On Friday evening, Tillie and I were able to meet up with our great friend Gabby Leon. Gabby lives in Atlanta, and we’ve known her for about six years. Gabby has worked within the Greek community for many years now, and she currently works for Phi Mu’s Headquarters in Peachtree City, Georgia. She is truly a peach.

We settled in at Gabby’s and caught up for a bit before heading out to dinner. What an amazing dinner it was! We ended up eating at Antico Pizza Napoletana. The atmosphere was great. After placing your order, it’s up to you to find seating at the family-style-like setup. Patrons bring their own drinks and five minutes after we ordered, our pizza was in front of us. The pizza, a Lasagna pizza, was the best pizza that I’ve had in years, potentially ever. I was in heaven.

It was early to bed for us as I needed to get one more night of good sleep prior to my final run in Athens.

The next morning, we left Gabby’s apartment, picked up Jeremy Sale and made our way to Athens, Georgia. Athens, the home of the University of Georgia, is another city that has been on my to-visit list for awhile. The drive was about an hour and a half. For the record, I had purchased Megabus tickets for all of us to get to Athens and back that day, but we decided that taking the car would be more convenient.

My initial goal with the Athens route was to start in Athens and run to the Iron Horse statue that I thought was just a few miles out of town. I’m glad we didn’t make this assumption, as the statue was nearly 20 miles from Athens. After stopping to ask for directions, we found the impressive structure!

The Iron Horse Statue was first located at the University of Georgia, but because of numerous pranks by students, the horse was moved away from campus. Here, I was able to thank Mike Hyatt for his donation. Mike is one of Phi Delta Theta’s Province Presidents (regional volunteers), and he lives in Texas. We enjoy chatting Big 12 sports as Mike is an Oklahoma State Cowboy. Mike, thanks for your donation. The Iron Horse was definitely the spotlight landmark for the trip, and I enjoyed sharing it with you. For those who are wondering why an Iron Horse, I’ve raised funds for Lou Gehrig’s disease during this trip, and Lou Gehrig was known as the Iron Horse. It was a very symbolic stop.

As promised, I then rode the horse.

And shared a picture with Jeremy.

Gabby even got in on the fun.

We headed back to Athens to begin our run. Tillie and Gabby dropped us off near campus. Jeremy had the great idea to stop at the Alpha Gamma Delta house to take a picture for Jennifer Mores who is a Georgia Alpha Gam herself. More about Jennifer in a bit.

We then entered campus and headed towards Sanford Stadium.

Sanford Stadium is another great example of a beautiful SEC football stadium built right into campus. Known for its manicured hedges and adorable/ferocious bulldog mascot (Uga) on the sidelines, I can only imagine how amazing a game would be at Sanford Stadium. We tried finding an open entrance, but did not have luck. Here, I thanked my Uncle Randy and Aunt Lori. Randy and Lori are college football fans splitting their energy between rooting for the Iowa State Cyclones and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I ran into them during the Notre Dame game I attended in South Bend!

At the stadium, we found a few recycling bins that called for one of my Runner’s Choice photos. I thanked my sister and brother-in-law for the final time. My sister is a dog-lover, so I thought she’d appreciate this photo. Anne & Don, it’s been great to be able to thank you guys each day.

From Sanford Stadium, we found our way to the Phi Delt house where I was hoping to find my colleague Steven Fleming. Steven has been working at UGA throughout the year and has done a fantastic job with the chapter. The chapter house itself blew me away. Here, I took the opportunity to use a Runner’s Choice and thank Mario Villa again.

We knocked on the door to see if anybody was home but nobody answered. I ended up leaving a note for Steven on his car. Sorry I missed you buddy.

We headed back through campus towards the downtown district of Athens. We ran through the original campus in search of a few landmarks. We came across a great fountain.

And made our way to the Chapel Bell. Following home football victories, Georgia Bulldog fans make their way to the Chapel Bell to give it a ring. Jeremy mentioned that the line t0 ring the bell can get very long. Traditions like these are awesome. While the rope was not present to ring the bell, I took the opportunity to thank Jon & Ellen Collier. Jon is a former colleague at Phi Delt who is now finishing up his Masters at Bowling Green State University. Ellen used to work at Delta Zeta in Oxford, Ohio and is pursuing her Doctorate at BGSU. I had the opportunity to see the two of them a few months back as I was in Bowling Green for the weekend. I look forward to seeing what the next few months have in store for the Colliers!

From the Chapel Bell, we ran to the entrance of campus where we found the famous arch. In true Bulldog fashion, we did not walk through the arch; rather we went around it. Since the 1900s, tradition has held that students may not pass beneath the Arch until they have received a diploma from UGA. Here, I thanked Marc & Jennifer Mores. As mentioned before, Jennifer went to school at Georgia and remains a great Bulldog fan. Marc is a fellow Iowa State Phi Delt, and he was my former supervisor at Phi Delt. They have two adorable daughters, Ashley and Stephanie, who are apparently now fans of the Biebs. I support this 100%. Jennifer, it was awesome to see your school. I see why you are so proud!

Downtown Athens is amazing. It is full of unique stores, delicious restaurants, watering holes, eclectic music venues and other interesting little places. It is the type of downtown that all college towns should strive to replicate. Jeremy and I ran through downtown towards the courthouse. At the courthouse, I found one of my landmarks – The Double Barrel Cannon. Here, I was able to add to my collection of pictures of me looking into cannons, but this is a first for looking into a double barrel cannon. Crazy stuff. I thanked Haley Abel once again and it was back on the treads. Haley, by the way, your new name is pretty awesome. It has quite the ring to it!

We ran past the newly remodeled Georgia Theatre. Pretty cool.

I found a fun mural.

And then we took off to find one of the most obscure landmarks on my trip, the Tree that Owns Itself. When researching Athens, I kept seeing mentions about this crazy tree. It was too unique not to find. From what I know, a guy named William Jackson left eight feet of land all around this tree to the tree itself. The tree now owns itself, and I guess it just does what it wants?  Really, that’s it, but I had to find it. The tree provided a nice resting place and the opportunity to thank my pal Brent Rauch. I ran with Brent last year in Des Moines and had a blast. Brent is doing great things with his ministry in Ankeny, Iowa, and I always enjoy my time with Bubba.

From the tree, we found the 40-Watt Club, one of Athens’ famous music venues. Athens is known for producing many well known artists and bands including R.E.M., the B-52s, Widespread Panic, Bubba Sparxxx and Drive By Truckers.  The 40 Watt Club was the primary performance space for numerous Athens bands. Here, I thanked Todd & Candice Thomas one last time.

We reached five miles at this point and decided to call it quits. The distance on day eight was just what the doctor ordered. Jeremy and I sat down for a beer at The Globe while Tillie and Gabby finished up their manicures. We then headed to Terrapin Beer Co. for lunch. Wow, do they have great food and a phenomenal beer selection!

With a full belly, we set out to find my last landmark, Uga the dog. While I was unsuccessful in finding the real Uga (apparently he lives out of town), I was able to find one of many giant statues of Uga throughout town. Here I thanked Tillie and I’s great friends Joe & Sarah Wechsler. Joe and Sarah are two of our favorites, and we were able to meet their little Ben a few months back. We look forward to seeing Cal and Ben grow up together. Happy birthday, Sarah!

We made the trek back to Atlanta, dropped off Jeremy and went back to Gabby’s to relax. The evening finished off with a trip to Bell Street Burrito which has been ranked as a top ten burrito in the country. First of all, how does one rank the top ten burritos in the country, and two, how does one obtain that job? The burrito did not disappoint. So good.

A big thanks goes to Gabby Leon once again for her hospitality. Gabby, it was wonderful to see you.

I’m finishing this final post from Iowa as we’ve made it home safe and sound to the little man and the two canine yahoos. Just in time before another winter storm! I will be doing a recap of this past week in another post, but once again, to all those who helped make this trip happen, thank you. It is a week that I will never forget.

Georgia, Georgia
The whole day through (the whole day through)
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

Georgia is where I’ll end my 2013 trip.  Friday, I run Atlanta, and on Saturday, I run Athens. Atlanta is another one of those cities that I’ve spent time in but have not been able to explore fully. I arrived in Atlanta via Megabus at 3:30pm on Thursday. I would be staying just two blocks away in the Hilton Atlanta as Tillie is in town for work. A hotel stay at this point in the trip is always nice, and I had nothing planned for the evening besides a little work, writing, stretching, soaking and sleeping.

I woke up on Friday morning ready to tackle the city.

Tillie and I drove to Georgia Tech to drop off the car so we’d have a way back upon finishing the run. My running buddy for the day, Jeremy Sale, picked us up at Georgia Tech, we dropped off Tillie at the Hilton and headed to Grant Park where we would start. Jeremy is a Phi Delt from Mercer University and works in admissions at Oglethorpe University. Jeremy and I ran the Mercedes-Benz Half-Marathon in Birmingham a few years ago. He’s been a huge advocate of the Fraternity’s Iron Phi program, and I always enjoy meeting up with him.

Leaving Grant Park, our first stop would be Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves. Just outside Turner Field stands the Olympic Flame from the 1996 Summer Olympics.

One very neat thing about Turner Field is that they left the old wall from Fulton County Stadium standing in the parking lot. They’ve wrapped it into the layout of the parking lot, but it is a reminder of the old. How cool is that?

Another piece of history remains. In the middle of that lot stands a small marker of where Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run. I used the location to thank Bronk and Jessica Harms for their donation. Bronk is an Iowa State Phi Delt and is probably one of the main reasons why I joined. He was my orientation guide and sparked my interest in Greek life upon entering Iowa State. I’ve been able to visit Bronk and Jess a few times while on the road, and it’s always a great time. I’ve even battled his Boxer Pancha in a few tug-o-war competitions, with my teeth.

We entered a little area near the stadium to check out a few statues. I grew up watching the Braves (as did many). They are lucky to have the connection with Turner as it has spread their popularity across the nation over the years. There are many Braves fans. At Turner Field I thanked Ernie Chan for his donation. Ernie is a Phi Delt from Dalhousie University and has done many great things for the chapter.

Ernie’s contribution to this blog, when he ran Halifax, Nova Scotia, is one of my favorites to be posted. He ran 60KMs or 37.3 miles! Check it out by clicking his picture below. It was awesome!

From Turner Field, Jeremy and I headed to the Georgia State Capitol. What a beautiful structure! Its golden dome reminded me of Iowa. Here, I thanked Drew Miller once again for his donation. That’s two state capitols on this trip for Drew!

From the Capitol building, our next stop would be the Martin Luther King National Historic Site. Included in the site are MLK’s boyhood home, his church, his grave, and a museum that celebrates his life.  These places are critical components in the interpretation of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy as a leader of the American civil rights movement. Our first stop was his church – Ebenezer Baptist.

And then his grave. Here I thanked my pal Steve Huang. Steve and I sat next to each other on a plane awhile back as he was coming to Des Moines for work and I was returning home. We had a fun conversation and have stayed in touch since. Thanks for your donation Steve!

Heading back downtown, we passed a few more MLK-related things, including a bust.

And a giant mural of Congressman John Lewis.

We ran back to the Hilton to meet up with Tillie. She would be running the remaining miles with us. I was pumped to have her by my side. One person who does not receive enough thanks throughout this crazy run that I do is Tillie. When I started this last year, it was much easier for me to leave because Calvin had not been born. Well this year, leaving for a week was definitely a bit tougher. My wife is amazing, and I adore her.  She’s an amazing mother and supports me in everything that I do.

The three of us headed to the World of Coca-Cola, an interactive museum for Coca-Cola. As you can guess, Coca-Cola is headquartered in Atlanta and its footprint is everywhere. Here, I thanked my pal Jeremy and enjoyed a refreshing beverage. Note to self – While Coke is delicious, Coke while running is not a great idea.

Across the road is an entrance to Centennial Park, a park that was developed for the 96 Olympics. If you remember, it is also where the bombing occurred. We found this neat celebratory plaque, and I thanked Neil & Suzanne Alexander one more time.

Our next stop was the CNN Center. The CNN Center is the world headquarters of the Cable News Network. The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN’s news channels are located in the building. The facility’s commercial office space is occupied entirely by CNN and its parent company, Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Here, I thanked Chris Yow. Chris and I have met through this blog, and he lives in Costa Rica. He’s contributed to the blog and to read it, click his picture below. He even rocked a Cyclone shirt during his run!

Our next stop was Georgia’s famous dome, the Georgia Dome. The Dome is home of many great concerts and athletic events. Home of the Atlanta Falcons and the SEC Championship Game, it is a hub for activity. When I began my fundraising efforts, the Georgia Dome was one of the first landmarks purchased. My good friend Keith Wysocki, a Nebraska Phi Delt and former colleague of mine, enjoys a good Ludacris lyric as much as I do. What’s an Atlanta post without a Luda reference right? So, in honor of Keith (and Ludacris), I leave you with one of my favorite lyrics.

I’ve just realized that none of Ludacris’ lyrics are appropriate for this blog. Keith, I’ll text it to you.

From the Dome, we ran to the Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest. I improvised a bit on my Runner’s Choice thank-you to my sister and brother-in-law. I decided to thank their two boys, and my nephews, Will and Graham, or as I like to call them Will.i.Graham. They’d enjoy the aquarium greatly.

From the aquarium, we headed towards Georgia Tech. Did you know that the College Football Hall of Fame is moving from South Bend, Indiana to Atlanta? I didn’t. I’m sure they’ll get more traffic!

We arrived at Georgia Tech, which is one beautiful campus by the way! We found the Lawrence “Mr. Chip” Wood Robert, Jr. Alumni House. Chip is my colleague Jon Rogowski’s great-great-grandfather! How cool is that?  Here, I thanked Jon. Jon is the Director of Chapter Services for Phi Delta Theta and is an Iron Phi himself. Jon, it was truly fun to thank you here!

Tillie works for the Iowa State Alumni Association, so it was fun for her to go into the building to look around. I don’t have any ties to GT, but I want this large statue of Buzz.

Across the road is the University’s football stadium, where the Yellow Jackets play. It’s very cool as it’s built right into the campus.

We stopped at the Phi Delt house to take a picture.

Jeremy checked-in to the Phi Delt house on Foursquare and unlocked this awesome badge!

We found the John Heisman plaque just outside the football stadium.

And located one of the mile markers on Georgia Tech’s famous Pi Mile. Pretty clever eh?

Our run had finished, but the fun had only began. We headed to The Varsity for a nutritious bite to each. The Varsity is amazing!!  It was crazy packed full of people, and it was such a fun experience. I went for the cole slaw chili dogs (shocking right?), fries, a frozen orange drink and my own Varsity hat. It was amazing.

Tillie and I dropped Jeremy off at his car, went back to the hotel to pack and shower, returned Tillie’s car to the airport, took the MARTA back into town, found a little Irish Pub to cozy up at, went back to the hotel to grab our bags and stare in awe at the MomoCon confernece going on and finally walked to a coffee shop to wait for our great friend Gabby Leon to get home from work.

We had a great day in Atlanta!