Day 9---Pretty Paducah

An update on last night, and then today.  We went to the get acquainted meeting for Country Heritage Tours last night at the hotel.  Seems like a pleasant bunch of quilters ( plus one sister who doesn't quilt).  Everyone had to stand up and introduce themselves, as usual, no biggie.  We are from all over:  California well represented, Connecticut, Alaska, England, New Zealand (Wellington, Randi, if you're reading this) and Australia.
      All was going well until we got to the Australians.  What a bunch!  Then one of the Aussies stood up and said she had brought gingerbread men for all of us---wait for it---anatomically correct.  She used little banana candies for the important member, as she put it, and some were up, and some were down.  At that point we were laughing so hard (I was crying.) that someone came and closed the door to the meeting room, we were making so much noise.  Needless to say, we are off to a good start.

Welcome to Kentucky

Whitehaven

Today we boarded the bus, and off we went.  Nice to not be in the car, nice to have your big luggage schlepped for you, and nice to not worry about which way to turn, how fast to go, etc., all the things you have to think about when you're driving.  We loaded the bus today at 9:00 and were on our way to Kentucky.  It is impossible to take pictures out of the bus because the windows reflect, but I will say that Kentucky looks a lot like Tennessee, rolling green treed hills.  More farms now, with lots of wheat.  Stopped at a wonderful "Welcome to Kentucky" information bureau which is a converted old home named Whitehaven.

Me and Quiltman

Arrived in downtown Paducah (which is named after an Indian chief who
used to live in this area.) and were met by Quiltman, who wears a cape and tights and rides a Segway.  Paducah is a wonderful old river town on the Ohio River, just where the Tennessee River joins it.  Been flooded many times, most recently last year.  The downtown part has many brick streets and old buildings, altogether charming.

A side street in Paducah

The main street in Paducah

 We enjoyed eating lunch here and walking around the downtown area, but were more than ready to go to Hancocks Fabrics.  Billed as the largest quilt store in the US, Pat and I both think that Fabric Outlet in Portland is bigger.  There is a lot of fabric in any case.  After singeing credit cards, we were more than ready for the hotel, and some down time.

Pat entering the main exhibit area

Loaded onto the bus once again, this time for a preview of the show which will open officially tomorrow.  Pat and I decided to do vendors first, and look at the quilts tomorrow.  We managed to cover two of the three vendor areas in two hours.  This really is a marathon of vendors.  We could not help but see some of the quilts, and they were so I have put them in today's blog.  There will be many more pictures tomorrow.  Finally, back to the hotel and bed.

Imagining India

Detail of an appliqued quilt

A reward for surviving the day
Chocolate cake

Day 8---Nashville at last

Look closely to see the sign!

Left West Memphis for the real Memphis this morning.  Crossing over the Mississippi while trying to give directions and take a picture at the same time is an experience!  If you look closely you will see a Tennessee sign hanging from the top in the middle of the bridge.  Quickly skirted Memphis and were on our way to Nashville, a trip of about 3 to 4 hours.

Count the greens

Let me tell you, if you think the desert is boring, it pales in comparison to the road between Memphis and Nashville.  The whole way is rolling hills with trees, and then more rolling hills with trees.  How many shades of green are there anyway?  The picture on the left is pretty much what the whole trip was like, except you can't see the hills.

Entrance of The Hermitage

 We got to Nashville in plenty of time to go and tour The Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, our seventh president.  The site is owned by the state of Tennessee, and is a National Historical Monument.  People certainly lived simpler lives in the 1830's than they do today.  The original plantation grounds are park-like because the restoration committee planted them with trees from all of the battlegrounds Andrew Jackson fought in.  In his time the expanse was much more open, and filled with the sounds of his 150 slaves, most of whom were engaged in raising cotton, his cash crop.  The building, which has five rooms on the first floor and four rooms on the second floor is beautifully restored, with many of the original furnishings, including 200 year old wallpaper.

Front of The Hermitage

 The five rooms on first floor are Andrew Jackson's bedroom, an office, a fancy parlor and a everyday parlor, and a dining room.  The kitchen is detached because of fire danger.  The second floor is all bedrooms.  Tour very nicely done, with costumed docents to tell you how it was.

Pat and I checked into the Airport Marriott at about 4:30 after a burger and fries at Steak n Shake,  Nice, except for the $14.95/da charge of internet to your room!  Needless to say, I am in the lobby, where the internet is free.

The In n Out of the east

Happy to say goodbye to the car for a week!

 “Quilters aren't Greedy, they're just Materialistic.” 

Day 7---Almost to Nashville

Notice the paving

We left Okemah this morning after going to the post office, which looks much like Marysville.  We drove around the leafy streets looking at many very nice older homes.  The streets were paved with bricks!  We wonder what the people do for work, as there doesn't seem to be any, even farming.

Pines hickory and unknown

Looks like tall dandilions

We drove through lovely green, forest covered hills in eastern OK (Somehow I do not think of OK as leafy, green) for about an hour and a half, and finally reached Arkansas, which is just as lovely, leafy, and hilly, although the locals call the hills the Ozark Mountains. 

Little Rock Central High School

We finally reached flat land again, coming into Little Rock.  While in Little Rock we learned that this is actually the Mississippi floodplain.  We stopped in Little Rock for two reasons:  history and food.  First the history.  In 1957 the Governor of Arkansas called out the National Guard to prevent the integration of the all white Central High School by nine colored teenagers.  President Eisenhower called out the 101st Airborne to protect the teenagers and enforce the court ruling of integration.  Pat and I had heard one of the "Little Rock Nine" speak and were very moved to be in the place where we remember history being made.  

The high school is now a National Historical Landmark, and has a very lovely Visitors Center.  While at the Visitors Center we asked the young man who worked there where to eat.  This is our practice, and we have eaten in many wonderful places as a result.  The young man said definitely go to the Flying Fish, so away we went.  

Mmmmm, good

Guess what the mens restroom says.

The Flying Fish is downtown, next to the Arkansas River.  It is a fun restaurant, with curio covered walls, mostly about fishing and fish.  They serve southern style, which means fried.  Pat and I felt justified as we had only had a light breakfast.

And now for the food:  Pat had calamari (and did not leave a speck), hush puppies and cole slaw, while I had catfish, shrimp, hush puppies and fried okra.  It was absolutely wonderful.

A rabbit for Surani

We rolled out of the restaurant and walked for a view of the Clinton Presidental Library.  Along the way we saw this piece of civic art, and I, being a ha(y)re, liked it.  The Presidential Library is a very modern building...now I have to find time to see it, which we did not have today.

Clinton Library

 We left Little Rock ahead of schedule, and drove as far as West Memphis, Arkansas.  It is just as flat as Texas, but green and treed.  We drove through many miles of rice with some corn.  We had some light rain coming into West Memphis, and had an interesting time going to a Flying J truck stop to do our laundry.

I swear that Pat will be able to use the cruise control correctly before this trip is over.  She makes it so difficult, but I will prevail with the correct method.

Day 6---Oklahoma OK

Our first, and only, quilt shop of the day,
 another good one.

   We left the hotel in Amarillo too early to go to the quilt shop, so we went to Walmart first.  What can I say, Walmarts are Walmarts. (except Pat says this was the largest Walmart she's ever been in.)  The quilt shop was open early because they were having a class.  Good for us.  Very nice shop with a nice layout.  I signed up for a BOM (block of the month) from them, like I need another BOM.
Left Amarillo about 11:00.

Did I mention "flat" yesterday?  Ditto for today.

 Notice that I changed the font on this caption?  Flat takes on new meaning here...read that this is the largest flat area in the United States, some 42,000 sq mi.  Miss the clouds in the sky, the only thing in the infinite blue are contrails:  many of them, going in all directions.  Finally reached some rolling hills as we approached Oklahoma.  Everything is nice and green, and lots of hay, green wheat, and trees.

Welcome to Oklahoma

After reaching Oklahoma, we saw lots more of all of the above, but now many Native American tribal areas.  Remembered that Oklahoma was "Indian Territory" before it was settled by whites and became a state.  Many of the tribes were relocated from the east like the Cherokee, Seminole, Creek and Choctaw.

Finally, lunch

Stopped in Oklahoma City for lunch,  Since we had not gone to a quilt shop for recommendations, we decided to hit our first Cracker Barrel.  Food is always good, and it was this time too.

Pretty Oklahoma scenery

 Leaving Oklahoma City, we continued further.  Since we had planned to stop in Oklahoma City, the extra mileage will mean that we have less driving in the coming two days, plus getting to Nashville early is good because Pat wants to go to the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's home.

Needed gas as the town of Okemah came up.  Fated to stop here, it seems, as we were playing a Woody Guthrie CD at that very time. Turns out that he was born here, there is gas and a motel, so we're in for the night in Okemah which, in the Kickapoo language, means "things up high,"  such as a highly placed person or town or high ground.  Many Indian services in town, mainly Seminole, but very small and quiet.

I went for a walk, and a usual, saw many things that you miss while 

driving 70 mph (the legal limit in Oklahoma).  Enjoy what I saw.

Little blue flowers all over in the grass.

Taller white English daisyish flowers 

In California, a butterfly like this
would be called "California Lady"

This white bush was covered
with many butterflies and skippers.

So many different kinds.

Day 5---Fabric, Food and Flat

Kokopelli Quilting Company

Our morning in Alburquerque (I can still spell it!) started off with a visit to the Kokopelli Quilting Company.  Nothing much to look at from the outside, it was closest to our motel, so we went there first.   What a quilt store!  Definitely one of the best on the trip so far.  All kinds of southwest fabrics, plus tons of other types, Light, airy, with finished quilts hung everywhere and extremely helpful staff.  Left with burning credit cards, but what fabric!!  We decided that any other shop would be a let down, so did not go to any other shop in town.

Black eyed susan, very small

Unknown, but pretty orange

Driving east out of Alburquerque through a pass, we passed miles and miles of miles and miles.  Mostly small evergreens like pinon.  No parks, interesting geology, much in the way of towns...not even any cattle to look at, although there were some nice, very flat bottomed, cumulus clouds.  At a rest stop we realized that although there doesn't seem to be much, there is still a lot of wild flowers.

Only real mesa we saw, going into Tutumcari

We decided to stop for lunch in Tucumcari NM.  I have always liked the name, which in Comanche apparently means "lookout."  Tucumcari is on old 66, and as most towns on 66, is filled with closed motels, gas stations, and stores.  Actually a sad sight mostly.  There are a few open motels and restaurants, so we decided to eat in one.  Called Del's Restaurant, it served the most wonderful New Mexican food.  The tortilla chips were so thin and crispy, and the salsa a very nice NM red.

A stuffed (with ground beef) sopapilla
with green chili sauce 

Chicken quesadilla

 We had plain sopapillas with
honey for dessert.  A perfect
ending to our New Mexico
part of this road trip.

Good-bye New Mexico
Notice how far you can see.

The land soon after leveled out with a vengence, and suddenly we could see for miles.  

Hello, Texas

  We left New Mexico, the land of enchantment (their government slogan) and entered the smallest stretch of any state on our trip, the panhandle of Texas.  Only about 170 miles wide, we stopped for the night in the middle of it, in the city of Amarillo.  Did I mention that this is the flattest country I have ever seen?

Day 4---Petrified, Painted and Pooped

Unbelievable colors

Pat admiring a petrified log

We left Flagstaff today, where it was a chilly 35 last night.  Driving east, we saw an advertisement for the meteorite crater near Holbrook, but decided nay.  Next possibility was for Petrified Forest National Park.  Sure, why not?  After driving for about 25 miles and seeing nothing, suddenly, there was the Park.  Logs everywhere.

Teepee formations

 The park is much bigger than expected, and we drove for 23 miles through land that looked like someone had taken a paint brush to it.  The colors and formations defy description, and pictures cannot begin give the feel of the whole experience, with 360 degrees of beauty...not to mention the wind, which blew so hard that when sand hit you it hurt.

The Painted Desert was our next treat.  The land suddenly dropped away and scarlet cliffs and a pastel plain appeared, literally out of nowhere.  

I 40 was about one-half mile south: cars and trucks speeding by (at 75 MPH, the legal limit in Arizona and New Mexico) had no idea what wonders were so close to them.  If you can, double click on the picture and the next to see more clearly.

                                                                                         

Pat and I and the Painted Desert

The clarity is fantastic.  You can see 125 miles.  The formation to the right center in this picture is 15 miles away. 

Entering New Mexico

After being throughly wind-blown we drove on into New Mexico. Notice the train next to the sign.  We literally saw 30 trains today.  The Burlington Northern Santa Fe parallels I 40 for forever, as far as we know.  We have seen train after train after train.  In California it seems we forget how important train transportation is to this country.

We had lunch in Gallup, which is very big on Native American crafts, as well as being a central location for the Navajo Nation to pick up supplies as well as social services.
Ate a very nice lunch in the train depot, and wonder of wonders,found a very nice selection of fabric in the Gallup Sew and Vac.  What a surprise!  After driving through more wonderous scenery, we have arrived in Alburquerque, a name I have finally learned to spell.