There aren’t many states that construct grills in their own image, at least none that I’ve encountered yet, other than Texas.
It might be hard to have a Texas shaped lunch or dinner, but fear not. Breakfast has y’all covered.
Given that I was traveling with a “native born Texan”, (and yes, there ARE bumper stickers that say just that, or at least there were back in the days when we lived there, ) I feel I can safely poke a little fun.
We hadn’t had enough of Route 66 yet, so we caught a few more of its notable sights. I don’t think this one made it into any guide books, but I happened to like it. Besides, Italians make a big deal about THEIR tower, so why shouldn’t WE do likewise. I give you the Leaning Water Tower of Route 66.
Groom, Texas has the biggest cross in the USA, visible for miles around. Greg once again was put to work as my point of reference. His 6’3″ body is the dark smudge at the base in the photo.
Here’s a close up of the sculpture of the Last Supper. Not sure why there are only six apostles. Did the sculptor burn out? Run out of money, take artistic license? No explanation was given.
Our very favorite Texas experience was at the Cadillac Ranch, located just outside of Amarillo. Here’s the view from the road.
As you can see,it is in the middle of nowhere.
Greg was the first to realize that this was participatory art, and quickly went to work.
The finished work:
I also left my mark…hey, mom is a lot easier than Shelley, that’s for sure, especially when the wind is blowing spray paint droplets back at ya.
Next stop, Albuquerque.
Category: North America – USA
Gettin’ our kicks on Route 66
Route 66, one of the first highways in the USA, extended from Chicago to Los Angeles. Knicknamed the “mother road”, Route 66 dates back to 1926; it has since fallen into disrepair, after being replaced by interstate highways. Parts of Route 66 run parallel to route 40, providing the opportunity for a sentimental journey back to the early days of automobile travel. Oklahoma visitor’s center had a very helpful publication that described points of interest along the road, coded to a pull out map. We had everything that we needed for this next leg of our journey so we set off to experience more Americana.
First stop was Red Rock Canyon State Park, where we met Charles, who offered to take our picture.
He was a very sweet soul, but I’m thinking photography is not his forte.
Well, at least those photos give you a glimpse of the red rocks for which the Canyon was named.
Next stop was Weatherford, Oklahoma, where we were able to get up close and personal with a 122 foot wind turbine blade. Wind power is understandably very big in this area. We could FEEL the wind pushing the car as we drove this stretch of the highway.
As usual, I asked Greg to get into the photo to provide a point of reference for size.
One photo just couldn’t capture that enormous monster, so here’s another.
We would soon be eating the very best bison burger ever. Okay, so in the Northeast, you go to a tank to choose the lobster you want. I wonder if this place works the same way? Could that be why this big guy is refusing to make eye contact?
If he’s not here when we leave, I’ll have my answer.
Unlike Robert’s, The Cherokee Trading Post was wonderful, very clean with delicious, reeasonably priced food.
Talk about luck…the Oklahoma Rout 66 Museum reopened just days before we got there.
It’s a small museum, but very well done, with rooms arranged by decade. Pressing a button on each room’s wall started recordings of music popular for that time period. Admission was a mere $4 per adult, for about an hour’s worth of entertainment.
Some numbers to put things into perspective.
The last room was devoted to the late 60’s. I have friends that owned a vehicle like this one. (you know who you are…no need to mention names.)
The museum is located across the street from this motel, whose claim to fame is that Elvis stayed there multiple times. Being a superstar in the 50’s and 60’s sure isn’t what it is like today, that’s for certain!
Could the state of Oklahoma have more than ONE Route 66 Museum? It could, and did. To avoid showing favoritism, we felt compelled to stop. This one had a great little village, with yet another perspective of days before microwaves, cell phones, Internet and cable TV.
My mother used to tell my sisters and me that it hurts to be beautiful. I’m eternally grateful that this home permanent contraption was way before my time.
But this refrigerator wasn’t. I actually remember having a refrigerator like this! How did my mother feed all of us kids? No wonder Campbell Soup was um, um good!
Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City National Memorial was on my “must see” list. It made for a memorable and very moving two hour visit.
The chairs beside the reflecting pool are arranged in nine rows, to correspond to the nine floors of the Murrah building. The number of chairs in the row indicated the number of people who perished on that floor. What was particularly heart breaking was the second row with the nineteen small chairs representing the children that died in the bombing.
I thought about all the times I dropped Greg off at daycare and started imagining the unbearable pain those parents must have felt standing outside, waiting and praying that their child would come out of the rubble alive. It was particularly poignant,given that I was visiting with Greg. I reflected on how much happiness he has brought into our lives and how lucky I am to have him as my son. How do parents find the strength to recover from loss of a child?
The bombing showed us both the worst of human nature and the best–as demonstrated by the first responders and the outpouring of love and support from around the world.
We needed something to lighten the mood, so next stop was the Cowboy and National Heritage Museum. The building and grounds are absolutely beautiful.
Where else can you find an entire WALL filled with cabinets of “devil’s rope”? Every one of the handles in the photo below is attached to a pull out display of barbed wire. But wait, Oklahoma–Texas can do you one better. McLean, Texas has a its own Devil’s Rope MUSEUM!
The replica of the western town was fun, especially the saloon. Here was my chance to belly up to the bar, just like a western workin’ gal. I didn’t have the proper attire, or hair ornaments,the light was low, and I couldn’t use a flash, so this was the best I could do to immortalize the moment.
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Oklahoma City was the starting point for our Route 66 adventure, so we headed west, planning to dine at one of El Reno’s famed establishments, Roberts.
You can’t always judge a restaurant by its exterior, so we ventured inside. The interior consisted of a counter, with about 10 stools, some torn. Mine was wobbly enough to test my balance. Can you see why we decided to beat a hasty retreat?
Back to Oklahoma City for dinner and lodging.
While in Oklahoma we experienced a wide range of human emotions: sadness, empathy, revulsion, excitement, then later anxiety, as we listened to the tornado alarms, and finally relief that Greg was smart enough to park his car under the hotel canopy. We watched hailstones ricochet off cars in the parking lot and felt grateful that we were not the owner of this Mercedes.
Once we figured that we were not in the path of tornado, the evening took on a festive air, as we huddled with other travelers under the canopy to watch the storm pass by.
Time to ease on down the road
We decided to forego Little Rock in favor of more time in Memphis. Although Bill Clinton’s library would have been interesting, we opted for a trip back to the 60’s via Stax Museum, but first we needed to sample another fine Memphis eatery, Huey’s.
Those toothpicks, blown into the ceiling by customers, will all be taken down and counted. Huey’s is sponsoring a contest for the benefit of the Memphis Zoo. For $1 per attempt, customers can guess the number of toothpicks, with the three closest to the correct number winning gift certificates. The ceiling gets cleared, and it starts all over again. Pretty creative, no?
Huey’s encourages it’s customers to leave their marks on the walls, so of course, I did. Why didn’t I think to bring along markers, like Aunt Stacy?
Next Stop, Stax.
The introductory video was well done, and truly was a trip down memory lane for me. Growing up, I boogied to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Booker T and the MGs, Sam and Dave.
The museum included memorabilia from other artists, including Ike and Tina Turner.
I would have had trouble WALKING in those shoes, never mind dancing in them!
Greg particularly enjoyed Isaac Hayes’ Shaftmobile. Don’t know what was the best part–the shag carpeting inside or the sign in front.
There was still lots more to see in Memphis: The civil rights museum, Sun Studio, the Rock and Soul Museum, the art scene, but we needed to move along.
Here’s what was noteworthy enroute to Fort Smith.
To end on a positive note, the view got progressively better.
Next up, Oklahoma City.
“Something tells me it’s all happening at the zoo”. Simon and Garfunkel
Memphis was having a heat wave while we were there,but that didn’t stop us from visiting their fantastic zoo. We decided to get there when it opened and stay until the heat did us in.
Our favorite spot was the big cat exhibit.
We started and ended our visit there. Can you see why?
The African penguins were cute, but we were spoiled by the Antarctic trip, seeing the chinstraps, gentoo and adelie penguins in their natural habitat.
Memphis is rightfully famous for its giant pandas.
I always regretted not riding a camel when we were in Egypt, so when this opportunity came a knockin’, I jumped aboard.
Okay, so maybe this ride was intended for kids, but hey, I’m down with having a second childhood!
I’ve had mornings when I felt like this elephant looks. In fact, I’ve had mornings when I’ve LOOKED like this elephant looks, especially around the eyes…
Whenever you start feeling that your job is a little too stressful, just think, at least you don’t have THIS guy’s job.
Although I have lots more animal shots, I’m going to end this post before wordpress crashes on me. Remote blogging on the iPad is a bit of a challenge, as I’m sure my fellow bloggers will attest. (any tips or hints would be most appreciated!)
One parting image from the zoo parking lot. Remember those Nashville brides? I think one of them may have followed us here.
“Goin’ to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee”–Paul Simon
Greg was about five years old when Paul Simon released his Graceland album. I have wonderful memories of the two of us singing along all the way to daycare, Greg’s little blonde head bobbing in time to the music. I never thought that decades later, we’d be visiting Graceland together! 
Elvis purchased Graceland when he was 22, and for the time, it was quite a mansion, but not so much by today’s standards. According to the audio guide, this is the way the living room looked when he lived there. 
Growing up, I wasn’t a big Elvis fan, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate how much he contributed to popular music. His achievements are impressive, and the Graceland tour does an effective job highlighting them.
Elvis’ racquetball court is now a display room for his hit records. Pretty impressive, when you see them all amassed in one place.
How sad that his life ended the way it did. 
Are there many music superstars that have been able to manage their celebrity? I’m thinking of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the list goes on and on.
The Graceland complex is a marketing machine. We bought the “platinum” tour, (but found a half price ticket on the Internet) which got us into the car museum, the planes, and a couple of rooms with videos of Elvis on tour. 
Here’s Greg, doing his Elvis imitation, as he climbs into the Lisa Marie, an early jet, that was customized with a bedroom, living room and conference table. Ah, those most definitely were friendly skies!
Other than the mansion itself, every site is accessed through a gift shop containing every item imaginable with Elvis’ name or picture slapped onto it: pajama tops and bottoms, trivets, key chains, sunglasses. It is a money machine…and I’m sure, very good for the city of Memphis, providing jobs for lots of its citizens.
One of the things that I loved most about my former job was my wonderful customers. I traveled to Memphis at least twice a year for the past 10 years, visiting International Paper. We would conduct our meeting then enjoy a fantastic dinner together. Let me tell you, Memphis has some of the best restaurants in the United States!
This time, I had no business responsibilities, but was fortunate enough to spend time with Jim, who graciously took us to lunch and gave us a tour of places I hadn’t discovered on prior visits. The highlight was his partner’s studio. Brantley has done some amazing pieces, one of which is hanging in the Memphis Civil Rights Museum. Enough for this post…but more on Memphis to follow.
Country, soul, rock and roll–Tennessee’s got me singing the blues
Well, we never made it to the Grand Ol Opry, but we DID stay in the Opryland area, at the Radisson, which was a more cost effective choice than Gaylord’s Opryland Hotel.
The Radisson offered a free shuttle that took us to the Gaylord Opryland complex, where we had lunch. That place was clearly the country western fan’s version of Disneyworld: gorgeous setting, but mediocre, over priced food.
Had we really wanted to attend the Opry, our just-in-time planning would have failed us. Considering that I thought Rascal Flatts was a singer’s name, it wasn’t a huge tragedy that we didn’t get tickets. Instead we made our way downtown, to enjoy the sights and sounds of Broadway.
Looks like Mike and I weren’t the only ones to decide that memorial day weekend was a dandy time to get married.
Have you ever worried that sitting on a bar stool is bad for your health? Nashville has effectively addressed that issue. Where are the Sombrero sisters when I need them?
Gives new meaning to “pedaling your body all over town”.
After enjoying the musical offerings on the street and in several bars, we made our way back to the hotel for an authentic barbecue dinner, with authentic country western singers, that will undoubtedly be discovered and soon be playing across the street on the big Opryland stage.
On to Memphis, home of the King!
Go west, young man (and mother)
Day Two’s destination was Knoxville. We weren’t in a particular hurry to get there. I’m sure it is a perfectly lovely city, but it just didn’t SPEAK to us.
Natural Bridge on the other hand, almost shouted “stop! Ya gotta see me!” , so we did, and we did. Once inside the Natural Bridge complex, and it IS a complex, we decided to forego the wax museum, the toy museum, the Native American village, and yes, even the Natural Bridge, in favor of the caverns. Hey, they had large pictures of the bridge. I can’t imagine that the real deal
would look a whole lot different. Besides, it was getting a tad hot, and we figured the caverns would be a nice, cool break from the heat.
We weren’t disappointed. The caverns were quite beautiful, and the sweet young guide did a stellar job telling the story of their creation, as we descended 34 stories into the earth. At least they SAY it is 34 stories. I find that highly doubtful, given that we not only walked down, but back up. Regardless of the depth, it was a fun experience.
The moss on one wall almost had a Jurassic Park vibe to it.
It was fairly dark down there, so it was a bit of a challenge to get a photo that does the stalactites justice, but I gave it a shot, so to speak.
Although day two covered almost 400 miles, the drive wasn’t tedious. Great company, glorious scenery and enough stations on Sirius to keep us entertained and in a Tennessee state of mind–who could ask for anything more?
We managed to get hungry just in the right spot…near Daleville, the home of the Three Little Pigs Restaurant. Now, I’m not an expert on barbecue, but I have to say, they had the finest pig I’ve ever tasted. Plus, we loved the decor.
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I'm thoroughly enjoying letting this trip unfold, with little to no preplanning. It is quite a novel experience for me, the Organization Queen. Greg pointed out we are practicing "just in time" delivery, something that Toyota does…and look how successful THEY are.
Our last minute hotel choice proved to be an excellent one, just west of Knoxville, one exit past the Adult SuperStore. No, we didn't stop. Something told us there would be several similar establishments along the way. We sure were right about that, but we were moving too fast for me to snap a photo of the billboards.
Wanting to relive the Cinco de Mayo experience, we chose a Mexican restaurant for dinner, and managed to catch a birthday celebration. The waiters sang, dressed the birthday boy in hat and serape and did SOMETHING to get that white gunk on his face. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough with my camera to capture exactly what.
Heading to Nashville for Day 3.
Cross country jaunt…well, almost
The very best thing about being retired is when opportunity comes a knockin’ you can say “come on in, pull up a chair and make yourself comfy”. That’s exactly what I did when Greg announced that he was driving to his summer internship in New Mexico. Mike had prior commitments, so Greg didn’t need to ponder which parent would be the better traveling buddy. Instead, he first had to decide if he even wanted someone riding shotgun, and then determine whether he had room in his car for me and my baggage (not emotional, the kind used to carry clothing–good thing, huh?) He did and he did.
This trip will be the longest that either of us have ever driven. Google Maps calculated the distance at a little over 2,000 miles. Had we kept going through Arizona and California, the total would have been 2,750 miles. So, although the ride won’t be from sea to shining sea, it will be pretty darn close.
Our destination for Day One was Greg’s apartment at the University of Virginia. It took us just about 6 hours to cover the 375 miles. Aside from a short cloudburst, the ride was quite beautiful. Not much traffic at all.
Great lookin’ set of wheels, no? Here’s the thing. The car’s a standard. One of the many skills I never mastered was the ability to drive a stick. Some might argue that I never completely learned to drive an automatic, but they would just be being mean. Lucky me. I get to sit back and enjoy the scenery while Greg does all the hard stuff, which he does very well.
Charlottesville is such a fun little town. Dinner was at Frye Spring Station, a gas station reincarnated as a great place for pizzas, salads, sandwiches and beers. What makes the place really special is that the huge doors where the service bays used to be are still in working order. When the weather is nice, one wall can be opened up. You feel like you are eating outdoors, except you are sheltered from the sun and the rain. Good thing, because that cloudburst followed us.
Next stop was the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, for drinks at the Sky Bar. Given that it was only up one flight, the name seemed a bit of a stretch, but the bar did afford a nice view of the mall.
I loved the artwork. Isn’t this couch great?
Day Two’s destination is the greater Knoxville area. We plan on getting to Memphis by Sunday, and to Santa Fe between June 1 and 3 but the rest of the itinerary is still in the formative stage. By keeping it open, we can take advantage of random opportunities as they occur. We’ll be listening for those knocks!
Destination NOW 