Be my guide: Music-driven road trip to Los Angeles kicks off in New York
My reader-guided musical road trip from New York to Los Angeles starts today, June 22, and already I’ve received plenty of tips on where to go. Watch for updates and photos over the next two weeks on the Daily Travel & Deal Blog and, later, a story in the Los Angeles Times Sunday Travel Section.
Nearly three dozen people posted comments on my earlier blog post. Many others e-mailed suggestions or Twittered them in 140-character, bite-sized nuggets (except for “adamstue,” who rebelled against Twitter’s length limit on messages by simply sending a series of tweets – sneaky).
A few trends emerged. Many readers were excited about stops in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. , but Houston and El Paso didn’t fair so well. And I received plenty of earnest pleas to hit Memphis instead of Nashville.
Although I billed my journey as “building the ultimate iPod set list” for the road, I’ve gotten relatively few tips about concerts and bars compared with the flood of restaurant reviews. Reader Jason Von Sick (below) poked fun at that predictable outcome with an e-mail titled “Fat America.” Accompanying that subject line was a list of popular restaurants in Cleveland.
I haven’t yet tossed any places off my itinerary (posted at end). So there’s still time to add ideas for wild outings in your city.
Any New Yorkers out there who are willing to face a Tuesday morning hangover at work — or better yet, if you’re funemployed — send your ideas, and let’s meet today. I may end up barhopping in Brooklyn. Follow me on Twitter or on the location-based social network Foursquare to get updates on where I land tonight.
So, in a baritone, Big Apple-rapper timbre, I ask: New York! Where’s the party at?
To provide travel tips, send e-mails to mark.milian@latimes.com, leave comments on this blog or, for those on Twitter, send tweets to @mmilian. To follow my road-trip status live, visit twitter.com/mmilian.
My tentative itinerary:
New York (June 22)
Washington, D.C.
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago
Nashville
Montgomery, Ala.
New Orleans
Houston
Austin
El Paso, Texas
Albuquerque
Las Vegas
Los Angeles (July 5)
– Mark Milian, Los Angeles Times staff writer
7 Comments on “Be my guide: Music-driven road trip to Los Angeles kicks off in New York”
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June 23rd, 2009 at 2:58 am
Don’t miss Pensacola.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:54 am
I spent lots of nights listening to live music in New York City. The two I remember most fondly are seeing Les Paul at the iridium and seeing Sweet Georgia brown at the 55 bar and Grill. If you can manage to hit both of those, both in Manhattan, you’ll have two very different experiences that I think are quintessential New York. Monday is Les Paul day at the Iridium.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Ok, you need music suggestions? When you are in Houston, go to Fitzgerald’s. It’s a funky night spot in a refurbished Czech beer hall. Wooden floors, wooden building, wooden everything. It’s located in The Heights, a funky part of the Space City. Live music most every night.
But I still want you to pull over and have a cup of coffee with us when you roll through Fort Stockton, on your trek from Houston to El Paso. (We’re about 500 miles from Houston.)
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
VEGAS, Baby! Be sure to check out Red Rock Canyon..preferably as early as possible…it’s a real Zen experience…and a nice juxtaposition against the oh so commercialized strip…I coupled the trip listening to Alison Kraus..or all things bluegrass! :) Enjoy!
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Take Hy 90 across south texas, Near Big Bend, Spend the night in The Gage Hotel, Marathon Tx. One of the neatest places I have experienced in my world travels. Best, Tom
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I’d like to challenge you to come to Nashville and see what kind of music there is that is NOT country. Check out the symphony in their incredible concert hall, catch a non-country gig at the Ryman, go to the BlueBird cafe or Douglas Corner where the music is taken seriously, and just about any bar in town will have some very talented musicians. Exit-In, 3rd and Lindsley, The Family Wash, and many others have great offerings. There are a lot of very talented people in this city! Visit http://www.nashvillescene.com and http://www.nashville.metromix.com for more info.
June 24th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Music for your iPod: “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody. “Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley, “Highway Star” by Deep Purple and “Trucker’s Two Step” by Taj Mahal.
See you in Fort Stockton, TX as you pass through. Just gimme a date!