Day 10-an extra day in the A(L)BQ….

(Annrose writes)
What a nice day we had today. We lounged around the room this morning, both feeling the strain of the past week. We then went to the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History. It was so quiet, no kids running amuck, no screaming, pushing or shoving. Everyone is so incredibly friendly and welcoming.

We ate at La Hacienda, in old town ABQ, Spanish tile, heavy wood chairs, chile’s hanging...u get the drift. The food was,…well there was so much of it that we took it back to the hotel to finish for dinner....WOW I took a few pics...Bill to post.

We are both starting to feel the effects of being at such a high altitude, here in ABQ., we are 7000 feet above sea level, Bill is having some trouble breathing and my head feels like it wants to explode. The last time I was in Az. I remember having a headache the first few days also, so lets hope we get used to it in time (I hope).

We're just going to relax tonight because tomorrow we are headed to ….(drum roll please).......ARIZONA.....and the first stop will be the Petrified Forrest Nat’l Park. We were able to see some of the park the last time we were in AZ, so we are looking forward to seeing more since we will pass on the way to Cottonwood.

(Bill adds)
The whole town here has so much to do that we scrapped two sets of initial plans (either drive or take the local commuter rail to Santa Fe, or do the Sandia mountain tram). We decided that a much slower paced day was what was needed, to decompress from a week plus on the road and almost two weeks of living out of suitcases since we moved out of our old place on Long Island.

We headed over a few blocks into “Old Town” the original settlement area, which is now all shopping and dining, and three Museums. We choose the Art & History Museum because we could leave the car parked and walk into the historic area to shop and eat. After almost 2 Hrs. in the Museum we headed over to the shops and grabbed a few things, including a certain “Patch’ for someone…Plus Annrose got a new Mug and she picked out a Cap for me.

Now we sat down to eat at 2:30 so where we thought it was lunch turned into a “dinner,” even with some healthy leftover portions. The Guacamole salad was “outstanding”, and I had the Chicken & Beef combo Fajitas and Annrose had her “Chimmi whatever she had” which she already posted her “Food porn” on Facebook…
So we’re relaxing tonight before we head out tomorrow. “Just One More Day and a Wake Up!”

Day’s 7, 8, & 9- OKLAHOLMA, TEXAS & NEW MEXICO

(photos above By Annrose)
(Annrose writes)
Driving though Oklahoma today was nice, not a lot of trucks or cars on the road and nothing but wide open spaces for miles and miles or open fields of cows and horses grazing. It really is beautiful. Every 20-30 miles there's a little community of houses or a house and big barn.

Bill has this habit, every time we pass cows, he moos at them.....every time!!! It is kind of funny after a while, he does a really good cow moo.....lol

We are more than half way to AZ and driving into Texas today, We started to notice how the terrain is starting to change. From the brown dirt to that reddish color and the shape and size of hills and canyons...I took some pics at a Texas roadstop that show just that (Bill to post)....

Tomorrow we drive thru Texas to New Mexico, its going be a lot of driving over 4.5 hours(plus another time change!), but we are staying in Albuquerque for 2 days, then we'll be in ARIZONA and spending some time at the Petrified Forrest in Holbrook...Before we head to our new place in Cottonwood...

(Tuesday Day 8)
We left Texas this morning and headed towards New Mexico...what a great ride, the view of mountains, canyons; huge rocks, boulders in different shades of brown and rust just breath taking and then there are these bushes in all different shapes n sizes scattered all over the terrain, not sure what they're called, will have to find out. It was just a preview
of what is to come.

(Wed. Day 9)

I’m happy to be staying in one place today, no long distance driving. I would like to go up to Santa Fe the drive is about an hour and a half...will see how we feel, there is much to see and do right here in Albuquerque.
I have been saying for a long time that I have to learn Spanish, I think I better hurry up and learn.

(Bill adds)

Well, this is another double sized post since we have not posted since Arkansas! We made Tx. And found the correct hotel this time. We settled in with a Papa John’s Pizza and watched Alabama Win the National College title game. This time the room was a little smaller, and we initially had an issue with the bathroom’s sliding door, but we loved the shower.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we left Texas and headed into New Mexico. When I tell you about the “breathtaking” sight of the Mountains as we headed into NM, and to see the mountains around Santa Fe in the Distance from I-40..

We stopped at the New Mexico welcome center in Glenrio for a bathroom break and a few pics (I will post later today). We also stopped In Tucumcari NM for lunch at DEL’s, which was outstanding. Like Winslow AZ.(mentioned in the song “Take it Easy by the Eagles), Tucumcari is mentioned in a song by LITTLE FEAT (“well I’ve been from Tucson to Tucumcari….”)
We made it to Alb. around 5pm Mtn. time., and being wiped out from over a week on the road, we had planned an extra day here. We also decided to “Order Inn” last night, and I can’t sing the praises of there delivery service enough! We had some nice salads and I had a Chicken Parm. Hero (but not as good as 3 Boys!) and Annrose got cheesy breadsticks with her salad. We were so tired we hit the bed a little after 10pm.

Today we might relax a bit, and possibly sight see some….we’ll keep you all posted….

Drive time:(Monday 255 Miles-4 Hrs & 11 Mins.-Tuesday-285 Miles 4 Hrs. & 26 Mins.)

Day 6-the Waffle house, wrong turns, and Lost Medicine!

(Annrose writes)
Today we had breakfast at the Waffle House in Russellville AR (oh come on they're every where), it took us 5 days before we gave in...

After a wonderful breakfast, we headed out for a leisurely drive to Oklahoma City. We're listening to the Giants game on Sirius/XM and enjoying the views of the countryside when Bill realizes that he had a voice message, he didn't recognize the number. Ignored it, then realized it may be the hotel calling to tell us we left something behind. It was and we did. We had driving over 65 miles we were in the car about an hour, so we made a u turn and headed back... we had to, it was Bills medicine bag. So, in short we were driving about 7 hours today....I am beat,
but, arrived safely had another home cooked meal at the Crackerbarrel.
Tomorrow is Monday already, time flies by at 70-75 miles an hour.

(Bill adds) Yeah, what a dummy I can be sometimes! It’s a good thing we checked the voicemail when I did or else we’d have been in Ok.!

The Waffle House was great as Annrose noted, but the day went down hill from there except for the Giants beating Atlanta, and us meeting some Nice (very) folks working at the Ok. state welcome center. We also wound up at the wrong hotel (don’t ask) and now I have to get on the phone with customer service and sort that out plus a “double” charge for the first night in Virginia. We had wanted to meet up with a friend of my ex-roommate, but that doesn’t look like it’s happening today. Annrose and I are both exhausted, and we got lost getting here (Ok. City) and we are just wiped out. Short post today but I promise more tonight.

Drive time: 7 Hrs (because of going "back" to Get Meds at last hotel) Miles 286(not counting reverse!)

Day 5-Memphis & Graceland-and the flatlands of Arkansas

(Annrose writes)
We started the day at Graceland in Memphis TN and ended in Russellville, Arkansas. Had lunch with Elvis after he gave me a tour of the mansion. It was so cool to see what was considered excessive or elaborate back in the 70's. Bill wasn't up to walking thru the mansion, so he hung back in the lobby and watched/listened to an artist singing Elvis tunes. We then had a burger in the Rock n Soul, a “very” 50's styled burger joint.

The drive was not bad today, only 3.5 hours of driving.
Wouldn't it be funny if this blog of our road trip turned into one of those stories about how the couple started off all happy and excited and ended with the couple going crazy from living out of their suitcases and not being able to figure out how to use the (Freakin) shower head in every new hotel room?!

Otherwise, the driving isn't so bad.....

(Bill adds)

Graceland was nice to see. We also wanted to do Beale st. & the Gibson Guitar Factory, but my back gave out before we got started from re-loading the Truck! The ”Elvis” inspired Artist (not an impersonator!) was Terry Mike-Jeffery, who has many albums out of both his own stuff and Elvis covers. Just as much s Nashville, Memphis is a Music town, with lots of recording studios and attractions. While Fender does not have a factory like Gibson does, they are other instrument makers have large store presence’s in town. Fender is releasing a “collectors” edition Elvis Model “Amplified” Acoustic Guitar in Feb. ($750) which looks pretty.
(Lots of Pics!)
We also saw the Sirius/XM broadcast booth where the Elvis channel is broadcast from, and briefly met “Doc” Walker while Annrose was in one of the Elvis themed stores browsing.

The Burger was outstanding BTW, but we have Chic-Fil-A for Dinner, and now we know what everyone else in the south is talking about! That had to be the best grilled chicken on a roll I ever had!

The ride was better again today as Annrose pointed out above. mostly "flat" driving once across the Miss. river, except for a delay for road work.

Today we will leave the Ozarks behind and head to Ok. City. I won’t feel so bad about “missing” the Giants on TV because we have Sirius/XM in “Midnight” (the Escape), and I will get my pal Bob Papa’s Play by Play from WFAN. We did watch most of the Lions-Saints Game last night. Annrose is sleeping in a bit this morning since she’s not feeling well.

Drive (Road) time: 4 Hrs & 20 Mins. Miles: 268