Santa Fe, NM. Cadillac Ranch, TX., POPS, OK, Memphis and Nashville, TN....
working our way home
We finished the National Park touring part of our trip but we were very far from home, over 1600 miles away. I planned some fun things for us to do along the way, just to break up the monotony of driving.
I love travel shows and HGTV. I spent hours watching Aerial Americas this past year that covered a lot of the National Parks we were going to visit. One of the shows though was called, "Road Side Attractions." It lead me to find some interesting places along the way. Like The Pantry Restaurant in Santa Fe, that had been there since 1948, or Cadillac Ranch in Texas, that has become a huge attraction along Route 66 outside of Amarillo, TX, or POPS, which is a gas station and dinner but happens to have this HUGE pop bottle sculpture outside and close to 700 flavors of POP inside. We have done our best to make the travel days just as fun as the rest of the vacation.
Santa Fe, NM
Loretto Chapel:
The Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, with no way to access the choir loft. After seeking carpenters to address the problem, it was determined that there was no way to build a staircase to access the choir loft. The sisters of the chapel prayed to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth day, a man appeared at the chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later the staircase was completed, but the carpenter left without asking for any pay in return. The original staircase was built without a railing and no center support. It was a master piece for its time for not only it's 2 complete 360 turns but the fact that it was built without a single nail. Years later, the sisters asked for a railing to be installed because it was a bit scary going up and down the stairs.
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| What the original staircase looked liked. |
The "Oldest" House-
This house dates back as early as the late 1600's but the actual age and origin is not know. It has been awarded as one of the oldest houses in the United States.
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| Dunovan said that the doorways in the this house are a deal breaker. He could not live here. |
St. Miguel's Church: The Oldest Church in the United States:
Even though there isn't any written history, it is believed to have been built in 1610. The adobe church was constructed by Franciscan friars to serve a small congregation of soldiers, laborers, and Indians who lived in the area. The church was partially destroyed in 1640 and since then has undergone many restorations and renovations.
New Mexico State Capital:
Dunovan likes American history and politics and wanted to visit the State Capital in Santa Fe. This is an unique building because it is the only state capital building that is round. It also hosts art from New Mexican residents.
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| This Buffalo head is actually made of recycled materials. |
Eating and shopping:
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| I fell in love with these chili pepper wreaths. I bought one to bring home and am praying it is still in the same condition when I unpack it. |
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| Doug loves green chili sauce that is put on so many things in NM, like omelettes, burritos and burgers. |
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| Doug and I went to a farmer's market one morning. |
Traveling Route 66:
Mainly we traveled
Interstate 40 from Flagstaff to Oklahoma City. Interstate 40 replaced
this part Route 66. Parts of Route 66 still exist and so do some
interesting stops along the way.
Cadillac Ranch:
Built to represent the
"Golden Age" of Route 66, 10 Cadillacs aging from 1948-1963, were
purchased from junk yards as part of an art project by Texas millionaire Stanly
Marsh. In 1973, he created this project just outside Amarillo, Texas,
displaying their original colors of turquoise, banana yellow, or sky blue, but
it didn't take long before people began to scratch their names on the cars.
Over time, they were vandalized, parts stolen and windows broken. It was
moved 2 miles west in 1997, to make room for the growing city of Amarillo.
Even though the cars were painted over in 2002, and 2003, the graffiti
returned and is still encouraged today.
We had fun taking our
paint cans and leaving our mark- even if it was only there temporarily before
it was painted over by someone else.
POPS Diner:
Another cool stop was
the next day as we were traveling through Oklahoma. This road side stop
is not only a gas station but a diner that carries an ever changing inventory
of "Pop," or soda, as some of you know it. Each of us grabbed a
6 pack carrier and found interesting soda's to bring home and share with our
friends. The boys were the most adventurous in their choices, I think
their friends will find this an enjoyable taste testing experiment.
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| Brodey's choices |
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| Dunovan's choices |
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| Doug's choices |
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| When I find something I like, I stick with it. These are mine....all mine. Nicole does not share Huckleberry soda. |
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| I had one of my soda's turned into a Huckleberry Float |
Memphis, TN:
We stayed a night in
Arkansas at the Memphis KOA and was close enough to drive into Memphis for the
evening. We visited Beale Street and Beale Street Landing. It was a
quick but fun evening in Memphis.
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| Dunovan requested dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe. |
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Just what a teenager wants, to play at the Hard Rock with your dad as back up. hahaha
Beale Street:
| A. Schwab is the only original business left on Beale Street in Memphis. Opened by 1876, by Abraham Schwab. It is not only part museum but part store where, "If you can't find it at A. Schwabs, you're better off without it." |
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Beale Street Landing. This beautiful park lines the Memphis
side of the Mississippi River. Here we strolled along the Mississippi,
watched an evening cruise and the sun start to set, listened to some street
performers and just enjoyed the evening.
Our last sight seeing stop, Nashville, TN:
So this is it,
Nashville, TN. We stayed here for 3 nights resting, visiting friends, did
a bit of sight seeing, and enjoyed the Seven Points Campground on the Percy
Pierce Lake.
Seven Points Campground:
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| No climbing for Brodey this time, but we did have trouble getting him off the lake. |
The Hermitage:
We spent the morning
touring Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, with my parents (who flew to
Nashville to meet us), and our friend Sandy.
Andrew Jackson bought
the property in Davidson Country in 1804 and lived there until his death in
1845. The last person to live in the house was Andrew Jackson III, who moved
out in 1893. The Hermitage was then open to the public by The Ladies Hermitage
Association.
The Barbeaus:
We had fun visiting with
friends in Mt. Juliet, TN. Sandy and Louis moved next to us when I was
15. It was fun babysitting Alex and Brian when they were children, and
now they are married, and Brian has kids of his own. Their son Lou is my
age and it was fun visiting after 25 years!
Brodey
and Hazel
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Me
and Brian
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Brian,
Kati, Ruby and Hazel
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Ruby
fell in love with Loki
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"My
puppy!"
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Not THE END but UNTIL NEXT TIME:
It has been an amazing
5.5 weeks but we are ready to go home. I can't fully put into words what
this experience has been like. The time spent as a family is priceless.
The memories made will last us all a life time. We have been so
fortunate to be able to see this amazing country, the cities and towns, the
vast open space, the deserts and mountains, and clear glacier lakes. To
see animals in their natural habitats with ecosystems virtually undisturbed by
man. I think if more people were able to do what we did this summer it would change the way they look at our planet. I hope my kids were as
profoundly affected by this experience as Doug and I were; that it made a
fundamental change in their appreciation for the world around them.
I hope you have enjoyed
this chapter of my travel blog. We aren't through yet. We are going
to the beach next month before school starts again, to just relax. And
the planning for next summer is already in the works in my head....
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