Driving Cross-Country

Last week we spent four days driving cross-country from Maryland to Albuquerque, New Mexico with Snoopy in-tow. We took a fairly scenic route driving south through Virginia, stopping briefly in the Shenandoah Valley, then going through Tennessee with an entire 24 hours spent in Memphis. Next we headed to Arkansas with stops in Little Rock and Hot Springs, and then to Oklahoma City, OK. Then came Amarillo, Texas, before reaching New Mexico.

We tried to eat local food the whole way, which included country-fried steak in Nashville, then absolutely delicious pulled pork sandwiches in Memphis at a converted gas station. In Hot Springs, AR we had wet BBQ ribs in President Clinton's home town, and in Amarillo, TX, where beef is a big deal, we had huge hamburgers at a hot spot for motorcyclists riding Harleys. Here in Albuquerque, we've been told that New Mexican (note the 'New') food is big, but we've yet to try it.

First is a picture of where we did a short hike in Staunton, VA near Shenandoah. We walked uphill to a scenic overlook.


Nate "had" to take a picture with this boat. It was at a reststop we were at in Tennessee. Lots of other people were taking pictures with it too.


Graceland was the highlight of Memphis, though we also went to the Rock 'n Soul Museum and walked along Beale Street while there. The decor in Elvis' house was beyond tacky. I can hardly even describe it. Unfortunately they wouldn't let you use flash inside the house, despite poor lighting, and so none of the pictures that we took in the 'Jungle Room' or any of the other rooms turned out well. Graceland was definitely worthwhile and memorable, despite the small fortune admission and parking cost.



We went for a nice walk along the river in Memphis as well and enjoyed the scenery.


We went on another riverwalk in Little Rock, AR, before heading to Hot Springs, AR, home of the smallest National Park in the country. The water coming out of the springs was 140 F, and we filled up a bottle and drank it after it cooled. We had hoped to go on a longer hike there, but at 100+ F, we decided against it (notice how tired Snoopy looks below).



We stopped at a stockyard in Oklahoma City, OK, and went in some cattlemen's stores (not to be confused with cowboy stores), and enjoyed the cow smell of the stockyard. The next day we drove off to Amarillo, TX visiting some of Route 66, and also stopping at 'Cadillac Ranch'. Cadillac Ranch was basically a field with old Cadillacs stuck vertically in the ground, with everyone invited to tag them. Nate and I made a stencil of a wolf, that we were hoping to get spray-painted on, but with the wind, and 3 inches of uneven paint on the cars, we failed miserably. I don't think we have a future in tagging. The pictures came out great though. This was one of the few times Nate turned out better than me in ALL the Cadillac pictures, so only he is featured. Be sure to enlarge the photo for a better look.


Here in New Mexico we have a bunch of fun weekend trips planned for the rest of the summer.