Selma&Louis going on tour

[Selma&Louis]

Gen! Thank you so much!

We have been checking out movie-locations.com - as well as movie location overviews at imdb.com, and we have a long list of movie locations that we haven't gotten around to write about on the site yet. But it's easy to forget some movies when the focus is on the road, and I'm so glad that you made me remember two of my own favorites. The Bagdad Café is a sure stop (and I'll rewatch the movie tonight!) - and of course: the Whistlestop Café in Juliette, Georgia!! Wow, that's a place I've wanted to visit since I first saw the movie! If only Igdie could be there as well!

As for the Thelma&Louise-locations, we're planning to see many of them as we go into Utah. We're probably staying in and around Moab, Utah for a day or two, and sooooo many movies, from Stagecoach to S&L to recent Wim Wenders masterpiece "Don't come knocking", were shot in that area.

But we're thankful for all tips about movie locations as we know that there are several movies and locations slipping our minds! (I'm also searching through this site to find other movie location tips - like your post about S&L locations =)

Syv, thank you for your tip about the National Parks Pass! We're planning to visit some National Parks along the road, and we have been reading about them at the nps.gov site, but I wasn't aware of the possibility to buy one pass to enter all of them.

And thank you both for your input on the insurance thing. We might actually tro to get some advice from the US Embassy here in Oslo, even though getting into it these days is pretty much like entering a fortress.

BTW - I had a look at your pictures, Gen, and they were really inspiring!!


Selma aka Hilde

[Quebec Gen]

God ettermiddag

the Whistlestop Café in Juliette, Georgia!! Wow, that's a place I've wanted to visit since I first saw the movie! If only Igdie could be there as well!

She still lives there...well sort of:o)) They apparently still have the fake tombstones for Buddy Threadgoode and Ruth Jamieson although I wasn't able to locate them. You can't miss the Whistlestop Café, it is right in the middle of town. Their fried green tomatoes are not bad at all. The real Whistlestop Café is actually in Irondale Alabama, Fannie Flagg's hometown, if you ever happen to be in these parts.

As for Savannah and "Midnight", don't miss Club One a friendly alternative night club on the corner of Bay and Jefferson St. where the Lady Chablis performs occasionally. Here's the schedule of her shows. The Bird Girl Statue is no longer standing in the Bonaventure Cemetery but you can find her at the captivating Telfair Museum. Here's a picture of the Mercer-Williams House I took just a few weeks ago. As you can see, nothing changed much since the movie and this house is a true model of preservation both inside and out.

Savannians are without a doubt among the friendliest and warmest people I met in the US. They make you feel at home and comfortable right from the start. How could you not like Savannah anyway with all its green squares, historic homes, oak trees and spanish moss?! Don't miss Tybee Island just a 15 minutes drive from SV, where you'll most likely have the long white sandy beach all to yourselves.

The Bagdad Café is a sure stop (and I'll rewatch the movie tonight!)

I visited Newberry Springs last winter on my way to Death Valley. The Café was deserted so I had the opportunity to have a long chat with the owner, Andrea Pruet (I may not have spelled it right). I took a look at the guestbook and was quite surprised to find that most of her visitors are Europeans. I wonder if the tour buses stop there...?:-)

As for the Thelma&Louise-locations, we're planning to see many of them as we go into Utah.

It just crossed my mind that I saw an interview with Callie Kouri and she said the Arkansas farm land scenes they showed at the beginning of the movie were actually shot around Bakersfield, California.

We might actually tro to get some advice from the US Embassy here in Oslo, even though getting into it these days is pretty much like entering a fortress.

As I said, it's just a wild guess on my part. I really doubt it'll work. I've tried to get in at the US Embassy in Montreal last year and they wouldn't let me into the front door because I wasn't an American citizen. You could probably e-mail them to ask your questions if they won't let you in though.

Ha det!
Geneviève

[Selma&Louis]

Thanks again, Gen!

I've actually gathered up quite a lot of info about Savannah, and a visit to the Club One to see the Lady Chablis herself is on the list! But thank you for confirming what I already thought and planned!!

But hey - you have to stop posting those pictures - NOW! 'Cause they make me want to jump on a plane today and start drivin' right away!
No, really - keep 'em coming! They're truly inspirational!

I'm off to bed now (and actually, I dream about the trip at least once a week, so sleeping is fun!), but I'll make sure to record your tips tomorrow! But before I log off, I have to ask: Where did you learn Norwegian? I'm really impressed!

So - God natt! Og tusen takk for hjelpen! =D

(And - I did watch Bagdad Café again tonight, it's been years since I last saw it. Great movie! And I guess it was always more popular in Europe than in the US, which could explain the amount of European tourists. Marianne Sägebrecht is rather big (no pun intended) in Germany, I think, and even I have seen her in other movies. You ought to see her in Zuckerbaby!!)

[lhuff]

Odly enough in my past job I wound up managing a medical billing service and had to work a claim for a man who had purchased travel health insurance in Norway and come to Louisiana and gotten very sick. I was very impressed with how much his insurance covered. I know that I don't recall having to send a bill to Norway, but at one point I did have to speek with someone from Norway's embassy.

[lhuff]

Take some time outside of N.O. and go to Gramercy (only about 30 minutes outside of Kenner) and see Oak Alley and Laura Plantations. Both of which were fine after Katrina/Rita per their websites. They are actually on the same road just about a mile or so apart.

I think you'll be surprised about the French Quarter and Garden District. They were relatively unharmed, but the rest of N.O., and south LA, for that matter and still in pretty bad shape. Although it was announced yesterday that the Lower 9th Ward had just gotten water service restored. So there is hope that it will get better, although it was never the prettiest or best kept of cities.

(I decided to move back to North Louisiana after having to jump over green puddles and vomit a few days after Mardi Gras to get to work). Not pretty.

[Quebec Gen]

Hi!

and a visit to the Club One to see the Lady Chablis herself is on the list!

You won't regret it. I didn't get to see the Lady Chablis in person but the staff and the people who hang out at that club are particularly friendly.

But hey - you have to stop posting those pictures - NOW! 'Cause they make me want to jump on a plane today and start drivin' right away!
No, really - keep 'em coming! They're truly inspirational!

Thanks! I have made a couple of online photo albums on the USA over the last few years : 1 2 3 4 5

Where did you learn Norwegian?

Actually, I don't know many Norwegian words, I would never be able to handle a conversation. All I can say is good morning, good afternoon, good night and goodbye! I took a German class when I was in "Cegep" (between high school and university (or college as the Americans call it)) and for some reason it came very easily to me, much easier than Spanish anyway -- which doesn't make sense because my native language is French. Plus, I had a nice Norwegian girl in my class who, of course, had no trouble learning German so we teamed up together for a few oral exams and she taught me a couple of words. I like germanic languages, I'd like to learn more German and maybe Swedish but it's kind of hard when you don't have anyone to practice with.:o(

Og tusen takk for hjelpen! =D

det er min fornøyelse - OK I have to admit I used a translator for this one:o)

You ought to see her in Zuckerbaby!!)

Okay I surely will, I like foreign movies!

God natt!
Geneviève

[Selma&Louis]

Hi again!

After spending some time working on the budget part of the planning - and reading up on tips and stories on this site, we're back in hope for some feedback on part of our itinerary.

We'll be driving down from Seattle to San Francisco, and our plan is to make it a rather quick ride - without missing out on too much of the scenery.

Being Norwegians, we're familiar with dramatic coastlines. And - we plan to spend some time along the (more beautiful and unfamiliar) coast as we continue from San Fran to LA. Still, we want to drive at least partially along the Pacific west coast.

Our primary route is from Seattle to Portland, then past Salem to Lincoln City on the central Oregon coast. According to our Rough guide to the USA, Lincoln city is "the ugliest town along the west coast", so they suggest a stopover in Newport or Florence instead. We'll follow the US 101 past the Oregon Dunes, down to Eureka, CA, drive through the Avenue of the Giants (Humboldt Redwoods State Park) and all the way past Santa Rosa to San Francisco.

According to Yahoo! Maps it's a 20 hours drive , MapQuest estimates 17-18 hours. Still, we hope to make the trip in two days.

Is this realistic at all? Are we missing out on something by taking the 101 almost all the way down? Anything we might as well skip to make the trip more effective?

All advice is highly appreciated!

Selma aka Hilde

[AZBuck]

My first impression is that, unfortunately, your planned itinerary for those two days between Seattle and San Francisco is a bit unrealistic. The on-line mapping routines are notorious for underestimating the time required to drive between two distant points, particularly since they do not take into account stops to enjoy the incredible scenery you will be driving through, slow downs for traffic or small towns, food and rest stops, gas stops, etc. When I did that drive in reverse (north out of San Francisco) it took me a very full, 14 hour day to get as far as Grant's Pass. What I'd do instead of trying to see the Oregon coast - beautiful, but out of the way - is to start out down I-5 to Olympia, WA, and then use US-101, WA-8 and US-12 to get to the Washington coast at Aberdeen. From there, WA-105 and US-101 will allow you to explore the Pacific Northwest coast a bit, including the mouth of the Columbia River. Just south of Seaside, OR, US-26 will take you back inland to join I-5 at Portland so that you can cover some ground southbound. The Willamette valley is scenic in its own right, but should still let you get well into southern Oregon or even northern California and set you up for your second day's drive through the redwoods and down US-101 into the Bay Area.

[Selma&Louis]

Thanks again, AZBuck!

That's just the kind of advice we're looking for! It's easy enough to sit on the other side of the world with Google Maps and a pocket planner, but when you don't know the real deal you're in for a few surprises... We'll work your suggestion into the list of alternative itineraries!

[PNW Judy]

I live next door to Aberdeen and I agree with AZBuck that coming to Aberdeen and then driving down the coast from there is a great way to see some lovely country. However, you really won't see much of the coast this way. Most of 101 is a bit inland in Washington state. If you can squeeze a third day out of your trip for this part, I would start in Aberdeen and then go down the entire coast to San Francisco without veering off to I-5. I really don't think you'll regret it.

I've driven some of Norway's coast (from Bergen to Oslo) and it's beautiful, wondrous scenery. But, unless my memory is faulty, I think the coastlines are quite different from each other. I don't think you'll think you're just seeing what you could see at home at all. It's very different and I really think you'll enjoy it. So, please, really consider adding a third day and doing the entire coastal route.

If you really can't squeeze out that extra day, I would take I-5 south to Albany, OR, and then take Hwy 20 out to Newport, OR, and then drive south from there. You'll still miss a lot of beautiful coastal scenery on the northern Oregon coast but this will allow you to make good time down the highway before heading over to the coast where you will drive at a slower pace. And you won't be criss-crossing as much.

AZBuck's suggestion is good as well so you might sit down with a map and guidebook and pour over the options of both suggestions to see which one appeals to you most. It just depends on what you really want to see and do.