We've made it to Arizona. Wow! What a trip thus far. My dream of driving across the country has not disappointed. I have seen some of the most amazing sights and felt God all through the way.
Right now, I'm relaxing outside a secluded porch at the resort after enjoying a day complete with an early morning ( 7 a.m.) swim, nap and an evening Pineapple Upside Down mixed drink from the poolside bar. It was definitely over 100 today. I'm not sure of the high, when I saw the temp at around 4 p.m. it was 104. It's probably at least 99 right now. The hot, gentle breeze is constant and feels amaxing! Right now, life is indeed good.
For those of you curious about the details of the drive, I'll try to give some highlights without boring the heck out of you. If you're reading this, you most likely know me personally and know I'm not a lady short of words. So, I'll try my best.
We left Cincinnat around 7 p.m. on Thursday night. The original plan was to leave at midnight and drive straight to Tulsa. As last week rolled around, I began to realize that this probably wasn't the best idea. So, we hopped in the car and made our way out West! You have no idea how excited we all were. CJ kept saying, "We're really doing this!"
Just outside of St. Louis our head grew heavy and sight was dim and we needed to stop for a bit. CJ is in love with the rental car (Buick Enclave) and kept insisting we just sleep in the car. So, we agreed. It was cheaper and what's a roadtrip without at least one night in the car? So we pulled over to a rest stop and caught a few Zs and continued west. It's amazing what a few hours can do. Just west of St. Louis we hopped onto Route 66. At around 4 a.m. we were driving down two lane highways laughing and taking pictures. A little further down the road, I agreed to drive so Ken could get a break. I wasn't behind the wheel for more than two minutes when I say, "What in the world does 'pavement ends' mean?" This was our first of many experiences with Route 66 just ending. So, I hopped back on the highway and continued west.
Our first National Park visit proved to leave me speechless. We visited the National Monument of George Washington Carver. I was so inspired spiritually by this great man who did so much for our nation, yet remained humble and lived a simple life his whole life. If you're interested, visit www.nps.gov/gwca
The next step on our trip was Galena, Kansas--pretty much known for nothing except being the home to the inspiration for Disney's Tow Mater. The lady that runs the place calls herself "The Mouth" and she's my kind of woman. She talks fast and talks a lot. Disney creators literally saw the old tow truck in front of the place in 2000 and used it as the inspiration for the film. There's a lot of interesting other tidbits about the movie. I'll tell you later if you're interested.
We enjoyed lunch in Baxter Springs, KS and then heading to Oklahoma. Our first main stop in Oklahoma was McDonald's on the Will Rogers Highway. I read it was supposed to be the World's Largest McDonald's. However, I wasn't overly impressed. It was just a McDonald's straddling the interstate. Oh well, we've been there done that.
Next stop: Tulsa, OK. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice Tulsa is. The city was vibrant, clean and pretty. We enjoyed dinner at Joe Momma's (featured on Man vs. Food) and Ken and I shared the best pizza we've ever eaten. The restaurant had an alternative flair, relaxed and fun atmosphere. And, they served Woodchuck Cider, so score! For more info visit http://www.joemommas.com/
I highly recommend the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa if you ever head that way. Very nice accommodations. Too bad we just missed the Back to the Future Convention, LOL.
We settled in for a good nights sleep. We needed it. Next day is Santa Fe bound!
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