Soon we found ourselves in West Memphis and crossing the Mississippi River.  Memphis apparently has a Pyramid, where the Grizzlies play.  We had our hearts set on Nashville and so we got out some country music for the journey.  It is a little over 3 hours from Memphis to Nashville, and of course it rained the entire way.  Once we got to Nashville, we stopped at the Parthenon, a full size replica of what the one in Athens looked like in its heyday.

The front of the Parthenon

The side of the Parthenon

Inside the building there is a museum.  The basement is a museum telling the history of the Nashville Parthenon, as well as art by local artists.  The second floor contains busts of statues from the original Parthenon.  There is also a model of what is on the East and West Pediments.

Replica of the West Pediment

The Goddess Athena was inside the building, she is 42 feet tall.

Athena, Nike is in her right hand

Her shield alone is 6 feet in diameter.

Athena's shield

After visiting the Parthenon we stopped at a Krystal and I had 4 sliders and fries.  We continued on to the Grand Ole Opry.  We were able to see the building but were unable to stop due to traffic and lots of closures caused by prior flooding.  We then decided to end our Nashville venture.  As we headed out of Tennessee on I-65 we listened to Bob Dylan and AC/DC (always a favorite).

We were able to get relatively far into Kentucky, despite the rain continuing.  The music of choice for Kentucky consisted of Alice in Chains, the Beach Boys, and more Bob Dylan.  We drove through Louisville, got onto I-71, and continued on until La Grange, Kentucky.  This La Grange is unfortunately not the one with the Chicken Ranch.  We stopped for the night at the Best Western.  Upon checking in we learned that there was a Beef O’ Brady’s nearby.  Having watched the Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl the past two years, I was excited at the chance to try out this restaurant.  The food was good, but I was disappointed in the lack of Irish choices, for what I expected to be an Irish Pub.  I had Barbecue wings, onion rings, and Miller Lite, not the typical Irish fare I was hoping for.  Tomorrow, we plan on driving across Ohio and stopping in Clarion so Chamara can catch up with his brother.

Chamara’s approximate mileage: 0 + 420 miles previously = 420 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 551 miles + 2,465 miles previously = 3,016 miles

Total mileage today: 551 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 4,389 miles

North Little Rock, AR to La Grange, KY

Hopped on I-40, here I am for the first time.
Look to my right and I see the Phillips 66 sign.
This is all so crazy.
The Panhandle seems so rural.

My tummys turnin and I’m feelin kinda home sick
Too much pressure and I’m nervous,
That’s when Chamara man turned on the radio
and the Skynyrd song was on,
and the Skynyrd song was on,
and the Skynyrd song was on.

Get to Oklahoma City
Everybody’s lookin at me now
Like “who’s that guy, that’s speaking weird?
He’s gotta be from out of town”

So had lunch it was a bacon burger.
It’s definitely not a McD’s menu
Cause’ we ate at Whataburger
I guess I’ve never been to this venue.

My tummys turnin’ and I’m feelin’ kinda real sick,
Too much burger and French Fries
That’s when Chamara dropped my favorite tune
and the Frankie song was on,
and the Frankie song was on,
and the Frankie song was on.

Checotaw Water Tower (Home of Carrie Underwood)

A Mountain in Oklahoma

Entering Arkansas

Soon enough we’re in Arkansas
And the Ozarks are all around.
We book the hotel in Little Rock,
And barbecue places abound!

So we head to two B-B-Q pits,
And Of course they weren’t open.
So we hit the Super Buffet.
Had Chinese, and I’m still copin’.

My tummys turnin’ and I’m feelin’ kinda real sick
Too much chicken and Eggrolls
That’s when I threw in my favorite tune
and the Sublime song was on,
and the Sublime song was on,
and the Sublime song was on.

Chamara in the Ozarks

Myself in the Ozarks

Another picture in the Ozarks

Feel like hoppin’ on a flight (on a flight)
Back to S-T-C tonight (Now!  Tonight!)
Something stops me everytime (everytime)
Chamara plays my song and I feel alright!

Chamara’s approximate mileage: 125 (Checotah, OK to Clarksville, AR)+ 295 miles previously = 420 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 463 miles (Amarillo, TX to Checotah, OK and Clarksville, AR to North Little Rock, AR) + 2,002 miles previously = 2,465 miles

Total mileage today: 588 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 3,838 miles

Map from Amarillo, TX to Little Rock, AR

The next state that we entered on I-10 was of course New Mexico.  I now have similar feelings about New Mexico as I do for that state of Texas.  We drove longer in New Mexico then we will in any state that we made it completely through in a day.  Take a look at the map below, we pretty much had to do the entire state North to South, and East to West.  We made it to Deming, where Chamara took over driving for the first time.  On the way to Deming, we listened to some Eminem.

Chamara drove the car from Deming until Truth or Consequences along I-25.  We dined Al Fresco at a Sonic.  I ate most of my footlong quarter pound coney and some tots.  We also took some tots for the road.  I retook the driving responsibilities until we stopped to get gas in Belen.

South of Albuquerque

While driving through Albuquerque we listened to some Green Day and Queen.  Chamara continued driving until Tucumcari.

East of Albuquerque

Queen continued for the remainder of the journey (I have several Queen CDs), after I took over.  I drove on I-40 through the remainder and halfway across the Texas Panhandle.  We stopped for the night at the La Quinta along I-40 in Amarillo.  We stopped at the touristy Big Texan steakhouse for dinner.  I had a delicious 9 oz filet (medium rare of course), a salad and some fries.  Chamara ate a 12 oz. ribeye and had a sampling of 4 beers.

Amarillo Sky (from hotel room)

The plan for our return journey

First day of return journey

Chamara’s approximate mileage: 295 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 438 miles + 1,564 miles previously = 2,002 miles

Total mileage today: 733 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 3,250 miles

Taken from I-10 3 miles from the New Mexico-Arizona border.

Shortly, thereafter we finally arrived in Arizona!

Arriving in Arizona

We drove into Arizona where we continually saw pictures for “The Thing?”.  We stopped at a rest stop near “The Thing?” where I took the next two pictures.

Rocky Hill (taken near Dragoon, AZ)

Standing in front of Mountains (Huachuca Peak in far background)

I took over driving from this rest stop on.  We got off of I-10 around Vail, and took Sahuarita Road towards my parents house.  We rocked out to Styx for a bit, and suddenly our cross-country journey was at an end.  We arrived at my parents house at around 11:50 AM.  My plans for the rest of the day were to sit around, eat, and watch Waiting for Guffman.

Brenda’s approximate mileage: 93  miles + 864 miles previously = 957 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 198 + 1,366 miles previously = 1,564 miles

Total mileage today: 291 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 2,517 miles

Subie count: 0 + 7 previously = 7

Drive from Las Cruces, NM to Sahuarita, AZ

The next city in our way was Abilene.  It was a long way to Abilene, with not much to look at.  We made the drive to Abilene with some help from Rascal Flatts.

We reached Abilene and enjoyed Dairy Queen.  Apparently, Dairy Queen’s in Texas are their own thing and are different from other Dairy Queens.  All I know is that my chicken strip basket came with a Texas-sized soda, and I am not the one who named it that.

Brenda continued to drive all of the way until Midland, which claims to be the home to the most recent President Bush and his wife.  We made this drive with some Credence in the tape deck (Lebowski joke).  Leaving Midland I took over as the driver and soon was past Odessa.  Suddenly, a great surprise came to me.

Speed Limit of 80 on I-20

I knew that I would be able to make the drive to El Paso, with this new, unrestrictive speed limit.  I drove the final hundred or so miles on I-20, leaving 187 miles left of Texas, all on I-10.  Meanwhile Carrie Underwood’s Play On was the music of choice for extraordinary speeds.  On I-10 we reached a nice looking rest stop about 125 miles or so short of El Paso.  Here are some pictures.

At this point we started discussing where we would like to stay once we were “Out in the West Texas town of El Paso.”  Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  We needed to make it to New Mexico.  I needed to get out of Texas, and I couldn’t be defeated by this state for a second time in a row.  So we set the GPS for Las Cruces, New Mexico.  As we crossed the border into New Mexico we blared Queen’s “We are the Champions”, and Texas admitted defeat.  It was about 20 more miles to Las Cruces, which I happily drove.

In Las Cruces we are staying at the Quality Inn.  We ate dinner at a Cracker Barrel and I enjoyed some chicken fried chicken.  I am now enjoying the Texans come back from the state of New Mexico.  I expect to make it to Sahuarita around lunchtime tomorrow morning.

Brenda’s approximate mileage: 272 miles + 592 miles previously = 864 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 504 + 862 miles previously = 1,366 miles

Total mileage today: 772 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 2,226 miles

Subie count: 2 + 5 previously = 7



Drive from Tyler, TX to Las Cruces, NM

Welcome Center in Mississippi

Next up was the great state of Mississippi.  Along the way to Brandon, MS, where we stopped for lunch, we listened to the best the 1970s had to offer.  In Brandon, which comes right before Jackson (and as far as I know has nothing to do with the Green Bay running back), we ate at a Krystal.  I had some of what I would call sliders, and took a few for the road.  At this point I realized I had no idea what anyone not named Brenda was saying.  Perhaps they were speaking English, but I have no idea.  After lunch, I took on the driving responsibilities.  We then went on to Vicksburg.  Along the way we moved up a decade to the 80s.  In Vicksburg, we stopped at the Mississippi River, to get a good look at it.

Mississippi River from Vicksburg

In Louisiana, we drove through Monroe and various smaller towns.  We stopped in Ruston for some gas, and to find a very large rocking chair.  Unfortunately, we did not find the rocking chair.  Listening to Rock Anthems, we made our way to Shreveport.  I come away from Louisiana thinking that it is quite flat, and that they don’t know how to take care of their roads.

We made our way into Texas Sunday night, where I suspect we will be stuck until 2032.  We will have to travel 823 miles on Interstates 20 & 10, before we can leave this state.  We stopped for the night some 80 miles in, in Tyler.  For dinner we ate at the bar and grill located in the hotel.  I enjoyed a chili cheeseburger and a few Bud Lites.  We ate while the Cowboys were on, while trying to conceal the fact that we are from Pennsylvania (they were playing against the Eagles).

On Monday, we hope to cross the majority of Texas, and to make it to Pecos, or perhaps further.

Brenda’s approximate mileage: 318 miles + 274 miles yesterday = 592 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 324 miles + 538 miles previously = 862 miles

Total mileage today: 642 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 1,454 miles

Subie count: 2 + 3 yesterday = 5

Drive from Fort Payne, AL to Tyler, TX

Unfortunately most of the time in our journey today did not take place in short-lived states.  We drove a hundred miles in Virginia.  And then another hundred.  And another.  These hundreds of miles were not helped by the always disappointing Chinese Democracy album by Guns n’ Roses.  Other music that seemed to help us get through the state of Virginia included the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a country mix, and the instant classic 2006 album Twisted Christmas by Twisted Sister.  Before getting through Virginia we stopped at Burger King near Salem, where a double stacker was enjoyed.  I took over driving following lunch.

It was decided that an approach around the storm would be best, and that we could easily do this by cutting across the Eastern portion of Tennessee, and possibly even reach Alabama today.  So we entered Tennessee still on Interstate 81.  Off of 81, I got gas in Greeneville at an old style gas station.  I was lost as to how to used the pump which caused numerous problems.  The first problem was that I got premium gas which was about a $4 mistake.  The second was that I looked like an idiot trying to use the pump.  Finally, after being beaten by a gas pump, I forgot to close the gas cap.  Fortunately I discovered this a few miles up the road without any problems.  We headed through Tennessee listening to Sinatra, Christmas music and oldies.  We went through Knoxville, where we went world famous Sunsphere.  Simpsons enthusiasts will be surprised to learn that the Sunsphere is still up, and does not contain any wigs.  We then went South and through Philadelphia (Tennessee), Cleveland (again Tennessee) and Chatanooga.

We continued across the Northwestern portion of Georgia for about 20 miles, before we reached Alabama.  For those of you familiar with the band Alabama, this is their home state.  We decided to stop for the night in Fort Payne, Alabama.  Famous for being the hometown of Alabama (the band, again).  In fact down the street from our hotel is the Alabama Museum.  Apparently, Fort Payne does not feel the state deserves a museum, so this one is dedicated to the country band only.  We ate some really sweet barbecue, though we did not receive a foot massage.  I had some fantastic beef brisket, about 5 pounds of pulled pork, and some excellent cornbread.  My meal even came with a free dessert, which I am eating now.

Tomorrow we have two possible courses of action depending upon the weather in the morning.  We could go south, cut across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and finish the day somewhere in Texas.  However, I hope we can go back north, and make it through Memphis, Arkansas, and stop for the night in Oklahoma.  Hopefully the storm isn’t too bad, (apparently an inch of snow, or 40 degree weather is like the apocalypse for these people), or else I will end up having Christmas in Dixie.

In conclusion, Pennsylvania should make the speed limit 70.  That’s pretty much the only way to get from Pennsylvania to Alabama in a day, and it made the drive quite nice.  I’ll try to post some more tomorrow, but now I have to eat my dessert from dinner.  I hope your day is as nice as this slice of pumpkin cheesecake.

Brenda’s approximate mileage: 274 miles

Tom’s approximate mileage: 413 miles + 125 miles yesterday = 538 miles

Total mileage today: 687 miles

Total mileage for the trip: 812 miles

Subie count: 3

Our route from Abbottstown to Fort Payne

At Inn 94 I enjoyed spending time with the Kennedys and the Fairs.  Dennis and I talked a lot of football and basketball.  The legitimacy of the name Jasper was also discussed.  It was decided that it should remain as a dog’s name only, and not be given to children.  I enjoyed my crab imperial and yuengling.  Of course myself and several others enjoyed a slice of their world famous chocolate peanut butter pie.

After leaving the restaurant I arrived at Brenda and Glenn’s house, where I would be staying the night.  Brenda and I checked the weather and decided that the Southern route would be the best.  We decided to begin our journey at 7 AM Saturday morning.