Bluebell Creameries & McIlhenny Company (Tabasco Factory)

During our cross-country journey, we did a pair of factory tours worth checking out. The first was for Blue Bell Creameries, a popular purveyor of ice cream in the South. (This brand doesn't exist in New York.)

Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the factory tour, so all I have to show you is the exterior, which includes the country's allegedly best trashcan. What made it so special, I'm not entirely sure.

The factory tour was interesting--especially for anyone that's enjoyed Marc Summers' Unwrapped on Food Network. The best part of the tour came at the end, when everyone was able to get a free scoop. Additional scoops cost $1 each, meaning we delightfully indulged in quite a number of scoops.

We also stopped by Candyland for one reason: a highway billboard that advertised the WORLD'S LARGEST GUMMY BEAR. Unfortunately, it also cost $150, meaning that we were not going to enjoy said gummy bear. (We did get more ice cream, however.)

Another highway sign directed us to the McIlhenny Company, aka the Tabasco Factory. This free tour starts with a movie, explaining the company's deep Southern heritage (aka slaves). We snuck out early because we wanted to get to the gift shop before it closed. We ran through the entirely empty factory, and eventually got to the store. There, we picked up some pepper pulp (only available at the factory) and some Tabasco barbecue coals--made from the same barrels that age the hot sauce!

(And yes, there was ice cream at the end.)

Places to check out:
Blue Bell Creameries (Brenham, TX) - http://cdn.bluebell.com/the_little_creamery/visiting_blue_bell/VisitBB_Brenham.html

Candyland Cottage & Ice Cream Shoppe (Rayne, LA) - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candyland-Cottage-Ice-Cream-Shoppe/137902196247095

McIllenny Company (Avery Island, LA) - http://www.tabasco.com/avery-island/visitor-information/

Austin

Perhaps no other city on this trip has made me think "I want to live here" as much as Austin. Immediately, I could feel the hipster vibe from this place, with its cute restaurants and boutique art galleries. It was like an entire city had been converted into Williamsburg, but with prices that are more Texas-friendly.

My first night was especially boozy, with an amazing sausage place called Banger's. I met up with some Twitter followers--people from Hellfire Games. After a rousing conversation about N64 games (it's sort of my specialty), it was time to grab more drinks at The Buzz Mill... and then pass out.

The next day, we pursued some art, looking at awesome movie posters at Mondo. Afterwards, we were going to get some ice cream with JC Fletcher, but we ran into a place called Donut Taco Palace 3. Obviously, we had to drop everything and go. But unfortunately, they close at 2! That's terrible! What kind of business model is that? Don't worry, we would return...

After chatting up JC about his Tiny Cartridge empire, we grabbed dinner at The Salt Lick. Wow, what a stunning venue, with eye-exploding amounts of food. It was delicious, too. We ate until it hurt...

Finally, the next morning, before we left Austin, we made a return visit to Donut Taco Palace to get none other than a donut taco. It's pretty miraculous, if you ask me. But, why have the hours of operation from 6am to 2pm? If this were New York, we'd flip it around: 6pm to 2am--to get the stoners and drunkards walking out of bars. The crispy donut bread and taco proteins would make for amazing drunk food.

Austin, I'll be back. Maybe to live in you one day.

Banger's - http://bangersaustin.com/
The Buzz Mill - http://buzzmillcoffee.com/
Magnolia Cafe - http://themagnoliacafe.com/
Mondo - http://www.mondotees.com/
The Salt Lick - http://www.saltlickbbq.com/
Donut Taco Palace - http://www.donuttacopalaceinaustin.com/

Bangers has a lot of beer. I should've taken a panorama shot.

My beer flight of porters. Yum!

The Buzz Mill offers both coffee and alcohol, making it perfect for morning and night.

It also has a bear wearing a sweater.

And a beaver. So it sort of wins.

Sorry, we're open.

Apparently, all of Austin is decorated interestingly.

Open 24 Hours a Day / 8 Days a Week

No trip to Austin is complete without Mondo Gallery

What is this. Yes.

Such vanilla. Very chips ahoy. Much marshmallow. Wow!

We're going to eat all of this.

See? We did it.

Dallas

Texas is the longest leg of our trip, with three cities planned on the schedule. Dallas is our first step into the state of guns, beef, and BBQ. From here on out, our trip is less about seeing amazing things, and more about eating amazing things.

Our first meal in Dallas was at Babe's, a fried chicken joint where all the fixins are included. The chicken was good, but what made it memorable was the decor, which included cheesy chicken-related puns attached to famous movie icons. We also tried two of what's considered the best BBQ joints in the Dallas area: Meshack--a literal shack operated in the suburbs, and Sonny Bryan's, one of the oldest, most respected BBQ franchises around. Meshack had wonderful sausage, while Sonny Bryan's had a ton of personality.

Finally, for drinks, we went to NYLO's rooftop bar. In spite of the shitty weather, the view of the downtown skyline was impressive. And with $4 drinks, it's definitely worth coming back to.

Babes - http://www.babeschicken.com/

Soda Bar - http://www.nylohotels.com/dallas/downtown-dallas-soda-bar-dinning-4-8.aspx

Meshack's - http://www.yelp.com/biz/meshacks-bar-be-que-shack-garland

Sonny Bryan's - http://www.sonnybryans.com/

Darth Vader-approved chicken

The view from the top of NYLO

Also, $4 drinks!

This is a literal BBQ shack

This is what introduced Garnett Lee to the world of BBQ

Totally legit.

Carlsbad Caverns

Easily the highlight of my trip so far, the Carlsbad Caverns are unlike anything I've ever seen. After leaving Roswell, I only had about an hour to drive to the national park in order to make the 2PM final entrance. Unfortunately, it was a 90 minute drive away from town. So, you betcha that I sped like I never have before. (I was probably doing 100 on 55 roadways... yikes!)

Once we get to the caverns, I find out that the last natural entrance ends at 2, but that you can enter the cave until 3:30. That meant that we could take the elevator down and walk backwards until we caught up with the group that entered at 2.

While it's a little upsetting that we missed the "Bat Cave," a real part of the caverns, I had no complaints with what I did see. In fact, this is another one of those moments where photographs simply won't do justice--especially not a tiny cameraphone like mine. It's all the more reason that I promise to come back to the caverns. I'd love to not only see it again, but do it right--with a guided tour that goes off the beaten path.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park - http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm

Santa Fe / Madrid / Roswell / International UFO Museum

Whoa, that's a lot of territory covered for one blog post. After the Petrified Forest, we headed off to see Will Boncher, an old roommate of mine from New York. Santa Fe is a long way off, but we had to get there in time for dinner...

But at the Grand Canyon, we met a couple who's also been doing the cross-country trip--just in the other direction. We had an interesting chat with them in the cold, and they recommended swinging by a small town called Madrid. (It's not pronounced MadRID like the city, but rather MADrid, making it similar to the difference between Houston, TX and Houston Street in New York.) The story of Madrid is fascinating: it was once a ghost town, but was reclaimed by hippies. Now it's a bizarre small town of a handful of houses, a restaurant, a bar, and lots of Christmas lights. We stopped by a restaurant there called The Hollar, which had hands-down the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had.

After a quick bite, we headed to Santa Fe, where we met up with Will for some Mexican food and drinks. I tried to pay back our host after he paid for our meal--only to have him THROW THE MONEY BACK INTO MY FACE. Good man!

The next morning, we said goodbye to Will, promising to return for his wedding later this year. And then, we were off to Roswell. I was warned that the famous alien-town didn't offer much to see, so I allocated very little time to it. Apparently, 30 minutes really is all you need to see all the sights! What made Roswell so disappointing was how suburban and generic it was. Driving down town, you wouldn't really get a sense that something magical happened here. It was just Walgreens, McDonalds, and every other chain you'd expect in any generic town. The UFO Museum was interesting, but also doesn't offer much to see. The "evidence" is sketchy at best, but hey... I still want to believe.

Places to check out:
The Hollar (Madrid, NM) - http://www.thehollarrestaurant.com/
Come for the quaint town of Madrid, stay for the delicious food. Situated between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, this abandoned ghost town was reclaimed by artists and transformed into a weird hippy village. The Hollar is home to some amazing cheesy grits and fried green tomatoes.

Second Street Brewery on the Railyard (Santa Fe, NM) - http://www.secondstreetbrewery.com/second-street-brewery-at-the-railyard/
Where else can you go for a drink as trains pass on by and a half-blind man sings country songs for you? Good beer and good snacks, but most importantly, good people. Really enjoyed the conversations I had here with Will and the gang.

Horseman's Haven Cafe (Santa Fe, NM) - http://www.yelp.com/biz/horsemans-haven-cafe-santa-fe
Why yes, this cafe is located in a gas station. And you may notice that it has a line stretching out before it even opens. Why? Because it's that good. This is the very definition of a dive, with greasy diner favorites and Mexican food with a to-die-for green sauce. Seriously. The "level 1" may kill the most; and even I found the "level 2" spicy.

International UFO Museum (Roswell, NM) - http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/
There isn't much to see in the town of Roswell, but this tiny museum is a visit worth taking for any alien aficionado. The "research center" collects evidence and testimonies from close encounters. There's also some cool alien-related props, and hilarious posters.