Bobby Hicks takes the Ultimate Fall Road Trip

New Orleans has always been one of my favorite cities. The energy, the sense of magic and the pace of it all gives me a reason to smile, simply thinking about it.

The world is full of wonderful people and places, but it’s difficult to imagine a world without The Big Easy. Around every corner, you have a musician playing from his or her heart. You see a beer in every hand and a smile crooked on dozens of faces. You have the beauty of Mississippi River running along Decatur St, and the aftermath of weekend nights sticking to the floor of Bourbon St. It really is a surreal utopia.

When I found out that NOLA was to be on the Jägermeister/Time Out New York tour, I knew I was in for a treat. But it only made sense that the most magical of all the cities on this trip should finish it off.

Entering Las Vegas is always a surreal thing to me. I’ve never been particularly drawn to the night life of most cities. I guess I’ve just never been drawn to gambling and the various casino gaming because I never knew how to play these games. Growing up, I never learned how to play card games, but I’d love learning how to shuffle. So, it was always the abstract aspects of casinos that I enjoyed, which made it difficult for me to hang out with friends that did gamble. Nobody wants to actually teach someone how to play a game, and I didn’t care to learn. The architecture, the lights and the buffets were my entertainment in cities like Vegas—I really love a good buffet.

But entering Vegas with Darrell was a blast. It was great to get around and hang with someone that had the same interests at heart, like getting a shot of some of the amazing hotel designs, or eating some awesome food. Darrell, being an avid beer enthusiast, was in his element with some of the craft beer bars around the city.

La,
You’ll always have a special place in my heart.

I had such a great time, these past couple days. Right from the word “Go!” I was welcomed by the warm heat of the California sun and the readily available yumminess from In N Out burgers—the struggle is real, guys.

Every time I’m here, I always find new bouts of adventure looming the streets. It tends to follow me around the way rain does in the driest cities (You’re welcome for that little sprinkle tonight, LA). Upon leaving Seattle, I came to find that my phone wasn’t working. The hiking for nearly six hours in the rain had this tendency to break it. So, about a couple miles away from the Grafton On Sunset, where I was staying, I found there was my phone store! Now, living in Brooklyn, I like to walk. Take that and move it into the insane heat LA had and I was begging for a car. So, as soon as the guy at the store fixed my phone, it was Über after Über for me.

I managed to do quite a bit of exploring around Mulholland Drive, LACMA, the strip on Sunset Blvd and West Hollywood, looking for the best places for photos, video and food. But I will say, I’m heartbroken for not getting to a Lemonade this time around.

Seattle—Soaked Every Article To The Last Edge.

Coming from Florida, a lot of people think that I only like warm weather, flip flops and that I’m used to rain. This is true for only the first two. I really don’t think I’ll ever get used to rain. So these past two days have been interesting.

James and I took off from one of the driest states I’ve ever been in, and were sent by Jägermeister and Time Out New York to the wettest, foggiest and greyest place in the United States. It was awesome.

Seattle was a beautiful change from the normal hot, humid weather and brought us a variety of different changes. It would get warm and then cold, sunny and then rainy, keeping us on our toes. One of my regrets was not finding a really colorful new rain jacket for the time there.

We explored the sea port and Pikes Place Market, hit up Ballard and walked around the University. But the coolest place was the EMP museum. The building looks like a giant decided to get artsy with a soup can. The building had the most unique design, with an equally artsy interior, filled with pop art, music and fashion—and it was conveniently located next to the Space Needle!

If there were a greater place to be on this earth, I’d die trying to find it.  

I’ve always wanted to come to Colorado, so when I found out Jägermeister and Time Out New York had dropped it on the list of locations to visit, I got a little giddy and did a jig.  

My best friend, Billy, told me years ago that he had climbed Pike’s Peak with a family member and that it was the toughest but greatest thing of his life. I was hooked. I made it a goal for a long time to train using high elevation masks and endurance runs, to condition my body for the altitude that the mountains held.  I had no idea what I was walking into.

Upon landing, I was delirious and unaware of the altitude we had already climbed, entering Denver. This tour has been one amazing city after the next, but it has been non-stop work, between scouting areas to shoot, shooting, editing the photos and making videos for the cities, along with finding time to make my fitness videos in each city. I pretty much get an average of 3-5 hours of sleep, per night. So, when our first stop was the Red Rock Amphitheater I got really excited seeing the stadium-style seating. It’s just something you want to run up and down on, if you’re there. No? Just me? Well, I did it—It was a mistake. I treated it like any other stadium, again, forgetting that it was so high in altitude. I was wiped, parched, gassed and grounded by the time I hit the top of the theatre.

Tonight was one of the most epic events of this trip, to say the least. My knowledge of electronic music is limited at best, but experiencing an EDM show was one of the most visually stunning things I’ve ever done. The lighting at The Bourbon Theatre was such a treat for me, since I love playing with the textural aspects of video. I usually just record my fitness videos on my camera, but it’s been such a great experience to use my editing skills and creating footage and videos from the past week. But, for all the energy in Louisville’s Louder Than Life Festival, it paled in comparison to the life that was found tonight. I don’t think I’ve seen so many people move, jump, throw hands in the air and dance in one place, ever. It was pretty epic to see.  

This particular trip to Louisville, Kentucky was dedicated to attending the Louder Than Life Festival, held on the outskirts of the city. Upon arrival, it wasn’t terribly promising in my eyes—the sky had ripped open in Kentucky and had flooded the little town of Louisville, and I couldn’t imagine this making a great first day of the music fest. Coming from Florida, I was no stranger to large music festivals and weather that would turn on the dime, burning your skin one moment and then soaking you to the bones with afternoon showers. Louisville brought me back to my days as a scrawny teenager, rushing to the front of a wave of fanatics, to get the closest view of the bands that I listened to nonstop.

Chicago had me begging for more with varying attributes that drew the best of each of my favorite cities into it—it’s artsy, urban and bright, but it has more space around the city and none of the hustle you tend to find in New York.

Throughout the city, James and I checked out a ton of areas: Downtown, Lincoln Square, and Wicker Park, along with some other stops with the help of a local Chicagoan, Steve, who drove us around, offering to show us his favorite sites to photograph. The wind is no joke but we managed to still get some great shots.

We also managed to climb to the top of both the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Tower. Both had amazing views, but I won’t lie, the Hancock Tower was the best—it had a shorter line, cheaper ticket and better view than the Willis Tower, and was only about ten stories shorter. 

Today marks the beginning of an adventure to end all other adventures! Right now I’m landing in Chicago’s O’Hare airport, readying myself for the next stop on my Jägermeister/Time Out New York Road Trip. When this opportunity was pitched to me, I was beyond excited. To get the chance to travel around the United States and explore, photograph, and meet people is something I’ve always wanted to do—and patience has been a virtue. On the trip with me is my buddy, James—one of my Brooklyn buddies that I shoot photos with. When I found out he’d get to come with me, I was through the roof excited. To have a talented and driven photographer for a friend, you’ll be sure to see interesting photos and exciting locations.

The first stop on this tour was none other than my own stomping ground: Brooklyn. To showcase some of the best areas to visit, I went to Coney Island and Williamsburg. Each different enough in their own ways, but both having such a vivid and captivating atmosphere.

Jägermeister and Time Out take you on an epic, 56-stop, adventure-packed tour of the country

Catch up with the revelry from our Ultimate Fall Road Trip parties

Shake up your next party with these expert recipes for Jägermeister cocktails inspired by U.S. cities