The Journey Continues

Yesterday was quite a long day. We ended up settling somewhere around eight-hundred miles from Joplin, Missouri.... It seemed like such an unproductive day until we realized, the width of Oklahoma we passed, was quite a distance. Not to mention however beautiful the scenery was, it rarely changed, and the roads were painstakingly straight...

After growing weary of seemingly endless roads, we decided to venture off the highway, to see Historic Fort Reno, and stretch our legs...

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Not a lot to say about it really. Except old man rivers, giving the grand tour...

Jumped back on the road a few hours, and finally made it into texas... We came into Texas, late in the afternoon, and were lucky enough to catch the sunset at a rest stop, an hour or so past the state border.

 

  

  

 

The scenery hadn't changed a whole lot, but it felt like we had finally covered some ground, after getting out of Oklahoma.. We passed " Big Texan" in Amarillo, home of the free seventy-two ounce steak. Well, free to whomever can consume it in under an hour anyway. I wish I had taken a picture of the restaurant itself... Obnoxious bright lights, brightly painted in all kinds of festive colors, and featuring a giant cowboy right above the entrance.... In other words, nothing short of Texas's motto " Everythings bigger in Texas". The rest of the state we passed through in darkness.. I don't think we missed much.

Finally made it into New Mexico around ten, and decided we would make it to the next check point before calling it a night. For those of you who haven't been to this state, let me tell you... Albuquerque (yes that's the correct spelling, and I did it without spell check), is amazing. Gorgeous downtown skyline, highway underpasses lined with glowing colored lights, and when you get just outside downtown, and climb up the hills surrounding it, it looks like a sea of fire... And that's where we settled for the evening, in a hotel just outside the city, second floor, over looking the city...

Fourteen hundred miles, twenty six hours, two time zone changes, twenty to thirty degrees in temperature difference, and about sixty three hundred feet higher.

The Journey Begins

Well, this would be appear to be the first post... 

I guess I'll start off my by telling you, what I'm doing, and why I'm making this blog... As most of you who read this will already know, aside from photography, I've been working at Menard's. I won't lie and say I enjoy working in retail, let alone at a hardware store, that has nothing to do with anything I'm interested in. It just so happens, that a former co-worker, over the last few months, had taken a new job opportunity, after leaving Menard's. After telling me about his days spent, walking the beach in Oregon, and hanging out in downtown Seattle, I was more than interested to know what job required living abroad, and having an almost rootless existence... 

In store resets, working seven in the morning, to four in the afternoon, ten days straight, four days off. Then a new town, a new store, rinse, wash, and repeat. No silly uniforms, no disgruntled customers.... Needless to say, I didn't hesitate to take the job. 

So. Here I sit, three states to the wind, twelve hours of driving later, in Joplin Missouri, at a Super 8 Motel... Three more states to go, til we reach our destination in Chandler, Arizona, and feeling tired, but incredibly relaxed. I find driving incredibly therapeutic... 

Anyhow, here's a few shots from a random exit somewhere through the middle of Illinois...

 

 

 

I don't remember the name of the exit... However, I couldn't pass up this gorgeous golden light, and a chance to finally bust out the camera after almost six hours of driving... By the way, the last pictures are of Kevin, my ex co-worker from Menard's, and new co-worker out here. 

This, is something I found in Missouri, and was compelled to try.

I mean really, how can you not be tempted to try an energy drink that looks like this? According to the cashier at the "Road Ranger" gas station (which apparently are every where down here...), this energy drink is only found in Missouri, and is quite popular. I'd have to say, of the two, "Donkey Kick" tastes the best. Although "Rooster Boosters" gets an honorable mention, for tasting like Strawberry Crush...

Well.. It's currently, 3:00 a.m. here, we have to be up in a couple of hours, to get back out and conquer Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. You can check back for an update tomorrow night, if all goes to plan anyway.

To all of you I left behind... Enjoy the snow! This seventy degree weather is really going to be tough to work with!