Four Corners

We woke up in Albuquerque to another beautiful day weather-wise, we have been truly lucky with the amazing weather the whole trip. This is the place that trip advisor told us had the best mexican breakfast, so we packed up and left the hotel to head for breakfast before making our way to Monument Valley. A couple of minutes after we left the hotel Amy and Sam realised that Sam's phone had been left behind, so a bit of a detour to go back and get it before we speed on to get breakfast. The restaurant was not in a touristy spot, quite far off the beaten track, so looked a bit of a dump from the outside. However the inside was nice, and the food was delicious.

After our cheesy mexican breakfast we headed north towards our next destination, the Four Corners monument, the only place in the US where four states touch borders. This leg of the journey was not on the busy interstate so I had another go at driving, the roads were straight and boring, but not busy which was good. We stopped at a little nothing town called Shiprock for lunch and tried to find something decent to eat, we ended up going to McDonalds, it was surprising that this was our first time at McDonalds in America, but I guess there was a lot of fast food to choose from. Shiprock's name was derived from a big rock near the town that looked like a ship. We could see it from the town in the distance, and we thought it was worth driving out to it to get some photos close up. We read that it's a sacred rock among the native people in the area, and no climbing it allowed. After a team photo with the shiprock we continued our journey to Four corners.

 We arrived at Four corners in mid afternoon and there wasn't really a lot of people there. The monument is surrounded by small kiosks where local people sell their trinkets to the tourists. Amy and I thought there might be something worthwhile to buy as a souvenir but sadly there wasn't, it was all just a heap of junk. We had photos of our feet standing in all four states and had a look at some of the plaques around that described the history of the state borders moving to where they touch today. We were just about to leave and I thought I should use the toilet, this was a little way away from the monument and the kiosks and just as I was walking down the short hill a wave of stench hit me. It was disgusting, almost gag worthy, I quickly turned around to go back to the car, I didn't need to go that badly. The toilets were obviously badly maintained, long drops that were letting off a horrendous smell of human excrement.

We had booked accommodation in a small town called Mexican Hat, when I say small, I mean normally there are three hotels open in peak season but at the time we were there we were booked into the only hotel open. It was quite dark by the time we arrived and the only place where we could eat was at the diner attached to our accommodation. The menu was not extensive and the service was a bit slow as the poor man serving us was doing it all himself. We went to bed pretty early as we were spending the whole day at monument valley the next day. 

Route 66

Another very frosty morning greeted us in Amarillo this morning with no-one very keen to get out of bed. We ate a complimentary breakfast at the motel dining area, just the standard, bagels, oats and muffins. As we had completed the only attraction in Amarillo last night at the steak house we hit the road to the only other thing that bought us here...Cadillac Ranch. It was located about 6miles (about 10kms) out of Amarillo and armed with our pre acquired spray paint cans we headed out to the cars. It was a  far less organised attraction than expected with us literally finding 10 cars in a paddock, that was it. And it was awesome. Despite the punishing Northern Texas wind and about 3degree temp we managed to battle the elements to make our mark on the site in several areas ensuring everyone knew that people from New Zealand had been there.

After almost freezing to the bone we boosted our painted hands, runny noses and sense of adventure back to the Yukon. It was one of several experiences on the trip which really came to life for me. For many months now we have been looking at pictures of the ranch and talking about going there and today we saw it and did it in real life. We juiced the heating and made the most of the heated seats for the fourth time on the trip and third time in Texas. I knew we were crossing through this area in the winter months but continue to be shocked with how freezing cold it is. I always associated Texas with hot, dry, desert weather. We continued along the I-40 which met up with Route 66 and we took the opportunity to do some miles on this famous road. We stopped at a little Cafe and Gift Store called Midpoint Cafe for hot chocolate, coffee and were tempted by an amazing looking chocolate cream pie. It tasted every bit as good as it sounds.

We got some directions for how to best see some of Route 66, the women advised that we were best not to rely on signs as most of them have been stolen. Driving along this stretch of road we found most stores, petrol stations, and cafes were now closed and the road in general appeared very desolate. It was glaringly obvious that Route 66 while not forgotten by travellers to the USA, had seen its heyday. With the interstate running parallel just metres away offering a higher speed limit, functional rest stops and without dirt road or sudden dead ends its easy to see why Route 66 is no longer the preferred route.

Giving in ourselves we got back on the interstate. We stopped once more for lunch in a small town off the interstate at a diner called Joseph's which served Mexican food. Americans love to feed you. At most diners and restaurants on the East coast you can expect a basket of warm bread and butter while waiting for your meal to be bought out, in the lower states through Texas and New Mexico you can expect a basket of corn chips and salsa dip. The food was tasty with us, as always, selecting a variety of food, from Mexican style potato skins, a quesadilla, sandwich and jalapenos. We also tried these strange fried (obviously) donut like things which were complimentary and I didn't understand what she called them. They came with honey and were pretty plain but we tried a little to be polite.

Crossing the boarder from Texas to New Mexico we scored another hour in for the fourth time on the trip so far. The decision to travel from the East to West coasts was definitely the right one, I think we would have struggled if we were loosing time. We had booked a room at Americas Best Value Inn on Route 66 in the down town area of Albuquerque which was easy to find. Checking in however was more eventful than we were prepared for. Whilst waiting for the woman to find our booking and check us in I started to smell what I thought was burning toast until it started to smell like something was on fire. I could tell that Sam had got a whiff too because he seemed to be checking the aircon wasn't turned on. Until without saying a word the women walked out from behind the counter to a microwave a few feet away which had smoke  pouring from the front of the door, ahh that explains the smell. Still in silence she walked out the back for a moment and I could see what looked like dog biscuits on the plate (after further discussion with Sam we agreed she was likely making refried beans) which had one spot very burnt and there was a loud bang and the plate in the microwave shattered. She returned to the room and I offered to open some windows for her because now the small room was filled with smoke and totally stunk, she didn't respond to my offer but continued to check us into the room. I said no more and we left in a hurry. I felt like the smell was getting into my clothes and hair.

We went for a walk down "old Route 66" to 'Old Town Albuquerque' which was about 20 blocks away and home to several stores mostly selling tourist souvenirs. We checked our the rattle snake museum (which I would later regret after having snake dreams) which was small but interesting, packed with several different rattle snakes. There were a couple of large tortoises just wondering around the store and museum which was pretty awesome.

 We found a Mexican place down the road called Anita's which we were considering for dinner but no one was really hungry so we opted for Margaritas instead. They were average to say the least with little alcohol compared with what we have come accustomed to and tasted like chemical syrup mix. We walked around for a little while looking for somewhere else for a drink when we came across a place called High Noon Restaurant and Saloon for a drink. It was cosy and we found a spot at the bar. Sam was getting acquainted with the locals... a "comedy magican" who was paid to entertain and talk to people in the bar. He was a nice enough guy and like everyone was very interested in the details of our trip. We scored a dollar origami'ed into a rabbit in a hat from one of his gags and he gave us a few tips on how to tackle Vegas. After a couple of drinks we checked out the menu and decided to have something light to eat Sam and I sharing a couple of starters of meatballs and a Babacoa beef dish. We were particularly interested in the Babacoa beef as Sam makes an amazing Mexican Babacoa and we wanted to compare, it was deliciously cooked and melted in your mouth but the flavour was not a patch on the one Sam makes. While I'm still enjoying eating out and trying all the different food, after six weeks I am looking forward to getting back to Sam's cooking...if only I had someone to do the dishes at home. It was light and yum and just what we needed. We taxied back to the motel as it was a wee way and was pretty dark and we were sleepy.

Meet your Meat

We woke after a sub-par sleep in Lubbock to the news that it was -4 degrees celcius outside. This was a bit of a shock after the lovely high 20's temperatures we enjoyed the previous day in San Antonio. We pulled into a cafe on the main drag called Pancake House as judging by the cars in front it seemed popular. The decor could be described as slightly creepy-religious with the specials board reading "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus". With none of  us in the mood for the 3 saviour special we ordered a spread of omletes, bacon, buttermilk pancakes, turkey sausages and hash browns. It was all pretty dammed good with the most expensive meal costing $9. You certainly get good bang for your buck in these parts. On the way out we noticed a piece of printed paper featuring an image of Reagan which said something to the effect of "During his reign the Lybians bombed our embassy, we struck back. For 25 years it was quiet, until someone apologised" Pretty much claiming the Lybians were behind the Trade Centre attacks and that if you are going to bomb anyone, don't say sorry. I suppose all them Mus-lims are all the same...

 We headed out to check out some of Lubbocks big name tourist attractions, namely the Buddy Holly museum. On arrival we found that pretty much everything is closed on a Monday, possibly something to do with the over represented 7th Day Adventist community.

Ooohh Wee Ooohh...

We met an older Australian couple who said they were heading to check out a Prarie Dog town at one of the local parks (provided the Prarie dogs wern't also a religious sect). Thankfully the Dogs were hard at work, doing whatever it is they do, which basically comprised of lazing around. Apparently they are very important animals as they are the only rodents that don't hibernate in winter and thus are the sole food source for predators. I'm not sure that would make me feel particularly important if I was a Prarie Dog, but good for them. They were pretty cute little critters and another 'exotic' animal sighting to add to our list.

After fully exhausting all of Lubbocks attractions it was time to get on the road to our last Texan overnight destination, Amarillo.

The drive was a continuation of what the Texan  landscape had been, oil pump jacks juxtaposed against the newer wave of energy production being wind turbines. We must have driven past 30,000 turbines in Northern Texas so far. About 30mins before arriving in Amarillo we pulled off the interstate at a town called Canyon to see, you guessed it, a canyon. The view was certainly worth the detour.

We took a self guided drive down into the canyon, stopping for burgers at a lonely food vendor in the valley floor. It has been abundantly clear that we have arrived after peak tourist season, which has been a blessing as we have barely had to deal with a queue anywhere we have been. This in combination with near perfect weather along the way has made the trip so much more enjoyable than it could have been in peak season.

We took 5 to relax a bit after a few long drives after checking in to yet another unremarkable roadside lodging. The evening had long been booked for a visit to the (in)famous Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the 'Free' 72oz Steak. The challenge involves devouring a bread roll, baked potato, salad, 3 prawns (Shrimp for our American audience) and 2.1kg of prime Texan beef within a 1 hour time limit. I had high hopes of giving the steak challenge a go and had put in a bit of training back in Aus but it had become very clear that I sadly wasn't up to it.

When we arrived at the two storey gorge-house there were two challengers (read: victims) midway through their attempts. One guy looked to have plenty of experience hanging over his belt but the other was a young looking Aussie guy slowly masticating his way through an enourmous slab of cow. With about 5 minutes to go and pain etched on his face he moved onto the sides (got to eat those starches last). Looking like he could potentially take it out, his pace improved somehow hitting a 5th or maybe 6th wind. 3 minutes later though it was all over, the contents of his stomach errupting into the now obviously necessary tableside buckets. He was spotted about 10 minutes later tucking into a dessert. Keep it classy Australia.
Despite whimping out on the steak challenge we ordered a respectable combined 80oz of beef to satisfy any iron deficiency we may have still had. Some serious pieces of meat were being tossed around on the grill adjacent to our table, a sign of things to come. I must admit I was slightly daunted by the slab that was set down in front of me, at just over a kilogram it was the biggest piece of meat I've ever tried to put inside of me. I started off enthusiastically:

Attempting to mimic the style of the current 72 oz record holder (8 mins 52 sec) I began cutting slices and swallowing them down with minimal chewing. The meat was just too dammed tough to chew so I hit a brick wall when I ran out of beer and water. Despite employing more people than there were customers another glass was hard to come by and soon my jaw began to grow weary.

Pure Enjoyment

The 20 minute barrier came and went and my stomach began to register signals that it might be getting rather full. There was no turning back at this point though, I didn't want to seem like a pussy in my blog so I pushed on despite the above average levels of gristle and fat and finally success was had.

Yay

And aren't I happy about it. To be honest it was a sh!thouse steak but it was massive and I ate it.  My belt was well and truely breached. We took some photos of a bear and some cakes then we left with happy memories and meat sweats.

Women Drivers

Another long drive was scheduled for today, this time travelling north through Texas up to Lubbock and mostly off the interstate.  We were expecting the roads and countryside to be pretty devoid of people, so the drive was going to be stress free.

We said goodbye to San Antonio mid morning, however leaving the city was a little more difficult than expected because there was a marathon which went around the entire centre city.  After unsuccessfully asking a couple of police officers for directions we managed to find an open street to the motorway and we were off.

As expected soon after leaving the city limits the traffic thinned out pretty quickly and the fabled 80MPH  speed limit kicked in, which meant people travelled at 90.  80 is the highest speed limit on a non-toll road in the USA (you can pay to go on "super-highways" where the speed limit is 85 MPH), but you don't really notice it.  What you do notice is the gas tank gauge going down a lot quicker so pretty soon we had to pull into a gas station.

We also needed breakfast/lunch as well as some other supplies, luckily there was a nearby supermarket.  It was a great supermarket, one that gave away loads of free samples and also had a little food court so it satisfied both of our needs.  After a tasty breakfast of steak and macaroni cheese we were off again.

After a little while we left the interstate, and the roads got pretty quiet.  Up until this point in the trip the girls hadn't actually driven but they had promised us that they would drive in Texas. True to her word Amy, very apprehensively, took the wheel for a short stint followed by Vickie who was most excited by the fact she could pick the music (the rule is driver chooses).

So the girls can now say that they drove in the US, however not on the interstate so when we came to another one of those I took over from Vickie.

The scenery for the remainder of the drive consisted of 1000's of wind turbines, just as many oil pumpjacks (so I think there must sill be a lot of oil under Texas) and loads of Ranches.

We got into Lubbock just before dark, Lubbock isn't the most exciting town, although they do have a pretty good music pedigree.  Both Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison were born here, however I don't think they stuck around for very long.  After check-in we were on the hunt again for some more steak (warm up for tomorrow's 72 ounce steak challenge in Amarillo) what we found was a place called Bryan's steakhouse. We were promised by the Internet it was cheap and it was not wrong. I got a 12 ounce steak which included all you can eat salad, massive baked potato and an ice cream for $12 and it wasn't bad tasting at all, meat was very tender.

With our belly's full we headed back to the hotel for bed, ready for our trip to Amarillo tomorrow.

A Texan Birthday

It was a bit surreal waking up on my 30th birthday in San Antonio, Texas. We stayed in a lovely hotel, costing us 4 times the average cost of the rest of the nights on our trip so far, we splashed out a bit. I didn't dread turning 30, I'm happy with my achievements at this milestone in my life. Fraser gave me his present when we woke up, a beautiful set of jewellery featuring sapphires to match my engagement ring. We chose it together, so I knew what I was getting. We went to brunch with Amy and Sam, and they gave me a lovely bangle from them and my other sister and her husband, so I felt very lucky.

We walked down the Riverwalk to find a place to eat and found somewhere that wasn't mexican, our waiter was obviously flustered and dripping with sweat as he took our orders, and even apologised for his appearance, it was a bit strange. Breakfast was okay, the poached eggs were pretty much hard boiled, but the huge coffee I had was tasty. (I would point out though that my perception of good coffee is changing, as everything in the US is pretty bad compared to good coffee like our old local favourite, Nude Coffee in London).

As this was our full day in San Antonio we wanted to see the sights, and headed to San Antonio's most popular historical attraction, the Alamo. On our way we came across the Veteran's Day ceremony and parade outside the Alamo, so stopped and watched for a bit.  The Alamo wasn't quite what I was expecting, I knew that it was an old fort, but what is actually left to see is most of the original church building that was built for monks, and over the years was turned into a fortress. Most of the rest of the fortress had been lost in battles and over time.

There aren't many other big tourist attractions in San Antonio, so we had plenty of time to just meander around and relax in the sun. The weather was lovely and warm compared to up north where we'd come from. We decided to have a boat ride tour around the canals in the historical centre of San Antonio and learned from our boat driver about the hotels and buildings built around the channels, and also the flood protection systems when the river rises. The boat ride also took as past this little island in the canal that is called Wedding island, this is because the island is naturally shaped like a heart, and there are about 3 weddings per day in summer performed on this island. There wasn't a wedding on when we went past though. We checked out the Market square with a covered market place and had a look at the trinkets and gift shops. Most of the trinkets were mexican type trinkets, rather than cow-boy trinkets like we saw in Fort Worth.

Wade, a guy that Sam played rugby with a couple of years back is from near San Antonio, so  he met us near the markets to catch up and we found a place for lunch. It was mexican, and Wade ordered cheese dip for a starter to share. It was a large plate of melted cheese for us to dip our taco chips into, it was delicious, but the most cheese I've eaten in one sitting. As it was my birthday it was also necessary to have frozen margaritas with lunch. After lunch Sam and Wade went to a german beer festival on the outskirts of San Antonio and Fraser, Amy and I wandered back along Riverside to have a rest at the hotel. On the way we were fortunate, or unfortunate depending on whether you're Fraser, but we saw a wedding being set up on Wedding Island, so we stopped and waited for the bride to arrive. We weren't the only people stopped to watch the wedding, it's a rather public place to hold a wedding, but fascinating for Amy and I.

After a rest in the late afternoon, Fraser and I met up again with Sam, Wade and Amy for a nip of tequila before setting out for a romantic dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. I had a lovely memorable 30th birthday in San Antonio and hope that it sets the tone of the adventures still to come in my 30s.

Vickie's Birthday warm up

By 9am this morning we were coffee'd up the car was fuelled up and we were on the way to San Antonio. It was smooth, straight forward drive to Austin. We stopped at a hip area over the river from Austin's downtown called SoCo which was recommended by one our guidebooks. SoCo, short for South Congress street was lined with several clusters of "hipster" clothes stores and cafes. We grabbed a bite to eat at the local market on the street which was a hive of activity, all opting for Thai food, one of the few cuisines we haven't eaten on the trip so far, it was edible but disappointing to say the least. I'm not sure what we were expecting from Texan Thai food. What was not a let down however was the cupcake treats from Hey Cupcake, the most amazing red velvet with cream cheese icing I have ever eaten, Sam almost missed out on sharing this one. Fraser went for the carrot cupcake, also a hit. Worth the trip to alone though it was regrettable that we couldn't spend longer in Austin. We agreed 90mins to check out some shops on the street, with Vickie on the hunt for some Birthday threads. Most of the clothes we wouldn't be seen in public in and everything else was over priced. But after a few try ons and a minor wardrobe malfunction Vickie left with a cute new top.

Our arrival to San Antonio was slightly delayed with slow traffic on the motorway due to exits being closed. Sam and I were slow cooking in the front seats of the car with the afternoon sun beaming in on us and the air con in the front of the car not working it was a relatively exasperating but worth it. Checking into our accommodation at the Marriott was easy and quick. I felt very under dressed just standing in the lobby in my travel clothes but was pleased we were splashing out on somewhere nice for this weekend. We happen to be there during a 'Back to the Furture' convention so Sam and Fraser were delayed ooing and ahhing at the Deloreans  parked outside the hotel, not only one but two were on display...apparently they're a big deal.

We briefly settled into our rooms before Sam and I picked up supplies and met at Vickie and Fraser's room for a Birthday celebration with some top shelf Tequila.

After shower and dressing in record time we headed down to the 'Riverwalk' for dinner at Iron Cactus on the river front which specialised in Tequila based drinks, so a round of cocktails was ordered along with dinner. The menu was more Tex-Mex than we were hoping for but the food was amazing. Sam and I shared a starter of Lobster tacos which were sensational followed by delicious Mexican chicken dishes all of the food was really enjoyable. Vickie was serenaded by a Mariachi band who sang a lively Happy Birthday for her and everyone around us to hear. In the spirit of celebrations Sam and Fraser ordered 'Tequila Flights' which were a selection of three tequila shots of varying ages and brands. To top off a yummy dinner the cheque was cheap as chips. It continues to surprise us how cheap alcohol is to buy at a car or restaurant here with booze loaded cocktails costing less than $10 everywhere.

Back at the hotel the celebrations continued with us sharing a couple of cigars around the outdoor fire. We were joined by a young local couple celebrating their first wedding anniversary and a few people who were from out of town but here for various reasons. The conversations starting with Vickie and I being asked if we were sisters and then what we were doing in America? Soon we were fielding questions from all angles, what was NZ like? Can you grow produce in NZ? What kinda jobs do you have that means you can travel for two months? Where was our favourite place in America?, Did we see this? Did we see that? Where were we going next? And the best would have to be "Did you see the Eiffel Tower in New York???" Yes the young newly wed local Texan did pose that question and when we responded with confusion took a long time to see her mistake. It wasn't until Vickie suggested she meant the Empire State Building that she realised the error, I'm still not convinced she knew what she was talking about but in her defence I think she had had quite a few drinks. Another gentleman was astounded that we could take the time off and had the money to do such a trip, there may have been some false pretences that we were staying in accommodation this fancy everywhere.  It was an enjoyable evening where we got some good suggestions on what to see in the next part of our trip and the best way to experience the Grand Canyon, with everyone joining in to sing Vickie Happy Birthday once again.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

Despite staying east of Dallas we determined a day in the Dallas-Fort Worth area would be best spent in the Fort Worth Stockyards area, about an hours drive away. The morning news informed us that the largest indoor Christmas tree in America was being lit up on this very day. We couldn't miss an opportunity to see holiday decorations done in proper Texas style. During the quick drive to the shopping mall we got our first exposure to the massive scale Texans seemingly do everything. The roading system struck us as ridiculous. At every oown-raymp and eggs-it we were confronted with and absolute maze of roads, sometimes 4 or 5 stories of overlapping skyway. Arriving at Galleria Dallas, we easily located the giant tree and found it was surrounded with an indoor ice skating rink. After a quick spot of shopping I convinced Amy to come for a skate with me for a morning bout of public embarrassment. 10 minutes and several meetings with the ice later we'd satisfied any urge to skate for the next few years at least.

A quick detour through suburban Fort Worth due to some minor navigational complications we arrived at the Stock Yards. The Yards, like a piece of the Wild West in the middle of a city of 6 million, are a fall back to the days of the massive cattle drives of the 1800's. Originally a huge cattle trading and processing facility, it is now an attraction based around cowboy stores, rodeo's and honky tonk. Upon arrival we encountered the most bizzare parking payment system to date. A semi honesty based process where by a folded $5 note was required to be inserted into a slot correspondingly numbered with the park you chose.

We headed straight across the road on a whim to Cooper Old Fashioned Bar-b-Que for a bite. Our gamble paid off handsomely with some mighty fine Texan slow cooked meat. Plates loaded with BBQ'd meat we sat down at a table packed with condiments, including a giant jar of pickled Jalapenos which Amy had the misfortune of mistaking for pickles. The styles of BBQ have changed with the landscapes, from a wet, vinegar based sauce in the Carolinas to a thick tomato based glaze in Memphis to a much drier but equally delicious rub on the ribs in Texas. Debate rages as to which is the one true BBQ style, I won't put any more fuel on the fire by proclaiming one to be better. Any one would be worth the trip to the states alone to try.

The Stockyards were crammed with shops selling all manner of western apparel, boots, spurs, hats, belt buckles. It was a pretty authentic feeling old timey western district complete with shoe shiners popping rags on the corner, we couldn't find a saloon with swinging doors for an afternoon gun fight though. After spending a couple hours trying to jam my fat feet into cowboy boots we made our way down to watch the daily cattle drive. The Texas Long Horn Cattle were very impressive and not to mention vicious but I managed to tame one long enough to ride it.

Great fortune was bestowed upon us when we when to check out Billy Bobs Honky Tonk; a line dancing class was about to kick off. Billy Bobs is the worlds Largest Honky Tonk, with half a dozen bars, live rodeo twice a week and draw cards like line dancing it once drew in a crowd thristy enough to down 16,000 bottles of beer in a single night. With my natural sense of rhythm and general co-ordination, I took to two-stepping like a cat to water. Soon enough though we were all grave-vine-ing, left stomping and sweating to the Country Tune. By the end of the hour session we were doing the Cadillac Ranch Stomp like seasoned Texans. Unfortunately the video and photo's taken were tragically destroyed in a very isolated fire and cannot be posted to the blog.

Due to the strenuous exercise, for the first time in weeks we had actually developed the feeling of hunger so we punched the address of a decent sounding restaurant into the GPS. The Tavern provided some excellent fare, though I think I won dinner with my half pound of crab cakes with no filler. All tuckered out from another busy day we drove back to Dallas to get a good nights sleep before the trip down to San Antonio tomorrow.

Beer of the Day:
Coors  - Bottle - Pale yellow like urine, smells of light grass and grain, no discernible flavour. Decent carbonation makes it easy enough to drink but if you are drinking beer why would you choose something that in my opinion  has none of the characteristics that make beer good.