If you weren't already aware, lots of Texas is full of nothing...

First, I went to the gym tonight, like usual, and I have to tell you two things that really irritate me:

1. People who meander and mosey from one machine to another (cardio, not weight machines) an watch everyone else break a sweat while they take a Sunday stroll on the treadmill. I'm not talking about older or elderly. I am talking about perfectly capable young people who look around as to, what I'm heavy or I'm out of shape? I'm "walking" or "biking". I highly doubt your heart rate is raising above what mine is at rest. Not to mention, if you are not going to wear proper tennis shoes or footwear, why bother?

2. Jerk guys who think they are better than everyone. Case in point: I'm way on the other side of the room and I look across and I see this guy who had just finished working on an ab device. He then proceeds to walk in front of a mirror (granted NOBODY is near him or looking in his direction, except maybe me as I glanced at the clock) pulls up his shirt and rubs his abs. Yes, they were fantastic. But really? You're pulling it up like you're trying to seduce yourself in the mirror? Really? REALLY???

On to the nostalgia photos, our travel from San Antonio to Lubbock:

The smallest Wal Mart ever! No joke. The aisles are half the size of the ones here. Crackers shared an aisle with soda. So weird, and adorable.

All I really have to show for this is miles and miles and miles...

and miles and miles and miles....

and miles and miles. Oh and on and on and on...

of wind turbines!

Anyway, we have no other pictures because all we did was get a hotel, eat dinner in the bar, and watch TV. We needed relaxation after partying it up in San Antonio.

Tie for Favorite Stop on Road Trip

This is our trip from Dallas to Kerrville and San Antonio. If I told you why we had to go to Kerrville, I'd have to kill you BUT this was day one of true, nothingness, middle of nowhere, driving. We had no cell reception, there was nowhere to stop to go to the bathroom, we were fearful that at any moment the GPS would stop working and we'd be stuck at Farm Road 235 and Ranch Road 57.

It was so deserted, Chris did some sit ups in the middle of the road.

American and Texas pride. Two thumbs up for that farm! Could it have been the farm that had coyote corpses hanging from the fence to scare off other coyotes, maybe?

Oh, and in Texas farmland, people drive their tractors on the road.

This sign was in Fredricksburg. As always, I was in a grumpy mood, but this little town made me happy.

A Fair Oaks village without chickens? Unheard of! Obscene! Okay, where I grew up, Fair Oaks Village is known for chickens. I took this in San Antonio to remind me of my roots.

FINALLY! Riverwalk in San Antonio. I want to go back, or move there, or something. It was very beautiful, and so much fun!

We're so cute.

From Arkansas to Dallas

After Little Rock, Arkansas, we headed to Dallas. Dallas is not a tiny city, and we were hoping for a fun time. However, the only thing that could be done was going to a baseball game. It was fun. I can't tell you who won, I just know that we got tickets in the "All You Can Eat and Drink" section. It is a really good idea, simply for drinks (soda, not beer, ha ha).

This sign shows all that was around the Texas Rangers' stadium in Arlington.

Our seats, not as great as Camden Yards, but not too shabby.

We're so cute, oh and kinda dorky.

Aww, much better.

After the game, we tried to go out downtown. It was a Thursday night in June. I know that in San Diego (and many other cities across the United States) Thursdays are quiet, but happening. I can not believe I just used the word happening. Anyway, it was not. There were two bars open in all of downtown Dallas. Needless to say, we went to bed early. So that we could head on to Kerrville and San Antonio.

Graceland, Almost a Tornado, and Arkansas

After spending the night in Nashville, we headed out to Memphis to go to Graceland. I apologize that these photos are backwards. So after Graceland we headed onto Arkansas. We had pizza in a deserted Pizza Hut amongst a huge storm that could have produced tornadoes.

Welcome to Arkansas. Yes the state line is on a bridge.

Chris at the Visitor Center.

Me at the Visitor Center.

Some random place in Arkansas. I thought it was pretty.

Elvis's Pink Cadillac.

The lights were constantly flickering and I caught it when they were all lit up.

Elvis's grave at Graceland.

I left my camera in the car (it fell out of my purse) and did not realize until we were already on the tour. I took them on my cell phone though, I've just struggled to get them from cell phone to computer. Enjoy.

Oh and in Arkansas we went swimming.

Continuing Across the Country

So, after our night Blacksburg, we headed onto Tennessee. We did not think about the time zone changes as we were driving, so sometimes we felt like our drives were closer than expected. Oh well. This brought us to Nashville (my favorite, BY FAR).

(Chris and the Volunteer State sign)

(Me and the Volunteer State sign, pardon my terrible clothing choices, and my appearance, we were living out of a car)

Knoxville. That's all I got. I'm a big racing fan, so it is a two thumbs up for me, but we only had so much time.

My favorite!!! We got to the museum with an hour left before they closed, who knew they'd end up kicking us out. I apologize in advance for my terrible photos, we were very rushed, but this is only a few, some of my faves.

Patsy Cline's dress

Reba McEntire's dress

Hank Williams's clothes and awards

The manuscript for Dolly Parton's "Jolene" - I really like this song, and how cool is that??

Garth Brooks's guitar. He is probably my ultimate favorite.

Jason Aldean's jeans and cowboy boots. :]

The Second Fiddle in downtown Nashville. I like Nashville bars better than San Diego and Las Vegas and anywhere else. Really, it is true. I'm a beer drinking, sometimes whiskey shot taking, country music loving girl.

Aww, aren't we cute? We were both major grumpy pants that night, but this is after we turned our frowns upside down.

The best part of Nashville bars? LIVE MUSIC from musicians who have their own bands, play covers and their own songs, oh and they happen to be the band for famous people. I believe if I remember right, the keyboardist had just finished playing a show for Jerrod Niemann before he came to the Second Fiddle. AWESOME!

So bummed our trip didn't bring us on these days. Oh well. Maybe some day. Actually, right now (well starting tomorrow) is the 2011 CMA Music Festival, and I am watching the CMT Music Awards.

I really want to go back to Nashville ASAP. In fact, if things don't work out in California, we might head to Nashville. Yes. Oh we were unable to see the Grand Ole Opry because it was still being remodeled after all the flooding. The exits on the freeways were even closed so we couldn't drive by it. I had one really blurry picture as we drove by. What a major bummer. Such a sad, sad place to be when we were there because many places were finally coming out of the flood slump. However, it was still fun. My favorite.

One Year Ago Today

Exactly one year ago today, we started our cross country adventure from Maryland to California. It was definitely one of the BEST trips ever, in fact, it was THE BEST TRIP EVER! This first photo is us right after we left Double T Diner where we had breakfast with Chris's mom, brother, and grandparents. Yum, I miss Double T breakfasts.

(We were really excited, can't you tell?)

This is the sign, "Leaving Maryland, Come Back Soon." Chris has been back a few times, but I have not been back yet. Oh well, here is the sign. It was probably an hour or so into our trip.

(ADIOS Maryland)

This is us entering Virginia, right after leaving Maryland. Another sign.

(Welcome to Virginia, woo hoo, first border crossing!)

This is Chris climbing a rock at Natural Bridge in Virginia. We had lunch there, walked around, hiked around, etc. Fun, fun, fun!

(No real rock climbing, that's all he and I did.)

Since I'm not into rock climbing, and I have no upper body strength (or used to have none, now I do) this is me on the rocks. Yep, that's all.

(So EXCITED!!!)

This is a camp in the park at Natural Bridge. It was a make shift Native American camp on the (or what I believe was) Cedar Creek Nature Trail. There were lots of different camp photographs, I stuck with one for you.

(Would you believe me if I told you we camped out like that? Yeah, I didn't think so).

That was day one where we ended up in Blacksburg, Virginia, which is where Virginia Tech University is. I do not have any photos from there. We got a hotel, went to Bull and Bones for dinner, I had a really good pulled pork sandwich where you can make your own BBQ sauce. Chris had a duck wrap. It was all good. Some beers at a local bar where the college kids hang out, and that was all. Just wait until tomorrow, we go on to the Volunteer State. Enjoy these memories and nostalgia of last year's trip.