Road Trip...

We leave in a week...

Trip Overview

Starting Point: Arlington, VA
Destination: Mesa, AZ
Total Driving Distance: 2317 miles
Total Driving Time: 36 hours, 15 minutes

Our route will take us along Interstate 40 and through Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and finally, Arizona. At the moment, I'm trying to convince Tim that we really NEED to take a 4 hour detour to visit "DOLLYWOOD" while driving through Tennessee. Otherwise when will we get to visit an entire theme park dedicated to the fantastic Dolly Parton? I'm not sure he's convinced. :)

My road trip research has yielded some interesting info. For example, did you know that Nashville Tennessee is home to the only full-scale reproduction of the Parthenon? That the Lorraine Motel in Memphis TN, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed in 1968, is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum? That there's a "pink palace" in Memphis built by the founder of Piggly Wiggly? These are just a few of the Americana gems along our route. Unfortunately, I doubt we'll have time to do more than just wave as we pass by in our car.

However, the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX is just too good to pass by. We're definitely stopping here. Just read the description: This hippie-era art installation by the illustrious Ant Farm Collective has become an American icon -- a row of ten half-buried vintage Cadillacs planted nose-first with their flared fannies in the air. The display traces the gradual rise and fall of the trademark Cadillac tail fin from the '40s to the '60s, and several of the cars sacrificed for the effort were once immaculately kept gems that, in today's market, might have fetched a fortune. An interactive art piece, this one welcomes visitors to use it as a canvas for graffiti. You may want to bring a can of spray paint.

If you have any other suggestions for "must sees" along our route that beat Dollywood and Cadillac Ranch, let us know.