We're in Wichita Falls, TX now, after another long day of driving. Somehow this leg didn't seem as long as the one from Carefree to Grants, but I think it was actually longer. We got up early this morning, went to the Albertson's near the hotel (which had a Starbucks in it), and got coffee, chocolate (our last bag was ruined when it made contact with the ice water in the cooler), Fiery Cheetos, and postcards for the scrapbook.
After Albertson's we stopped at Whole Foods to stock up on actual food for our journey (all evidence to the contrary—in my life, at least—one cannot survive on chocolate and Starbucks alone). I got a lemon-dill tuna sandwich, a double-decker brownie, and some Kettle Krisps (the low-fat version of Kettle Chips); and Al bought some Kettle Chips, some orange sodas, some orange rice, and a couple other goodies.
With our shopping done, we hit the road. The long trip down 285 to I-40 was pretty peaceful; it was a chilly 46° with mostly overcast skies, and it was kinda cozy to have the heat on in the car. We admired the flat plains, the windmills, and the occasional cow, and Al started writing down the different state license plates we were seeing. (We'd planned to buy a license plate sticker book like my niece M_'s, but we couldn't find one before our trip.)
I drove until I-40, and then Al drove the longest leg into Texas and past Amarillo. I alternately slept, ate Twizzlers, and took photos out the window. We switched again at a Fina station in a small town that I can't remember the name of on US287. I bought a Texas Lotto ticket (the drawing is Wednesday) and two scratchers for a total of $3. I won $4 on my scratcher, so I'm up $1. :)
I really loved the drive down 287; instead of having exits for towns, the highway passed right through the middle of them, with the speed limit dropping from 70 to 55 to 45 to 35 and then going back up again once you passed the Dairy Queen. We found a pumpkin patch in one town, and I did a quick turn into a DQ parking lot to go back and take a photo, completely oblivious of the oncoming traffic. (Was there a corner there that the two cars I turned in front of came around at the last minute, or was I so focused on the pumpkins that I just didn't look? Probably the latter, scarily enough.)
Anyhow, I got some photos, and we made it safely to the Fairfield Inn in Wichita Falls. Al's out trying to find a Texas BBQ place, and I'm in the room watching Criminal Intent and eating the rest of my tuna sandwich and an Amy's Brown Rice & Vegetable Bowl that I got at the Albertson's nearby. (It's really delicious—I'd buy one again in a heartbeat.) We did end up buying a microwave oven at the Best Buy in Santa Fe, but we haven't taken it out of the box yet. The room we're in now has one, so we used that. We figure if we don't end up using it, we'll return it at a Best Buy in Florida; if we do, we'll ship it home for use in our kitchen!
Posted by Lori at October 13, 2002 06:15 PM