Day 3

A very light rain fell as the bags were loaded into the truck outside the hotel in Broken Arrow (Tulsa, OK).  After some tricky navigation through the charming suburb of Owasso, we found the beautiful home of my aunt and her husband.

My aunt was a friend of my mother's when she was still in high school. After she married my mom's brother, she became my aunt. This is a position she held for over 20 years, until the horrible day when my uncle and cousin died in an accident at their home. 

In my mind, and in hers as well, she remains my aunt. Even after more than 20 years of marriage, to another  wonderful man, I call her Aunt Jill, and she introduces me as her niece. That's what real family is all about.

After a couple of hours of visiting and viewing her lovely gardens, and petting her sweet dogs, we hit the road for the final leg of our trip to my brother's in Manteno, IL.

You will note there are no photos accompanying today's blog. This is because it is very difficult to take photos when you are whizzing past everything at 70 miles per hour. That is literally all we did today...drove through the last part of OK, then through MS, finally diagonally through the looonnnggg state of IL. Our destination was reached at midnight and all fell into bed at the hotel with great relief and gratitude.

Rad Rides by Troy, here we come!

Day 2

It was a long day in the saddle. We drove and drove and drove; across New Mexico, across Texas, and most of the way across Oklahoma. Arrival at our destination of Tulsa came at about 9:30 p.m.
My oldest drove across Texas, and the break from behind the wheel was much appreciated by her father and I.

As we travel, we listen to audio books on my iPod. We finished True Grit and are now listening to Journey to the Center of the Earth read by Tim Curry. My son and I sit in the backseat and listen and text our girlfriend...I mean my son texts his girlfriend.

A rest area in eastern New Mexico revealed a secret. Old ranch houses nestled in the creosote and desert brush. A fence blocked us from exploring further, but the photos speak for themselves.

       

The long travel day was broken by breakfast at another Route 66 landmark....Clines Corners, NM.

After checking into our hotel in Broken Arrow, OK (Tulsa), we ate an enjoyable dinner at Applebys. Laughter was on the menu as well as the 1/2 price appetizers.

Day 3 promises to be another long travel day. Day three's goal is Manteno, IL and Rad Rides by Troy! My brother, here we come!

Day 1

The Vandies are on the road! We set a leisurely pace by leaving home late in the morning. Our destination for today...Albuquerque, NM.
We traveled I-40 east and our first stop was Twin Arrows, just east of Flagstaff, AZ.

Twin Arrows is an old trading post that used to be a big place to stop in the heyday of Route 66. Now, as you can see, it is lonely and dilapidated. However, it is not quite abandoned. Someone cares enough to keep the large trademark arrows painted. The antique effect from iPhoto seems appropriate for the shots of this Route 66 Ghost.

 
Down the road a-piece from Twin Arrows, we drove through the town of Winslow, singing the Eagles as we went. Imagine our surprise when we reached the center of downtown Winslow and saw a bar, on the corner, called "Standing on the Corner"! There was even a statue of a man, with guitar, and a "flat-bed Ford"! Unfortunately, I was driving, so no pictures.:(
Evening found us reaching our destination of Albuquerque, NM. After navigating through old downtown's many one-way streets, and several "I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerques" later, we reached the Monterey Nonsmoker's Motel on Route 66.

What a cool leftover of the days of the Mother Road! I wish I had taken a photo when the neon was lit up. Clean, comfortable, large rooms and an old Route 66 vibe that made us giggle. 
After a night's rest and a few cups of coffee, we are off on the next leg of our excursion. Today's destination...Tulsa, OK!