Drivin' to Memphis....

Writing to you from Memphis, Tennessee, it's me, Rebecca Cook, with a quick recap of the last two days.

March 1^st, 2019 Friday

Drove from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City on the same road-- the 40 East. It’s a long road.

New Mexico and Texas seem like they should be the same, but somehow Texas is intrinsically more interesting. I guess it’s not as desolate? Unsure. The ranches and windmills and clear blue sky were giving me distinct cowboy vibes. Every time I pass through a region I imagine what version of myself I would be if I lived there. I could get back in touch with my horseback riding side…

But then we stopped for lunch and all the TVs were set to Fox News and it was like, right. That’s why I’m not moving to Texas. However the food was delicious and the old Catholic mission aesthetic was cool so all in all a good lunch.

We drove straight across the Texas panhandle and into Oklahoma. I like Oklahoma, although the season is such that we couldn’t see the waves of wheat that sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain. (This musical reference reminds me that in the lunch place I heard a mariachi rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man.”)

There is not much to report on today’s drive. We did manage to collect both Alaska and Hawaii license plates. Oklahoma City seems to be a huge city judging by the amount of traffic that suddenly materialized (with drivers sadly similar to that of Salt Lake), but it’s so flat that we can’t really tell how sprawling it is.

March 2^nd, 2019 Saturday

Our shortest drive, seven hours, ending in Memphis. We drove straight across Arkansas today, and it was actually a quite pretty state. I’ve never thought much about it. SO many trees, and plentiful water. I saw plenty of falcons or hawks, and possibly a heron? I'm no birdwatcher.

We stopped in Little Rock to take a picture at the capital building so we could set foot in the state. I have pictures. I have quite a few pictures from this trip. However all pictures are on my phone and I’m tired but someday mayhap I’ll upload them? Life is a mystery.

We are up to forty four state license plates; we’re only missing North and South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Vermont. We’ve got pictures of all the state signs that we’ve entered, but the Tennessee one was stressful because it kept not appearing and we were passing into Memphis exits and still no sign! But once we crossed the Mississippi (it’s the second time I’ve done so in my life and I’m just awed) the sign appeared, as Justin said it would. Success.

We went to Memphis with the intention of getting barbeque, and boy did Memphis deliver. Corky’s was the place and ribs are their game. I usually am not a ribs girl. I like brisket or barbeque chicken best. But ribs are their specialty and I had to order some. Before we even got our main dish we got the most heavenly buttery crispy rolls. Divine. Straight from heaven. I ate three and longed for more. The ribs were the best I have ever tasted, bar none. They had wonderful barbeque sauce with a dry rub and they were so tender and delicious and just… y’all. I felt so bad leaving any left on my plate but I was stuffed to bursting and we can’t take leftover ribs on the road with us.

If you ever get the chance, go to Corky’s and order ribs. Eat a roll for me.

I'm really enjoying this road trip; it's wonderful to see the country unfold mile by mile. The regions are so distinct.... I saw actual bayous today.  And we've been on the same road, the I-40 East, since Albuquerque. The world is beautiful.