Tired from driving and sucked in by a promotion giving $5 to anyone with an out-of-state driver’s license, I stopped at Sky City Casino Hotel in Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico for the night. This place was much nicer than the Cherokee casino in Oklahoma, on par with any casino/hotel I’ve stayed at in Atlantic City with one exception….the view from my $45.00 a night room was incredible! Outside my window was a brilliant view of the mountains. And their buffet was good, too. I gorged myself on all-you-can-eat prime rib and popcorn shrimp and tacos. (Yeah, I know tacos don’t really fit with prime rib or popcorn shrimp, but this is New Mexico after all…) They had the loosest slots I’ve ever played, paying off constantly, even though they were mostly between 1c and 25c machines which kept the payouts low. I lost $100 playing 3 Card Poker, but had a lot of fun. I met a good ‘ol boy from Texas that looked strickingly like my co-worker Jim. We hung out at the 3 Card Poker and Craps table most of the night cracking jokes and drinking free lemonade (Indian Casinos are dry, no booze.)

I was feeling a bit tired after a sleepless night last night, so once I crossed into Texas, I decided to stop for the night. Since I am traveling along I-40, most of the classic Route 66 haunts are just a hop from the Interstate. (Out here, I-40 follows a chunk of the old Route 66.) I jumped off at a town called Panhandle, TX when I saw a sign for a motel and cafe. The motel is quaint in the way a prison cell is efficient. I can feel the winter wind blowing in under my room door and the white concrete block walls are a nice, homey touch. The Route 66 Cafe shares the parking lot (and apparently some of the staff) of my motel. I stepped in to order a burger (which was huge) and some fries and I felt like I was eating on the set of the classic sitcom Alice. I walked outside into the cold at ‘magic hour’ to snap some pics of the surrounding remains of Route 66 roadside attractions and captured this great pic of the motel’s sign.

I stopped at Crater of Diamonds State Park, but it was so cold I didn’t even sift through an entire bucket of dirt. I did hit the gift shop and buy some crap for Tracy and Anthony, as well as a Zero bar for myself and talked with some of the hardcore prospectors that visit the site daily all year long. After crossing the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line, I stopped at the first motel I could find, a Travelodge in Roland, OK, which proudly displays on all of their print materials that they have horse stables on the premises. I asked if they ever get a request to use them and the woman said all the time. I guess I’m not used to folks having horses. The woman that checked me in was priceless. Her name was Pricilla and she had a huge, blonde beehive hairdoo. I want to take her picture so bad, but I don’t know how to ask. When I was checking in, she asked if I was headed to the Indian Casino. Indian Casino? Where? “Right behind you. Look out the window.” Holy Crap! How did I miss that? So, I strolled over to the casino next door and got my fill of free soda while learning how to play 3 Card Poker. I left full of $5-all-you-can-eat-steak-fajitas and with $20 extra in my pocket. Not too shabby. (Original post February 14, added photos February 15, 2007.)

Carlisle, Arkansas - Population 2304 - If you were to blink while driving through town, you could miss the whole damn thing! My hotel in Carlisle is worlds better than the EconoLodge in King, NC. It has high-speed internet! And free HBO! And a bigger TV! And, quite possibly, Miss Arkansas 2006 may have slept in the same hotel bed as I (most likely on her Prom Night…) Her giant sign is at one end of the town, next to the Interstate. All the way at the other end of the town, a blistering 0.7 mile ride, is a BBQ restaurant called Nick’s. Do you see a theme yet? Yes, I love BBQ, especially southern hickory smoked pork BBQ. Nick’s was delicious and fast and the entire place was populated by high-school-aged waitresses with too much makeup that couldn’t give a damn about customer service. Tomorrow, I’m going to make a shot at Crater of Diamonds State Park, but I think the weather may prevent me from doing too much ‘mining’. Ugh, I’m starting to get sleepy from all that BBQ…

Whew! Over 500 miles in a single day and boy was I hungry. I didn’t stop to eat all day. The first thing I did after dropping all of my crap in the King, NC EconoLodge was run across the street to a southern BBQ joint that touted the fact that they were voted second-best BBQ in the state. It was typical southern BBQ, a bit heavy on the vinegar, but still tasty. I stopped at The World’s Largest Dresser in Highpoint, NC and managed to snap a picture just as a bicyclist went by, which helps put this monsterous piece of furniture in scale. The socks themselves are about 6 feet long. Highpoint is a strange town. Their biggest industry is furniture and it is everywhere. Every tall building in town has the name of a furniture company splashed on it in huge shiny letters. I also found a sculpture garden in a travel guide that sounded amazing, but was a bit of a disappointment. The place is in total disrepair, but I think the curator/creator, who was 80 years old when my guide was printed, may have finally kicked the bucket. Oh, and be sure to try the biodiesel…it is delicious. (That picture was taken in Ladysmith, VA.)

Well, with slightly over half a day until I saddle up, I’m starting to get a bit anxious knowing that I have nearly 8 days of what amounts to essentially living in my car ahead of me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my car, but I also love my house and my girlfriend and my computer and they don’t all fit in my car. So, I’m only taking my computer. My laptop, to be precise. It will be my travel companion, GPS, Internet connection (in conjunction with my EVDO cell phone), and my digital video recorder for my dash-mounted camcorder. Technology, where would I be without you? I’ve still got a spot of packing to do and some waypoints to add to my route in Streets and Trips before I hit the sack for what is going to amount to a sleepless night.

I decided this morning that instead of burning a bunch of music CD’s for listening to in the car I would get the Pimsleur Japanese lessons instead. I might as well learn something while I’m driving, right? And I don’t think they make computer programming audio CD’s….but they should. I will still burn some music CD’s and take a few of my favorite pressed CD releases along for the ride, but I’m hoping the 16 CD (!) Japanese set will at least let me learn how to say Hello, Goodbye, and Where is the Bathroom? You know, the essentials.

Ah, the F.O.T. Last resort for the work weary college-worker. Tonight, Tracy and I along with Bullwinkle and Anthony will be visiting F.O.T. for the last time in nearly a month. It is our regular Friday night thing, but I postponed our Friday jaunt since I had to pickup my suit for Dawn and Bill’s wedding before the suit-monger closed. So, we’re going tonight. Since I will be somewhere between here and Vegas on Valentine’s Day, this may very well be my Valentine’s dinner as well….in a dank, grimey, grease-slinging bar. Happy Valentines Day!

Well, in less than 48 hours I leave Baltimore for Vegas and all points in-between. It has been a mad rush to make sure everything at work is hammered down for my 3-week absence. This morning, I got the oil changed in Great White* and had my front tires balanced for the trip. I stopped and bought a torque wrench to keep in the car toolbox for the trip and checked the torque on my lug nuts. Better to be safe than sorry. Sometime today, I have to check the air in my tires and my donut and do some shopping for the necessities: fruit snacks and oatmeal bars and Sprite. Gotta run, my laundry needs to move to the dryer. (*Great White is my nickname for my 2005 Pontiac Vibe.)