Wow, it has been a whirlwind 10 days. I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. Elizabeth and I left Kingston Springs on Saturday the 19th, after spending the morning at the Tennessee Renn Festival. The first leg was just to get us going on the trip. We stopped for the night in Little Rock at the KOA North. This KOA is by far one of my least favorite campgrounds. It is tight, tight, tight. I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull out of the site in the morning. Anyway, it did what we needed it to do and E and I got a good night's sleep and were ready for the trip across America. When this trip is over, Elizabeth will have traveled from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean and from Atlanta to Seattle.
The drive across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and into New Mexico went famously. We had fair winds and following seas the whole way. It was a long haul at just under 12 hours but we made it fine. Once we got all checked in at the KOA in Tucumcari, New Mexico, we set out on our first true adventure, to find dinner. I say this was an adventure because nearly nothing is open on a Sunday night in Tucumcari. We did a little grocery shopping for provisions and stores, and lucked upon a pirate booty! I found Zima. For those of you who might remember the 90s, it is a clear malt beverage made by Coors. They stopped production in the states in the early 2000s; it is still for sale in Japan. It was re-released last year in Nashville in a very limited run, and I missed quite a bit of that availability. Now that I found it, I wasn’t taking any chances. I might have bought some. Well, I initially bought a case. I had to go back and get several more once my Nashville friends found out about my good fortune. Celia, I got your back! Back to the original adventure, dinner. The only place we found open was the Lizard Lounge. On the plus side, they served food. It was pretty tasty and again, satisfied our wanderers' need, sustenance
Some of you might be wondering, why in the world would we stop in this little rinky dink town in New Mexico. I will tell you why…. NOSTALGIA! Melissa and I stopped here over two decades ago when driving home from Colorado. We stopped and I had what I remember as the best breakfast burrito I have ever had. I remember it as huge and hot and saucy and meaty and delicious. So, in an attempt to either confirm that memory or shatter a very fond part of the Flatt Family lore, we were headed to Kix on 66 for breakfast. All those many years ago it was a lowly Denny’s. I didn’t remember that part, the waitress told us the history. Now it is the iconic Kix on 66. Route 66 largely doesn’t exist anymore. But this little piece still does and they take full advantage of that fact. The good news is they still serve breakfast burritos. I ordered one, and Elizabeth ordered the other. Ok, I cannot honestly tell you it was the same burrito. But, I can tell you it was absolutely delicious. It was huge and hot and saucy and meaty and… delicious! Thank goodness the Flatt Family lore has an additional chapter and my hopes and dreams were not crushed against the rocks of reality. After breakfast we went and sat in the parking lot of the Lowes supermarket so I pick up a few more cases of Zima for my Nashville friends. Packed and loaded, we were off to Vegas.
The remained of the drive to Vegas was also smooth sailing. We slogged in the 651 miles and made it while the sun was still shining. The only really unusual thing that happened was we saw a bear that had been hit by a car. I still have not seen a confirmed live bear in the wild, this guy was a little sad. (Melissa's note: Are you SURE it was a bear?!) When we made it to Vegas, both Elizabeth and I were pretty beat. We ran out for some provisions and then back to the RV for a good night sleep. We needed to be ready for the Vegas leg of our adventure! Pictures and videos coming soon.