Florida, United States

TAMPA, FL 11/12/01 - I've always liked Tampa.  There's something just a little bit decadent about the place.  It's damp and salty and there's a strip bar on every corner, but maybe that's why I like it.  I heard Tampa was founded by pirates.  The last time I was in Ybor City it was pretty wild and every night there seemed to be a lot of people out and about.  This time it really looked like a ghost town.  Panhandlers were everywhere.  Every corner I turned there they were.  You can see them coming at  you from a distance and if they catch any kind of eye contact from you they'll go out of their way to get near you and ask for money or at least a cigarette.  Luckily, Freedom Dave ain't got no money.  If I got some cigarettes, I'll share the cancer any day though. 
When I first drove in to Tampa I was prepared to do the camping thing or the sleep in the car thing, but luckily through a mutual friend I was able to find someplace to stay.  As a matter of fact my hosts were some of the coolest folks I've ever met and they let me stay a couple of days.  Thanks Naz and Mavern. 
My stay in Tampa was highlighted by my brief stint on The University of South Florida's radio station 1628 WBUL.  I mentioned my website and the bands I'm promoting and all was well with the world. 
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Orlando, Florida, United States

ORLANDO 11/09/01 -  Made it into Orlando at around 11 PM.  Couldn't do the camping thing.  Trying to find a place to camp in the dark is hard.  I now realize what a city boy I am.  First of all, you've got to be crazy to camp in the woods by yourself.  It gets really, really dark.  I tried to find a spot somewhere on the outskirts of Orlando and I finally found a little patch of land behind a Walmart.  Definitely not a legal place to camp out.  It was a place where you might find a hobo passed out.  A bunch of trees and shrubs, an old sneaker or two, a dirty blanket.  Real nice.  I tried to put up my tent in the dark, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.  I thought I might just try laying in it anyway and zipping it up so no bugs would get in, but as I lay there I thought of what the headlines might look like if I happened to get killed in that little spot.  "College Graduate Turned Homeless Derelict Found Dead. Apparently Beaten To Death With An Old Sneaker. " 
-$35 Days Inn is as adventurous as I would get tonight.
LESSON LEARNED:  It's rough and dangerous on the streets.  If you have a bed and a warm place to crash, BE VERY GRATEFUL.
11/10/01-  Still in Orlando.  Explored the UCF campus.  Cool enough.  Great fountain.  I'll tell ya what... I love college girls.  I'll admit it.  They look younger and younger every year, but God bless them.  Anyway, met a couple of  DJs at the school's internet broadcasting station called: The Knightcast.  I dropped off the S. Fla underground CD package with them.  It seemed like they were interested in what I was doing, but you never really know.  I've learned that most people are more interested in what they are doing then what you are doing.  It's hard to make an impact.  After all, what have I done so far?  Drove from Miami to Orlando.  Big whup.
After exploring the campus and using the library's free internet access, I walked around downtown Orlando and went from store to store trying to sell some CDs and some Score Gear backpacks.  Didn't have much luck.  Apparently, Orlando is a little down on it's luck lately.  As I was to learn, the layoff of thousands of people in the area because of the lack of travel and tourism has really hurt the economy.  You can tell.  As I took in the essence of downtown Orlando things didn't really look like I had remembered them from a few years back.  The town looked a more than a little ragged and abandoned.  Storefronts that once housed trendy bars and clubs were put up for rent.  Church Street didn't look as well kept as it once had.  Shit.  I needed money too.  I started getting a little depressed.  Had to pay for a hotel the night before because I was too chicken to camp out.  Couldn't sell crap today because Orlando is in the midst of a depression.  Obviously it was time to drink.
I headed to a bar I noticed earlier that was about a mile away from the UCF campus.  The sign on the door advertised that tonight was college night.  It might have been college night but it was definitely redneck hour when I walked in.  Nothing wrong with that, but I wasn't really in the mood to play darts, watch NASCAR, or sing Garth Brooks on the Karaoke machine.  I didn't feel like driving anymore that evening so I chilled.  I was trying to make eye contact with the only attractive woman that  didn't seem to have a man.  It was the bartender.  Maybe I should have flirted a little more, but I just asked for a cold one.  Guy next to me starts a conversation.  He starts telling me about his mom and his refrigeration business.  We talk and drink and I smoke cigarettes.  I tell him about what I'm doing and how I'm gonna try to drive around the country in 90 days and stuff.  Last call comes and we chug the remainder of our brews.  Long story short he buys a set of back packs from me and all five of the CDs.  He said he'd make em into Christmas gifts for his kids.  Made some money and a new friend.  Cool.  I spent the night parked at a gas station sleeping in my car drunk, content and amused with life.
LESSON LEARNED: The night's not over until it's over.
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