Road Trip - Day 25 - Nov. 2, 2012

Left Gallup and made it to Arizona (the Grand Canyon State).  We took a detour through the Petrified Forest National Park.  We saw the ruins of the Puerco Pueblo which was built about 1250 and may have housed nearly 200 people.  We also saw some petroglyphs, lots of petrified wood, and some pretty interesting landscape.

Stopped in Holbrook, AZ for breakfast and ate at a little cafe, the Antique Cafe.  the walls and rafters were decorated with family pictures, old posters, and other antiques.  We speculated about whether the owner was related to the owners of the 2 Sisters Cafe.  

We were debating on whether to stay in Laughlin, NV or bite the bullet and drive for another 3 hours to Mesquite.  After figuring out that we had stayed in 20 different motels in the last 25 days, we decided we wanted to sleep in our own bed tonight.  We followed the old Route 66 from Clinton, OK, to Kingman, AZ.

Arrived back to our home state, Nevada (the Silver State) at 3:00 Nevada time and made it back to Mesquite at 4:45.  It is nice to be home, but we are a little sad that our big adventure is over. 

All in all, we drove a total of 8,472 miles.  What an awesome adventure!!!!!!!

Road Trip - Day 24 - Nov. 1, 2012

On our way again, we decided to try to find the Cadillac Ranch.  It took us a while but we finally found it in the middle of nowhere in a field.  I did some research on the internet and found that the Cadillac Ranch was was built by a group of hippies from San Francisco called the Ant Farm, and their silent partner, Amarillo billionaire Stanley Marsh III, as a tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac tail fin.  Ten Caddies were driven into a field and half-buried, nose-down, in the dirt (supposedly at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza).  They face the west in a line from the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan DeVille.  Now, anybody is allowed to paint anything they want on the Caddies.  There are many many layers of paint.  It was pretty fun though.

Passed a wind farm west of Amarillo and according to the net, Texas produces the most electricity by wind than any other state.  About 6.9% of the total used in 2011.

Got to New Mexico (the Land of Enchantment).  

Stopped for breakfast in Tucumcari, a popular stop on Route 66 back in the 1950's.

Yesterday we passed a little foreign car (looked like a Volkswagen bus, but smaller).  It has the steering wheel on the right side and has Canada plates.  We have now passed it twice today.

Decided to stay in Gallup, NM.  As soon as we got into town, we lost cell phone service so we toured the town looking for a motel.  At the Hampton Inn we found out that cell phone and internet service is totally out. We ate at the Coal Street Pub that had really spicy, but really good Mexican food.  Today, we drove all the way through New Mexico - 450 miles.  We really can't see why the state is named the Land of Enchantment, it was a pretty boring and desolate drive.  

Road Trip - Day 23 - Oct. 31, 2012

We are now on our way to Oklahoma.  We ate breakfast at the Hillbilly Hideout, a truck stop in Ozark., Arkansas.  If we were going to be there for lunch, we could have had the special, Beans and Tators with Fried Cabbage.  Yumm???  Made it to Oklahoma (the Sooner State) at about 11:20.

There sure are a lot of Indian Casinos in Oklahoma.  According to the internet, OK has the most Indian casinos in the U.S. (almost 1/4 of the total).  Bought gas in Oklahoma for $3.13 per gal.  Cheapest so far.

Arrived in Texas (the Lone Star State) at 4:07.  it took us about 5 hours to travel thru the middle of Oklahoma.  We saw a sign for Devil's Rope in McLean TX, so we took the exit to see what it might be.  Couldn't find it, so I looked it up on the internet and found out that it was a museum dedicated to the history of barbed wire.  Only in Texas, Right?

We stopped at a rest stop and noticed the ladies and the men's restrooms were also tornado shelters.  I felt much more secure sitting on the pot.

Drove 581 miles today and stayed in Amarillo Texas.  Went to dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch.

The Big Texan is best known for its 72 ounce (4.5 pounds) steak, nicknamed "The Texas King." The steak is free to anyone who, in one hour or less, can eat the entire meal, consisting of the steak itself, plus bread roll with butter, baked potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad; otherwise, the meal costs $72.00.  Those trying to eat the meal are seated at a table on a stage.  We did see one teenage make it, and an adult who attempted it (he didn't think he was gonna make it).   Mike and I shared a meal and it was plenty for us.

While we were eating, we were serenaded by some cowboys.  Really made me think about  Dad and how much he would have loved it.

Road Trip - Day 22 - Oct. 30, 2012

While traveling through Mississippi, we saw a sign for "the little red schoolhouse".  This really peaked our interest, so we decided to go check it out.  It turned out to be a "Order of the Eastern Star (Masons) college building.  

We were looking for a place to eat breakfast, so we stopped in Winona, MS.  We saw some fast food places, but decided to go to a Pilot truck stop in the hopes of it having a sitdown restaurant.  No luck, but right next to it was a cafe, the 2 Sisters Cafe.  I was missing my 3 sisters and so, this seemed like a good place to try.  When we saw it was open and that there was at least one car in the front, we went inside.  There we saw a little old lady at a table playing solitare.  She told us to join her at her table.  Looking around we saw that almost every bit of space was taken up with stuff.  Imagine our surprise when we discovered the little lady was our waitress.  While we waited for our food, we were talking and I asked the waitress if she was one of the 2 sisters.  She said "No, I'm the Mama".  When our food came out it looked like it had been cooked by a Mama.  It was truly a home cooked meal.  It was fun and a place that I will always remember. 

The next 2 pictures are of the ladies room in the Cafe.  Just an example of how all the walls were covered in stuff.  

Crossed into Tennessee (the Volunteer State).  We will only be in TN for 12 miles.  Went through Tennessee into Arkansas (the Natural State).  I-40 between Memphis TN and Little Rock, AR was packed with Semi trucks.  More Semi's than cars.  

We are staying in Conway, Arkansas (about 30 miles west of Little Rock).  Went to dinner and across the street was a little park with a stage named after Kris Allen, the 8th season American Idol Winner.  Fount out that he came from Conway.

Went to the local Walmart to replenish our beer and water and found out that we were staying in a dry county!!  We were able to buy water, though.

Road Trip - Day 21 - Oct. 29, 2012

Well, the sun is shining again today.  But it is cold, only 45 degrees.

We made it to Alabama (the Heart of Dixie) at about 8:30.  We are only about 66 Miles before we cross into Louisiana.  Passing by Mobile, Alabama, we went in another tunnel under the ocean.  Took a little detour to downtown Mobile.  We saw a beautiful railroad building.

Bought gas just outside of Mobile for $3.29 per gallon.  Cheapest gas so far.

Entered Mississippi (the Magnolia State) about 10:16 and Louisiana (the Pelican State) at about 11:26.  Then crossed into Mississippi again about 12:37.  Decided to stay in Ridgeland, MI which is just outside of Jackson.

Drove 384 miles today.

Road Trip - Day 20 - Oct 28, 2012

We have gone as far east and south as we are gonna go.  We are now on the downhill side of our vacation.  So far, we have driven 5,598 miles!!  Wow!!

The time zone changed to Central time just outside of Tallahassee, Fl.  Now there is just a 2 hour time difference between us and Mesquite.

Finally have sunshine again after 2 days of grey sky, wind, and rain.  Wahoo!!

Staying in Pensacola, FL.  Went for dinner at a seafood restaurant (imagine that).

After dinner we went across the 3 mile Pensacola Bay bridge that goes over the ocean and connects downtown Pensacola to the small seaside town of Bay breese.  Saw a full moon on the east side of the bridge and the sunset on the west.  Also a nice sculpture.  Beautiful!!

We drove a total of 521 miles today.

Road Trip - Day 19 - Oct 27, 2012

Staying in Merrit Island.  The wind is still blowing and it is raining off and on.

Took a drive to Cocoa Beach to see the big waves due to Hurricane Sandy .  Awesome!!!

On the way back we drove right along the Banana River and saw the homes of the rich.  Wish some of them would share!!

Spent the afternoon with Kenny and Summer.  Will be leaving tomorrow.  We will miss them!!!  Love you guys!!!

Road Trip - Day 18 - Oct 26

Left the hotel at about 9:00 and went to downtown St. Augustine to take some pictures.  Hurricane Sandy is scheduled to bypass Florida, but we should still see some of the effects.  It is a little breezy today, but so far, not too bad.  No rain yet.

Went on a tour of the St. Augustine lighthouse.  We climbed 209 steps (165 Feet) to the top.  It was blowing about 30 miles per hour.  This lighthouse is still a working lighthouse.

Looking down the staircase

Boy,  it's windy!!!!

View from the top

 After the lighthouse, we toured the St. Augustine Fort.  Because it is a National park, we got to use Mike's Golden Passport (the advantages of being a senior) and got in free!!!

 Also saw the oldest wood school house in the USA

Left St. Augustine and made it to Merritt Island about 2:00.  It is now raining buckets and blowing really hard.  We went and met up with Kenny and Summer at the bowling alley to watch her bowl.  She is on her school team and does really well.

Today we drove 160 miles and had quite a bit of rainy, blowy weather.  Tomorrow is supposed to be more stormy, thanks to Hurricane Sandy.  We got to go to dinner with Kenny at a sports bar pretty close to his home.  Very good!!

Road Trip - Day 17 - Oct 25

Left the hotel at 9:00.  We were about 30 miles from the Darlington S.C. Nucor plant so we took a detour to see it.  On the way we went on another suspension bridge.

View from inside the car

Went past the 5,000 mile mark today and still need to get back home sometime!!

Took a side trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Arrived in Georgia (the Peach state) at about 2:00 and kept driving to Florida (the Sunshine State).  Decided to stay in St. Augustine Florida.

Dinner!!  Yes, more seafood!!  Eating outside in the courtyard.

Road Trip - Day 16 - Oct 24

The hotel in Virginia Beach that we spent last night in had a balcony overlooking the ocean and this is what we woke up to.

Left the hotel and headed to South Carolina.  We have hit great weather and are now back in our shorts and flip flops.  We went through another tunnel by Norfolk that went under the ocean like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (not nearly as long though).  Passing through Virginia and North Carolina we saw lots of cotton fields.

We saw a cool looking helicopter/plane and pulled off the road to take a look.  We think it was a fire spotter plane because it was by a fire training facility.

Entered North Carolina (the Tar Heel state) about 11:45 and it was 77 degrees outside.  We stopped in Smithfield, NC for a burger and gas and found our cheapest gas so far - $3.35 per gal.  We then stopped in Bentonville, NC and took a short driving tour through a Civil War battleground.  While on the drive, we saw a peanut field that had been plowed.  This made us realize that we had seen a whole bunch along the way which we had thought were soybean fields.

Saw lots of different churches in North Carolina.  In fact, we saw as many churches in NC as we saw bars in Wisconsin!!

Made it to South Carolina (the Palmetto state).  Driving through NC we kept seeing signs for the South of the Border Hiway oasis and saw it just as we crossed into SC.  It had a motel, a firework store, an amusement park, a reptile farm, and a bunch of restaurants.  

Stopped for the night in a small town close to Darlington, NC after having driven 347 miles.