Day 4 - Kansas (sort of), Oklahoma & Texas

Leaving Missouri, our AAA Triptik (not the good old-fashioned kind that you flipped through going from map to map and was held together with a spiral binding - now they only make the kind you have to print off the computer) routed us directly to Oklahoma. But since we were less than a mile from the Kansas border, Steve felt very strongly about our taking a detour and adding another state to our road atlas. (I felt cheap - like I was cheating on my Triptik, but I went along for the ride, so to speak.) (Though I must say, it was worth it to see Mac 'n' Cheese pizza.) (Cannot wait to show that one to Drew!)

I now understand why most of the land that the United States gave back to the Native Americans is in Oklahoma. No one would buy it. They had to give it away. 104 degrees and humid. Six hours of the ugliest continuous landscape I've ever seen. I'm not sure what was worse - the view or six hours of the theme song.

The Texas panhandle isn't much to shake a stick at either. And there's literally nothing as far as the eye can see. (But at least there isn't a Broadway song that goes with it.)

I must say, even though it was hot and humid, and long, and pretty ugly, we are actually having a really great time. It's been quite an adventure seeing what lies between hither and yon. (And a really good audio book doesn't hurt either!)

And then we saw it. The most beautiful sight so far - just west of Texola, Oklahoma, at the Texas border, a road sign with the most beautiful word on the bottom...

Day 3 - Part One - Indiana to Illinois

After leaving Indiana this morning, we drove into Illinois. We spent the next 180 miles driving across corn fields. Three hours is a lot of corn fields. Really, really a lot of corn fields. Now we know where all that corn syrup comes from.

Earlier this morning over breakfast, Steve and I caught up on all the important news in "USA Today," our daily source for depth, insight and analysis of the world's daily happenings. (Kind of makes me miss the Berkshire Eagle...) (The radio waves seem to have been taken over by a combination of God-fearing Christians and country music lovers - (is that redundant) - with no NPR in sight.) (But even that doesn't make me miss Alan Chartock!)

Having learned from our go-to source that the brand new Apple iphone 4G has sold out in every major metropolitan area, we thought that while we stopped for lunch in Effingham, Illinois, (yes, Effingham!,) we might get lucky at the AT & T store there, since it is a town surrounded by 180 miles of corn fields. After they stopped laughing at me, I learned that the AT & T store in Effingham does not have an Effing iphone. I guess I'm back on the waiting list.

Day 3 - Part Two - Missouri

On to Missouri. We learned some things here in Missouri.

First of all, they have a lot of arches.

Secondly, they must be very relaxed people because their water towers hold magical elixirs.

They also have lots of interesting (though somewhat misleading) sights. For example, Steve wanted to see the "World's Biggest Rocker." I told him that I didn't think Mick Jagger was in Fanning, Missouri. He made me go anyway.

I drew the line at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum. Seriously. Look it up. http://www.vacuummuseum.com/ He's just going to have to put that one on his "Bucket List."

And for all of you that have any concerns about Kismet, the last photo should assuage all of your fears. She clearly has taken to life on the road...

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, here we come...

Day 2 - Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana

And that about sums it up...

Day 1 - What made Buffalo famous

Dinner time in Buffalo, New York.

Lord of the Wings.

Westward Ho – Day 1

New York State - (Somewhere between Utica and Buffalo.)

Steve got his first speeding ticket. (Unfortunately, it was in a construction zone.) I wanted to offer the very nice police officer a slice of brie (courtesy of Diana’s amazing goodie bag,) but Steve wouldn’t let me. (Something about bribing New York State officials.) That’s probably why he ended up getting the ticket. I'm sure the brie would have softened him. Luckily, I was wearing my anti-stress lavender and chamomile neck pillow, so I was very calm. The Lovely Audrey, (Steve's favorite mother-in-law,) upon hearing about the incident, said that had I cried like I was supposed to when the officer came up to the car, Steve wouldn't have been ticketed. (And that's why she's his favorite mother-in-law.)

Rest-stop highlight of the day: Kismet the Wonderdog and I sat and watched a woman and her standard poodle running in circles on a tiny patch of grass, about 10 feet in diameter, pretending they were at Westminster. (The black lab won best in show.)