CLOSING STATEMENT

After 14 days, 15 cities, 4,523 miles, 17 of the country's best bbq restaurants, four books on tape, two 90 song playlists, several comedy podcasts and hours upon hours of priceless conversation, Matt & Mom’s BBQ road trip has come to an end. We wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who followed us and provided comments, emails and phone calls showing support and admiration. We we're encouraged and inspired by all of your support.

It was technically a bbq road trip, but to us it was a lot more. It was an enlightening trip; in a way, life saving or at least life inspiring. It came at a time when we needed to see there's a lot of life to be lived and a lot of memories to be made. It was a mandatory shove into a New Year and era of our lives.

Along the way we shared plenty of tears, laughs and a couple quarrels; it was a physical as well as an emotional journey. I knew it was all worth it on the last day when I got a glimpse that my mom was really happy for the first time in awhile. It’s a start and something to build on.

We truly love you all and thank God you are in our lives.

The BBQ Road Trip crew walking off into the sunset

Cast of Characters

Consider this the curtain call of Matt & Mom’s BBQ Road Trip. The adventure featured a complete cast of characters and we wanted to recognize and thank each of them. They were responsible for putting the trip together, giving it life and distributing it to you. We could not have done it without them.

Cami the Camera – She brought the trip to life through her beautiful scenic photos, encapsulating videos and her now famous mouthwatering culinary footage.

Mr. Black – He was up 24/7 making sure we were always accessible and he served as liaison between us and our lodging, dining and shopping destinations.

Lyle the Laptop – He kept us connected to the outside world and provided the path for us to convey our story.

Paul the Pod – Our entertainment source providing endless hours of music, podcasts and videos. He made the drives seem shorter and provided necessary companionship while Mom and the dogs were sleeping.

Doc, or as he became known, “Mr. Reliable.” He got us to each place safely and in style. He provided comfort and stability every step of the way.

Rosie – She won our hearts the second she found the first Starbucks. She made the trip efficient and stress free. We’ll always remember her prideful tone when she’d proclaim, “Now arriving at destination!!” And we’ll always giggle when we think of her frustrating call outs of, “Recalculating,” or “Make a U-Turn Whenever Possible.” She never steered us wrong.

Zena – The official bed hog of the trip. She was nice enough to give me a sliver of the queen bed and a few feet of covers. Fortunately, sleeping next to her was like sleeping next to a large warm pillow and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Zuma – The pampered pooch if there ever was one. Her loyalty and protection throughout the trip provided priceless comfort and safety and we are forever grateful.

Mama D. – The purpose of the trip. An unmatched travel companion. I’m so proud to have shared this experience with her and we’ll remember it forever.

Me – It was a trip of a lifetime. 2008 was a hard year and 2009 looks to be tough as well, but experiences like this prove there is a lot to look forward to and a lot of memories to be made.

DAY 14 - Phoenix to Los Angeles

We spent the morning and early afternoon in Scottsdale exploring the various shopping areas and art districts. It was a pretty simple last day and did not include any bbq. Instead we hit a deli called Chompie’s - www.chompies.com – and got some breakfast and bagels.

Shopping district of Scottsdale

Zena and Zuma anxiously waited for Mom whenever she went into a store

After a bit of shopping we hit the road. The six hour drive home was spent reminiscing about the trip and the great sites and scenes we’d experienced. We oohed and aahed at the various feasts we’d consumed.

The timing of our drive home put us in the California mountains around sunset and we were able to snap some great shots.

We eventually got into the Los Angeles area and were greeted in standard SoCal form – with traffic.

We pulled into Costa Mesa around 7pm and the odometer for the trip read 4,523 miles – (equivalent to driving cross country and 2/3 of the way back).

On Thursday we'll do one last post thanking the cast of characters involved in the bbq road trip. We'll also do a closing statement.