Nick and Sarah were withering a bit in the Southern heat. They were, however, looking forward to Birmingham, Alabama, engagement rings, and plenty of sports history. The South was fun, and it was like going to a different country for them, but they were not accustomed to the humidity. But going into a sports history mecca like Birmingham got them both charged up. “I almost wish I needed Tommy John surgery,” Sarah said as she drove faster to keep the wind whipping through the Jeep. “We’re in the right place for it,” Nick agreed. “You know, we can turn on the a/c,” he reminded her.
Nick nodded and listened to see what soundtrack she was selecting for this leg of the trip. He was expecting something sticky and heavy, like the Dr. John and Professor Longhair that they had been listening to for the last week, where each note sounded upbeat yet damp somehow. Instead, he was hearing the beginning of “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”.
“Jimmy Buffett?” Nick asked. “He’s so…beachy.”
“He’s from Mississippi,” Sarah said.
Nick and Sarah headed east to Louisiana. They had been there before, for Mardi Gras, but never to look around and really see the city—especially how antique engagement rings in New Orleans were different. They had to be.
“It will be nice,” Sarah said, “to see New Orleans without all the Mardi Gras mess going on.”
“Agreed,” Nick told her. “But it WAS fun.”
“Yeah,” Sarah laughed, “after we looked at the pictures to see what happened.”
Nick looked thoughtful. “I’d still give a nickel to know,” he said, “how and when I got into that cow costume.”
After a semi-embarrassing trip to Hippie Hollow, Nick and Sarah hopped in the Jeep and headed southeast to find THE Houston, Texas perfect engagement ring.
Sarah leaned her head back against the headrest and looked at Nick.
“If everything truly IS bigger in Texas, do you think that will mean the diamonds are bigger?” She asked.
Nick smiled. “Do you really believe everything is bigger in Texas?”
“I read it on a t-shirt somewhere,” Sarah explained. Taking Nick’s hand off of the gear-shift, she kissed it and told him, “I don’t believe EVERYTHING is.”
The ride to Austin was not long, only about an hour and a half, so Sarah had to fit her annoying games into a short time.
“Babe,” She said to Nick, “You know what awesome movies were partially filmed in Austin?”
Nick sighed and leaned back against the headrest. “What if Austin, Texas has engagement rings unlike any other in the world?” Nick asked. “Will you then be sorry you made me play this game?”
Sarah smiled. “Probably not. ‘Dazed and Confused’ was filmed here.”
Nick laughed. “Well, awright,” he quoted his favorite character from the movie, played by Matthew McConaughey before anyone knew who he was. “He has a house here, babe,” Nick told her.
“What is this about?” Nick asked as they hit hour nine of the 8 ½-hour trip.
“It’s south and a little east, and it’s a big city,” Sarah explained. “How hard can it be?”
Looking at his watch, he said, “For you, no engagement ring in San Antonio, Texas.”
They talked about how each city had its own flavor of jewelry, so engagement rings in Amarillo, Texas ought to taste like riding bulls and doing the two-step. They both had a very clear picture of what Amarillo, the “Yellow Rose of Texas”, would be like, but knew that they would likely be surprised in some way, as they always seemed to be by each new city.
“Did you know that Colorado has diamond mines?” Sarah asked Nick as they made their back east toward Durango.
“I did know that,” Nick told her, “I think you read it to me when we were on our way to see Karen.”
“Do you think Durango, Colorado engagement rings are all somehow really earthy and natural looking?” Sarah asked.
“I’m guessing they have as many ways to set a stone as anywhere else,” Nick responded.
“Durango, Colorado,” Sarah said. “Durango. Dur-an-go.” She leaned over towards Nick. “It’s sounds cool, Durango.
After a necessary tune-up for the Jeep and mailing a box full of stuff home, Nick and Sarah set off for Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah. Nick figured that, since Mormons are way into marriage, and celebrities are way into marrying a lot of times, Salt Lake City/Park City, Utah must be Engagement Ring Central. They both liked the idea that they were looking for diamonds in a place where there were diamond-ranked ski trails.
Nick and Sarah were heading east again, this time to go on a bike trek and to see Boise, Idaho engagement rings. They were once again looking to find something that had a distinctly local flavor, an engagement ring that you couldn’t get just anywhere. The more they knew about what people wanted around the country, the better. They had already seen so much of the country that they had never imagined they would see, and knew that few people had the opportunities they had.
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