GRP Lightweights Go Rogue Down South
Well, sort of. As soon as we were finally getting settled in Clemson, the Phil’s and I hopped back into the car for a 14 hour excursion to Oklahoma City for another training camp. Although we weren’t psyched to spend two days driving, we tried to make the most of our travels as we trekked across the South. Our route took us directly through Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, and Little Rock (with not much in between). On Day 1, we didn’t do much stopping, but covered some serious ground making it to Memphis, Tennessee for the night. On Day 2, we woke with a good bit of travel stiffness, but our morning activity – a walk around the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis – help alleviate some of our minor aches and pains. We learned a lot about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement in the process! Great exhibit.
Feeling enlightened and less rigid, we headed toward our next checkpoint in Little Rock, Arkansas. For all you math nerds out there, we were traveling on Pi Day (3/14 – get it?!) and felt compelled and obligated to acquire some quality pies. Our search was a great success, as you can see the Phil’s enjoying our banana caramel crème pie. As lightweights, our days of cramming down desserts are numbered as the racing season approaches, so we made the most of our stop in Little Rock by grabbing some World Championship winning BBQ at the Whole Hog Cafe, conveniently located just down the street from the bakery. They didn’t disappoint!
A round of pulled pork sandwiches in Little Rock
And a few hours later, we arrived in OKC where we moved in with some of the resident athletes who train here year-round. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful in getting us settled into our new environment. Although one qualm we have with our apartment complex is that they do not have recycling! As ambassadors of the Green Racing Project, we are looking into options for our personal recyclables as well as alternatives for the entire complex. More to come on this topic!
So believe it or not, we actually came out here to row. We’ve been out on the water just a couple of times since arriving. All three of us were in a 4- on our first row, and there is even video evidence to prove it! We are missing the GRP Group and Craftsbury for sure, but we’re enjoying the 80 degree temperatures and sunshine here for now! We’ll be sure to keep y’all up to speed as the adventure continues down South.