Road Trip - Part One. TX to TN.

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for the moving-slash-road trip update. So buckle up. Grab a snack. Part one. Texas to Tennessee. Here we go...

It's Friday afternoon. The movers have come and gone. The car is packed. The tank is full. Trip mileage = zero miles. Time to start driving east.

Well almost... It's never good when the fancy iPhone 'dies' before we even pull away. A quick restore in the parking lot and it's just like new again. Now we are really ready. Let's meet the cast:

Yours truly.

Mel.Rey.

A packed car.

And Charlie. All the way in the back.

(More on her later.)

Off we go. Texas in the rearview. No looking back. Bittersweet.

Here's to the wide open road. And lots of driving.

It wasn't long before we made it to Arkansas. Every good road tripper knows you have to take pictures when crossing a state line. And timing is essential. Otherwise you might hit a bump. Like we did.

That one bump aside, Arkansas is very flat. Very. But we just keep cruising along.

No time to stop. Not even for sticky hands. So we improvise. Enter redneck hand washing.

And still more driving. Intensely focused. Obvi.

Mel's turn behind the wheel. She is pumped!! 

Meanwhile I put my feet up.

And quizzed Mel on state capitals. That fancy iPhone came in handy, since neither of us could remember most of them. Guess it's been a long time since third grade!!

Look who joined in on the trip... O.J. Simpson. (First seen January Twenty Three.)

Then there was the 'Mighty Mississippi' and the lights of Memphis.

Speaking of Memphis... that means we made it to Tennessee. My timing and photography skills were awful on this most important shot. Dagger!! 

This map is supposed to make up for the blurry state line sign. I know, it's not even close. But it made me feel better. 

Now back to the road. And more driving. At this point we're still in Tennessee and it's getting late. So late that there is literally no one else on the road.

The end. Exhausted. But we made it to Nashville. Halfway there.

More pictures from part two of the trip to come. And our adventures in Music City. 

Stay tuned!!

Before I go, I feel it's important to mention that I have some amazing friends who make some stellar mix CDs. Part one was filled with a variety of tunes courtesy of Madison.

She gave me not just one...

...or two...

...or three...

...but four. Yes, four awesome CDs.