Cross-Country Road Trip: From Santa Fe to Tennessee

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After soaking up Albuquerque, we headed to Santa Fe for an afternoon. While there, we decided to get my tires rotated and my oil changed—something we neglected to do before leaving. (My husband, master of all trades, normally tackles this, but time simply ran out.)

After a stop at Jiffy Lube in Santa Fe, the car started to make an alarming rumbling sound. So we made yet another stop at Jiffy Lube, this time in Albuquerque, where they kind of just shrugged their shoulders and said they didn’t know what was up. (Always what you hope to hear from your mechanic.) So we went back to our hotel for the night and called Midas first thing in the morning.

Three hours in the “waiting room” (thank God it had free Wi-Fi) and nearly $300 later, and I had a new pair of front tires. Apparently the rubber on my four-year Altima was about to separate entirely, and we very well could have blown a tire had we driven any further. Moral of this story, kids: Get your car checked out before the cross-country road trip.

But really, it’s not a true road trip if you don’t break down (or come close to it), am I right?

From there, we drove all the way across the Texas Panhandle, neglecting to stop at the Cadillac Ranch—the car hiccup just set us too far back in time—but seeing it from the road. Nor did we stop for the 72-ounce steak we saw advertised for more than 200 miles on many a billboard (you think I’m kidding, but no), which we thought was impressive until we got to Oklahoma and they advertised a 100-ounce option! That’s a whole lot of food. I have trouble finishing off an eight-ounce steak on my own.

I’ve really wanted to see Oklahoma City for awhile now—from the diner that inspired the movie Cars in Stroud to the Langston’s headquarters to Bricktown—but we were just ready to be back already. Besides, did I mention the thermometer peaked at 113 degrees while we were there? Now I like the heat, A LOT, but even that is pushing it. So we stopped at a budget motel in Yukon, home to Garth Brooks we learned, then powered through the rest of Oklahoma and Arkansas the following day to camp out in Memphis for the night.

Memphis happens to be home to the two cutest moppets on the planet, my cousin Rebecca’s kids. How could we be in the area and not pay them a visit?

Meet Margaret, age 10 months.

And McKayla, age three. She also answers to Tinkerbell.

(McKayla happens to be a budding music video star, too, and if you missed my Tweet with the link to this video, take three minutes now to watch it and I promise it will brighten your day. Rebecca said it took a whole lot of M&M bribery to get her to film for the whole day!)

We played princesses and had tea parties and did Cool, Cool Tricks and watched Cinderella and twirled in our dresses.

After 2,500 miles, it was just the family time I needed. And I’m pretty sure being just three hours away from this family of four ensures that I’ll do a whole lot of “dropping in” on weekends. Sorry, Rebecca and John, but you have been warned.

COMMENTS
  • August 16, 2011

    Oh my goodness, they are so precious. And that video is utterly priceless.

    • August 16, 2011
      Kristin

      They are pretty freakin’ cute, aren’t they? =)

      Almost enough to make me want to have kids of my own (notice I said almost!)

  • August 16, 2011

    On our road trip back to Tullahoma after a year in CA, we stopped at The Big Texan. And yes, there were people attempting to eat the 72oz steak with all the trimmings – one guy actually did it!!

    • August 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Just that thought makes my stomach do flips. It’s sort of like those eating contests you see on TV–there’s no way you could do that without proper training, right? It’s like running a marathon!

  • August 16, 2011

    Next road trip we will hook up in OKC for sure!

    • August 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Yes! Or maybe I’ll just fly into OKC next time =)

      Though pray tell, what is with the mutant grasshoppers there? They were raining down on us when we got in at night–I felt like I was in a Biblical story!

      • August 18, 2011

        The bugs here are out if control. Growing up in CA I am not sure to it at all. They were probably June bugs. Not even sure what they are, but they are big, nasty and out at night. Yuck.

  • August 16, 2011

    We’ll put the video in our “happy” file and watch when needed 🙂

  • August 16, 2011

    Terrific photos. I won’t be planning a trip to Oklahoma anytime soon, so thank you for covering this on my behalf!

  • August 16, 2011

    It seems like you’re on one helluva road trip. I’ve been wanting to take one this summer and think I’ll drive up to South Dakota (from Denver) over Labor Day. I’ve been to Santa Fe and Taos a couple time, but I haven’t been to Oklahoma yet. OKC seems cools and other spots seem really pretty.

    • August 16, 2011
      Kristin

      South Dakota would make a nice Labor Day trip–hopefully it’s dried up a bit from when we were there! I’m pretty sure we took all the moisture with us, as we definitely got a year’s worth of rain in our one week there =)

  • August 16, 2011

    Babychubb alert! So cute!

    • August 16, 2011
      Kristin

      She and Rhys would make quite the pair! =)

  • August 17, 2011

    Something tells me the girls will be thrilled to see more of their Aunty Kristin!

    • August 17, 2011
      Kristin

      I do come with an excess of chocolate! And being the aunt, you can spoil excessively without worrying about the consequences 😉

  • August 17, 2011

    I thought that picture of Ella was cute until I got to pictures of pudgy babies, and now I am just overwhelmed. You must be glad to be back within driving distance of these two!

  • August 17, 2011

    To cute! Margaret is such an old name, but when I saw her it seems to fit her! & McKayla isn’t a bay anymore, looks so much older then from the last things you’ve posted of her. & I love she answers to Tinkerbell !

  • August 17, 2011

    SO glad you got your car checked out in time, a friend of mine recently had a really big accident due to a blow-out on the freeway – the whole car was totaled! Those kids are precious, and Ella looks even cuter on the red ground than she did in the snow! I love the contrast. 🙂

    Sara

  • August 18, 2011

    The first picture is breathtaking. And the babies are adorable, too 🙂

  • August 19, 2011

    It’s SO true, a road trip is not a road trip without a breakdown!!! The babies are presh!

  • October 10, 2011

    You came to Santa Fe and spent the time rotating your tires? That’s hysterical! There’s just so much to see here. I guess you’ll just have to come back.

  • October 10, 2011
    Kristin

    Ha, well it was more of a moving-across-country-in-six-days-so-let’s-take-a-break-midway type of visit. I guess it was inevitable we’d have car trouble at some point!

  • June 25, 2013

    I LOVE your blog!! Check mine out if you have time 🙂

  • March 21, 2016
    Audrey

    My housemate and I stayed in Santa Fe not once, but thrice during our travels out West last year. Gorgeous city that we just couldn’t quit! Each time we stayed at the beautiful Inn of the Turquoise Bear mere blocks from the city square. Alex, one of the owners there, makes killer lemon pancakes for breakfast and even personally delivered them to our door once! (Word apparently got out about what a morning person I am not, haha!)

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