louisiana Archives - The Road Goes On Forever

Keepin’ It Weird in Austin: Week 17

Greetings from Austin (as the mural says), where we are experiencing our first snow day in what feels like quite a while in Texas, of all places.

I’ve been looking forward to coming back to Texas since I visited in late 2018 and road-tripped along the border and through Big Bend. We’ve already been in Austin more than twice as long as I was in Texas last time, but I think it’s important to clarify something. We’re in Austin. It feels like Texas, but only peripherally – it mostly just feels like something different, like Austin. To say this city has some unique vibes would be an understatement.

Nick PisanoJanuary 30, 2022February 4, 2022Nick's Blog

Au Revoir and Bon Voyage: Weeks 11 & 12

Greetings and Happy Holidays to our loyal readers. Last week, we bid au revoir to New Orleans. And it is au revoir – not adieu. We will be back, even if New Orleans isn’t in our long-term plans. In fact, we’ll be sure to be back just a few months from now, for the wedding of some very good friends. We’ve won the war against The Party, even if it had some victories in battles along the way.

Nick PisanoDecember 27, 2021January 20, 2022Nick's Blog

I Know Where I Got My Shoes: Week 10

Hello again from New Orleans, where we have quickly evolved to deal with the new joys and hazards of our environment.

I can tell how much of a tourist I look like on any given day by the number of guys on the street who ask me some variation of, “hey, I bet you I can tell you where you got your shoes.” The answer is, of course, “on your feet” or “on XYZ street (wherever you’re currently standing.) This is then followed up by a request for money, or in some cases, extended harassment when money isn’t turned over. If I’m carrying my bright blue day pack, or sipping on a novelty drink, I’ll get asked. If I’m walking briskly enough, most people seem to assume I know what I’m doing and where I’m going, and leave me alone. This same phenomenon results in me getting asked for lots of directions, something I’ve given up on doing after realizing I may have sent someone slightly astray. Hope you found that laundromat, sir.

Nick PisanoDecember 15, 2021December 15, 2021Nick's Blog

We’ll Sleep When We’re Dead: Week 9

Greetings from the Big Easy as we enter our second week in this very, very unique place. There are fewer than 20 cities or districts in the United States where drinking on the street is legal. Without planning on it, we visited two in a row, and we’ll see another in January. It’s been quite a two-month stretch since we left D.C., a city I’d lived in so long I didn’t even realize how uptight it was.

But this was a busy week even by our new standards.

Nick PisanoDecember 7, 2021December 7, 2021Nick's Blog

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!: Week 8

Greetings, dear readers, and hello from Crescent City. When we last left you, we were departing Tybee Island, our home since late October. I’m proud to report we may be some of the few people who come to New Orleans and find alcohol laws that are more restrictive than the place they came from. Nevertheless, we persevere.

Nick PisanoNovember 30, 2021December 16, 2021Nick's Blog