Well what do you know...it's the Grand Canyon!

Aug 18 - Dylan and I made the four hour trip from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon (he called it the big hole). It was amazing, but since I was expecting it to be, it wasn't my favorite part of the trip. Becoming somewhat of a road trekkie (or not...), I've come to appreciate the unexpected back road adventures. Anyways, back to the Grand Canyon... We got there around 5 and went to the most popular spot. There were Buddhist monks taking pictures of themselves. We asked the park ranger about a less crowded place to watch the sunset, got on the wrong shuttle, but made it to Yaki Point right on time. It was great to watch the sunset without looking through heads (although we did have the pleasure of listening to bad singing...I guess it echoes). I got some really great pictures. When we went back to the shuttle stop 15 minutes later, we realized we were the only ones left. Man, that place cleans out fast! Moral of the story: good views, good pictures, good times.

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I can't believe this is summer in New Mexico.

Aug 14 - We drove the long descent to the top of Sandia Peak, NM. The fog was dense, but luckily it dispersed enough for us to see the gorgeous view. But a mountain-top view has drawbacks...it was freezing! Turns out the temperature was a cool 45. New Mexico in general is such a beautiful state. The landscape is amazing, and I really want to come back. The wierd thing about it is all these towns that must have been attractions at one point but now are nothing more than deserted motels and closed gas stations. I-40 travels along what used to be Route 66. So I guess back in the day when highways were slow, cars were less efficient, and you didn't have to sell your first born to fill up the tank (I'm talking about gas tanks, not the SUVs that take up a lane and a half), more people stopped at roadside motels with cutesy neon signs.

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It's amazing we were in Arkansas just yesterday.

Aug 14 - I'm standing by an old gas station somewhere in New Mexico. Last night, we sat in a Denny's in Tucumcari, NM, a town full of deserted motels. And to think that the night before, we ate at a Salvadorian restaurant in Danville, AR... This cross-country business is crazy. We stopped in Oklahoma City to visit the National Memorial for the bombing. It was an in incredible tribute to those who had lost their lives in the tragedy. Rows of bronze, stone, and glass chairs stood in front of a large, shallow reflection pool. Leaving OK City (which is a much greater feat than it sounds), we headed west through the rest of OK (very flat, dry and hot) and on through the pan handle of Texas. The landscape in Texas changed so drastically from one mile to the next. It was so amazing.

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I bid farewell to ol' Kentucky...

Aug 11 - Despite our good intentions of leaving at 6am, we finally hit the road around 8:30. Heading south towards Nashville, we listened to Bluegrass as I bid farewell to "The Bluegrass State". While in Louisville, I visited Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby), Old Louisville (noted for row upon row of Victorian houses), saw a four stories tall baseball bat, ate some incredible home-cooked Southern food (fried catfish and hush puppies, yum!), and sang lots of Karaoke. Ol' Kentucky, it was fun, but it's time to move on. Hello Tennessee!!

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Hello Memphis the city of blues bars and The King!

Aug 11/12 - We arrived in Memphis around dinner time and headed straight for Beale Street, famous for its bars and live music. Along the way, we stopped at Sun Studio. While Dylan got gas, Sarah and I ran across the street to take pictures. We were stopped a few times...twice by homeless men, another time by a man calling out of his pick-up, "You wanna take a picture of me?" Despite his big smile, we declined and were on our way. Beale Street was awesome, with its neon lights and drunk people. We ate at the Blues City BBQ. I had the most incredible ribs, beans, coleslaw, fries and Texas toast. Yum! The next day, we visited Graceland. The house would hardly be considered a mansion by today's standards, but it was pimped out with a shaggy green wall, mirrored stairwell, 3 television sets in the TV room, and crazy fabric covering the pool room walls. The King lived in style...by 1970s standards. =D

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There's more to the man than Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Dylan and I visited historic Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, KY. After wandering around in the rain for 2 hours, we finally found Colonel Sanders' grave. Colonel Sanders was, of course, the founder of the chain fast food joint, Kentucky Fried Chicken. But he was also a philanthropist, supporting children's causes. But back to Cave Hill...in the older section stands the white, uniform graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War. Soldiers from both sides lie next to one another in death, despite their ties in life. The cemetery also displays magnificent statues, some dating back 100 years. (Statues in rain make for good pictures!)

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Leaving Pittsburgh

You can see I was devastated by the move. I won't miss Pittsburgh, but I'll miss the excitement and freedom of my first apartment. I won't miss the poorly planned roads or the accent that I'm starting to pick up (yins want some pop?), but I'll miss the city that I called my own. Not my parents' city, not friends'...Pittsburgh was mine. But heck with that...I'm moving on. Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, HERE I COME!!

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