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Yogurt and berries

With an ambitious journey planned for the day we noshed on yogurt and berries before starting our day.  Boo still fell for the bacon routine.

Missouri vineyard

We weren't too far out of Rolla when we started seeing signs for wine tastings. Wine! Of course, I'd heard that every state in the union grew wines but I didn't expect advertisements. For fun, we jumped off the highway to take a look see (not a sip see, mind you, it was way too early) then headed back on the road.

Somewhere around Effingham, Illinois we hit the 2000 mile mark and it became clear, our butts were numb.

Off roading

With our successful detour into Oklahoma City under our belts we decided to venture off into Mooresville for a little Cajun déjeuner. Mike had found a recommendation on a travel website the night before for what sounded like a great find.

The road into Mooresville was charming. Suburb melted into rural and back as we drove through alfalfa fields and past flowering dogwoods.

We pulled into town and found ourselves parked right in front of Zydeco's, our destination, which was quite fortuitous. Unfortunately, it was closed for lunch on Tuesdays.

I did a little shopping therapy to try to recoup then we found an unremarkable little restaurant where we watched Rachel Ray on the big screen while we ate. Rachel was discussing nail salon hygiene, complete with guests who described their fungal infections. Nice.

Hooray for Ohio

The chicken survives to see rain

It didn't take long to get back onto the highway. A word about Indiana drivers: they suck. (Sorry Indiana. I realize that once again, I'm being uncharitable.) They tailgate, they don't let you in if you need to get over and it seemed that everyone was on their phone. For once, I was glad I wasn't the one driving. Ohio was a welcomed site. Everyone seems to have settled down there.

Two momentous things happened in Ohio: the chicken took its first dive (amazing that it didn't happen before, it survived) and we saw our first rain.


Next... Home in sight

Remembering

Still Lovin' Oklahoma

Saturated fats from our Oklahoma rib-eyes lingered in our guts long after we woke. We passed on breakfast and got on the road.

Let me put one myth to rest. Not everything in Texas is bigger. Oklahoma has the largest crosses and flags in the universe. You can see them coming for miles. Photos do not do them justice, though we tried time and again.

Remembering

We decided to take a detour to the Oklahoma City National Memorial that morning. The last time I drove cross country the Murrah Building was still smoldering and we'd contemplated a visit, but there was no GPS and no highway signs to lead us to the site. I didn't want to pass up this opportunity, cat notwithstanding. Luckily it was a lovely cool day. We found a shady place to park and rolled down the windows a bit.

There isn't much you can do to prepare for the impact of the memorial. We entered through the North Robinson Avenue gate, the reflecting pool lay before us and the iconic chairs were to our left. Time literally stands still on the site. A landscaping crew manicured the already pristine lawn as a few visitors wandered past their roaring mowers.

On the north side of the site sits the Survivor Tree.
A place of reflection and recollection. Beautiful. If you have the chance to stop by you'll never regret the visit.

We had a wonderful lunch at a place called Kitchen No. 324. Yum, nutty fresh baked bread and home made soup. We wished we could linger watching Oklahoma City pass by the restaurant window but there was a cat in our car and miles yet to log.

Missouri yielded yet a new landscape: horizontal sedimentary outcrops and armadillo road kill. After the Elk City Motel 6 we opted to step it up a couple of notches to a new level of pet-friendly motels and pulled into a Super 8. Living large! It was quite nice. Boo loved the place.

Craving some spice we fell for the "best Mexican food north of the border" advert. They did have margaritas. A bright moment.

Another bright moment; I'm no longer homeless. My home purchase closed! Little did I know that a few days after we'd passed through Oklahoma so many, many homes would have been lost to an epic tornado. I am so fortunate to have a home that still sits on its foundation.


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