Day 19 - Campus Tallahasseeus

For our first and only full day in Tallahassee, we decided to check out the biggest attraction in the area: the local college. Florida State University was founded in 1851 and was the first and is the largest state university in Florida. With a strong football program that has seen FSU win numerous championships in their local conference (of about 12 teams), the university boasts a huge stadium with 82,000 capacity that we were excited to get a look at. Walking into the campus from the northeast corner, we were initially struck by a sight none of us had witnessed before: flocks of girls made up in dresses and ball gowns walking up the hills into campus and milling around outside the halls. It was still mid-morning and we were looking for a place to eat breakfast/buy some FSU stash when we encountered these bizarre congregations.

It quickly dawned on us that these ladies were concentrated around the sorority houses, large residencies that betray their identities with Greek lettering above their front doors. After grabbing some Florida State shirts (Go Seminoles!), we headed over to the college’s union to grab a bite to eat. After passing only the second male in half an hour (a token security guard), we assumed we were in the something akin to the ‘female quadrant’ of the university, such was the volume of high-heel carrying sorority hopefuls in the area. The food court was closed for the morning, so we headed back out to Tennessee Street and into Donut Kingdom. While the guy at the counter struggled with Jannick’s pronunciation of the word ‘butter’, His Royal Highness the Donut King was in the back lazily throwing bagels in a bag, making the occasional appearance to chide his son’s ineptitude.

"Smile Joe..."

After some scoffing (a bite of one of Jan’s dozen donut holes and Joe had to get his own glazed cholesterol ring), we headed back into campus and set our sights on the Doak Campbell Stadium, a red brick fortress of formidable footballing pedigree. The front entrance was locked so we went round the side, taking a brief detour of the dwarfed baseball stadium next door (a pathetic 6,700 capacity), and managed to gain entry onto the magnificent lawn. The training facilities adjacent were also – if not more – impressive. Complete with an outdoor and an indoor training pitch, as well as the expected trappings of a rich football college, the facilities must have been some of the best for university level.

Joe takes down a member of the armless
legless red cushion gang

The indoor pitch

We ate lunch at a Japanese place not far from the hotel. Gigantic portions assured that we would not be hungry for at least another half an hour, when we would have smoothies and milkshakes back on campus. Teriyaki and hibachi meals provided us with mountains of meat and some much needed veggies. We cruised back home to pick up some wi-fi and suss out our afternoon plans. Creative juices surging, we decided to return to the college campus, in search of park greenery to have a throw around. Not until we got back in did we remember how oppressively hot it was, as the humidity and temperature cocktail conspired to limit our movements to a sluggish amble.

Instead, we opted for a refreshing beverage at the cool hang-out on that side of campus. The place was rammed with sorority wannabes who were easing their anxieties with ice-cream sundaes in what seemed like a ritual belt-loosening after their stressful interviews at the houses. We had our drinks outside and then went over to the park for a brief stint of people watching. Not staying long, we soon went back to the hotel to gear up for our first evening at a college bar.

Joe and I had time for a brief toning of the bibliopecks at the fitness suite while Jannick powdered his nose before we headed out for a late dinner. Our pizza plan was thrown instantly as we stepped inside Gumby’s Pizzeria to find it about 2 square metres in area and fairly steamy compared to the usual air-conditioning we had grown accustomed to. So to round off a day already peppered with spontaneity and originality, we plumped for two doors down and another pita at the Pitaria from the night before. Our reception was understandably less enthusiastic as it had been when we were the exotic strangers from last night, riding in and out of town on the wind in the blink of an eye. Now we were the unimaginative losers who had no other ideas for dinner other than what we’d put in our stomachs the night before. Jan and I even had the same order.

We took our uninspired selves back out onto the strip and over the road to Bullwinkle’s bar. This place we had noted had been voted the fourth best (later argued third best) college bar in the nation! It had not got going by the time we walked in at 9.45 but seemed a promising prospect with its $10 all you can drink policy. Beer pong tables had been set up and we were swiftly informed that there was a tournament going on and would we like to sign up? We very much would, thank you. So we put our names down, under the moniker of ‘Rule Britannia’, and waited for proceedings to get under way. Our opponents were a couple about our age, the male half of which instantly stopped us once he saw our team name. Turns out this guy Andy hailed from Manchester! We had located the only other Brit in Tallahassee. He had met his girlfriend Elissa whilst working at an American summer camp, and they had evidently formed a formidable beer pong partnership.

We were truly awful. As Joe watched from the sidelines with his head in his hands, our first round flew by in the blink of an eye. As it was best of three, we had a shot at a glorious comeback, but something told us it was not to be. After sinking a total of about 4 cups, our brief campaign came to a crushing end. Insult was added to injury as we had to drink the unpalatable Coor’s Lite that lay stagnant at the bottom of our embarrassed cups.

The rest of the night passed enjoyably, as we met some friends and cheered Andy and Elissa to the final (which they narrowly lost). We had some drinks and chats and a bit of a boogie before heading back to the hotel for our last sleep in Tallahassee. It had been a great couple of days, perhaps more fun than we had expected from a beachless Florida town.

Now to the coast - stay tuned!