June 6, 2004

Destination Oklahoma City.

Earl and I have are at the first destination on our vacation. We arrived in Oklahoma City about an hour ago.

We left Friday afternoon around 1:00 — and after some serious navigation study, using the science of Earl’s knuckle as a measuring stick (hair and all), we decided to head south to Hagertown, Md. then west through West Virginia – spending our first night in Charleston, W. Va. It rained like crazy through the western Maryland mountains, but that just added to the fun.

Saturday morning we headed out bright and early and headed down through the Appalachain Mountains towards Kentucky. Plowed through Kentucky, stopping for lunch in Lexington, and then turned south and headed down to Nashville, where we picked up I-40. Between Lexington and Nashville we put the top down on the Jeep and enjoyed the bright sunshine and warm breeze. It was great. It started looking cloudy a little west of Nashville, so we got the top up and made it to Memphis with just clouds – no rain. Called it a night when we got to Memphis.

This morning we hit the road again and headed across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Like my previous experience with the heartland, everyone is so friendly. There doesn’t seem to be the frenetic pace of the Northeast. The front desk attendant at our hotel in Memphis thought we were crazy for driving half way across the country in a Jeep – especially from “beautiful New York”. She’s right, we’re crazy, and we’re lovin’ it.

Earl caught up on work when we arrived (thank goodness for the laptop!), I’m posting my blog entry and then we’re heading out for supper and excitement.

This vacation is just what the doctor ordered!