Cross Country Chronicles - Part 3

Since the last cross country update, this is where we have been so far...


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Day Five.  Mile 956.  Amarillo, Texas.  Before leaving Texas, we did a bit of backtracking to visit Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo.  I don't know the full story on this place but it's basically ten Cadillacs buried in the ground at the same angle as the ancient Egyptian pyramids.  People are encouraged to graffiti the cars.  Really random.  Reminds me of Cooper Pedy in South Australia.

A view of the Cadillacs from Interstate 40.

A close up view of the Cadillacs.  They really are perfectly aligned.

Day Five Continued.  Mile 1216.  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  We wandered around a really cute area of Oklahoma City called Bricktown.  I believe it's modeled after San Antonio's River Walk and is lined with restaurants and stores. 

Afterwards, we drove just south of the city to meet up with an old high school friend and his family.  Nate, Justin and I all went to high school together (and Nate and Justin date back to middle school).  It was lovely to have our families hang out over dinner.  While Charlotte was initially a handful (to say the least), once we placed her next to Preston, she calmed down quite a bit (thank goodness)!  So much fun.  To the Kane family - thank you again for such a fun evening!!!

Amber, Toby, Preston, Nate, Charlotte and Justin. 

Preston giving Charlotte a big hug.

Day Six.  Mile 1400.  Fort Smith, Arkansas.  This town lies just across the Oklahoma-Texas border and on the Arkansas River. The movie True Grit was also set around Fort Smith in the 1870s.  We quickly drove through the Fort Smith National Cemetery, which is only one of two cemeteries in the country where both Union and Confederate soldiers are buried. 

Afterwards, we attempted to visit the Fort Smith National Historic Site.  We barely made it down the walkway before Charlotte had an epic meltdown.  So back in the car we went.

Day Six Continued/ Day Seven.  Mile 1530.  Hot Springs, Arkansas.  I think this might be one of our favorite spots on the whole trip so far. 

People have allegedly been coming to Hot Springs for more than 200 years to experience the baths.  In 1921, Hot Springs National Park was created to protect the 47 naturally flowing thermal springs along the southern slope of Hot Springs Mountain.  I think it might be one of the few (if not only) national park to be located entirely within the city limits.

There are fountains on display so people can feel how warm the natural spring water is.  143 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Charlotte was a bit grumpy that we didn't let her touch the water - a bit too hot for her.

There is also this public "drinking fountain" in front of the Administration Building for people to take some water home.  It's really tasting drinking water once it is cooled.  Throughout our stay there, we saw locals bringing huge bottles to fill up!

Many of the old bathhouses are preserved and on display along "Bathhouse Row."  Some of them are still open for business.  You can pay to take a bath in the thermal waters of the spring or have any other spa treatment.

The Visitor Center is also an old bath house.  Charlotte obviously also enjoyed running around the museum.

This is a fountain in the middle of the men's bathhouse (which was exceedingly nicer than the women's bathhouse).

Notice that Charlotte and I are relaxing in the front.  :)

The park also boasts some stunning hiking trails along Hot Springs Mountain. 

Day Seven.  Mile 1585.  Little Rock, Arkansas.  Our one and only stop while in Little Rock was the Clinton National Library.

Inside, they have a life size replica of the Clinton Oval Office.  Justin's couldn't stop raving about how magnificent the desk was.

The only exhibit that grabbed Charlotte's attention was the one about the Clinton pets.  Hilarious.

I think that's all I have in me for the time being.  I'm gonna sneak into bed now and see how much more sleep I can get before Charlotte wakes up.  And on our itinerary today?  A visit to the king himself, ELVIS!!!!!

And to all who have been following our journey and commenting, thank you.  It makes us feel so loved to know that y'all are thinking of us.  :)

Cross Country Chronicles - Part 2 (aka Van IN the Car)

...aka "Van IN the Car."  That was for my former Charleston office mate, Dana.  :)

So here is where we have been since Flagstaff, Arizona.


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Day Three.  Mile 545.  Winslow, Arizona.   Justin was adamant about stopping by the Meteor Crater.  He remembered visiting it as a kid almost 20 years ago and wanted me and Charlotte to also "experience the impact."  :)  That motto totally makes me chuckle.  The Meteor Crater is allegedly the world's best preserved meteorite impact site in the world, spawning almost a mile wide. 

I can't even tell you how many of these signs we saw on our drive from Flagstaff.

A view of the crater.  550 feet deep and about a mile wide.

We took a look around some of the outdoor observation decks.  I think that I was more weary of the heights than Charlotte was. 

Justin and Charlotte climbing to the top observation deck.

A daddy-daughter photo from the top.

Day Three Continued.  Mile 640.  Puerco, Arizona.  Anything called a "national park" always peaks our interest.  So we took a slight detour off Interstate 40 and drove along a stunning 26-mile scenic drive through the Petrified Forest National Park. 

This area used to be littered with petrified wood that ancestral Puebloan people would use as stone tools and as building material.  However, during the 1800s and early 1900s, people began to steal the petrified wood as souvenirs and cart it away by the tons.  This catalyzed the government to intervene and establish the national park in 1906.  

The landscape is so desolate in places yet so stunning at the same time.  

View of Jasper Forest.  This landscape used to be filled with petrified wood.

The Painted Desert.  Seriously stunning.

And thankfully, the park had a few short hiking trails.  The perfect excuse to stretch our legs.

Day Three Continued.  Mile 552.  Continental Divide, New Mexico.  I won't lie.  I really didn't know what the Continental Divide was.  But since it warranted a special marking in my atlas, I insisted that we take a look.  Thankfully, there was a nice little explanation on the marker.  :)

Day Three and Day Four.  Mile 665.  Albuquerque, New Mexico.  By the time we settled into our hotel room and ate dinner, the sun had already set.  However, we somehow rallied and made it out to the Old Town Plaza.  Most of the shops were closed by the time we arrived (and the sun was long gone), but there was a lovely live band playing the gazeboo.  I kindove felt like I in an episode of Gilmore Girls for a few moments.  But Charlotte had a great time running around the park and dancing in circles.

The next morning, we had breakfast with some of my crafty friends (Misty, Monica, Stephanie, and Erica) while feasting on delicious breakfast burritos and some ridiculously good hash browns at Golden Pride.  It was such a treat to finally meet these amazing women in real life.  They are super talented scrapbookers/ crafters and devoted moms who somehow seamlessly manage to juggle it all.  They might not know it, but I was frantically taking mental notes on how to take care of Charlotte as a SAHM/ WAHM.

Day Four Continued.  Mile 956.  Amarillo, Texas.  Let me confirm that there really is nothing between Albuquerque and Amarillo, Texas.  We saw a dinosaur museum advertised along the side of the road.  Since Charlotte was fast asleep in the back seat, however, we decided to bypass that attraction. 

We also passed a wind farm I did some diligence work on as a junior associate.  I was pretty excited at first  but even that spurt of enthusiasm was fleeting.

Amarillo itself, however, has been fine.  We replenished on some provisions and found a lovely neighborhood park for Charlotte.  We also ate some delicious bbq at Rudy's Country Store and BBQ.  It's a Texas chain with delicious beef brisket and the most tender smoked turkey.

And in case you're wondering how Charlotte is doing during these long drives.  Here's a photo of her in the backseat. 

She is watching Curious George.  Judge me.  I dare you.  Then you sit in a car with her screaming like a banshee and let's see what you do.  :)

Tomorrow, we head off to Oklahoma City!