Road trip from Charleston SC to California and back

Standby…


“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017

During the crazy COVID year of 2020, my wife and I had two trips cancelled. We had a cruise planned for Cuba and then Trump shut that down. Maybe that was 2019; I forget, but nonetheless! Then we had a Hawaii trip planned for April for my birthday, and of course that was cancelled. Well, they would have let you go to Hawaii, but you’d have to stay in quarantine in the hotel for two weeks…and we weren’t doing that. So about the time that the summer of 2020 rolled around, we were getting cabin fever, as I’m sure a lot of people were.

So then began the discussion of where we could go that our government couldn’t shut down or cancel. We decided that there was no way, shape, or form that our government could close the Grand Canyon. My father had talked about seeing the Grand Canyon at some point, but his life’s journey got away from him. Its something he never got to do and I felt like maybe some part of me going would pay respect to his desire to go, so off I went to planning our trip. Flying was obviously out and I’ve always loved road trips, so the idea slowly starting becoming a reality. We were going to drive across the country and plan it for our anniversary in October. Why not? And why stop at the Grand Canyon? After all, I have an uncle that retired in Hendersonville, Nevada, a mere 30 minutes from the strip in Vegas. Why wouldn’t we push just a few hours more west and go see him? And then if we’re going to see Uncle Chip, we might as well push it another hour and go hit California while we’re at it. I know what you’re thinking. Why would any true southern boy go to California if he could help it? Well, it was more of a “we’re going all this way, so we’ll step foot in California and turn around” type decision, just to make it official that we completed a “South Carolina to California” road trip. Bucket list thing.

This is our journey in a few pictures. I realize that we’re fortunate and that not everyone can do this type of thin

Very cool Ricky. So much rich history to see in this country. My wife and I plan to do some driving tours in the next year or so, beyond Florida. She has never been west of the Mississippi.


"Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It's Hand", but really, who cares?

Let’s go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys…

They love their fried food in West Texas

And have the occasional hail storm

Off to Roswell, NM

And of course what western trip could skip Tombstone, Arizona?!

There were mule deer all over Tombstone.


“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017

Prescribed.


The ENTER-NET Fisherman

Continuing on to Nevada…

What’s inside this dirty little Casino in Primm, Nevada you ask? Ricky doesn’t gamble, there’s no reason for him to go in there…

Why they have the Bonnie and Clyde car! The real one!!

Clyde’s actual shirt he was wearing the day it all went down.

Some of you may recognize this site…

Yeah, if you’re 350+, you eat free at the:
https://vegasfoodandfun.com/heart-attack-grill/
We did not eat there.

Lucerito, Uncle Chip’s second love.

Dad would be proud I think.

I know people overuse the phrase “you had to be there,” but words cannot describe this place. Not even close.

Back on the road!!


“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017

Coming into Amarillo, Texas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Ranch

Route 66 was amazing. Go see it before it completely dies. You owe it to yourself!

Sante Fe Steam Engine, retired

Another cool stop on Rt 66.

Yep, he grew up in this house…we’re fans.

His high school football field, where he got the inspiration to sing that one song, “Just the other night at a hometown football game…”

Alma, Arkansas, the biggest producer of …guess.

And on to Memphis!!!

A Memphis original
https://hogsfly.com/

“I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale.”


[img]http://old.charlestonfishing.com/forum/uploaded/23sailfish/2016102011

And what trip to Memphis wouldn’t include Graceland!!!

“Down in the Jungle Room!!!”

Vernon’s office

I thought this was mega cool for some reason, Elvis’ personal keys to Graceland

TCB baby-I think this guy created cool.

And this was amazing to me. Actually at Graceland is John Lennon’s piano where he wrote so much. There’s still the original candle wax drippings all over it from him.

“I saw the ghost of Elvis up on Union Ave. I followed him up to the gates of Graceland…”

Tupelo, MS hardware store where his mother bought him his first guitar. They will tell you and point to the spot, “Rock and Roll started right here.”

Another part of music history in Muscle Shoals, AL. Do the tour; you won’t be dissapointed.
https://famestudios.com/our-history/

Closed due to COVID at

Of course this site doesn’t let you edit anything, but for those of you wondering, this was our itinerary:

Day 1 Montgomery, Alabama
Day 2 Dallas, Texas
Day 3 Dallas, Texas
Day 4 Austin, Texas
Day 5 Austin, Texas
Day 6 Roswell, New Mexico
Day 7 Tombstone, Arizona
Day 8 Tombstone, Arizona,
Day 9, Hendersonville, Nevada
Day 10 Las Vegas, Nevada
Day 11 Flagstaff, Arizona
Day 12 Amarillo, Texas
Day 13 Amarillo, Texas
Day 14 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Day 15 Memphis, Tennessee
Day 16 Memphis, Tennessee
Day 17 Huntsville, Alabama
Day 18 Huntsville, Alabama
Day 19 Home


“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017

You learn in school that the Grand Canyon was carved out by a river… It is just unimaginable to describe as you stated. I’d love to have a few weeks to hike all around there. People are still discovering Indian relics there.

Just think, Forest Gump taught Elvis to Dance.

Thanks for sharing. I’m trying to talk the wife into driving the Alaskan Highway.

this is terrific.

i’m prescribed too

she married you. smh. i believe in miracles