Day 4: Arrival

After rising at 6 and heading out early (stopping only to make a pb&j courtesy of the Holiday Inn and for the ladies at the front desk to say goodbye to Lester), we headed for Texas. Hope isn't too far from the border, so before long we were passing through Texarkana, a dual municipality of Arkansas and Texas. To our disappointment, there was no "Welcome to Texas" sign (an omen?) because of major highway construction, but we did get a picture of the Ark-Tex water tower.

We saw a lot of ranches along the side of the road and some serious cattle. Otherwise, it was an uneventful trip into Austin. We rolled in right on time to the house, where Glenn, our real estate agent, was meeting us with our keys. We took Lester right into the backyard to play ball and get acclimated. We even met a neighbor named Emily who lives next door with an 8 month old Golden Retriever who looks like dear departed George.

We've already started spending money on the house - our first purchase was a new refrigerator - and we've already got a major list going. Now the movers are here, and it's time to build a box mountain.

The Drive: Day 3

Another day, another state. We got up and hit the highway early, heading for Memphis. The signs along the way remind you that you're pretty far from New England.









By hitting the road early, we gave ourselves a little time to check out Memphis. Didn't do all that much, but we did get to take Lester for walks along the Mississippi River and down Beale Street. We were hoping to have lunch at the Little Tea Shop, but it wasn't open.

Lester and Jon on the big river

Rachel and Lester in the big city

Beale Street window painting

Restaurant sign on Beale

After Memphis, we crossed over the river and into Arkansas. Arkansas is the only state on this trip neither of us had been to before. We made a quick stop in Little Rock, caught glimpses of the Arkansas State Capitol and the Clinton Presidential Library, then headed southwest for Hope, birthplace of President Bubba. One more night, one more Holiday Inn. We did have a pleasant Tex-Mex meal at Amigo Juan's on North Hervey. No chicken o'tenders on this night. Tomorrow is the final leg. At least of the drive.

Signs on the bridge from Tennessee to Arkansas

Clinton Library, Little Rock

Drive to Texas: Focus on Arkansas

Now that things are starting to take shape, we really need to get planning on our drive! After driving hours and hours through Virginia and Tennessee, we hit Arkansas. Another large state to drive across the long way - great!

Arkansas joined the union as the 25th state (and 13 slave state) in 1836. Nicknamed the Natural State, the state flower of Arkansas is the apple blossom. If you really want some details, the state tree is the pine tree, the mockingbird is the state bird, the white-tailed deer is the state mammal, largemouth bass is the state fish, and the state insect is the honey bee. The pronunciation of the state as "arkansaw" was made official by an act of the state legislature in 1881. Lots of famous people claim Arkansas as their place of origin, including Johnny Cash, trainwreck golfer John Daly and Rudy Ray Moore!


Arkansas

The drive through Arkansas should only take us about 4 or so hours ... if we don't stop at the Family Pie Shop in DeValls Bluff. Piemaker Mary Thomas starts early, and "by lunchtime there might be half a dozen varieties available, the favorites including pineapple, apple, lemon, cream, coconut, and sweet potato, all laid out in gorgeous golden brown crusts that rise up like fragile pastry haloes around their fillings." Take a look at the righteous looking fried pie (below)!



Great -- now I'm hungry!