Posted new Dallas picture and further commentary.

I am going to go back to each day's portion and do some enhancements, some further memories and stories and maybe a few more pics.  Check on the old posts for new stuff over the next few days.  I will make a new post at the end stating that the blog is a finished project!

Tennessee a big state.  Left Memphis and drove all day to get to Charlotte.

Alas, home.  Good to be here. 

I am going to be continuing to blog for awhile, shaping this up and editing and posting more content and pictures.  I would like to add some conclusions and some musings as well.

Back soon.

Let's see, breakfast in Oklahoma, lunch in Arkansas and supper in Memphis.  A day on the road on I-40 East.  I drove by the town that Woody Guthrie was born in, the town that Troy Aikman was born in, both of these towns in Oklahoma let you know it.  If you want to play video poker in the most locations, Oklahoma is your best bet. (get it?)  

Not to be outdone, Arkansas was bragging about 1st Runner Up in the Miss America pagent.  Bill Clinton had a billboard saying that term limits do not limit statesmanship.

Memphis has a lot of ribs and I partook of some particularly good ones at Neely's.

I was telling Sarah about the outstanding Arkansas welcome center and rest area.  She suggested I start blogging about rest areas.  (by the way all had soap but a single dreary one in California)

Maybe I can become the Harvey girl of rest areas.

Tomorrow, crossing Tennessee the opposite way of Davy Crockett.

Day of the big haul...

Left Buffalo Thunder this morning around eight.  BT is about 10 miles out of Santa Fe and Cindy (my GPS) routed me back to Santa Fe then north to a delighful two lane road for about an hour.  Beautiful country and I had the road to myself.   I had a sharp eye out for road runners, but I think they are farther south. 

Got back on I-40 to begin the long trek to Oklahoma City.   Was in a good old fashioned Texas dust storm outside Amarillo.  You can see it off to the north as the wind was rough nearly all day.

I had to drive like Junior all day, keeping the wheel left to counteract the wind.

I paralleled Route 66 most of the day.  Almost every little town was inviting me to drive through to see "Historic Route 66"  Nearly all of them had a museum and a bunch of abandonned buildings to go along with the old route.

The state of Texas got in the act with this rest area dedicated to Route 66.

Notice the Texas flag being whipped by the wind.  Also notice the size of the building and the playground.

In the steps leading up to the building were inlaid a history of Route 66...

I know you can't read it but suffice to say that half a million people used Route 66 in the thirtys alone to escape the Oklahoma dust bowl and the depression.  John Steinbeck (my patron saint right now) called it the Mother Road.

By the way, when mounting these steps, watch out for those pesky rattlers.

And just in case those winds started funneling....

Arrived OKC around sundown (Howdy Pardner) and after a slight hotel hassle and a fill up, I headed to the stockyards for some Cattleman's Cafe.  I couldn't help but think of my bro in law Cliff as I wolfed down a t-bone, (the favorite of George Bush when he goes to Cattleman's), Cliff loves a good steak and this was one of the best I've had.  I did not take any pictures, but you can visit Cattleman's on the web in a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives segment.

Tomorrow it is on to Memphis and a Rendezvous with some ribs.  (That is a great pun for those of you who have been to Memphis)!

Spent today in Santa Fe, NM.  This is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.  The church sits on the site of the original mission in 1610.  Think of the history, Jamestown was founded in 1607 by the British, Quebec founded in 1608 by the French and Santa Fe in 1610 by the Spanish. 

Here is St. Francis.

Old town Santa Fe is an amazing place.  All of the architecture is relevant to southwestern styles.  It is filled with small shops and galleries. 

Some are a little more laid back.

This is the front of the Governor's Palace.  Native Americans are selling wares off of blankets in the portico.

Public art is everywhere not always serious.

The New Mexico Museum of Art.

Spent the evening at Rolling Thunder Casino outside Santa Fe.  Tomorrow a big chunk as I drive from here to Oklahoma City.

Hokey I know but here I am standing in Pacific Ocean in San Diego.  Remember water obsures the beauty of the feet.