Serial: The Driving Tour

Want to see our exact route? Check out this map.

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Stop 6: "Don't let this be a contemplation on the nature of the truth"

Our final stop on the #serialdrivingtour was Patapsco State Park. The park was out of our way, and it seems unlikely that Jay and Adnan even went there on January 13th (EPISODE 5). Still we wanted to a find a peaceful place where we could gather our thoughts and contemplate the nature of truth. 

Ryan contemplates. 

I won't share our contemplations here, because that's not the point of the #serialdrivingtour. It's something that must be experienced firsthand, not through the photos and phones and words of strangers. So, enjoy! And tell us about your #serialdrivingtour. What stops did you add or subtract or change? What insights did you gather? What conclusions did you draw? 

Thanks for reading! 

#serialdrivingtour

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Stop 5: If you see a sign with bullet holes but NO graffiti, keep walking!

The most interesting stop on our #serialdrivingtour was our visit to Leakin Park. We drove through the park twice in hopes of spotting Hae's burial site but had no luck, so we parked the car, re-downloaded episode 3, and re-listened. Then, we went on a walk.

The important clues that Sarah gave us were: 

1. "There was a small pull-off and some concrete barriers"

2. "Right at the place where Mr. S had entered the woods, right at the road, Justin noticed a sign...it’s hard to read a sign that’s covered in graffiti and pierced with seven bullet holes."

There are similar barriers and similar signs throughout the park, but trust Sarah. Keep walking, if you see a sign like this: 

We were almost fooled. 

Once you find the right sign, walk about 127 feet into the woods, until you hit an extremely long log (if you get to the stream, you've gone too far). There's not a real path to follow, but the terrain is friendly, and your adrenaline should be soaring at this point.

Disclaimer: For your sakes and his, I decided not to include a picture of Ryan pretending to be Mr. S. 

[serialdrivingtour]

Stop 4: What did Asia see?

Next stop, of course, was  Woodlawn Library, which is next door to the high school. Asia McLain claimed that she saw and chatted with Adnan here around the time during which the murder allegedly took place. As you can see in THIS VIDEO, the library parking lot is substantially smaller and more open than Best Buy's. This is an important detail because it's hard to imagine that Hae was murdered here, as Jay's friend, Chris, reported to the police.

Unfortunately, the library was closed, so we could not speak with the staff or take interior photographs, but here's a picture through the window.

So many computers for checking email after school, before track practice...

[serialdrivingtour]

Stop 3: Getting Back for Track Practice

While Sarah Koenig famously and meticulously traced Adnan's alleged steps (or tire rotations) from Woodlawn High School to Best Buy in Episode 5, we decided to work backwards and drive from Best Buy to the high school, a drive that Adnan and/or Jay allegedly made to get Adnan to track practice on-time, post-murder. The drive took about 4 minutes.  

Here's VIDEO FOOTAGE of our drive around the parking lot. The remnants of our Crab Crib lunch are prominently featured at the beginning. Also, apologies for the awkward viewing angle. I'm only an amateur.

[serialdrivingtour]

Stop Two: Where's the pay phone, Jay?

While Hae may not have been killed in the Best Buy parking lot (EPISODE 9), we needed a place to eat our shrimp and fries, AND we wanted to see how secluded and spacious the lot was. 

Very secluded and spacious, as we found out. And no pay phones in sight! 

The above shot is right by the entrance. Also fairly private. 

Even more space and seclusion! 

We also went inside because Ryan said that he didn't believe that I would be able to overcome my awkwardness and ask a Best Buy employee about the case. Needless to say, I proved him wrong, and the employee had even heard about Serial, though had not listened! As far as he knew, we were the first Serial tourists to come into the store, so we left feeling pretty good about ourselves. 

But..would it continue??

[serialdrivingtour]

Stop One: "There's a shrimp sale at the Crab Crib."

Eager as we were to begin our driving tour, we were also feeling quite peckish, so we made a quick stop at the Crab Crib. Happily, even months later, the shrimp sale that Dana referenced in Episode 5 is still ongoing, and Ryan took advantage. I got french fries. 

Neither cashier had heard of the Serial podcast, but we hope that our endorsement of their food encourages other fans to visit. 

The Notorious Crab Crib (and shrimp sale). 

The Crab Crib also sells oysters, mussels, and other crustaceans not pictured in this photograph.