Back home in Virginia

I always love going back to Virginia to visit my family. I can't believe how much Kaitlyn and Kendall are growing up. They're 12 now!
Emma still has a ton of energy.Liam is just the sweetest thing alive.My sisters, Alex and Nicole, put Chad through a children/delivering babies conversation. You should have seen the pained expressions on his face - priceless.
Mom made a birthday cake for me and Chad. I love the Dr. Suess candles.
Here's a video of Emma helping me open my Crock Pot.

Bays Mountain

We visited Bays Mountain for some hiking and there was even a small animal park there too. The highlight of the trip for trip for Chad was that they sold space (i.e. dehydrated) ice cream. He's crazy about the stuff. I tasted it and am not a fan. I'll take the real stuff.

Camping in Tennessee

The last week of our trip was spent visiting our families. Our first stop was in eastern Tennessee. We camped our first night there at Warriors State Park and grilled out.Elliot learned how to make a campfire.
Kathy even make a coconut cake for my birthday. It was so delicious!
Chad and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep that night. Our rain cover on the tent made it super hot. There were trains running all night. Dexter kept on rolling all over the place. AND our air mattress deflated. We were going to do two nights of camping, but it ended up just being just that one.

More Nashville

Chad and I finished up our Nashville trip with a visit to the Grand Ole Opry. Actually finding it was a bit tricky for us. We wondered around the hotel for a little bit in our quest. It's really stunning. The Opry hotel has a very elaborate outdoors theme to it. I was in a hotel that looked really similar to this one once in Orlando.We made it to the actual Grand Ole Opry barely on time for a tour. We bought our tickets just as they were doing last call for the tour.We had a pretty funny tour guide, who actually ended up singing for us on the Opry stage. We also got to go back stage and see dressing rooms
and the set for their television shows.
I'd love to see a show there - hopefully the Grascals one of these days.

Nashville has stolen my heart

I cannot believe that Chad has put off taking me to Nashville for so long. This place is amazing!
Nashville has such a fun and eclectic vibe to it. The style here is very distinct - you see everything from classic cowboy to country rock to southern belle.We hung out on the Honky Tonk Highway last night. It's full of restaurants, bars, country-western stores, and the best cake-batter ice cream I've ever tasted.
After dinner we headed over to Robert's Western World on a suggestion from Chad's sister, Susanne. This place won me over the second I stepped up to the bar and saw this beer coozie. Yes, it is in the shape of a cowboy boot!
We saw two great country bands and I'm convinced that this place will leave more than a little bit of twang in me forever.

I can't wait to explore more of Nashville today.

Arkansas to Tennessee

We camped last night in Arkansas at Lake Dardanelle State Park. We had a bit of trouble finding the actual park. Apparently, there are two different parks with the same name in adjacent towns. We, of course, went to the one we didn't make the reservation at first.

I didn't take any pictures, but overall it was very pretty - except for the view of the factory tower over the lake. The bright spot was that it was a clear night and we finally got to see a sky full of stars.

We stopped in Memphis with plans to eat lunch there today. Chad's been dying to go, so we parked near Beale Strip (a famous street) and headed over.
After taking a few pictures and even doing a spot for our travel show, we came upon this sign when we tried to go onto this famous street.
Boo on Memphis! I don't know if this is just on the weekend or all of the time, but I was very disappointed to say the least. At this point on our trip, we've been to a lot of places - big cities and small towns - and none of them have ever forbidden you to bring your pet with you on the street. Needless to say, Memphis has been crossed off of our list forever.

Oklahoma snapshot

After Amarillo, we drove through Oklahoma on our way to Arkansas. We stopped for lunch right outside of Oklahoma City at a place called City Bites.

Here's a brief glimpse at how totally bizarre this place is.I have no idea what that is supposed to be. And here's something else.

Yes, those are ducks' feet on the ceiling.

But, the most bizarre (and super creepy) thing of all is that in the restrooms there are two-way mirrors. So, while you're doing your thing - you can watch other people eat, pick their nose, or who knows what else.

I don't know what sort of person thought that up. Chad, of course, had to gross me out by giving me all sorts of scenarios of what could result because of those mirrors.

I don't recommend this place and will NEVER, EVER go to one again if I'm in Oklahoma.

Amarillo, Texas

We arrived in Amarillo, Texas tonight. Texas, so far, hasn't been terrible exiting landscape-wise. The restaurant we ate dinner at was, however, very exciting.We ate at the wonderfully kitsch and touristy The Big Texan Steak Ranch. It's a huge place that is full of everything Texas, including antlers on the walls and stuffed bears growling at you.All of the staff is dressed in Western garb and there's a band that goes from one table to the next serenading them with country tunes.
The big draw about this place is their 72 oz. steak. If you can eat it (sides and all) in an hour you get it for free. If you can't finish it, it's a $72 meal. Here's a picture of someone attempting to eat this monster steak.We got to sick on the balcony, which gave us a good view. Chad wasn't too happy that he ending up sitting right next to the servers' side work station.
Notice the Texas state flag in a pepper on my plate.
The best part about the night was that we sat next to this super interesting couple. They drive trucks all over the country together. They met in 1995 and on the 30th day of their courtship, they decided to get married while on vacation in Disney World. What a great story.

New Mexico

I know I keep on saying how beautiful everything is, and this is definitely applicable to New Mexico. It has such a varied landscape. There are really arid areas, forests, and mountains - and we even got to see the Rio Grande Gorge.
We stopped in Taos. I've been dying to go. It's such a wonderful artsy community.
We ate dinner at Eske's Brew Pub. They had a great patio area and live music. The band was playing music that can best be described as renaissance folk.
All of the buildings there are done in an adobe style and it really adds to the charm of the town. I got in some great shopping and would really love to come back and spend more time.

Colorado - the colorful and the beautiful

We drove through Colorado on our way to New Mexico. The state's welcome sign calls it "Colorado the colorful state." That is not a lie.
It's full of mountains and trees and lakes and ranch animals and wildflowers. Yet another beautiful drive.

Utah

We were in Utah very briefly, but I have two things to say about the time I spent there.

1. It's a beautiful state.
2. Their public radio could use more balance - the guests on their programs seem to hold the views of conservative and more conservative. Utah - I know you can do better than that.
   

A couple of surprises

While driving through Arizona, we came upon a dust storm. It was really something else, and this picture doesn't even come close to showing what it really looked like.

After having trouble finding a hotel room for the night (we drove without making a reservation), we finally found one about 90 minutes away from our chosen destination.

On our way to the hotel, we stumbled upon Monument Valley - which is a part of Navajo Nation. This was really a great discovery.

Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon

We got in two major sights today -

the Hoover Dam
and the Grand Canyon.