From Amarillo to Flagstaff

Today was a long and boring drive.  We started the morning at 2:30AM for Back Friday shopping.  Got some good stuff but had no idea that Amarillo, TX should not have been where we did our shopping!  Apparently this was THE ONLY Target within a 90 mile radius!  WHAT IN THE WORLD!??  Took FOREVER!!  Either way we got a 2 TB external hard drive for all of our pictures and other stuff normally $139.99 we got it for $69.  Also found a 14 cup Kenmore food processor (who the heck knew they made one that big!!) at Sears for $87.  That is about all we can really fit to take with us lol.  I had to unpack and repack the car this morning because I told hubby I would MAKE everything fit to get the food processor! :-P  Anyway!  Here are some really nice landscape pictures from our drive today.  SOOO COLD here in Flagstaff, AZ!  Going to the Grand Canyon tomorrow! SO excited because I've never been! Toodles!

Route 66 and Tow Tater

So we had a good time here.  We stayed the night in Joplin, MO because we kind of got stranded with the tornado warnings.  The weather warning voice came on the radio and said anyone on the highway-GET OFF NOW!  So we did.  

I read that "Tow Tater" was the inspiration for Tow Mater on the movie Cars so of course we had to go off the beaten path to see it for ourselves.  This was Thanksgiving morning so of course they were closed.  He lives out in Galena, Kansas.  

Cool old time gas pumps!

There is literally nothing else around this shop but having that tow truck sure brought in tourists (we are such geeks and proud of it!).  

Monkey-I miss you -Love, Sheep

Couldn't believe how beautiful this was on our drive.  Not sure exactly where this was but it is breathtaking!

I'm not sure if this is the biggest cross or not but it sure seemed like it.  HUGE!  Look at the building next to it!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE for these adorable tutus!

St. Louis Arch and start of Route 66

Today was a very fun/cold/frustrating day.  We got up and were one of the first people at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.  It was FREEZING cold and for some reason hubs didn't pack the coat that I layed out for him ON TOP of the luggage I had layed out for him to pack.  Just saying... ;-)  So we ran to the building and visibility was really poor.  Then as a compromise to hubby's request to go to the Casino Queen across the river in East St. Louis I agreed we would go to a casino on the trip just not THAT one.  Living in Illinois in the past has taught me that East St. Louis is not the place to be.  So as we are driving out of the parking garage we run smack into another casino...on THIS side of the river.  DANG it!  lol.  So we went...and I have to say that is the most expensive sodas we ever bought.  I just don't understand what the appeal is.  I put in $ and it doesn't come back out.  Hmm...sound like fun to anyone else?  I just don't get it.  Here are some pictures from the Arch:

The weather was really crappy but Jeff was still able to take a really great picture of the Arch, old courthouse and statue.

 

Cardinals stadium from the top of the Arch

Courthouse from the top of the Arch

Hubby being cute at the top

This is literally how big the trams are that go up to the top...and they expect 5 people to fit in there!?

Us being silly with the museum statues

And then we start driving...and that is when things really get interesting.  We ended up taking a route that runs parallel to Route 66 and saw a sign for a Vacuum Museum.  At first we were laughing...and then we decided to stop. HEHE.  I actually thought it was really funny and a lot of fun.  The tour guide Tom was really informative and very passionate about vacuums.  

I had no idea that the first vacuums plugged into light fixtures because there weren't plugs!

Each room was a different era and the different machines that came out during that time.

We got stuck in a tornado warning so we had to call it a night.  More Route 66 tomorrow.  YAY!!

Louisville, KY is beautiful!

Not sure what this building is but I like it.

Jeff was happy his team was featured on the wall

We really got to see bats being made in the factory!

In the faux dugout

No words can describe how huge this thing is!  It is the largest bat ever made!

Here is the plaque with info on the bat.

Me with it :-)

All throughout the city there are horses and other strange art.  I liked this one though because it reminds me of autism awareness. Not sure if that is what they were going for or not though.  

Hubs with the giant glove.

Me with the giant glove.

I overall LOVED this place!  I had a great time playing around and because we are military we got half off admission!  Gotta love that!  Plus they are renovating the gift shop so all their clothes were half off and 75% off!  So we got hubs a $55 shirt me an $18 t-shirt and Monkey a $18 onesie for $33!  I'm not one to buy too many souvenirs but it is kind of hard to say no to that!  St. Louis today.

Don't forget about my tutu giveaway!  I am waiting until I hit 50 followers (almost half way there!!) so feel free to suggest me to your friends!!

On our Adventure

We are on our adventure across the country.  My dad so graciously offered to take Monkey to California on a plane so that she wouldn’t have to travel all this way.  (I owe you big time dad!!).  Monkey left her stuffed sheep behind so hubs decided to take the sheep on all of our adventures and take pictures with it.  Here we are in front of our Virginia Beach house.  So sad to think of all our hard work and now we are renting it out.  California...here we come!

Here are the trees in Virginia Beach in the fall.  So pretty!

  We went from Virginia Beach up to the Shenendoah’s.  The Grand Caverns were so great!  I can’t believe I’ve never been to any caverns before!  So beautiful!

I can't believe all of this was naturally made!

They had some cool lights to enhance these stalagmites and stalagtites (totally forgot my 4th grade science until the tour guide reminded me!)

How cool!!! A bat hybernating for the winter!!

This pot has a constant drip of water into it which used to be used for drinking back in the 1800's.

Here is sheep hanging out...well today is another day...going to Louiville and the St. Louis Arch!  More pictures to come! Hope you guys enjoyed! :-)