Traveling to Arches National Park

This is a mule deer we saw beside the road in Bryce National Park (five more were on the other side of the shuttle).  Before we knew the name, we thought this deer so strange with its coarse grey coat and those strange looking ears.

We saw many rock formations as we left Bryce and headed toward Moab.

 Here are more of those gorgeous red rocks.

 This little fellow tried to hop a ride out of the canyon with us.

 We are at a high elevation viewing site that reminded Rita of what the Grand Canyon looked liked when she was a young girl.

One of hundreds of scenes we saw on our 5-hour trip today.

This was our view on our 20-minute drive from Moab to our lodging for the next two nights.

This is the view of the Colorado River from our back patio at Red Cliffs Lodge.












     We traveled 5 hours Northeast to reach Moab, Utah near the Arches National Park.  Most of our drives are pretty leisurely.  Rita may think they are a little too leisurely but Angela takes after her mother more and more each day.
     We continue to be amused by the signs we pass along the highways.  We passed a sign advertising "Elk and Buffalo Jerky".  We were both a little hungry but decided to pass.  We saw many signs that read, "Frequent Wildlife Crossing" but they must have taken the day off.  There were several state signs that read, Drowsy Driving Causes Accidents".  Then a mile later the sign read, Drowsy Drivers Next Exit".
     The views we saw today were more "Oh my gosh" moments.  We still see some snow on the higher elevations even though the high temperature later in the afternoon was 91 in Moab.  The sandstone is still brilliant red in certain areas.  To be down in these canyons with the canyon walls reaching to the heavens is a most awesome experience.  We regret that we missed seeing the Grand Canyon but being able to drive in these canyons takes our breath away.  At a viewing area off the highway, we met a very friendly man, Tim from Anderson, South Carolina.  He was riding cross country as well on his motorcycle.  We shared our adventures with each other (he had some doozies!) and he offered to take our picture.  We have now met our second person from the South.  I think Rita and I are the only ones from N.C. driving cross country since we have not seen a single N.C. license plate while on our trip.
     We ate dinner at a local microbrewery in Moab and Rita tried their most popular beer, Dead Horse.  We both had delicious salads which we have had very seldom.  They were great and for a few fleeting moments we felt healthier.  We then headed to Red Cliffs Lodge about 15 miles from Moab.  This is the area where John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara made the movie, Grand Rio.  That 20minute drive was the scariest road I have ever been on because the canyon walls were so close to the 2-lane road and humongous boulders had slipped down the sides.  But what a view!  The road runs parallel to the Colorado River.  Campers were camping along the river at different points.  We arrived at the Lodge and took a walk down the path along the pasture where horses were grazing.  The we settled into our room with a beautiful view of the river running swiftly by.  We sat on the back patio in the dark and could only see the stars and hear the river.  Wait a minute...is that a boulder we hear falling down into the canyon?
     We are off to Arches National Park tomorrow.  You'll probably have to hear us gush about the beauty at least one more time before we leave Utah.  And we have to navigate that scary road 3 more times before we head to Colorado.

Utah Rocks!

From Nevada to Utah, we had to travel back into Arizona for a short while.  We are driving through the Virgin River Canyon enveloped in barren rock.

We arrived in Springdale, Utah where we would venture close by into Zion National Park.  This is a view of our hotel and the beautiful view!

Zion National Park takes our breath away.

Zion National Park after a hot ride on a shuttle throughout some of the park.  It was hot (but not as hot as Las Vegas)!

We drove our car through Zion on our way to Bryce Canyon.

Every single view in Zion was breathtaking!

Both of these shots are in Bryce Canyon. The Hoodoos were an amazing site!











The colors in Red Canyon between Zion and Bryce Canyon were beautiful!











     We decided to leave Las Vegas via the old Vegas strip where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. walked along the sidewalks during the filming of the original "Oceans 11" movie.  We were in search of the Golden Nugget and the Thunderbird Hotel but could not find them.  Part of Fremont Street has been covered with a canopy so the street does not look the same.  Rita's mom and dad went to the Thunderbird in the 60's and saw Pat Boone perform and also got his autograph.  How cool!  Even though old Vegas is a little sad, it is fun to imagine what it once was.  It was fun seeing all the wedding chapels down the old strip.  Wonder how many of those marriages made it?
     We were happy to leave the scorching temperatures and head toward Utah.  Along the way we saw a sign that read, "Prison Area - Hitchhiking Prohibited".  Does that mean they have a lot of escapes from that prison?  A Fed Ex truck whizzed by us with 3 trailers attached.  We have seen 2 trailers before but not 3.  There was a lot of swaying going on so we kept our distance!  We were driving along, minding our own business, when we had a small collision.  We collided with a large tumbleweed!  No joke!  It smashed into our car as we were going 78 mph (speed limit is 75 in most states since we left Tennessee).  It broke apart with pieces flying around and over the top of the car.  What an experience...we have a small souvenir we pulled from the car grill.
     We approached Arizona (had to travel back into Arizona for a short while in order to get to Utah).  From a distance, it looked as if we were about to drive straight into the mountain in front of us.  Instead, we curved in between 2 tremendous rocks and we were riding very low in the Virgin River Canyon with tall plateaus towering above us, around us and on both sides of us.  It's amazing that grey barren rock can be so beautiful too.  We were so close to the rocks that Rita kept saying, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"
     We stayed in Springdale, Utah close to the Zion National Park.  No matter where we were at the hotel...in the parking lot, when we opened our room curtain, when we sat on the upstairs patio, when we ate breakfast on the downstairs patio, we saw the same breathtaking view everywhere we looked!  We took a hot shuttle ride through part of Zion National park and at one of the stops, hiked a little over a mile to the lower Emerald Pool and back.  Water falls over the rocks at 3 different altitudes.  It was cooler there which we welcomed!  The town of Springdale is charming and we ate at a local restaurant on the patio and you guessed it...we had a fabulous view.
     Thursday (day 14 of our trip), we headed out for Bryce Canyon but drove over 20 miles through Zion National Park to get there.  That was a most spectacular drive.  There are many pull-offs along the slow winding road and we got out of the car many times to take pictures.  Every single turn we made, the view looked more beautiful than the last.  At one point, Angela said she felt like crying it was so beautiful! We probably have taken over 150 pictures in the past two days.  Unfortunately, we saw a "National Park Search and Rescue"vehicle along our trek through the park.  We drove by hoping there would be a happy ending.  We have met many nice people along our way which has enriched the memories we have made.  At one pull-over, we talked with a man from Germany and at another, we had a conversation with a father and son from Switzerland.  We have been amazed that there seem to be many more foreign-speaking people than Americans wherever we go.
     We left the park and made our way closer to Bryce Canyon.  We went through Red Canyon before reaching Bryce and it was gorgeous just like every other place we have been.  And you guessed it, it was very red!  In the middle of nowhere, we stopped  for lunch at a German Bakery & Restaurant.  We didn't expect to find this type of restaurant with such good food along this stretch of road.  We have had so many pleasant surprises along the way that we didn't expect.  While we ate lunch, we talked with a couple who were probably in their mid 80s and from Phoenix.  They were vacationing in a new Porsche sports car.  They said they worried a little that it might not be big enough for a trip but there was plenty of room because the car's engine is in the middle of the car and there is storage in both the front and back of the car.
     As we drove into Bryce, we headed straight to the Bryce Canyon Visitors Center.  There, we picked up another shuttle bus and made several stops along the way to walk and view the spectacular views of the rock spires called Hoodoos.  There are also shallow caves called Grottoes.  One can see the signs of natural erosion here more than any other place.  Paiute Indian legend explains there were once animal-like creatures that changed themselves into people.  But they were bad so Coyote changed them into rocks (Hoodoos).  The view is spectacular and the spires really do look like people.  The trails went deep down into the canyon.  As we stood on the rim, we could see many hikers making their way further and further down until they disappeared.  We went a short way down but decided we liked it better from the top.  However, it has to be a hiker's paradise!
     We went to the Ebenezer Bar & Grill for an old fashioned cowboy dinner and show.  It was actually fun and the Bar G Wranglers performed.  The harmony and arrangements were so good and we loved hearing songs like 'Happy Trails To You", 'Rawhide", Theme from Bonanza and many others that we all recognized.   We sat at a table with a lovely couple from Switzerland.  They have grandchildren in the states but were staying 6 months to travel as well.  We had great conversation and laughs and just made some more memories!
     Our next stop is Arches.

Las Vegas

The Palazzo, twin hotel to the Venetian, is where we stayed in Las Vegas.  We are on the 31st floor.  Can you see us waving?

Paris at night on the strip.

This is the inside mall at the Venetian.  The sky is really an indoor ceiling.

The gondola rides go through the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes while listening to a serenade of Italian opera music.

This is a walkway through the Wynn Hotel and Casino which was a quick walk across the street from the Palazzo.

The glass art ceiling in the Bellagio Hotel Lobby is beautiful.  This Chihuly artwork is comprised of 2,000 blown-glass flowers designed especially for the Bellagio costing $40.4 million.  This is the same artist whose exhibition we saw at the Clinton Presidential Library.
















     After the stress of arriving in Las Vegas Sunday night, we started the next day feeling like a fish out of water.  However, it did not take long to get acclimated and we began finding our way around the hotel and casino.  We liked the casino and had some fun but did not lose our shirts!  We went to a fabulous show at the Wynn called  Le Reve - The Dream.  Rita had read many rave reviews about the show and our concierge, Rose, said she had been 6 times!  It was an amazing show of athletic ability and skill both above and in a 27-foot pool.  It was so daring that Rita said out loud "I think I am going to be sick!" We were not disappointed in this spectacular show!
     It was torture if you wanted to venture outside as the temperature was 105 degrees on Monday.  But after the performance, we ventured out on the strip around 10:30 p.m. on Monday evening.  The temperature was around 93 but felt hotter because the streets and sidewalks never cool down.  We thought we were going to pass out.  AND there were way too many people to fit on the sidewalks.  We saw the LINQ from a short distance which is a 550 foot tall observation wheel.  There are 28 spherical, Iatlian-made glass enclosed cabins each weighing 44,000 pounds.  Each cabin has a bar and holds approximately 40 happy people. The ride takes 30 minutes to make a complete circle.  There was absolutely no question that we were not getting on that thing!
     Tuesday on the strip was a little cooler.  It was only 104 degrees.  Rita met a new friend, Shirley.   She was a petite 78-year old retired nurse who was born in Hong Kong but lives in California.  Her husband was happy for her to spend the afternoon with Rita playing both "Let It Ride" and "Free Bet Blackjack" (both new games to Rita).  They had a ball and looked out after each other.
     We ventured out to the strip a little earlier our second evening and made it to Caesars Palace before passing out from the heat.  We cooled down and drank lots of water and then headed to the Bellagio fountain for their water, music and light show.  It was worth the struggle to get there!  And then, we admired the Chihuly artwork in the lobby.
     You know, it is the little things that make you laugh along the way.  We were lucky to have a Walgreens between the Palazzo and the Venetian and picked up several items there that we needed.  But we did a double-take when we saw Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey sitting on a shelf.  No ABC stores there.  Every alcoholic beverage you need is at Walgreens.
     We had a lot of fun in Las Vegas but are excited about heading from city streets to nature paths as we make our way to Zion National Park tomorrow.      

Arizona

La Posada is a hotel, residence and private museum.

Every room at the La Posada is a fascinating collection of artwork and furniture.

We're "standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona".

Meteor Crater near Winslow.

Had to drive VERY slowly as we left the  Meteor Crater.

Ok...so Arizona is beautiful too!












     After a long but fun day of travels, we arrived at the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona ready to "take it easy".  What a gem in the middle of the desert in a very small town of around 9,000 people.  It is a museum and a hotel!  ...AND the southwestern food wasn't bad either...it was awesome!  They had a great coffee called "Late for the Train".

A little history of the place if interested, otherwise scroll down:

     The La Posada is the masterpiece of Mary Coulter, the greatest of all Southwestern architects.   The timing of the opening of this hotel in 1930 could not have been worse as it was the  beginning of the Great Depression.  It was closed to the public in 1957 and used as offices for the Santa Fe Railway. When in danger of being torn down, Allan Affeldt and Tina Mion purchased the La Posada in 1997 and continue restoring the hotel to this day. The property backs up to an active railway which adds charm as you sit on the back patio or in the dining room.  In addition to the southwestern art, it is also a museum for Tina Mion whose art is like nothing we have ever seen before.

     We were forced to leave Winslow in the morning because winds from the wildfires had brought smoke to Winslow.  There was one last stop downtown before hitting the road again.
     We had to make this stop so we could say we were "standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona" commemorating the Eagles - Jackson Browne song, "Take It Easy".  Across the street, the owner of the Winslow Drug Store plays Eagles' music.  A large video screen inside the store plays a concert by the Eagles and the music is piped outside so you can hear it as you stand on the corner.  Jackson Browne is supposed to be the inspiration for the statute but on a visit to the store he told the owner he thought his head was too small.  As he stood in the drug store viewing the video, he said, "we were good".  
     We are back on the road and headed for Las Vegas.  Not far out of Winslow we took an exit and headed down a very barren road a few miles to view a meteor crater.  On our way to the Visitor Center, we saw a road sign that said, "Drive Slow, Baby Calves on Road".  Sure enough, cows were grazing very close on both sides of this 2-lane road.  Once at the site, we hiked up many steps to view the crater which is claimed to be the best preserved meteorite impact site on earth.  Scientists have determined that a piece of an asteroid hit this spot traveling at 26,000 miles per hour.  At that speed, we could travel between the east and west coast in 5 minutes.  The crater is nearly 1 mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and 550 feet deep.  Wow!  As we headed back down our road to the highway,  the cows with their calves were hovering even closer to the road except for one.  This mama was standing in the road.  I decided to stop and take a picture as we were going around her (while trying to drive) as Rita was urging, "Let's go...let's go...let's go!"  Oh yeah, we were in Rita's car.  Luckily Mama cow never budged as all the cars made their way slowly around her.  Well, that was fun.
     We made our way toward Flagstaff and knew we had made the right decision about the Grand Canyon.  The smoke from the wildfires obscured our view of the mountains at that point.  However, as we made our way more west the smoke cleared and we marveled at how vivid the blue sky and white clouds were.  Rita kept rolling down the window to take a look.  The terrain changed at that point and both sides of the road, as well as the mountains beyond, were covered in pine trees.  We also saw crossing signs for bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope!  We decided to pass on stopping at the "Roadkill 66 Cafe".  Wonder how much business they get???  We also decided against stopping to "Shoot a Machine Gun 10 Miles Ahead".  The pine trees disappeared after awhile and the terrain and mountains became more barren but still beautiful.  We began to see our first cactus abut 25 miles outside of Nevada.  Rita commented that this land looked like the Ponderosa.  She loves "Bonanza"!
     As we entered Nevada, the mountains became more layered and beautiful.  How many times have we said this?  We saw the exit for Hoover Dam and so many power-related structures dotting the landscape that it was a little scary.  We drove into Las Vegas Sunday evening at the peak of Memorial Day Weekend.  That was by far the most stressful driving Angela has ever experienced as she was trying to make her way to the Palazzo hotel on the strip.  It was just as stressful for Rita as the navigator.  At one stop light, at least 200 people crossed the street in front of our car.  We had to make an extra trip around the block but finally made it to our destination.  We had considered going to Hoover Dam one day but we are not moving that car until we leave for Utah!  A little stressed to say the least and as we were opening our hotel room door, Rita said, "THIS BETTER BE GOOD!" And it was.  Whew!        

  

New Mexico to Arizona

Rita standing outside one of the art galleries in the Canyon art district.  The whirly gigs were beautiful and different from the folk American art crafted by Vollis Simpson in Wilson County (which are also whimsical and beautiful).

The entranceway to the lobby of the Inn on the Alameda with it's charming Southwestern design and decor.

Our view of the landscape along I40 in New Mexico.  This state may turn out to take the prize for most beautiful to us.

We never knew red rock could be so breathtaking in Arizona!

The Painted Desert was our first view as we entered the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.  Most of the Painted Desert region is within the Navajo Nation.

This is a cross-section of a petrified log where you can see the rings of the tree.












     While at the Inn on the Alameda, Rita met a woman from Pinehurst who was originally from Roxboro.  They enjoyed talking about home.  We forgot to mention on an earlier day that we also met a young woman from Greensboro who knew one of Rita's former teachers.  She was on her way to Los Angeles with her 2 young red-headed twin sons pursuing a career in modeling and acting for them.  Small world but I digress.
     Before leaving Santa Fe, we took a cool stroll in the Canyon art district.  There were lots of art galleries with a wide  variety of styles...waaaay out of our price range but fun to window shop.  Last, we headed to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum which held a small but considerable collection of her vast work which is exhibited throughout the world.  We left the snow-capped peaks surrounding Santa Fe and headed for Arizona.
     Close to the Arizona state line we got our third and worst hail storm.  Luckily, they don't last long.  At the Arizona rest area, Angela ran up a small hill to the rim of a canyon despite the warning, "Poisonous snakes and insects inhabit this area".  Down the highway a short distance, we crossed a small bridge over Black Creek.  So now Angela has been to Wilson County in one state and Black Creek in another state!)
     An hour away from our destination of Winslow, Arizona, we took a detour to the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert.  The Painted Desert is a long expanse of badlands hills and buttes.  Although barren, a multitude of colors have formed from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant red, orange and pink.  Event though it was a little overcast, it was a breathtaking sight!  Then off to the Petrified Forest to see pieces of wood that had turned into stone.  The trees had fallen in the water where they were buried in the mud and deprived of oxygen.  The mineral-rich water turned them into stone.  Fascinating!
     While at the park, we talked with the park ranger and knew we had to make a disappointing decision.  He had learned that as the wildfires of Sedona, AZ grew in size, the smoke had now reached the Grand Canyon.  Rita called our hotel at the Grand Canyon and was told you could not see the far rim of the canyon.  In addition to the lack of visibility, Rita has had asthma most of her life and cannot physically tolerate the smoke.  Hard decision but a no-brainer.  We'll just have to come back sometime.
     We finally arrived in Winslow, Arizona ( population approx. 9,670 ) just in time for our dinner reservation at the La Posada.  What an absolute gem in the middle of  nowhere!

New Mexico

Midpoint Cafe kitchen table exactly like one Frances and I had growing up...same color.

The best chocolate p-nut butter cream pie we ever tasted made fresh by the owner (including the crust).  Seriously...the best!  It was fun having it after eggs and toast!

Rita standing at the midpoint

Texas is big and beautiful!

Our view from the driver's side as we
"high-tailed" it to Santa Fe, New Mexico...  SCARY!!











     We are doing a lot each day, getting tired at night and not doing a good job in getting this blog to everyone in a timely manner.

     Left Amarillo Thursday morning to a chilly 60 degrees and pouring rain. We can't believe it was 93 the day before.  One good thing came out of the rain...it washed Rita's car.  We both agreed that we had never seen gray sky all the way to the ground as we drove.  It reminded us of how the ocean meets the sky.
     We needed to take a bathroom break and saw nothing for miles and miles.  It is amazing how there are no amenities at many of the exits.  We saw an old faded Phillips 66 billboard and took the exit onto a side road that had a few dilapidated buildings with no sign of life until we happened upon a small unpretentious cafe called Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas.  What a find we had made!  It was a well kept cute cafe with friendly staff and 60's decor and great food.  We decided to have a second breakfast.  We heard the owner telling someone that a tour bus had left earlier as a group of about 20 motorcycles roared into the parking lot.  Both men and women began to enter the door but we couldn't recognize their language.  Who would have thunk it...they were from Norway.  The owner was expecting them and had coffee and sticky buns waiting.  The reason they were there was because they were biking the original Route 66 path from Chicago to Los Angeles.  And Midpoint Cafe is the original midpoint!  (Their tour guide has made this trek 48 times).  We drove away from Midpoint, smiling as the bikers led the way in front of us.  How did we get so lucky to experience that little treasure of a place?
     So, we're back "on the road again".  We passed the dinkiest little red horse barn and the sign on the front read, "Happy Tracks Horse Motel".  Next sign we passed read, "Quality Beef Service". There were probably between 500-1000 cattle in pins close to I40.  Yikes!  We knew where they were headed.  As we continued to drive, there were thousands of scrubby shrubs and bushes dotting the landscape like a map full of push pins.  We realized that we never knew there were so many different kinds of pretty.
     As we entered New Mexico, we have never seen such beautiful red rocks in different shades of color lining our drive out in the distance.  However, at one point our road took us into the middle of the canyons which was an awesome sight to be up close and personal.   However, stormy skies appeared and we realize we were still an hour away from our destination, Santa Fe.  We were a little nervous for a while as we rode along watching a sky we had only seen on TV when there was a severe thunderstorm or tornado in the west.  We always heard to look for ditches to jump into if a tornado appeared but there were no ditches.  But we made it...whew!
     We stayed at the Inn on the Alameda which was a small charming southwest hotel.  We had been in our room only 10 minutes when thunder and lightning left us in the dark.  Luckily, it was time for a wine and cheese reception and everyone converged to the lobby and bar (with skylights).  We met a nice couple from Little Rock so we shared about our recent visit and had a great time.  The Watsons were happy to know they would be in our blog.  Rita always asks where the locals eat so Maria's it was.  Great food and quite a rowdy place.  We've always heard that you've never tasted authentic Mexican food until you've visited the southwest.  OK....it really is true!

 We saw miles and miles of these beautiful flat fields for as far as the eye could see.

We saw lines of windmills that can power thousands of homes.

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This is a view of the back of a rest area in Texas. I am the small dot to the right of the right column.

Oklahoma has many small casinos along their exits.













     The is the second of two blogs we are posting Thursday evening since we were tired yesterday and didn't provide anything for you.

     We left Yukon after getting gas at those great prices ranging from $3.13 - $3.29.  We had barely gotten on the highway when we saw a herd of longhorn cattle...an amazing site.  The horns were HUGE!  We also saw a few oil rigs and started our 4 hour drive over a 7 hour period of time.  We decided to take the Charles Kuralt way of traveling and get off the beaten path.  We stopped at an Indian shop along the way which turned out to have some very nice and expensive gifts (bet you were expecting some cheap unnecessary plastic objects).
    Some portions of our drive today on I40 were also part of one of the original and historic highways in the U.S.  Does anyone remember Route 66?  It was the major path out west in 1930.  So as the song goes, "Get your kicks on Route 66".  And we did!
     We saw so many Casino billboards along the highway we just had to check one out.  We missed the Kickapoo Casino but ended up at Sugar Creek Casino. It was small with mostly slot machines but had 2 small blackjack tables.  The non-smoking room had 22 machines.  So now, we've been there and done that.  No need to talk about our winnings.  We saw there was a state park 5 miles down the road so off we went through a small town called Hinton and to the Red Rock State Park.  Portions were a little steep driving up and down lined with walls of very red rocks (duh!).  There was even a section for repelling from one of the walls.  It did not look one bit safe.
     We headed into Texas (listening to Indian flute music) with ranches and farmland on both sides of the road as far as the eye could see.  Soon we happened upon rows of high-tech windmills that were spinning "up a storm" due to the high winds that are typical of being in the Panhandle (the rectangular area at the top of that big state).  We saw plenty of the smaller familiar windmills that were always in the Westerns we saw on TV and in the movies.  In addition to the herds of cattle, it appeared that most everyone owns some horses.
   We don't know how to describe the beauty of the land.  We stopped at the prettiest and largest rest area with an exhibit in the foyer and a large patio on the back with that beautiful view.  Is everything really bigger in Texas ?  At this point, we would tend to agree.
    We arrived in Amarillo early evening and are staying at a Marriott that is in an historic office building downtown.  The building facade is very pretty and you can imagine an office lobby when you enter but our room looks like a Marriott.
    We are off to Santa Fe tomorrow morning.

The Capital had a very cool balcony to view Markham St. downtown.

 We are still in Arkansas with a view of the Ozark mountains heading to  Oklahoma.

The flat land continues on both sides of I40 as we begin our drive  into Oklahoma.








     Wednesday was a total travel day so not a lot of action as far as sights.  But there were some interesting observations along the way.  While still in Arkansas saw Sinclair gas stations...remember those with the dinosaur symbol?  If not, you are too young.  Road kill takes on a different look when you see an armadillo along the highway with its entire body covered in its hard shell that looks like armor.  He actually was in good shape except he was dead.  The Ozark mountains were a pretty blue like the Blue Ridge Mountains but smaller, about 2,500 ft tall as compared to our mountains which can range from 3,500-6,600 ft high.  The Arkansas rest areas were a throwback to the 50's.  Toilets and sinks were stainless steel (can't believe we are sharing bathrooms with you!)
     After crossing into Oklahoma, Rita tried to sing the overture to the musical, Oklahoma but the only word she knew was "Oklahoma".  When we reached Checotah, OK we were greeted with a sign which read,  Checotah, OK Home of Carrie Underwood,  American Idol Season 4.  Most of towns have Native American names.  The Trail of Tears led them as far as Olkahoma beginning in 1830 when the federal government forced them to leave the east coast.  The further we got into OK,  the fewer houses we saw along I40.  I have never seen so much land with nothing but cattle.  Oklahoma City was pretty with lots of traffic and the site for the Will Rogers World Airport.  We stayed a little west of the city in Yucon.  Our hotel was off Garth Brooks Blvd.  We ate at Alfredo's for dinner which you might think was an Italian restaurant.  It was a local Mexican joint that was excellent.  Rita ordered a simple Michelob Ultra which came in a bowl glass rimmed in salt and gobs of lime pulp.  She loved it!
     Heading to Texas on Thursday.

Lobby of Capital Hotel... what a classy place!

The Clinton Presidential Library with Chihuly Art Exhibit outside entrance is quite striking.

 We sat in a replica of the the White House Cabinet Room.

 We  both  sat in the President's chair.

 One of the amazing glass art exhibits by Dale Chihuly.

South on Main Restaurant serves great southern cuisine as well as culture.

The River Rail Streetcar (electric) is a fun alternative to public transportation to get around the city.









     On Monday, we set out for Little Rock.  Roads became flatter and flatter.  As we left Tennessee, the Arkansas state sign was suspended from a bridge over the the middle of the Arkansas River.  As soon as we left the bridge, we began traveling over the worst roads we have ever seen.  We learned that Arkansas is ranked 5th for the worse roads in the U.S.  Luckily after 50 miles, the roads became smooth and quite a nice ride.  As we drove on, there were flat fields as far as the eye could see on both sides of I40, many of which were under water.  Rita googled Arkansas and learned that this is the Number one state for rice production.  Sorry to admit it but Angela thought they had received a lot of rain.
    We arrived in Little Rock in the evening and and drove up to the Capital Hotel.  This hotel opened in 1870 and soon after, President U.S. Grant stayed here and delivered a speech from the front balcony.  The elevator is very large and the story goes that Grant used the elevator to bring his horse up to his room.  We have loved staying at this historic property and the service has been awesome.
     Went to the Clinton Presidential Library which was such a great experience.  We enjoyed viewing replicas of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.  All the exhibits were well done and they left out nothing!  They currently have a fascinating glass art exhibit by 72 year-old Dale Chihuly.  He has had exhibits in many other U.S. cities as well as Venice,  London, Jerusalem and even one at the Bellagio hotel/casino which we will check out while in Las Vegas.  Met a grandmother who volunteers at the library whose granddaughter attends Elon University where Rita grew up and went to college.  It truly is a small world.
     Ate lunch afterwards at a restaurant called South on Main.  Angela learned from a recent talk show (The Talk) that actors Mary Steenburgen and husband Ted Danson are co-owners so we checked it out.  It is a southern cuisine restaurant that presents programming from the Oxford American magazine (musical performances, literary readings, film screenings).  We sat near the stage but missed out on the culture since we were there for lunch but the food was excellent.
     The city is much larger than we expected but has a great downtown for walking with lots of restaurants.  It seems more active than Greensboro on a Tuesday evening. We had a problem getting into several restaurants because they were all packed. It is indeed a happening place.  
     We're off to Oklahoma City tomorrow.