Day 2

Day 2 – Nashville to Oklahoma City

We started in Nashville, eating at the ever grand Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

We walked in and the woman at the front of the store said something to us. Between the accent and the radio playing in the back ground we couldn’t understand what she said.

Assuming she said “ Good morning, welcome to Cracker Barrel” we stood and waited to be seated. No one came because she had told us to seat ourselves (which she repeated). So we seated ourselves and ate breakfast and went on our way.

Pandora Jewelry:   The stupidest name for a jewelry store I’ve heard. Like Pandora, really? Do they even know who Pandora was?

Pringle Park Stadium: This place had two giant Pringle Man faces on the front of the stadium. It was awesome!!

Toad Suck: Somewhere in the haze between Tennessee and Arkansas we drove past a park named “Toad Suck Park.”   What were they thinking?! It’s almost like the dude building it asked his three year old,  “ Son, what should we name the park?” and the kid said something like, “Road Duck. “  But, because the kid had a little slur going on, where his R’s sound like T’s and his D’s sound like S’s, the dad thought he said “Toad Suck.”      ….Gotta love America!!

The Stage Coach:  I only saw the back of it, but dad saw the whole thing. There was a truck with a legit life size stage coach on the back.

 Memphis:  Later on in day one we stopped in downtown Memphis so we could take pictures of the Mississippi river. The city was really neat! We saw the studio where Elvis recorded his music.  I loved all the buildings there… old cities are my favorite :).  And, there were quite a few trolleys that came through the city.

Road Killed Armadillo: We saw one.  Fact.

Fort Smith:  If you know anything about my family, you would know that we ALL LOVE HISTORY.  So, getting a chance to see a fort, much less a fort that is so rich in history was legit.  I’d heard about Fort Smith before, but I never knew it was so important during the 1800’s. Are you ready for a History lesson? Because here it comes….

Fort Smith was built in 1817.  It was home to Judge Parker and the very first U.S. Marshals. They kept the peace after the Indian tribes (Who were forced from their lands and travelled the “Trail of Tears”) settled in Oklahoma.  The fort housed notorious bad guys (and gals) and was the iron fist of justice in the prairie lands of Oklahoma and Texas.  People came west and settled around the fort for 60 years.  

Being out here in the West makes you realize the bravery and courage of the men and women who left their homes and trekked over thousands of miles of hills, rivers, desserts, mountains and fields in rickety wagons in search of a better life.  Imagine those very first pioneers!  There was absolutely NOTHING out here…except hope and opportunity.  How could they tell where they were going? How did they get supplies?  They really were crazy and really driven….. I’m glad they helped settle the West, making Manifest Destiny a reality for generations (like mine) to come.  They were so hard core!