Like the night before most road trips, I didn’t sleep particularly well. I’m a traveler by nature and thinking about the adventure that awaits the next day usually prevents me from getting a solid night’s sleep. But when the alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. I was quicker to get out of bed than every other morning when I have to get up at the same time. This was because I was preparing to do something I hadn’t done since 2017…check a new state off my list of visiting all 50 states. Alabama was the destination.

I arrived at Enterprise Saturday morning to pick up my rental car. No way was I going to put all those miles on my truck! And like I had heard was common, I received a free upgrade upon arrival. I paid for the smallest, compact car available, but since they didn’t have any on the lot, I was given the keys to the slightly bigger Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Things were already looking good and my trip hadn’t even begun yet.

It was then time for the drive. The long drive. But that’s the thing about road trips (at least for me)…the drive is part of the fun, especially going to your destination. Excitement is in the air as you think about the adventure that awaits on the other end of the road. And while I was in a hurry to get the sightseeing started, I was just going to enjoy the drive.

And drive I did. Around Charlotte. Through Greenville. Through Atlanta. Across the Alabama state line, until I finally arrived in Tuscaloosa. That was where my trip began and where I’d be staying my first night in a Best Western. After about eight hours on the road, I was pretty tired. And I thought to myself, “I drive for 9.5 hours every day, I shouldn’t be tired.” But for some reason, it’s very different driving when you’re behind the wheel constantly, versus stopping/going/stopping/going like I do every day delivering packages. Being a truck driver would be a tiring life.

University of AlabamaThe Sports Chief Photography/Garett — University of Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett

Upon checking in my hotel, it was time to explore a little. I’ve wanted to visit the University of Alabama for a while, so that’s exactly what I did and why my first stop was in Tuscaloosa. Visiting college campuses is something that I like to do anyway, but visiting the older, historic ones like Alabama are always a treat.

After looking for places to park where I wouldn’t get towed or ticketed, I settled on a space on the side of the street just outside of the Alabama football stadium. I wasn’t 100% positive I wouldn’t get ticketed, but I had a decent feeling I would be alright. Even if it was just a few hundred yards away from one of the most revered football stadiums in college football.

I had no clue where I was going, so I just started walking. Of course, my first stop was the stadium to take pictures. Like I figured, I couldn’t get a glimpse of inside the stadium because of the surrounding gate being locked up, but it was just incredible to me to be right there at it. Notre Dame is probably the only other school in America whose football stadium would awe me just as much by simply being in its presence. I couldn’t help but think of all the great players, coaches, and moments that have occurred right there.

Bryant Denny Stadium at The University of AlabamaThe Sports Chief Photography/Garett — Bryant Denny Stadium at The University of Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett

As I continued my walk, it started to hit me pretty quickly that, “man, Alabama is a humid place.” And that’s something I knew before I ever stepped foot in Alabama. But to actually experience it is another thing. To be fair, there was rain in the atmosphere and all over the forecast. I got very lucky I didn’t get rained on walking around campus. But the humidity right then and there was like the absolute worst days in North Carolina as far as humidity goes. I began wondering, “is this one of their most humid days or is it this humid all summer long?”

I crossed the road and was at the campus quad where the bell tower named “Denny Chimes” is located. Like at most college campuses, the quad was very large, green, and beautiful. It would be a great place to relax, study, or play. From there I continued on, taking pictures of some of the nicer buildings I came across. I can’t remember what road it was on, but there was one fraternity/sorority house after another and those were some of my biggest takeaways from the entire campus. That is because every single fraternity/sorority house was located in a huge, historic, and beautiful building. I’m not sure when they were built, but they appeared to all date back to the 1800s. They were gorgeous.

One of many fraternity/sorority houses that impressed me at The University of AlabamaThe Sports Chief Photography/Garett — One of many fraternity/sorority houses that impressed me at The University of Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett

I ventured to the baseball stadium, the basketball coliseum, and down Paul W. Bryant Drive until I finally decided to head back towards the car. It was getting a little late, I was hungry, and I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a ticket sitting in my windshield. And luckily there wasn’t.

First night’s hotel in TuscaloosaThe Sports Chief Photography/Garett — First night’s hotel in Tuscaloosa
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett

Now food was on the agenda. It had been a long day and I just wanted something fast that I could take back to the hotel. I searched Google and saw a place called Jack’s that was just a mile from my hotel and thought, “perfect, it’s nearby and it’s something I’ve never heard of so it must be a local place.” As it turns out, Jack’s is a fast-food chain restaurant down there. Even though it wasn’t a cool little local burger joint, I decided to go through the drive through and order a chicken sandwich. And I wasn’t disappointed with it one bit.

Back at the hotel it was time to eat, relax, and get ready for a very busy upcoming day.

Garett

Alabama/Mississippi Road Trip (Day 1)