RT - Day 24 (Austin to Lubbock)

Bye Austin! Thanks for the humidity!

So my knee had hurt all morning. Getting in and out of the car sucked! I finally broke down and started on the Ibuprofen. After an hour I could finally forget about the pain and enjoy the rest of the drive.

The drive was pretty boring, as you can see. A lot of wind mills and fracking machines.

Once I got to my Airbnb I could finally put my knee up and relax with a movie after a long day. The bed was soooo comfy! When I started talking to the owner our conversation took a really weird turn...

She is studying to become an RN, but is already some kind of nurse and working in a hospital. Anyway, she talked about 10 minutes on the subject of all the children ghosts that roam the basement halls of the hospital. Apparently, these children run up and down the halls loudly and the patients will call her into their room (not knowing the floor below them used to be the children's ward long ago) and ask her to tell the children to be quiet and stop running in the halls. That's creepy!! Then she goes downstairs and talks to the ghost children to tell them to settle down and all is well again. While I completely appreciate the possibility of spirits and energy realms we cannot see in this physical world, it was a bit of a heavy conversation for a meet and greet. I didn't put that in the Airbnb review though. She was still nice, albeit, a forward conversationalist.

Going to sleep in this comfy bed now. YES! Sleep!
~ Kel

RT - Day 23 (Nursing My Knee - And Picking Up Poop)

My damn knee!!!! You guys...it doesn't feel better. It feels worse. I tried to get out of the house to go to the chiropractor, but I decided to give it a day of rest.

And rest I did. With ice. I cleaned up pee and poop from the damn dog and watched the entire last season of Orange is the New Black...except the last episode. Those are like an hour long!!

I feel old today. When Nic gets home we're going out to this Ramen place he likes and I'm going to try something new. I'm sure they have a broth and veggie thing. Can't go wrong with that. Looking forward to more chatting with my cuz. Not looking forward to the roads. Hahaha!

No pics today...I mean, I could have taken a picture of all the pee I cleaned up, but that wouldn't interest you. The pup never peed when I took her outside. She was so sneaky! And totally adorable...but sneaky.

~ Kelly

RT - Day 22 (Waco and Austin - aka Magnolia and Cousin)

No way!!! Who watches Fixer Upper? Chip and Joanna Gaines have built an EMPIRE! They built a compound and if they were a cult they would have millions of followers...me included...and I'm not even artsy or skilled enough to access a decorative bone in my body.

Erica...you need to see this! Here are some pics and a video. The place just kept going and going and going! Every time I turned a corner there was more stuff. This is like Disneyland for the HDTV fans. Forget Mickey...they have shiplap and hip food trucks. :-)

The Silo Bakery...line around the corner. I waited about 25 minutes to get inside.
Good thing it wasn't raining!

Inside the bakery...obviously. LOL

The cupcakes...YES! I got a Pumpkin Spice Seasonal Cupcake and it was delicious.

A place to sit outside and eat said delicious cupcake while looking at the store and people watching.
Trying to keep the birds away from your table.

 

Second floor of inside the store. Funny thing is, they had A LOT of the same things,
just in different places throughout the store. I think that's genius!

The infamous Magnolia Silos. Great place for a concert or wedding.

Sitting under the Silo awning. The fake grass had beanbag chairs for people, a bunch of balls for the kids.
Straight back is more seating, then the line of gourmet food trucks curving to the right.
To the right more seating, more shrubs and shiplap, two gorgeous wooden porch swings.
Also restrooms, more picturesque pots and food trucks.

Just when I thought it was over I happened to turn around and see this beautifully manicured garden with flowers and vegetables and all done in the Gaines' style. Totally outdoor chic. Beautiful

And then I drove to Austin, through more terrible Texas traffic and got to spend some time with my cousin, Nic. We jive and conversation is so easy. I am so glad for our time to connect.

Although...he did get a new puppy and I was on pee and poop duty during the day by default. Note to self...do not get a puppy. Cats are better. LOL

Explore Austin tomorrow if my knee feels better. FYI - I was squatting and shifting too much with the whole pee and poop thing and I twisted my damn knee. I'M OLD!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!

XO,
Kels

RT - Day 21 (Arkansas to Texas)

It has been three weeks y'all!

Today I drove from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Waco, Texas. It was another lovely drive.

Goodbye Arkansas!

Passing into Texas I noticed a few things. They have their signal lights horizontal. Hmm. They also have star and little Texas shapes on the columns of their overpasses. I was surprised at how many Texas symbols are all over this state! They've got Texas pride for sure.

Hello Texas...and your cute little pictures.

Wait? They're water in Texas? Huh? A lake to get to Dallas?
It looks like Florida around here!

The most incredible thing about Texas so far...THE TRAFFIC!! OMG! And they have this road that runs on either side of the freeway with all these passes on and off and under the overpasses. There are U-Turn only lanes under the overpass, and Left Turn only lanes that are confusing as hell! It's like you're sure where you want to go, but have no idea how to actually get there! All these one way streets. It's so hard to just turn around quickly and get back on tract. I won't miss the Texas roads for sure!

Once through Dallas I headed off to my place for the night. It was listed as Old Century Comfort with a picture of a tidy room and large bed. Holy freakin' moly...aside from my tidy room the rest of the place is like walking into an episode of Hoarders! I'm just hiding out in the back room. This place looks like a house that was bought in 1890 as a fixer-upper and they've been trying to fix it up ever since. Nothing is done and everything is exposed! Stacks of crap all over the place. I feel like I shouldn't be looking at it. Like I'm invading their privacy. Image your junk drawer on display for your company.

The bed is comfy anyway. I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow I go to Magnolia Farms to see Chip and Joanna Gaines' store. I'm looking forward to getting my fangirl on. :-)

Goodnight from Texas!
Kel

RT - Day 20 (My Day in Hot Springs)

Hey ya!

Another adorable town in Arkansas! Hot Springs. Home to many, many gangsters and rows and rows of old time bath houses! Yes! This is my kind of place. :-) The bath house part...not the gangster part.

Just two of the two dozen bath houses on Bath House Row.

Three fun facts I learned about Hot Springs:
1. It was the very first National Park created in America!
2. This was where people were sent to get healthy and over their physical aliments.
3. All the heavy hitter gangsters frequented this location and were very good tippers, apparently. There is a Gangster Museum, but I didn't get a chance to tour it.
3a. I was told that in 2001 there was a shoot out in the downtown streets of Hot Springs by the Feds and the local Sheriffs because they disagreed on who would be running the drugs in this city. I guess corruption thrives here.

After my "build-your-own bagel" (of which mine was ham, fried egg and brie - yum) and some hot chocolate in a local coffeehouse I drove twenty minutes out to a place called Garvan Woodland Gardens to visit the glorious Anthony Chapel. My pictures don't even compare!

Visit the website for better pics.
http://www.garvangardens.org/photos-videos/default.aspx

This location is on the Ouachita River and it's the most intricate river system! Crazy! Here's Google.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Garvan+Woodland+Gardens/@34.434613,-93.0492161,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8632d48b687875ad:0xd42e68f97d6b0ec5!8m2!3d34.434613!4d-93.047022

Small, subtle and pretty well hidden within the surrounding trees.

The inside just as gorgeous as the outside. It was dead quiet and so peaceful.

Oh...just one of those perfectly orchestrated babbling brooks we've heard about from our childhood books.
It's our youth come to life. Like something Snow White or Sleeping Beauty would see in her back yard.

Lake Ouachita, just a half a mile trail from Anthony's Chapel. It was so quiet here I could hardly believe it.
I want a summer house on Lake Ouachita with a boat in the water and enough rooms in the house for all my friends and family to share.

 

After my time in the perfection of these gardens I headed to bath house row and got a 20 minute mineral bath at Arlington Bath House.

 

1st - It's old...like original tile and plumbing old.

2nd - It took almost an hour before I was actually in one of the baths.

3rd - The bath was old! Like original tile and plumbing old...lol...

4th - There was a motor literally in my private bath tub with me that looked like an engine you'd find on a small boat. It was SO powerful that the bubbles moving through my small bath tub actually pushed me up off the tub bed so I was constantly fighting the current.

5th - This was not a relaxing experience for me.

6th - This was not a relaxing experience for me.

7th - I was disappointed this was not a relaxing experience for me.

 

So...I left and got a cupcake...okay two...okay three!!! All their flavors looked so yummy! I ended up throwing away most of the Lavender Lemon one because it tasted WAY TOO MUCH like lavender. Like I was eating my lavender Epsom salts from my usual tubs at home. The store name though was enough to bring everyone in...…...Fat Bottomed Girls...…. Yup. That's what those cupcakes get ya. I happen to like being a FBG and consider it one of my best features, but I don't want to be getting any more FBd than I am so I'll be staying away from these for a while.

 



 

 

Now I will leave you with the type of trees I've been looking at since I arrived in Arkansas. Just imagine the road lined with these!!! Incredible!

 



 

I'm going to go back to the Airbnb and heat up the pizza I waited 1hr 20min to get. I hope it's worth it. Wait...what am I saying...it's pizza...pizza is always worth it for some reason. :-)

Besos!
Kel

RT - Day 19 (Graceland)

Alarm set for 5:30am this morning! Noooo...ewww…!!!

I haven't set an alarm since I've been on this trip! Almost three weeks. It was still dark outside when I rolled out of bed. On the road by 6:30am and leaving Brentwood, Tennessee to get to Graceland in Memphis. Oh Graceland, Graceland!

Similar to the Disneyland ticketing entrance. They bus you across the street to the mansion after you buy your ticket.

Here's the thing...I knew next to nothing about Elvis Presley. I knew his face and a couple of his songs, but I just didn't get how magnetic he really was until I went to Graceland. This man was talented, inspiring, authentic and you couldn't help but fall in love with him. Yes, he was handsome, but his aura transcended his smoky eyes and pouty lips. If I had been a young girl back in his day I know I would have been crazy for this man.

As I was touring the mansion, the museums and the grounds in general I continually had this overwhelming feeling to cry. Cry out of love for someone I didn't know. That's what Graceland felt like...love. So much love for this one man by so many people. It filled the grounds. I knew if I'd stared at him any longer I would be inclined to fall in love with a ghost. It was a weird feeling. How wonderful when a person is loved so greatly. I hope he had a good life...even being the icon he was.

The entire museums and grounds only showed and talked about Elvis in his prime. They didn't show one picture of his late thirties and early forties and definitely nothing about drugs or sadness or his death. They didn't even talk about how the world reacted to his death. It was all just about memorializing his youth and talents. It was not a documentary-focused museum, it was a tribute museum. The love there was big and real.

So, even though he was an amazing singer, he was not a decorator. Haha. Even for back in those days...the décor was...wow...here are a few pics.

Front of the mansion...gorgeous!

This room!!!! LOL! It was all pleated fabric, every inch. It took two weeks for the people to install it all.

One side of one of the dens. There is green carpet on the ceiling! And up the stairs to get to this room is green carpet on the walls and floor and ceiling too.

This was part of the back yard and called the meditation area. It is also the burial grounds for Elvis and his parents.

The famous pink Cadillac in the motor showroom. The cars were still beautiful. 

One of three walls of his awards. This was just one little section, but when I walked into it my eyes widened, then watered, and I was again in awe of how impactful Elvis was to us.

I bought a few little souvenirs and left Graceland. Again, I was on the verge of crying almost the entire time, so it was time for me to leave. Seeing his clothes and videos and pictures...very impactful. I would suggest going to Graceland to anyone who has the slightest interest in Elvis. It would have been more fun with another person, I'm sure, but I'm a talker so I think I was missing the element of conversation throughout my tour. The Graceland staff and foundation has done a great job at preserving his memory.

Back on the road and leaving Tennessee behind to go back through Arkansas. The drive was just as lovely as before.

I am staying two nights in a place called Hot Springs. YES! Hot springs! They have an entire street of old fashioned bathhouses which is where I'll be spending some of my time tomorrow. Sooo looking forward to that!

My Airbnb place is nestled in the middle of nowhere, but really only 10 minutes north of Hot Springs. Driving here was beautiful. The woman is very artsy and makes soaps and things so the house smells a lot like a homeopathic Bath and Body Works. Usually I run in and out of BBW because the smell is too strong, but I can't run from here so I'm telling my brain it's not that bad. There's a little rock fountain inside too that gurgles. It's like a "woo-woo" spa with all the natural healing stuff. I dig it. Not every Airbnb needs to feel like a hotel room. This place has personality and the woman is very sweet. She made spaghetti for me and I brought garlic bread. We had a meal together and it felt nice to just relax with company.

It's only 7:55pm you guys and I'm pooped. It's shower, then bed for me. Being up early doesn't agree with my body anymore. Who am I kidding...it never did! Waking up for PCWA at 4:30am was BS and I hated it! Thank God all that is behind me. :-)

Sleep tight readers!
Kel

RT - Day 18 (I Met Dave Ramsey)

Hey!

I shared my pic with Dave and mom asked, "Is that a cardboard cut out?" Hahahaha!! Pammy!!!

It was so much fun watching the radio show under way today. Seeing his faces while he talked to callers was hilarious. One guy called in and said that he was out of debt for a while, taught two FPU classes, but then he and his wife needed a new car and then the lawn mower, and kids braces. LOL! He spent over $2500 on the lawn mower and Dave's face was hilarious!!! We were all laughing in the studio. He was like, "I'm sorry, what? You spent what on a freakin' lawn mower? I just can't get over that! You taught the classes! Y'all need to stop being stupid and just get back to work on this!"

Once I left I dilly dallied around Franklin, Tennessee, just a little south of Brentwood, and thought it was an adorable little downtown. The kind you get lost in with all the little shops. Very cute.

Then I drove north to what is now one of the stores I wish I could relocate to wherever I am. It's called McKays…..and it's the most AMAZING used book store you ever did see!!

You guys...…..OMG!!! They had EVERYTHING! ORGANIZED! Books, audio books, DVDs, kids sections, classic board games, video games, a big box full of miscellaneous Legos, electronics, and the entire top catwalk overlooking the store was wall to wall CDs. All organized, all clean, and all reasonably priced for new and used stuff. AMAZING! I spent 45 minutes in here without knowing what hit me. It was awesome.

The last part of my day ended kinda yucky...I was in traffic for almost three hours just getting through downtown Nashville and back south to Brentwood. I did want to experience what rush hour Nashville traffic was like so I guess I was askin' for it. :-) My butt hates me right now.

This is my last night in the Curry House. Bye-bye curry! I won't miss you.

Night!
Kels

Almost forgot...I saw a truck (okay I saw the truck and followed it around the parking lot) that I would like to buy for my brother-in-law and ship home to him. I think he'd dig it...