California Dreamin'

Our last state border!

Leaving Las Vegas

Driving into the sunset for the last leg of this wonderful trip and the beginning of exciting adventures and opportunities in La-La land.

What happens in...

Some people have a Flat Stanley. We have Norman.

Guess where we are?

Norman checking out the sights.

Arizona hike

Norman looking at the descent.

Land of Enchantment

As soon as we crossed the border into New Mexico we were greeted with a watercolor landscape of mesas and unique rock formations.  The Santa Fe plaza is beautiful in the night and day.  By the Palace of the Governors I bought a handmade copper guitar pick and experienced my first Frito pie (delicious!).  After Santa Fe we headed to Espanola where Horacio had organized an Obama event.  Next stop was Santuario de Chimayo where people come for "holy dirt" which is supposed to provide healing powers.  I also thought it was interesting that there was a huge Vietnamese Lady of Lavang statue in the courtyard.  Then we took the scenic drive to Taos pueblo which is the only UNESCO site in the US.  Unfortunately the pueblo was closed when we got there but the drive was one of the prettiest we have ever experienced. Finally we spent the night in Gallup, the "Indian Capital of the World".  When we woke up we had an authentic New Mexican/Native American breakfast at Earl's where the locals come by your table to sell you souvenirs.  Horacio bought a statue from a cute little old guy.  Also in Gallup is the El Rancho Hotel on Route 66 claimed to be the hotel for Hollywood stars.  Inside there are autographed photos of stars like Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, etc. all over the walls in the lobby area.  You can also sleep in one of the rooms named after one of the celebs (too bad they didn't allow dogs).  Last stop in New Mexico was Four Corners which we had to go through Arizona to get to.

View from hotel

Just outside Sedona, Arizona

Only spot in America!

There is only one place in our country where four states meet and we were there today.

On the road to Taos

And more Rock City photos

"Gnomes are creepy!"

White deer in Deer Park, Rock City

Horacio lifting a 1000 ton rock

Chattanooga TN photos

Walnut Street Bridge - one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world

Greeted us at Walnut Street Bridge

Muddy after playing in Chattanooga Chew Chew in the rain

Norman wishing he could have some Good Dog hotdogs and pommes frites too

Catching Up

After we left beautiful Chattanooga, we headed to the Civil Rights mecca of Birmingham, Alabama. We crossed through Georgia into Alabama and arrived at sunset to the Civil Rights Institute, across the street from the famous 16th Street Baptist Church, the spot where the Ku Klux Klan killed four young girls and galvanized the Civil Rights movement.

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/al11.htm

The three of us walked through the park which has a number of very moving and powerful sculptures. Just a few days short of Martin Luther King's birthday, it just seemed right.

Afterwards we drove to Vulcan Park and checked out the largest cast-iron statue in the world with a great vista of all Birmingham. We rode to the top and experienced what seemed to be a great bit of cold and wind (we learned better later...) to get a closer look. The model for the statue certainly appeared to have spent a good amount of time focusing his workout on his rear end.

http://www.visitvulcan.com/

After enjoying the sites, we left Birmingham to drive through Mississippi towards Memphis, Tennessee. More soon.

Two hours behind

Don't call us in the early morning!

Thoa is Hungry!

At the Big Texan in Amarillo, TX.

On the road again.

Lamb Fries

Google them.

At Cattlemen's Cafe in historic  Stockyard City - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Time to Reflect

Before 9-11, the Oklahoma City bombing was the most horrific act of terrorism in the USA. The people there have created a stunning memorial for the 168 who died. The smaller chairs represent children. A nursery school was in the first floor of the Murrah Federal Building.

Road Trip Songs Heard Enroute

"Life Is A Highway" - Rascal Flatts

Gnomes and Fairyland

You need to see it to understand it, but this place was awesome and a lot of fun.

Yes I Fit

Lover's Leap

Tempting and romantic, but we passed on it.

Rock City

Pictures from the trip so far

Thoa and Norman enjoying breakfast by the outdoor fireplace at the Rock City Starbucks.

Taking a driving break

We are hitting Hot Springs, AR for a quick massage and bath before moving on to Oooooooooohklahoma.

Leaving East officially

Crossing Mississippi River from Memphis and heading to Little Rock

Home of the King

We traveled from his birthplace to Graceland the week of his birthday.  Viva Elvis!

Eating In The King's Booth

Johnnie's Drive-in was Elvis' favorite eating spot in his birthplace of Tupelo, Mississippi.

The Cha-Cha - Charlottesville to Chattanooga

Rain, rain, go away! We woke up to rain and cancelled our plans to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. After checking out a bit of the UVA campus, taking care of errands, hoping the rain would die down and giving Audrey a chance to walk Norman after school, we finally left Charlottesville for the long slog to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our only plan then was to enjoy a bit of the scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Instead, we hit miles of dense fog and just opted to stay on the interstate the whole way.

Slept in a bit and then went to check out the absolutely gorgeous Rock City, located just over the border in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. A trail developed over the last 100 years, it's a mix of natural beauty, incredible trails through narrow cliffs with whimsical touches from the original owners' German heritage and fascination with gnomes and very pet-friendly so Norman could join us as well. We'll upload some pics once we figure out how. Very nice place and highly recommended.

After Rock City, we packed up the car and made a few stops before heading out. We took Norman to the Chattanooga Chew Chew Dog Run where he got VERY dirty, then walked over the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, uniting the historical white and black areas of Chattanooga. While on the bridge crossing the Tennessee River the rain opened up again con ganas. The three of us got a bit soaked. We lunched at Good Dog, a new hot dog joint in Chattanooga whose owner admitted to finding inspiration from two of our favorite spots in NYC - Crif Dogs and Pommes Frites. A quick pit stop to pick up some of Chattanooga's proudest invention - the Moonpie - and we're off towards Birmingham, Alabama.

Trader Joes Delivery

After packing and repacking and being stuffed with my mom's famous spring rolls, we drove to Charlottesville. Because we left late from NYC we were going to skip Cavalier town. But my sister wanted Trader Joe's organic condensed milk so my parents wanted me to bring it to her from NoVA. I didn't mind seeing my sis and kids. Plus Thao made delicious buttermilk waffles and Norman got to roll downhill on the grass again.

On the Road

Finally took off! Packing took longer than expected, not surprising for a big trip. Cleaning took a LOT longer than expected. The first day was a short, well-traveled route we have done many, many times - from the apartment to Thoa's parents house in Annandale, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC just outside the Southwest portion of the Beltway.

Along the way we hit:

- New Jersey (crossed the Hudson River through the Holland Tunnel into Jersey City)

- Delaware (crossed the Delaware River over the always-gorgeous Delaware Memorial Bridge)

- Maryland (driving through nondescript and unmarked Elkton Road)

- Virginia (crossed the Potomac River on the Beltway)

Norman always recognizes when he is approaching Grandma's house. As we slow down to exit the Beltway, he always pops up and starts sniffing. Thoa calls it the moment when he realizes, "Hey! I've peed here."

Pre-Trip Carbo Loading

Since we are planning on being out of town for awhile, I thought about all the New York City food items I would miss.  This led to a week-long binge of mainly junk food.  I always love eating but my stomach wasn't too happy for me. 

Here is a "short" list of what I ate and am going to miss:
- Bagels from the bodega and my new fave place Tompkins Bagels (Amazing organic bacon/egg/cheese bagel and Stumptown coffee)
- Pizza from Vinny Vincenz, South Brooklyn, Gruppo * Unfortunately ran out of time for Gnocco, Three of Cups and Motorino
- Pommes Frites (Mexican Ketchup and Frite Sauce, H got War Sauce - Mayo, Peanut Satay and raw onion)
- Burgers from Five Guys and Royale (Good as usual so I am going to ignore the C inspection rating)
- City Crab oysters, lobster bake and steam pot *Also like Mermaid Inn but they were booked up
- The Cottage Chinese Restaurant (Hope I can find Szechuan dumplings in LA)
- Neptune, our neighborhood (East Village) diner, whose cranky but good cook has made more breakfast meals for us than any other restaurant and possibly our moms as H likes to say