Eastward Ho.

So I guess it's two days and that many cities later than I said I would post next... mainly because I wanted to accumulate enough pictures and stories to fill a whole entry of respectable length (read: I kept telling Michelle I just didn't feel like it until she finally made me do it.)

So let's begin with the El Tovar dinner recap... we didn't take any pictures because that's not classy. I got the duck, Michelle had crab-stuffed trout filet, all with a distinctly southwestern flair. Delicious and fancy, but nothin' really weird. We missed the view of the canyon since we went out after sundown, so we made a second appearance for breakfast before heading out to see the east side of the park, which offered vast views of the desert juxtaposed with a different angle on the expanse of the Canyon.

See? Grand Canyon is still awesome...
And Michelle is still a good photographer :)
The mural on the inside of the watchtower built in the style of the Native structures that have been found around the area.
The following is the biggest snake I have ever seen in nature:
He was about 3-1/2 feet long. No joke.

So after saying goodbye to our slithery buddy, we hit the road again, heading back East. It feels like our trip is ending, but we're still pretty far away I guess.

Th' open road.
Some scene in New Mexico.

So then I guess we crashed in Albuquerque, after consulting our Fodor's guide (thanks Lindsay!) which directed us to some delicious green chile stew and a chimichanga, our only Tex-Mex meal so far, if you can believe it. Gotta love those authentic Mexican-American eats... they're not necessarily pretty, but they always have the perfect amount of spicy flavor and fill you up like nothing else. Cheap too. (sorry, no picture.)

Next thing we know, we're in Texas, passing through on our way to Oklahoma City.

Greener, huh? More cows too, it turns out.

This was our only non-gasoline stop in the great state of Texas. Can you find the reason why in the picture above? That's right, it's because I am unable to resist going through anything sounding as awesome as "Fried Pie Door."
A satisfied customer.
Why do people think windmills ruin the landscape? We think they look awesome!
Yup, those aren't slurpee prices, gasoline really just is a dollar cheaper than in Fairfield County.
This is the beer menu from the place we hung out in Oklahoma City's Bricktown that night. All those varieties are on draft. They also had a $3.5o "Mystery Bottle" where they just reach into a big ice chest and you get whatever comes out, which is good for the indecisive like me.

Bricktown, apparently (from what we could tell by just walking around), is a now-defunct industrial quarter of Oklahoma City which they are now trying to rehabilitate by selling property to restaurants, bars, and other entertainments. The catch seems to be that they have to convert the old factories and warehouses into whatever sort of venue they are going to be, rather than demolishing the buildings and constructing new ones. So they places look pretty cool, outside and in. I don't know how long they've been trying to make this place happen, but it seems like it could work eventually.

Finally we got up today and drove hard to make it to Memphis. We hit up Beale Street to see what all the fuss was about.

The street...

the meal (dry ribs, pork shoulder, buffalo wings, AND BBQ-rub chicken among various sides)...
the entertainment (yup that's an Elvis impersonator, and Pig is the simple name of the establishment)...
...and the after-dinner coffee joint.

Adventure fans, I fell asleep like 3 times while posting this because I am so full of barbeque I can't even think straight. We'll let you know in a few days how Graceland was, and also how warmly we were welcomed to Nashville by my aunt and uncle! (Hope they are ready for adventure too!!)