Hi Everyone,
Seems so long ago, late in February of 2020 I was writing to you about how excited I was to go on a cross-country BBQ trip. Wow … that didn’t really work out! I wound up getting stuck in San Diego because California shut down and I wasn’t sure if I was even allowed to drive, eventually I raced back up to Seattle and hunkered down with my family. Like all of us when Covid started our plans we’re dashed, and the road ahead became uncertain (no pun intended). Flash forward, life goes on, and the world continues to spin … I am starting my cross-country BBQ drive today!
For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, I’ve been doing these drives for many years now. When I first started, there weren’t smart phones. I would read up and have a general plan but the best BBQ joints I discovered through word of mouth. I would go to the local truck stops and ask around, but the best referrals were always by the cops. As the years passed, the internet and smart phones became ubiquitous, and the planning has become much easier. Although one of the things I enjoy most about these trips is meeting people. BBQ is a quintessentially American tradition that brings family and friends together. I’ve never met an owner of a BBQ spot who didn’t have a story to tell about how or why they started their business.
I’ll be headed south from Seattle through Idaho, Utah, and eventually to Santa Fe where the BBQ portion of the drive will begin in earnest. I will mostly follow interstate 40 … Oklahoma, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Winston, Richmond (big shout out to RVA!), and then D.C.
I am looking for any suggestions you might have for places to stop on the way. If you happen to be near my route let me know and we can meet up. I am always down for a BBQ joint and/or a Tiki Bar.
Let’s go be great!
Brad