Departure: Atlanta, GA
Arrival: Los Angeles, CA
Day 1: As they saw Atlanta disappearing through their rear view mirror, they didn't realize the claustrophobic feeling of being confined in a jammed packed Altima Coupe (full of who knows what)!
Well... they don't exactly know how sweet it is because they didn't get out of the car.
Second state: MISSISSIPPI!
Side note: Never trust Siri! They now have resorted to a paper map.
Third state: TENNESSEE!
What up Memphis?!
Fourth State: ARKANSAS!
(Shout out to X- thanks for the wisdom, "Only stop for gas & gas only") RIP bugs on the windshield! Emily asked Erin "What are those tall things that spin at the top?" Farmer Erin explained what a pinwheel is & how they help crops.
Fifth state: OKLAHOMA
Home of the best Cracker Barrel turkey salad. (Shout out to waitress Nina)
More & more pinwheel sightings off I-40 W.
Monstrous black road kill sighting! Emily swore it was a bison. Erin argued that it was either a cow or a buck with the antlers stolen. So, Erin forced Emily to investigate the situation at Fred's convenient shop just north of OKC (1:30 a.m. by the way). The attendant confirmed that the mysterious creature was in fact a wild coyote. Emily was not convinced...way too big to be a coyote! 30 minutes later the girls decided to call it a night & sleep off the six state journey. Due to the late night arrival, Erin was able to work a deal (as usual) and got the girls a $119 nice clean suite for only $65. TwerQ it Erin! (Shout out to Laura and our TwerQ Team)
Day 2: 6 states down, 4 more to go :~D
Sixth state: TEXAS
Another pinwheel sighting.
Erin joined Emily as a vegetarian. Driving through Amarillo, Erin yelled at Kona for having bad breath and rolled down the window. Much to her surprise, the fresh aroma came from the slaughterhouse where millions & billions of cows were eating their final supper while standing in their own feces. Ewww!! Erin quickly rolled up the window, but the smell was trapped & continued to lurk in the car for miles & miles until they were far enough away to roll down the window & let it out. Erin's gagging came to a halt & salad was on the menu for dinner.
During a quick stop at the nearest gas station for some nuts, Farmer Erin complemented Bubba, the local farmer, on his large pinwheel. Much to Erin's surprise, Bubba, in his deep southern accent, replied, "Well Darlin, them things over yonder, we call them windmills." Erin is never again allowed the title "Farmer Erin".
Seventh state: NEW MEXICO
It was a breath of fresh air! Finally out of flat lands & coming up on the Sandia Mountains. What a sight to see while driving over... BOOM! The bright lights of Albuquerque. Absolutely gorgeous!
The casinos were very tempting. Thanks to Rhonda for not allowing Kona to play the slots, the girls still have money in the bank... shawty what you drink? (Shout out to Lil Scrappy)
After driving for another hour and a half without sighting a single hotel, the girls drove into Gallup, NM. Much to their surprise, after walking in and out of 15 hotels, there were no vacancies except for the $39 Super 8. Due to Erin's bed bug phobia, Super 8 was not an option. Thankfully Emily's Native American connection came through (shout out to Momma Bear), and lead them to a nice room on the Navajo Reserve. Erin then worked another deal and got a $129 room for $69. Good thing she's a Costco member (wink wink).
No Pets Allowed! Lucky for Emily, Kona was a very good sir. Not one single growl or howl.
Next afternoon: lunch on the Navajo Reservation. As they sat and relaxed, Kona was snug like a little burrito in his carrier, while Emily sat next to him in full Atlanta Braves attire. What was she thinking? Talk about dressing for the occasion! They were still able to enjoy some of the best Mexican food in the states. (Shout out to Nan- Thanks for the great recommendation! Lunch was a scrumptious treat. I saved you a bite of my chicken taco. Only 3 more months until you can enjoy it!)
Eighth state: ARIZONA
From the painted desert, to the rocky canyons, to the mountains in the horizon, to the vast open space, to the forests of Flagstaff; Arizona hands down wins the award for being the most scenic! It was just so fresh to death! What a gorge sight to see.
Continuing on their adventure, the girls decided to detour & explore the different attractions of Arizona. First stop- GC baby! Yep, that big hole in the ground- AKA The Grand Canyon. Emily asked Erin, "Is that it?" Erin replied, "Naw girl, you just wait!" As they drove deeper into Grand Canyon National Park, Emily looked to her left & woah! The most breathtaking view of all time! After snapping a few pics, they enjoyed watching a family of seven wild elk eat dinner. Erin named them-Paula, Prince, Peter, Pepper, Pipi, Scruffy, & Father Abraham.
While still in the adventurous spirit, the girls took another detour and entered the mountain city of Sedona, Arizona. Twas the dead of night as they dipped another 6000 feet below elevation. Emily said to Erin "Ummm... we're like in it!" And that they were, but were unaware of just how in it they really were until daylight the following day.
After exploring the mountain city at night and going from hotel to hotel looking for a vacant room to get som ZZZ's, they pulled up to a non pet friendly cottage. Since Kona had been on his best behavior the 2 nights prior, taking the chance was a no brainer. Erin worked another deal (thanks to her new long lost brother for giving out the "friends and family" discount). They snuck Kona in and capped off the night examining the room for bugs.
It was around 9:30 A.M. when the girls were awoken with a large bark and growl from the teacup. Kona had responded to the room service delivery. Emily & Erin quickly came down with a case of Whooping Cough. (What great actresses they are! See you soon Hollywoood!) The disguise worked and after a quick freshen up they opened up the door. To their surprise, they discovered they had literally spent the night in a valley surrounded with a breathtaking backdrop of the Red Rock Crossing Canyon. Wow! Gorgeous! They retraced their steps from the night before so they didn't miss a beat, enjoyed the scenery and the good vibrations from the mountain people, found their inner spirts, and started up the mountain to continue on their journey. (Shout out to Caitlin - Happy Birthday CHA CHA CHA!)
Although the mountains were much more enjoyable than the farmlands, the beach was calling their name!
