Note 1-5-2007: We don't seem to have written an official Day 6 travelog. I think we were too tired, plus the sense of adventure had worn off by the time we hit Illinois. The morning trip to the museum of the dog was a disappointment after all that we'd seen over the past few days. It was a five-hour drive from St. Louis that both of us had made more than once previously. We even lifted our rule about not eating in chain restaurants, stopping for lunch at a Cracker Barrel.
The minute we arrived at my parents' house, we were so happy to see my dog Red and my parents, to vegetate in front of a television and relax, that we didn't seem to think about a last day travelog. Also, I had the real world to content with, as Dave was flying in and we were closing on our new house the next day.
In perusing old emails, these are the best references to our last day that I can find.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: Travelog Day 5: Into the Midwest
... We [close on the new] house tomorrow, but the truck doesn't arrive until Monday, which will work out just fine.
Marriott and I (who miraculously have survived a week of 24-7 with each other) have just finished our Survivor festival and are getting ready to watch this week's Buffy. The joys of civilization.
-----Original Message-----
From: Marriott
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 3:06 AM
Subject: Howdy
Just wanted to say again that I had a great time on our roadtrip adventure. Thanks for inviting me along (or did I invite myself? :)) on your trek back to Chicago.
Typing to my aunt, I realized that we literally were together 24-7 for 6+ days minus bathroom trips (and even then sometimes it was together in the big women's rooms!). That's pretty amazing. I can't think of very many people I could spend that much time with and enjoy it. But I definitely did.
And thanks for putting me up for two more days on top of it all!
I hope your move in goes smoothly. And I hope you guys enjoy your new house!
Kiss Red on the nose for me!
Friday, January 11, 2002
Thursday, January 10, 2002
Travelog Day 5: Into the Midwest
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 11:45 PM
Subject: Travelog Day 5: Into the Midwest
January 9, 2002
Howdy, it's Marriott. Haley will be our "Caps"-tain tonight. Get it? Get it? Yeah, that's about the brain level I'm working on at the moment. Pretty darn tired and on that cusp of being sick/maybe fighting off being sick/wishful thinking of not being sick.
You should see my nightly ritual. Saline nasal spray, Halls cough drops, chapstick and tissues on the nightstand. Nyquil taken, Breathe Right nasal strip with Vicks on my nose (came free with the saline spray. They are literally scratch and sniff Vicks vapor rub strips. They actually work great.) and earplugs in. Yes, I'm quite the sexy roommate. A PAIR OF POLAR BEAR PAJAMAS WOULD FIX THAT.
Let's see … what we did today. It'll be a short e-mail. As I tell Haley every 10 minutes or so, I miss Arizona. Although I really liked the little town we stayed in last night. SHE IS SOOOO RIGHT. TODAY'S ACTIVITIES WERE NOT NEARLY AS INSPIRING AS OTHER DAYS.
This morning we went to the Potawatomi Nation and visited their museum. It was pretty cool. Small, but a nice collection of artifacts, historical photos and some very cool artwork. SEE, WE ACTUALLY HAD TO GO TO A MUSEUM TO GET IN A TOURISM STOP.
Then, we headed toward Tulsa. Correction, we TRIED to head to Tulsa. Although the map we had said we could take a certain state road to the turnpike, we ended up going right under it and off into the countryside. Took us about 15 minutes (A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE) of random driving to find an entrance and get on the way. Actually, it was very pretty countryside and had we known for sure we were going in the right direction, we probably would have enjoyed the drive. HOWEVER, WE DID GET TO SEE SOME CUTE DOGS – ONE WAS TRYING TO CHASE OUR CAR AND TWO WERE REALLY LITTLE PUPPIES (PROBABLY JUST 2 MONTHS OLD) PLAYING IN THE STREET. WE WERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THEM WE WERE TEMPTED TO STOP. I GUESS YOU MIGHT CALL THIS ANOTHER WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER.
We hopped off the turnpike to visit a local pottery factory (Frankoma) where Haley bought a set of very nice nesting bowls for her new kitchen. Then we grabbed food at a neat local chain diner (With a pickle bar. No kidding. A whole bar of just pickles.) and hopped back on the turnpike to continue our trip. Correction, we TRIED to hop back on the turnpike. We asked the waitress who confirmed we could hop on just a mile back the way we came. We then followed the "turnpike" signs and did indeed hop on A turnpike. Just the wrong one! Turns out there were two turnpikes and the signs didn't differentiate at all. To make things more frustrating, the turnpike we were on intersected with the one we wanted, but you could only go WEST. Not east. We either had to backtrack the 8-10 miles we had come from originally, or catch the "next" eastbound entrance ramp – 45 minutes away. Not kidding. So backtrack it was. We hopped on and counted the miles until we were out of Oklahoma and off that turnpike! IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THE STATE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO LEAVE THE TURNPIKE AND SPEND THEIR MONEY. OR, WORSE YET, IF YOU LEFT THE TURNPIKE YOU WERE TRAPPED.
So far, Missouri has been much better. AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MUCH PRETTIER, ALSO, BUT WE'VE SEEN MOST OF IT AFTER DARK.
We stopped in Springfield to go to the Fantastic Caverns. I'm attaching just one picture to this email because it was hard to get a good shot in the caves and there was nothing else inspiring us to take photos all day. The caves were pretty cool. They were discovered in the mid 1800s. The guy who owned the land put an ad in the paper seeking people to explore the caves. A ladies athletic club responded and the caves were first explored by a group of 12 ladies in 1867 (or so). In the 1920s it was used as a speakeasy. And in the '60s and '70s it was used as a music hall. WE'RE NOT SURE WHEN, BUT SOMETIME BETWEEN THEN AND NOW THE FOCUS OF THE CAVES TURNED TO CONSERVATION.
The tour was a little cheesy since you actually drive through the cave (ON A TRAM), but the guide was very good and they had a lot of neat educational vignettes throughout. Including demonstrating various light sources and how effective they were for the early explorers. Let's just say I'm glad we had our little flashlights from Jules in case of emergency! MARRIOTT EVEN ASKED THE GUIDE TO SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS SO SHE COULD TEST HOW EFFECTIVE THE LITTLE FLASHLIGHT WOULD BE. ANSWER: ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY KEEP A PERSON ALIVE, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. THE OTHER NICE THING WAS THAT WE ALMOST HAD A PERSONAL TOUR, HAVING TO SHARE OUR GUIDE ONLY WITH A GENTLEMAN FROM DALLAS. THE JOYS OF TRAVELING IN JANUARY – TOURISM SPOTS ARE VERY EMPTY.
We headed back on the road with a dinner stop at a neat local restaurant in Rolla, Missouri. A Latin-Italian restaurant. I had spinach lasagna with flan for dessert. (SEE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS COMPELLED TO COMMENT ON WHAT WE'RE EATING! WE'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO STAY AWAY FROM RESTAURANTS WE HAVE ACCESS TO NORMALLY.)
Now we're just outside St. Louis for the night. We are going to try to hit the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in the morning and then head on in to Chicago. DO YOU THINK THEY'LL BE LIVE DOGS IN THE MUSEUM? I HOPE SO!
ONLY FIVE HOURS OF DRIVING LEFT!!!!!
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 11:45 PM
Subject: Travelog Day 5: Into the Midwest
January 9, 2002
Howdy, it's Marriott. Haley will be our "Caps"-tain tonight. Get it? Get it? Yeah, that's about the brain level I'm working on at the moment. Pretty darn tired and on that cusp of being sick/maybe fighting off being sick/wishful thinking of not being sick.
You should see my nightly ritual. Saline nasal spray, Halls cough drops, chapstick and tissues on the nightstand. Nyquil taken, Breathe Right nasal strip with Vicks on my nose (came free with the saline spray. They are literally scratch and sniff Vicks vapor rub strips. They actually work great.) and earplugs in. Yes, I'm quite the sexy roommate. A PAIR OF POLAR BEAR PAJAMAS WOULD FIX THAT.
Let's see … what we did today. It'll be a short e-mail. As I tell Haley every 10 minutes or so, I miss Arizona. Although I really liked the little town we stayed in last night. SHE IS SOOOO RIGHT. TODAY'S ACTIVITIES WERE NOT NEARLY AS INSPIRING AS OTHER DAYS.
This morning we went to the Potawatomi Nation and visited their museum. It was pretty cool. Small, but a nice collection of artifacts, historical photos and some very cool artwork. SEE, WE ACTUALLY HAD TO GO TO A MUSEUM TO GET IN A TOURISM STOP.
Then, we headed toward Tulsa. Correction, we TRIED to head to Tulsa. Although the map we had said we could take a certain state road to the turnpike, we ended up going right under it and off into the countryside. Took us about 15 minutes (A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE) of random driving to find an entrance and get on the way. Actually, it was very pretty countryside and had we known for sure we were going in the right direction, we probably would have enjoyed the drive. HOWEVER, WE DID GET TO SEE SOME CUTE DOGS – ONE WAS TRYING TO CHASE OUR CAR AND TWO WERE REALLY LITTLE PUPPIES (PROBABLY JUST 2 MONTHS OLD) PLAYING IN THE STREET. WE WERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THEM WE WERE TEMPTED TO STOP. I GUESS YOU MIGHT CALL THIS ANOTHER WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER.
We hopped off the turnpike to visit a local pottery factory (Frankoma) where Haley bought a set of very nice nesting bowls for her new kitchen. Then we grabbed food at a neat local chain diner (With a pickle bar. No kidding. A whole bar of just pickles.) and hopped back on the turnpike to continue our trip. Correction, we TRIED to hop back on the turnpike. We asked the waitress who confirmed we could hop on just a mile back the way we came. We then followed the "turnpike" signs and did indeed hop on A turnpike. Just the wrong one! Turns out there were two turnpikes and the signs didn't differentiate at all. To make things more frustrating, the turnpike we were on intersected with the one we wanted, but you could only go WEST. Not east. We either had to backtrack the 8-10 miles we had come from originally, or catch the "next" eastbound entrance ramp – 45 minutes away. Not kidding. So backtrack it was. We hopped on and counted the miles until we were out of Oklahoma and off that turnpike! IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THE STATE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO LEAVE THE TURNPIKE AND SPEND THEIR MONEY. OR, WORSE YET, IF YOU LEFT THE TURNPIKE YOU WERE TRAPPED.
So far, Missouri has been much better. AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MUCH PRETTIER, ALSO, BUT WE'VE SEEN MOST OF IT AFTER DARK.
We stopped in Springfield to go to the Fantastic Caverns. I'm attaching just one picture to this email because it was hard to get a good shot in the caves and there was nothing else inspiring us to take photos all day. The caves were pretty cool. They were discovered in the mid 1800s. The guy who owned the land put an ad in the paper seeking people to explore the caves. A ladies athletic club responded and the caves were first explored by a group of 12 ladies in 1867 (or so). In the 1920s it was used as a speakeasy. And in the '60s and '70s it was used as a music hall. WE'RE NOT SURE WHEN, BUT SOMETIME BETWEEN THEN AND NOW THE FOCUS OF THE CAVES TURNED TO CONSERVATION.
The tour was a little cheesy since you actually drive through the cave (ON A TRAM), but the guide was very good and they had a lot of neat educational vignettes throughout. Including demonstrating various light sources and how effective they were for the early explorers. Let's just say I'm glad we had our little flashlights from Jules in case of emergency! MARRIOTT EVEN ASKED THE GUIDE TO SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS SO SHE COULD TEST HOW EFFECTIVE THE LITTLE FLASHLIGHT WOULD BE. ANSWER: ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY KEEP A PERSON ALIVE, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. THE OTHER NICE THING WAS THAT WE ALMOST HAD A PERSONAL TOUR, HAVING TO SHARE OUR GUIDE ONLY WITH A GENTLEMAN FROM DALLAS. THE JOYS OF TRAVELING IN JANUARY – TOURISM SPOTS ARE VERY EMPTY.
We headed back on the road with a dinner stop at a neat local restaurant in Rolla, Missouri. A Latin-Italian restaurant. I had spinach lasagna with flan for dessert. (SEE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS COMPELLED TO COMMENT ON WHAT WE'RE EATING! WE'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO STAY AWAY FROM RESTAURANTS WE HAVE ACCESS TO NORMALLY.)
Now we're just outside St. Louis for the night. We are going to try to hit the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in the morning and then head on in to Chicago. DO YOU THINK THEY'LL BE LIVE DOGS IN THE MUSEUM? I HOPE SO!
ONLY FIVE HOURS OF DRIVING LEFT!!!!!
Wednesday, January 09, 2002
Travelog Days 3 & 4: New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 4:45 AM
Subject: Days 3 & 4
January 8, 2002
[Note: SLIGHT CHANGE. MARRIOTT IN ALL CAPS; HALEY IN UPPER & LOWERS]
This time I get to do the more serious commentary and Marriott gets to interject comments and make fun of me. ACTUALLY, I'M WAY TOO TIRED TO BE INTERJECTING MOCKING COMMENTS TONIGHT. MAYBE TOMORROW. ;) ALTHOUGH I COULD BRING UP THE PARKING.
Day 3 we awoke in Flagstaff, AZ, and after a frantic search for a Wal-Mart to get some supplies, we got on the road an hour late. (But still, we were on the expressway by 10). First stop: Meteor Crater about an hour outside of Flagstaff. We followed a winding road over flat plains that led to the sight of an impact crater from 50,000 years ago. It was so large it was nearly impossible to comprehend the scale of what we were looking at. I mean, one rock on the edge of the crater was the size of a house, but it didn't look like it. ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU FOLLOW A WINDING TWO-LANE ROAD ACROSS THE GENTLY SLOPED ROLLING PLAIN TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THE HIGHWAY OR ANY SIGN OF CIVILIZATION BESIDES THE METEOR CRATER WELCOME CENTER AHEAD AND SOME POWER LINES IN THE DISTANCE. THAT SENSE OF SPACE IS AWESOME. ALMOST AS AWESOME AS THE CRATER. WE GOT TO TOUCH PIECES OF THE IRON METEORITE THAT CAUSED IT, TOO. HOPE WE DON'T HAVE ALIEN COOTIES NOW .
Then it was on to the Petrified Forest National Park. Another fabulous location. "Our Park" as we came to call it just because there were so few people and vehicles around. I guess a Monday in January is a great time to see a natural wonder. The petrified logs had incredible color variations, but I'm sad to say after a while they got to be so commonplace we wouldn't stop to marvel over them. WE CASUALLY (WELL, MAYBE MORE LIKE GUILTILY) IGNORED A ROAD CLOSED SIGN SO WE COULD HIKE OUT TO TWO ADOBE RUINS MADE OF THE MOST GORGEOUSLY COLORED AGATE ROCKS I'VE EVER SEEN. VERY COOL. AND NO ONE YELLED AT US, SO NO HARM DONE. (THEY WERE DOING CONSTRUCTION
ON A VERY SMALL PART OF THE PARKING LOT, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE IN THE WAY OR ANYTHING.)
We continued through the park and over a rise got our first views of the Painted Desert. Wow! They were gorgeous. Unfortunately, they are too broad-sweeping to photograph well. NOT THAT WE DIDN'T TRY. WE'RE POSTING SOME ON OFOTO TONIGHT. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TERRAIN THERE. AND FORMATIONS I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE. VERY, VERY COOL.
We left the park in the afternoon and were on the road again. At about sunset we hit the New Mexico border. (Even though we LOVED Arizona, it was a relief to finally put another state behind us on this trip.) Beautiful cliffs reflected the red of the sun as we drove through. At this point we were starving from not having any formal meals, and made a dinner stop at The Ranch Kitchen, which is an old Route 66 restaurant in Gallup and quite satisfying. AND, AS IT TURNED OUT, A STOP I'D MADE ON MY HARLEY RIDE CROSS-COUNTRY A FEW YEARS BACK. IT WAS THIS WEIRD DEJA-VU FEELING AS WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT, EXCEPT OF COURSE I REALLY HAD DEJA VUED IT.
THEY DID SEVERAL NEAT LITTLE CHEESY THINGS LIKE ASK WHERE YOU WERE COMING FROM AND PUT A FLAG OF THAT STATE ON YOUR TABLE. SO YOU COULD LOOK AROUND THE RESTAURANT AND SEE WHO WAS TRAVELING FROM WHERE. IT REALLY IS INTERESTING. WE'VE MET (OR SAW FLAGS FOR) PEOPLE FROM NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, IOWA, ETC.
It was now full dark, and would remain that way through most of New Mexico, which was unfortunate as it appeared to be a fabulous state that I would like to come back to. We pushed on and made it to Tucumcari by about 10 p.m. Very tired, we fell into our beds.
We were up at the crack of dawn again this morning -- on the road by 7:30, only to lose an hour after we crossed the Texas border and entered the Central Time Zone. THE TIME ZONES ARE KILLING US. WE'VE GOT SO MANY THING WE WANT TO SEE AND SO MANY MILES TO DRIVE IT IS HORRIBLE TO LOSE EVEN ONE HOUR A DAY. We somehow managed to drive past the Cadillac Ranch, and decided it wasn't worth turning around for.
At this point we joked that we should be careful in our driving because it seemed as though a yellow SUV with California plates would be a prime target for a police man to pull over. On our way to Palo Duro Canyon -- just 30 minutes after making that observation -- I had a run-in with the local state trooper, who fortunately only gave me a warning ticket for speeding. (Now, honestly, I was moving with traffic in the right lane and going no more than 5 miles over the speed limit. Definitely the yellow SUV/California plates thing!) I CAN OFFICIALLY WITNESS THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOING MORE THAN 5 MILES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. BUT HALEY DID JINX HERSELF WITH THE "I BET THIS ISN'T A GOOD PLACE TO BE BIG AND YELLOW WITH CALIFORNIA PLATES" COMMENTS NOT 20 MINUTES BEFORE WE GOT STOPPED.
Once we arrived at the Canyon -- which is supposed to be the second largest canyon in the country -- we were disappointed to learn that most of it was closed due to road construction. Hmmm. All I could think was that I would have been very irate if I'd actually gotten that ticket on the way to this place! IT REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE A NEAT PLACE IF THE ROAD HAD BEEN OPENED BECAUSE YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND SHOOT THE ROCK FORMATIONS FROM THE GROUND LEVEL. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEAT TO SEE THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT NO. THE WORST PART WAS THE WHOLE, 16-MILE ROAD WAS CLOSED BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING ON A SMALL PART OF THE SECOND MILE!
We had lunch in a truck stop then drove the exact speed limit out of Texas. (Thank goodness we only had three hours of expressway traveling in that state). In Oklahoma, we decided to finally stop at one of the Indian trading posts that were continuously advertised along the freeway through the entire Southwest. The one we picked was kind of cheesy and touristy -- and had the feel of a glorified truck stop. Oh well. BUT THEY DID HAVE A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS MADE BY LOCAL INDIANS. OF COURSE, THE STUPID TEENAGE CASHIERS HAD NO IDEA WHAT TRIBE THE LOCAL INDIANS WERE, BUT REALLY HOW MUCH CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A 17 YEAR OLD? I BOUGHT A PAIR OF SUPER-SOFT, BEADED BABY
MOCCASINS FOR MY FUTURE NIECE/NEPHEW.
We hit Oklahoma City at sunset and had spectacular color as we viewed the Oklahoma City National Memorial at the former Murrah Federal Building. The memorial was so much more moving and pretty than I had expected. Photos just don't do it justice.
Then it was on to Shawnee (a suburb of Oklahoma City) for the night, where we treated ourselves to Billy Boy Bar-be-que and ice cream for dessert. MMMMMM. FRIED CATFISH AND FRIED OKRA FOLLOWED BY A HOT FUDGE AND PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE ICE CREAM SUNDAE. HALEY WAS MUCH MORE HEALTHY, BUT MY SOUTHERN GENES CAME OUT AND WOULDN'T LET ME ORDER ANYTHING WITH LESS THAN 2,000 CALORIES A BITE.
Tomorrow it's Tulsa and (we hope) St. Louis by nightfall. SEE YOU SOON.
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 4:45 AM
Subject: Days 3 & 4
January 8, 2002
[Note: SLIGHT CHANGE. MARRIOTT IN ALL CAPS; HALEY IN UPPER & LOWERS]
This time I get to do the more serious commentary and Marriott gets to interject comments and make fun of me. ACTUALLY, I'M WAY TOO TIRED TO BE INTERJECTING MOCKING COMMENTS TONIGHT. MAYBE TOMORROW. ;) ALTHOUGH I COULD BRING UP THE PARKING.
Day 3 we awoke in Flagstaff, AZ, and after a frantic search for a Wal-Mart to get some supplies, we got on the road an hour late. (But still, we were on the expressway by 10). First stop: Meteor Crater about an hour outside of Flagstaff. We followed a winding road over flat plains that led to the sight of an impact crater from 50,000 years ago. It was so large it was nearly impossible to comprehend the scale of what we were looking at. I mean, one rock on the edge of the crater was the size of a house, but it didn't look like it. ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU FOLLOW A WINDING TWO-LANE ROAD ACROSS THE GENTLY SLOPED ROLLING PLAIN TO THE POINT THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THE HIGHWAY OR ANY SIGN OF CIVILIZATION BESIDES THE METEOR CRATER WELCOME CENTER AHEAD AND SOME POWER LINES IN THE DISTANCE. THAT SENSE OF SPACE IS AWESOME. ALMOST AS AWESOME AS THE CRATER. WE GOT TO TOUCH PIECES OF THE IRON METEORITE THAT CAUSED IT, TOO. HOPE WE DON'T HAVE ALIEN COOTIES NOW .
Then it was on to the Petrified Forest National Park. Another fabulous location. "Our Park" as we came to call it just because there were so few people and vehicles around. I guess a Monday in January is a great time to see a natural wonder. The petrified logs had incredible color variations, but I'm sad to say after a while they got to be so commonplace we wouldn't stop to marvel over them. WE CASUALLY (WELL, MAYBE MORE LIKE GUILTILY) IGNORED A ROAD CLOSED SIGN SO WE COULD HIKE OUT TO TWO ADOBE RUINS MADE OF THE MOST GORGEOUSLY COLORED AGATE ROCKS I'VE EVER SEEN. VERY COOL. AND NO ONE YELLED AT US, SO NO HARM DONE. (THEY WERE DOING CONSTRUCTION
ON A VERY SMALL PART OF THE PARKING LOT, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE WERE IN THE WAY OR ANYTHING.)
We continued through the park and over a rise got our first views of the Painted Desert. Wow! They were gorgeous. Unfortunately, they are too broad-sweeping to photograph well. NOT THAT WE DIDN'T TRY. WE'RE POSTING SOME ON OFOTO TONIGHT. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TERRAIN THERE. AND FORMATIONS I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE. VERY, VERY COOL.
We left the park in the afternoon and were on the road again. At about sunset we hit the New Mexico border. (Even though we LOVED Arizona, it was a relief to finally put another state behind us on this trip.) Beautiful cliffs reflected the red of the sun as we drove through. At this point we were starving from not having any formal meals, and made a dinner stop at The Ranch Kitchen, which is an old Route 66 restaurant in Gallup and quite satisfying. AND, AS IT TURNED OUT, A STOP I'D MADE ON MY HARLEY RIDE CROSS-COUNTRY A FEW YEARS BACK. IT WAS THIS WEIRD DEJA-VU FEELING AS WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT, EXCEPT OF COURSE I REALLY HAD DEJA VUED IT.
THEY DID SEVERAL NEAT LITTLE CHEESY THINGS LIKE ASK WHERE YOU WERE COMING FROM AND PUT A FLAG OF THAT STATE ON YOUR TABLE. SO YOU COULD LOOK AROUND THE RESTAURANT AND SEE WHO WAS TRAVELING FROM WHERE. IT REALLY IS INTERESTING. WE'VE MET (OR SAW FLAGS FOR) PEOPLE FROM NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, IOWA, ETC.
It was now full dark, and would remain that way through most of New Mexico, which was unfortunate as it appeared to be a fabulous state that I would like to come back to. We pushed on and made it to Tucumcari by about 10 p.m. Very tired, we fell into our beds.
We were up at the crack of dawn again this morning -- on the road by 7:30, only to lose an hour after we crossed the Texas border and entered the Central Time Zone. THE TIME ZONES ARE KILLING US. WE'VE GOT SO MANY THING WE WANT TO SEE AND SO MANY MILES TO DRIVE IT IS HORRIBLE TO LOSE EVEN ONE HOUR A DAY. We somehow managed to drive past the Cadillac Ranch, and decided it wasn't worth turning around for.
At this point we joked that we should be careful in our driving because it seemed as though a yellow SUV with California plates would be a prime target for a police man to pull over. On our way to Palo Duro Canyon -- just 30 minutes after making that observation -- I had a run-in with the local state trooper, who fortunately only gave me a warning ticket for speeding. (Now, honestly, I was moving with traffic in the right lane and going no more than 5 miles over the speed limit. Definitely the yellow SUV/California plates thing!) I CAN OFFICIALLY WITNESS THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOING MORE THAN 5 MILES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. BUT HALEY DID JINX HERSELF WITH THE "I BET THIS ISN'T A GOOD PLACE TO BE BIG AND YELLOW WITH CALIFORNIA PLATES" COMMENTS NOT 20 MINUTES BEFORE WE GOT STOPPED.
Once we arrived at the Canyon -- which is supposed to be the second largest canyon in the country -- we were disappointed to learn that most of it was closed due to road construction. Hmmm. All I could think was that I would have been very irate if I'd actually gotten that ticket on the way to this place! IT REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE A NEAT PLACE IF THE ROAD HAD BEEN OPENED BECAUSE YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND SHOOT THE ROCK FORMATIONS FROM THE GROUND LEVEL. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEAT TO SEE THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT NO. THE WORST PART WAS THE WHOLE, 16-MILE ROAD WAS CLOSED BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING ON A SMALL PART OF THE SECOND MILE!
We had lunch in a truck stop then drove the exact speed limit out of Texas. (Thank goodness we only had three hours of expressway traveling in that state). In Oklahoma, we decided to finally stop at one of the Indian trading posts that were continuously advertised along the freeway through the entire Southwest. The one we picked was kind of cheesy and touristy -- and had the feel of a glorified truck stop. Oh well. BUT THEY DID HAVE A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS MADE BY LOCAL INDIANS. OF COURSE, THE STUPID TEENAGE CASHIERS HAD NO IDEA WHAT TRIBE THE LOCAL INDIANS WERE, BUT REALLY HOW MUCH CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A 17 YEAR OLD? I BOUGHT A PAIR OF SUPER-SOFT, BEADED BABY
MOCCASINS FOR MY FUTURE NIECE/NEPHEW.
We hit Oklahoma City at sunset and had spectacular color as we viewed the Oklahoma City National Memorial at the former Murrah Federal Building. The memorial was so much more moving and pretty than I had expected. Photos just don't do it justice.
Then it was on to Shawnee (a suburb of Oklahoma City) for the night, where we treated ourselves to Billy Boy Bar-be-que and ice cream for dessert. MMMMMM. FRIED CATFISH AND FRIED OKRA FOLLOWED BY A HOT FUDGE AND PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE ICE CREAM SUNDAE. HALEY WAS MUCH MORE HEALTHY, BUT MY SOUTHERN GENES CAME OUT AND WOULDN'T LET ME ORDER ANYTHING WITH LESS THAN 2,000 CALORIES A BITE.
Tomorrow it's Tulsa and (we hope) St. Louis by nightfall. SEE YOU SOON.
Monday, January 07, 2002
Travelog Days 1 & 2: Arizona
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: Travelog Days 1 & 2: Arizona
Marriott's comments are upper and lower case, and my comments are all upper case.
****
January 6
Hello! Day Two and all's well (just call me the town crier).
Haley arrived late on Friday night and we were up and ready to go by 8 a.m. the next day. And actually, Haley was up at 5:30 a.m. CORRECTION: AWAKE AT 5 AND UP AT 6. But there was no way I was getting out of bed then. Although now that we've been to Sedona (our first stop), I almost wish I had gotten up so we could have had even more time there. But I'll get to that in a minute. And Haley's going to interject along the way.
The drive from San Diego to Sedona was pretty cool overall. Beautiful scenery ranging from rocky mountains that looked like a huge pile of boulders to actual sand dune desert. But there were also some long stretches of scrubby desert that got a bit old after awhile. Plus Haley and I were tired from not sleeping terribly well the night before and both trying to de-stress. Me from running around trying to get ready to go all week and Haley from coordinating the move and leaving her home of the past year and a half.
But once we got to Sedona road, all that was forgotten and we were quickly reminded why the road trip seemed like a good idea in the first place. Sedona is incredible. We are going to post pictures and you should have either already gotten, or will shortly get, a link to the Ofoto album. I think the pictures are gorgeous (I'm biased as the photographer, of course) but they still don't do it justice. THEY ARE GORGEOUS PHOTOS, NO BIAS AT ALL, BUT SHE'S RIGHT -- NO PHOTO COULD DO THIS LANDSCAPE JUSTICE. YOU JUST HAVE TO COME HERE AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES!
We got there just in time for sunset. BARELY IN TIME. WE FORGOT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE TIME CHANGE WHEN WE HIT ARIZONA, AND THOUGHT WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ARRIVE. WE WERE RACING THE WHOLE LAST FEW MINUTES, SCOLDING THE SLOW CARS IN FRONT OF US, GETTING PESKY WITH THE TOURISTS MEANDERING ACROSS THE ROAD AND KEEPING US FROM PARKING. We asked the rangers where the best place to view the sunset was and it turns out that it was from right next to the hotel we selected. It was fantastic. (WARNING: e-mail will be replete with superlatives.) Awe-inspiring. One of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. VERY TRUE. YOU'LL AGREE WHEN YOU COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES. :)
The hotel was nice. A little pricier than we really wanted and older. PRICIER EQUALS $80 TOTAL. IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE. But with character, big rooms and delightful guests. At least judging from the very cool older lady we met in the hot tub. ALTHOUGH MARRIOTT DID PAUSE WHEN, SAYING GOODBYE, THE LADY BLESSED US AND SAID "IF I DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN, I'LL SEE YOU IN HEAVEN". SEDONA ATTRACTS SUCH SPIRITUAL PEOPLE. IT MUST BE THAT WHOLE VORTEX THING GOING ON THERE. She recommended a four-wheeling jeep tour, which we took, this morning. Very fun. We had a good guide, gruff and plain speaking, opinionated but not offensive, no-nonsense with a few funny moments of whimsy.
HOLD ON, WAIT A MINUTE, MARRIOTT LEFT OUT A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT: DINNER AT THE COWBOY CLUB. NOT QUITE AS ROMANTIC AS IT SOUNDS, BUT REALLY GOOD FOOD. WHILE I WAS CONSERVATIVE AND JUST HAD A BUFFALO BURGER, MARRIOTT WENT ALL OUT AND HAD THE SNAKE AND BUFFALO SATAY-TYPE THING, ALONG WITH THE PICKLED AND FRIED PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS. YUMMY. BETTER THAN THE FRENCH FRIES THEY SERVED. THE DOWNSIDE OF THE DINNER -- NO CUTE COWBOYS TO MENTION. OH WELL. WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF COWBOY COUNTRY TO SEE.
THE 4-WHEEL JEEP TOUR WAS BRIGHT AND EARLY -- 8:30. NO ONE CAN SAY THE TWO OF US CAN'T GET GOING IN THE MORNING WHEN WE WANT TO. VERY COLD, TOO. WE PULLED OUT OUR WINTER GEAR, EAR-MUFFS AND ALL. AND, WE WERE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GET CAUGHT IN A PHOTO WEARING THE SILLY-LOOKING EAR-MUFFS.
AND YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT EVENT MARRIOTT OMITTED: LUNCH AT THE SEDONA AIRPORT RESTAURANT, WHICH WAS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR HOTEL. I INSISTED WE SIT OUTSIDE (WHICH WAS NICE IN THE SUN), AND MARRIOTT PROMPTLY SAT IN A CHAIR PUDDLED WITH WATER. A GOOD INCH OR SO. WET ENOUGH THAT SHE HAD TO CHANGE HER CLOTHES. WE BOTH HAD A GOOD LAUGH, ALTHOUGH I HAD THE MUCH BETTER LAUGH. IT WAS A SIGHT GAG, YOU HAD TO BE THERE. SHE SPRANG UP OUT OF HER CHAIR SO FAST, AND WAS SO EMBARRASSED TO WALK BACK THROUGH THE RESTAURANT WITH A WET BUTT.
Then we drove Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff and then on to the Grand Canyon. Also amazing. But I've seen it before, so I'll let Haley give you the run down on it. I'll just mention that we saw some wildlife -- some REALLY close up.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE GRAND CANYON? GRAND CERTAINLY ISN'T A STRONG ENOUGH WORD. AWE-INSPIRING IS BETTER. WE GOT THERE A LITTLE LATER THAN PLANNED, AND HAD LESS THAN TWO HOURS TO GO FROM VISTA POINT TO VISTA POINT BEFORE SUNSET. WOW. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PHOTOS TO EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND. AT ABOUT 5 THE SUN STARTED DISAPPEARING BEHIND THE TREES AND MOUNTAINS. THE SKY STARTED TURNING FABULOUS SHADES OF RED AND PURPLE. AND THE ANIMALS CAME OUT. OUR FIRST WILDLIFE SIGHTING WAS A SQUIRREL IN THE ROAD. NORMAL ENOUGH, BUT VERY LONG EARS. THEN, WE SAW THE COYOTE FURTHER UP THE ROAD. NOT TEN FEET FROM THE CAR AND CASUAL AS CAN BE. BUT THE SCARY WILDLIFE MOMENT WAS AFTER FULL DARK WHEN DRIVING BY THE LODGING AREA AT THE CANYON WHEN A DEER ALMOST RAN INTO US. THAT WOULD HAVE SUCKED. MARRIOTT WAS DRIVING, AND SO FUNNY. "I'M SORRY," SHE APOLOGIZED TO THE DEER. "YOU'LL BE ALLRIGHT, SWEETIE." WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT IT LATER, SHE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING IT.
We drove back to Flagstaff (where we are now) in the dark and stopped along the way to just "be" in the dark. We found a place to pull off the highway and we were the only car/people/light-source around. Once we killed the car, it was just stars. Bright enough we could see pretty well, but more stars than I've ever seen. So thick that you couldn't really pick out the constellations. And the Milky Way was bright. Made driving 70+ miles in the pitch black waiting for an elk to jump in front of the car worth it. (I am SUCH a city girl. It was so dark and I was so freaked that a deer or something would run in front of the car, we went 55 in a 65 zone for almost the entire way.) FREAKED OUT DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HER. IF IT HAD BEEN LIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE, I'M SURE HER KNUCKLES WERE WHITE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY POSTED DEER AND ELK CROSSING ZONES.
Anyhow, tomorrow we're headed to Tucumcari, New Mexico, with hoped-for stops at Meteor Crater, the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert and Albuquerque along the way.
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: Travelog Days 1 & 2: Arizona
Marriott's comments are upper and lower case, and my comments are all upper case.
****
January 6
Hello! Day Two and all's well (just call me the town crier).
Haley arrived late on Friday night and we were up and ready to go by 8 a.m. the next day. And actually, Haley was up at 5:30 a.m. CORRECTION: AWAKE AT 5 AND UP AT 6. But there was no way I was getting out of bed then. Although now that we've been to Sedona (our first stop), I almost wish I had gotten up so we could have had even more time there. But I'll get to that in a minute. And Haley's going to interject along the way.
The drive from San Diego to Sedona was pretty cool overall. Beautiful scenery ranging from rocky mountains that looked like a huge pile of boulders to actual sand dune desert. But there were also some long stretches of scrubby desert that got a bit old after awhile. Plus Haley and I were tired from not sleeping terribly well the night before and both trying to de-stress. Me from running around trying to get ready to go all week and Haley from coordinating the move and leaving her home of the past year and a half.
But once we got to Sedona road, all that was forgotten and we were quickly reminded why the road trip seemed like a good idea in the first place. Sedona is incredible. We are going to post pictures and you should have either already gotten, or will shortly get, a link to the Ofoto album. I think the pictures are gorgeous (I'm biased as the photographer, of course) but they still don't do it justice. THEY ARE GORGEOUS PHOTOS, NO BIAS AT ALL, BUT SHE'S RIGHT -- NO PHOTO COULD DO THIS LANDSCAPE JUSTICE. YOU JUST HAVE TO COME HERE AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES!
We got there just in time for sunset. BARELY IN TIME. WE FORGOT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE TIME CHANGE WHEN WE HIT ARIZONA, AND THOUGHT WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ARRIVE. WE WERE RACING THE WHOLE LAST FEW MINUTES, SCOLDING THE SLOW CARS IN FRONT OF US, GETTING PESKY WITH THE TOURISTS MEANDERING ACROSS THE ROAD AND KEEPING US FROM PARKING. We asked the rangers where the best place to view the sunset was and it turns out that it was from right next to the hotel we selected. It was fantastic. (WARNING: e-mail will be replete with superlatives.) Awe-inspiring. One of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. VERY TRUE. YOU'LL AGREE WHEN YOU COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES. :)
The hotel was nice. A little pricier than we really wanted and older. PRICIER EQUALS $80 TOTAL. IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE. But with character, big rooms and delightful guests. At least judging from the very cool older lady we met in the hot tub. ALTHOUGH MARRIOTT DID PAUSE WHEN, SAYING GOODBYE, THE LADY BLESSED US AND SAID "IF I DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN, I'LL SEE YOU IN HEAVEN". SEDONA ATTRACTS SUCH SPIRITUAL PEOPLE. IT MUST BE THAT WHOLE VORTEX THING GOING ON THERE. She recommended a four-wheeling jeep tour, which we took, this morning. Very fun. We had a good guide, gruff and plain speaking, opinionated but not offensive, no-nonsense with a few funny moments of whimsy.
HOLD ON, WAIT A MINUTE, MARRIOTT LEFT OUT A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT: DINNER AT THE COWBOY CLUB. NOT QUITE AS ROMANTIC AS IT SOUNDS, BUT REALLY GOOD FOOD. WHILE I WAS CONSERVATIVE AND JUST HAD A BUFFALO BURGER, MARRIOTT WENT ALL OUT AND HAD THE SNAKE AND BUFFALO SATAY-TYPE THING, ALONG WITH THE PICKLED AND FRIED PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS. YUMMY. BETTER THAN THE FRENCH FRIES THEY SERVED. THE DOWNSIDE OF THE DINNER -- NO CUTE COWBOYS TO MENTION. OH WELL. WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF COWBOY COUNTRY TO SEE.
THE 4-WHEEL JEEP TOUR WAS BRIGHT AND EARLY -- 8:30. NO ONE CAN SAY THE TWO OF US CAN'T GET GOING IN THE MORNING WHEN WE WANT TO. VERY COLD, TOO. WE PULLED OUT OUR WINTER GEAR, EAR-MUFFS AND ALL. AND, WE WERE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GET CAUGHT IN A PHOTO WEARING THE SILLY-LOOKING EAR-MUFFS.
AND YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT EVENT MARRIOTT OMITTED: LUNCH AT THE SEDONA AIRPORT RESTAURANT, WHICH WAS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR HOTEL. I INSISTED WE SIT OUTSIDE (WHICH WAS NICE IN THE SUN), AND MARRIOTT PROMPTLY SAT IN A CHAIR PUDDLED WITH WATER. A GOOD INCH OR SO. WET ENOUGH THAT SHE HAD TO CHANGE HER CLOTHES. WE BOTH HAD A GOOD LAUGH, ALTHOUGH I HAD THE MUCH BETTER LAUGH. IT WAS A SIGHT GAG, YOU HAD TO BE THERE. SHE SPRANG UP OUT OF HER CHAIR SO FAST, AND WAS SO EMBARRASSED TO WALK BACK THROUGH THE RESTAURANT WITH A WET BUTT.
Then we drove Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff and then on to the Grand Canyon. Also amazing. But I've seen it before, so I'll let Haley give you the run down on it. I'll just mention that we saw some wildlife -- some REALLY close up.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE GRAND CANYON? GRAND CERTAINLY ISN'T A STRONG ENOUGH WORD. AWE-INSPIRING IS BETTER. WE GOT THERE A LITTLE LATER THAN PLANNED, AND HAD LESS THAN TWO HOURS TO GO FROM VISTA POINT TO VISTA POINT BEFORE SUNSET. WOW. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PHOTOS TO EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND. AT ABOUT 5 THE SUN STARTED DISAPPEARING BEHIND THE TREES AND MOUNTAINS. THE SKY STARTED TURNING FABULOUS SHADES OF RED AND PURPLE. AND THE ANIMALS CAME OUT. OUR FIRST WILDLIFE SIGHTING WAS A SQUIRREL IN THE ROAD. NORMAL ENOUGH, BUT VERY LONG EARS. THEN, WE SAW THE COYOTE FURTHER UP THE ROAD. NOT TEN FEET FROM THE CAR AND CASUAL AS CAN BE. BUT THE SCARY WILDLIFE MOMENT WAS AFTER FULL DARK WHEN DRIVING BY THE LODGING AREA AT THE CANYON WHEN A DEER ALMOST RAN INTO US. THAT WOULD HAVE SUCKED. MARRIOTT WAS DRIVING, AND SO FUNNY. "I'M SORRY," SHE APOLOGIZED TO THE DEER. "YOU'LL BE ALLRIGHT, SWEETIE." WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT IT LATER, SHE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING IT.
We drove back to Flagstaff (where we are now) in the dark and stopped along the way to just "be" in the dark. We found a place to pull off the highway and we were the only car/people/light-source around. Once we killed the car, it was just stars. Bright enough we could see pretty well, but more stars than I've ever seen. So thick that you couldn't really pick out the constellations. And the Milky Way was bright. Made driving 70+ miles in the pitch black waiting for an elk to jump in front of the car worth it. (I am SUCH a city girl. It was so dark and I was so freaked that a deer or something would run in front of the car, we went 55 in a 65 zone for almost the entire way.) FREAKED OUT DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HER. IF IT HAD BEEN LIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE, I'M SURE HER KNUCKLES WERE WHITE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY POSTED DEER AND ELK CROSSING ZONES.
Anyhow, tomorrow we're headed to Tucumcari, New Mexico, with hoped-for stops at Meteor Crater, the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert and Albuquerque along the way.
Saturday, January 05, 2002
Travelog Prologue: Haley's Solo
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 1:44 AM
Subject: Travelog Prologue: Haley's Solo
January 4, 2002
I have arrived safely in San Diego and am at Marriott's house. Very tired after nine hours of driving by myself and a few nights of minimal sleep as to-do lists rolled around in my head and kept me awake.
The movers left at about 3:30 yesterday, then I ran around frantically doing last-minute weeding, cleaning and general chores until after midnight. (I did stop long enough to watch Survivor on television, naturally.) I was out of bed by 7 this morning with more chores and packing to do, and finally left the house in San Francisco for good at about 11:30. Another hour to run around town with errands (ie: get an oil change for the car), and I was finally on the road at 12:30. Whew!
I took U.S. Route 101 from San Francsico and most of the way to San Diego. Very pretty and much more interesting than the way Dave and I drove in October (Interstate 5). Winding expressway through hills and valleys, and a tiny portion (1-2 miles in daylight) along the ocean. It wasn't nearly as gorgeous as Highway One, but it was still great scenery. I'd recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for a couple of stops I'd hoped to make, such as the Jekel Winery, the Hearst Castle, and an Elephant Seal colony near San Louis Obispo, but there will be future opportunities, I hope.
Once the sun set, I stopped for dinner at this touristy restaurant called "Pea Soup Anderson's." They'd been advertising on billboards for the previous 60-plus miles, so I had to stop. I even had the split-pea soup there and (gasp) liked it. (Peas are a vegetable, afterall).
Most of the day was driving, which was fine, except for my various aches and pains from all those chores I'd been doing. Thank god for my music selection. The Metallica and No Doubt were good, but the best driving music was from a band called Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They cover old favorite songs to a very fast and loud beat. So I could sing along to very energetic renditions of "Stand By Your Man" and "So You're Going to San Francisco." (Trust me, the irony of the last one wasn't lost on me.)
So, at 10 I got to Marriott's house and here I am promptly on the Internet. I guess I'm in withdrawal since I haven't been connected since Wednesday morning.
Tomorrow we're up bright and early to try to hit Sedona, Arizona by sunset. I think I'll let Marriott drive the first shift.
That's it until (hopefully) tomorrow night.
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 1:44 AM
Subject: Travelog Prologue: Haley's Solo
January 4, 2002
I have arrived safely in San Diego and am at Marriott's house. Very tired after nine hours of driving by myself and a few nights of minimal sleep as to-do lists rolled around in my head and kept me awake.
The movers left at about 3:30 yesterday, then I ran around frantically doing last-minute weeding, cleaning and general chores until after midnight. (I did stop long enough to watch Survivor on television, naturally.) I was out of bed by 7 this morning with more chores and packing to do, and finally left the house in San Francisco for good at about 11:30. Another hour to run around town with errands (ie: get an oil change for the car), and I was finally on the road at 12:30. Whew!
I took U.S. Route 101 from San Francsico and most of the way to San Diego. Very pretty and much more interesting than the way Dave and I drove in October (Interstate 5). Winding expressway through hills and valleys, and a tiny portion (1-2 miles in daylight) along the ocean. It wasn't nearly as gorgeous as Highway One, but it was still great scenery. I'd recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for a couple of stops I'd hoped to make, such as the Jekel Winery, the Hearst Castle, and an Elephant Seal colony near San Louis Obispo, but there will be future opportunities, I hope.
Once the sun set, I stopped for dinner at this touristy restaurant called "Pea Soup Anderson's." They'd been advertising on billboards for the previous 60-plus miles, so I had to stop. I even had the split-pea soup there and (gasp) liked it. (Peas are a vegetable, afterall).
Most of the day was driving, which was fine, except for my various aches and pains from all those chores I'd been doing. Thank god for my music selection. The Metallica and No Doubt were good, but the best driving music was from a band called Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They cover old favorite songs to a very fast and loud beat. So I could sing along to very energetic renditions of "Stand By Your Man" and "So You're Going to San Francisco." (Trust me, the irony of the last one wasn't lost on me.)
So, at 10 I got to Marriott's house and here I am promptly on the Internet. I guess I'm in withdrawal since I haven't been connected since Wednesday morning.
Tomorrow we're up bright and early to try to hit Sedona, Arizona by sunset. I think I'll let Marriott drive the first shift.
That's it until (hopefully) tomorrow night.
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