St. Louis by sunset

We passed the Arch at dusk and drove straight through to home by sunrise. 4224 miles!

An extordinary small town in Missouri

The unexpected beauty of the walled gardens in Ste. Genevieve provided a bouquet of visual opportunities.

A visionary

This enterprising Tennessee homeowner has turned his front porch into a self storage unit. Could we see the beginning of a new trend?

The cross roads

Ask Zac

A sign of the times

In what was once considered a recession proof industry, the citizens of this community are force to look elsewhere to satisfy their needs.

Decisions, decisions

Anyone want to empty the waste basket?

Build it and they will come

It was nice to see civic planning. A bridge in the middle of nowhere- no highway, no ramps, nothing.

Looking for direction?

The golden hand lets the townsfolk know where the answers are.

Mammy's Kitchen

Mammy's roadside restaurant welcomes all those who don't mind eating under a petticoat.

A very pleasant surprise in Natchez

We discovered two incredible Tiffany stained glass windows at a church in Natchez. Breathtaking pieces.

The secret to Voodoo gumbo?

It's stirred, not shaken.

Every long day in New Orleans starts with a bad decision

For me it was a Grey Goose martini. For Elizabeth it was a Pimm's cup.

Cinco de Mayo

Jim, Elizabeth, and Zac enjoy a nightcap at the Green Lantern. Cheers.

Vegitarians beware

KILLER BBQ. Everything from the two major food groups. Ribs, brisket, sausage, pork butt, chopped brisket, and chicken thighs. Mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, and creamed corn.

Promise made, promise kept

After a seven month, two thousand mile wait Zac finally gets to sink his teeth into the Reuben from Zingermans- the gold standard of sandwiches.

King Kong nachos

Nothing says "welcome to San Antonio" like a half order of King Kong nachos and a margarita for breakfast.

Hauling ass out of Oklahoma

Bikers, our ever present road companions and kindred spirits, move swiftly across southern Oklahoma and into Texas.

Red or blue?

Once you decided to buy the world's most offensive hat, the only question is- what color?

That's no moon...

We saw it on the horizon, it was enormous. I said to Elizabeth. "Look- I think it's a moon." Slowly, she replied forebodingly, "That's no moon, Dad, it's Wal-Mart's national distribution center.

Wilson's B-B-Q

The reward was that much more satisfying, having almost killed my daughter and myself to enjoy it.

Driving around Tulsa at night.

Just to make it a little trickier, they close half the freeways and then turn off all the street lights. Should the term "sudden drop off" mean something?

The road to Oz

Elizabeth's been on the road to Oz her whole life- she seemed to be on the right track.

The famous "Frenchee"

Yummy! A grilled cheese sandwich battered, breaded and deep fried- with a foot long coney on the side. Elizabeth- can you spell
I-N-D-E-G-E-S-T-I-O-N and use it in a sentence?

US-30, the Lincoln Highway

One of the first transcontinental roads, stretching from coast to coast, as seen from behind a farm tractor in Iowa.

Oh Rochelle, what of thee?

If you're not interested, or entertained for that matter, in waiting to see trains, Rochelle is as bleak and visually disturbing as any small town I've seen in my thousands of miles traveled. Avoid.

Rolling Right Along

Okay sports fans, it's hard to find wi-fi in the great open spaces of middle America, so blogging has been a bit dodgy thus far. Please stick with us, here, all the good stories and photos will eventually make it. Remember, even if you shun all other virtues, try to work with patience.

Now for an update. We are now sitting in a truck stop restaurant somewhere south of Topeka, KS, where they keep announcing, "Professional driver number 133, shower five is now open." We have 15 minutes left on the wireless we had to pay $1.99 for, and Dad wants to me to add photos. That means that my tales of train watching, leprechaun hunting, and Wizard of Oz wineries will have to wait until we reach Tulsa tonight. All right. Here goes.

~E.

Breakfast at the Daily Grind in Elkhart.

People were real friendly here- the food was great.

Mug confirmation at the Darkhorse Brewery

Good news! Mug 1049 is still there. After a series of tests, it is deemed clean and water tight.

Reubens and Recklessness

After a slightly late start last night (it's very hard to pack when all of your worldly possessions are in unmarked boxes), we finally hit the road. Because Zac is Dad's favorite son, and the Reubens in Texas bear a striking resemblance to pulled pork sandwiches, we stopped at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor. Is it legal to cross state lines with the much corn beef?

Oh, and what Dad omitted was that after three beers at the Dark Horse in Marshall, he was yelling for me to "Drive AROUND!" when we got to the less than cooperative toll booth. I decided it was too early in the trip to be that reckless.

~E.

How the Indiana turnpike makes money.

The unattended exit toll booth charges you for 4 axles (like a truck), and then gives you your change in Chuckie Cheese tokens. One state's answer to a balanced budget.

finished my shift, now it's........FREEDOM!!!!!!!

Co-Pilot's Log

Elizabeth here. What Dad failed to mention was that it was not simply "stuff" in a car, but rather my entire life in the aptly named Honda Fit. I am the Tetris queen.

Any-hoo. Turned in my last paper yesterday, sold back my books, primed my room, and said good-bye to college (part one), so now it's time for an epic road trip. My role in this odyssey is part-time driver, all-time navigator, and chronicler of shenanigans when Dad is in no state to type.

Rock on.

~ E.

Chinese fire drill.

Elizabeth rolled in around 10 pm with a car full of "stuff" from her apartment at college. We unloaded it and immediately refilled it with "stuff" to take to Zac in San Antonio.