Sharone had implored us to witness a Deerfield sunrise during our four days, so it seemed poetic that we’d do this on our final morning. At 7:30am we took our place on the beach to witness this extraordinary event coming from the horizon sitting on the ocean. She was right to push us. It was one of the most spectacular sights I’ve ever seen as the perfectly circular sun emitted orange rays that bounced off the ocean waves, creating a picture that looked like heaven had opened its gates from the distant sky. It was kind of fitting that we ended our journey on a sunrise to draw our time to a close. A sunrise signifies new beginnings, new energy, and a new lease of life, and that’s how I wanted to see the aftermath of our epic adventure. Reinvigorated and inspired for the challenge of my third novel, armed with all the experiences I’ve taken from the last sixteen nights.

Saying goodbye to Sharone was an emotional moment. This was the first time we’d spent a period together away from other family members. I’d said beforehand that we’d always had a good relationship, but what I didn’t expect to feel was just how strong that bond was. By the end of the trip, it wasn’t like I’d connected with a cousin, but more like I’d gained a sister. I have to say a huge thanks to her for looking after us, and for showing us a great time and some amazing sights in Florida. It would’ve been easy for us to use Deerfield as a place of rest and treat it like a beach holiday in the Mediterranean, and not venture further than walking distance. But Sharone ensured we kept to the mantra of experiencing new things on this journey. It may be the only time I visit everywhere I’ve seen on this tour. But it will not be the last time I visit her!

Even though we left Deerfield feeling like the trip had drawn to a close, we still had one final driving experience back to Orlando to confront. It was a three-hour journey, and I savoured every moment of driving a deluxe car back to the airport, reflecting on the trip and what it meant.

The thing I’m proud of the most is organising this whole expedition in the time that I had. Suze and I had the idea of embarking on an epic adventure/holiday but were waiting till mid-January to decide what that would be. A road trip covering the Deep South wasn’t even considered till we realised that the only flight option to America from Manchester was Orlando. To conduct all the research beforehand from the route itself to ideal car rentals, from accommodation options to experiences in each State, all to a specific timing and budget point of view has given me a great sense of achievement. I’ve definitely missed my calling in life working within the travel industry.

For the purpose of the new novel, I got more than I needed out of the trip. Ideas flowed and the film became clearer in my mind. Soaking up the vibe of each destination was hugely significant, but the music has played an integral part, in many manifestations. Given the new novel will follow on from the second, music is of massive importance. Considering whereabouts in the world we were, I used that to my advantage for inspiration and story plotting. We travelled through the home and birthplace of jazz in New Orleans, ripped through the roots of American soul, gospel, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll in Memphis, embraced the birthplace of country and western, and bluegrass in Nashville, and absorbed the southern gothic/dark country sound of the Deep South in general. Add to that, engaging in the plethora of lyrics about travelling from the songs we played, and stepping inside Elvis’ home, then it was hard not to feel those musical roots and origins and be inspired from a creative standpoint.

Songs played on the road through my playlists helped me shift into another dimension on several occasions. Discovering new artists, or reconnecting with older tunes, all served a purpose and helped soundtrack the trip. New Orleans was the main place for this. The two nights we spent there controlling the jukebox, playing bands from the local blues scene, or timeless classics, made both nights incredible that will sit long in the memory. Sat within a dirty dive bar talking to strangers, drinking beer and whiskey while all this was going on is just my idyllic night in America.

In general, playing songs about the places we were visiting somehow gave them greater meaning. ‘Born on the Bayou’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by the Animals, ‘New Orleans’ by Stevie Nicks, ‘Walking in Memphis’ by Marc Cohn, ‘Proud Mary’, by Ike and Tina Turner are just a few tracks that embodied our journey. I can also add a multiple of Elvis songs, and any Nashville/Tennessee song about whiskey to that list. What you don’t realise until you’re driving through these regions is just how many songs mention areas of the Southern States. It’s incredible to hear how many times New Orleans / Mississippi / Tennessee / Alabama / Georgia / Louisiana and Alligators are mentioned. It truly is a remarkable area that serves to inspire, and I felt that creative influence regarding my own writing ideas.

I mentioned earlier that Florida and the bond I felt for my cousin was unexpected, and that became one of my favourite aspects of this trip from a personal point of view. Come to think of it, the trip was full of unexpected surprises. That even extended to our final moments when I bizarrely ran into a friend of mine at Orlando Airport on the way home. Small world, eh?

To think about the key aspects over the sixteen nights as a list is something I can’t get my head around. There’s simply too much we covered, and sometimes I forget we even experienced some of it. Taking a Swamp Tour and observing alligators in their natural habitat was one of the main things I looked forward to beforehand, and it didn’t disappoint. Commanding the jukebox in a dive bar in New Orleans, staying in the most beautiful settings in Mississippi and Pensacola, taking a Mississippi River Boat Cruise, walking on Beale St, setting foot inside Graceland, experiencing Broadway, Nashville in full flow with bands everywhere, drinking whiskey in Tennessee, visiting the Jack Daniels factory, seeing the film set to ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café’, experiencing Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and stepping into Versace’s house are just a few of the things that could make up one person’s bucket list. To top it all off, we drove to these places, covering 2,500 miles, where the scenery changed in every State but remained nothing short of magical. That whole concept of driving coupled with picturesque landscapes has played a major part in our journey, elevating it into something even more monumental than we could imagine. You could even consider being pulled by the police in America as an experience. Despite shitting ourselves when it happened, it did provide a lot of humour after we got away with it.

If pressed for my favourite place in the Deep South, I’d have to say New Orleans. There is something haunting and hypnotic about that place, and we didn’t even scratch the surface having only stayed in the French Quarter.

It was amazing to feel those same feelings again on the road from seven years ago. When you’ve been travelling for four or five days or so, the mindset changes and this feeling of liberation and freedom encapsulates you. Life moves fast, yet it’s slow upon reflection, and excitement builds when you realise what you’ve got lined up the next day, or the day after, or the day after that. It’s a feeling of home. Home is a state of mind, and travelling doesn’t half provide that feeling. I guess there’s a gypsy part to my soul that dances when embarking on these trips. It can be gruelling, tiresome, and a little fearful at times. It messes up your appetite and sleep pattern too, but my God it is worth it! I can only imagine what a prolonged travel experience lasting for months would feel like and how that would shape you going forward. We only did sixteen nights and felt its ethereal touch.

I hope I was able to bring the blogs to life the best I can. Two main reasons for doing so was to never forget this experience and have it all documented, perhaps just to remind myself that it really happened and wasn’t just a dream. The other is for them to act as a warm-up exercise to get motivated and ready to tackle the third book. They are not designed to gloat or boast, but more to influence and inspire. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than hearing of someone embarking on a similar trip off the back of this, or from one of my novels, and take our experiences and make them better suited to yourself. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

A special thanks also goes to my co-pilot and travel companion Suze. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without you, and there’s no better person to have had by my side on such a trip. It’s not often that we get to have as much time together as we did given our busy schedules, so it was ace to share this experience for sixteen nights. That’s two road trips down now, how many more to go? Ten States completed, forty to go. Can it be accomplished? I’d give it a go.

But, until the next adventure, wherever that may take us, I’ll put my travel blogging on hold for a while, especially because my next trip needs to be in a typical holiday destination, like Tenerife, sat on my arse in the sun somewhere for two weeks doing nothing worthy of reporting on. But that will be in the summer… in the meantime… I have a novel to write!

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