Location: Sedona, AZ
Miles traveled: 2757
Cost of gas: $1.78 / gal
Weather: sunny and cool
Mood: better
Tunes: Layo & Bushwacka

< !Start right after THIS!>This morning we balled all the way up to Four Corners. It was a little further away then I wanted, but we made good time up and out of there. Four Corners monument is where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. So it is possible to drive / walk in all four states in under a minute.

The Malibu got outstanding gas mileage today. I think we were getting shit gas in Texas. It’s Bush country – what do you expect. I had 180 miles at the half tank mark. Well into 26+ MPG. Unlike Friday where I think I was at 130 on the half. (about 20 miles per gallon)

Location: Bloomfield, NM
Miles traveled: 2439
Cost of gas: $1.86 / gal
Weather: A dry heat
Mood: bloated
Tunes: Swedish Engil

< !Start right after THIS!>Out of Tucumcari and into the high desert. We stopped at the “Blue Hole” in Santa Rosa. It’s a natural fresh water pool that’s 61 degrees and 80 feet deep. Our roadtripusa.com guide suggested that it was too cold for “casual” swimming. Growing up swimming in the North Atlantic I decided to cool off and go for a polar swim.

Further South into Albuquerque We wound into town and stopped at the Route 66 Diner. The upkeep of this diner was a lot better then some of the other stops we’ve seen. It has a more “theme resturant” type feel.

We were planning to head all the way to Four Corners (This is the place where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet.) It was getting late and the sun was directly in my eyes. Christine was hoping to camp here – but without the AAA camping guide we’d have to be quick to find a place before the sun set. Back about 10 miles we found a KOA Campground right off the highway in Bloomfield. With about 4 minutes to spare we booked space 16.

This is the first time we’ve camped along the trip. We have a lot of the trunk devoted to camping stuff, so it makes sense to use it. We were able to find an outlet to inflate the air mattress. It takes up most of the tent. Besides the domestic dispute from a few campsites over – we were really comfy.

Location: Tucumcari, New Mexico
Miles traveled: 2050
Cost of gas: $1.74 / gal
Weather: sunny
Mood: still tired
Tunes: Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere

< !Start right after THIS!>Out at 8:00 in the morning and off to the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, OK. Learned about some more of the route’s history. We visited the Post Office in Texola, OK – on the border of (get this) Texas and Oklahoma.

Now the Texas pan-handle looks huge on every US map I’ve ever seen. Big huge Texas. Big distorted map making. It’s only 175 miles across. It’s still a big pan, but it’s only the length of NJ. Smaller then PA. Yet on all the distorted maps I grew up with, it’s huge!

Texas was a downer. Run down towns. No gas. No food. No town. 10 Caddys stuffed in the ground. The “World Famous” Midpoint Cafe was closed for some reason. Only a few signs marked it as “Old 66.” (Unlike “Historic Route 66″ in all the other states we’ve seen it.) It was sad that Texas came off as uncaring. We pulled on 40 and moved onto New Mexico.

Tucumcari Tonight! Having a lot more time then we planned, Christine suggested that we take a look at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum. “Sure… I guess.” I spoke apprehensively. Turns out that it’s a pretty neat place. They have bronze replicas of various species. Rather intellectual.

Ate at La Cita – Best Mexican in town. Grabbed some groceries for the next leg of the trip: Four Corners in New Mexico. Where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet. Internet hotels will be scarce for the next few days, so don’t worry if we don’t post.

Location: OK City, Oklahoma
Miles traveled: 1787 (and rolling)
Cost of gas: $1.67 / gal
Weather: sunny
Mood: nostalgic
Tunes: Route 66 – Asleep At The Wheel

< !Start right after THIS!>Up early and off to Kansas. We pre-packed our stuff last night. Christine will explain our show mix up in Branson from yesterday – because of that we had a little more time to be 100% ready for today. Enjoy the pool, take more silly tourist pictures, etc.

I took the wheel this morning and headed us back to 44. Tine and I decided to keep to the old 66 route through Kansas. I parked outside the hotel lobby and we went in to ‘check out’, plus look at the breakfast buffet. “Ooh, this looks good – we should sit down.” Ten minutes into breakfast I realize the car is still out front. “We should hit the road – we’re double parked,” I said to Tine. “Kris… We’re not in Manhattan.” “Oh… yeah.” Then I dug back into the eggs.

Out of the Ozark hills and into a little town called Carthage, Missouri. Carthage was the insperation for “Hill Valley” in the “Back to the Future” movies. It was a small detour and Tine was worried if it would be worth the stop. As we turned down W. Main St. I gaped. “Woah, creepy.” They have a huge ornate courthouse with a big clock tower. The wide sidewalks and road design are identical. I have some videos of downtown that will be up at some point. In the meantime here are the pictures.

Into Joplin, Missouri (For those of you who know the song lyrics – Joplin is mentioned.) Parts of the old road are intact here. As I-44 doesn’t bother heading into Kansas. An original concrete arch bridge, painted road surfaces, etc. Blink and you’ll miss Kansas.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma we made a stop at the Metro Diner. Great food – a blast from the past. We both think it’s worth it to find uniqe places to eat on this road trip. From authentic Mexican to toasted sandwiches, anything’s better then a Big Mac w/fries.

We finished the day outside of Oklahoma City. Both of us are pretty beat now. I didn’t even have the time or the energy to finish this post last night. We did however edit and upload pictures. Tomorrow – Another 3 state day; Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico. Woot.

Location: Branson, Missouri
Miles traveled: 1350
Cost of gas: $1.69 / gal
Weather: hilly
Mood: finding our routine
Tunes: Manhattan Transfer

< !Start right after THIS!>Five days out and we are starting to get a rhythm. I pack the trunk, Tine packs the back. I handle the computer stuff, she handles the reservations. We both know what we need to do when we arrive at a destination. We both can function as seperate units working together.

“We’ll get two days in Branson, so we’ll have time to maybe ride the bikes around…” Wrong. I just found out that the Ozarks aren’t flat. Yeah – Imagine my suprise. Out of Chicago on Route “schfifty five” and into the mountians. Branson, MO is like driving in the hills of Worcester, MA. The front of every hotel is two stories and the back is five. I’m sure if I looked, I’d find twenty Buicks down in the gorge. “Have you seen grandma?”

It is a spectacle here. No one is native. The town looks as if aliens dropped it off in the summer of 88. Nothing… Nothing… BAM-Branson! All the shows and food here are cheap and good. Worth a stop. Like a sanitized mini-Vegas. Everthing here is, (2 for 1) including beer. The one strange thing is you are served your two beers at the same time. So before even getting the salad bar I’m two-fisting brew.

My USB connection to my phone is messed up and we discovered the difference between a “data jack” and a “real internet connection” here at the hotel. Unless it says: “Complimentary Free High-Speed Internet.” You either have to pay, or it’s a modem line. So last night Tine and I went out on our first wardrive. The area is littered with 10 million Access America hotpots. I have no idea what they cost – as when you connect they immediatly ask for a credit card. When you click on the “How much does this cost?” link it times out. After a failed connection at Wal-Mart and the mini-mall across the street, we found a solid open link in front of the Andy Williams Theater. Christine had prepared her posts earlier in the day and I had downloaded and processed the pics from the camera before we went to dinner. A quick upload, check of the email, watch the new Strong Bad, and we left. I’ll use it again tonight to post this and check email before we head out to OK City!

We better get out of here before they learn we’re independent voters and we’re watching the RNP coverage on the Daily Show. ” ‘Bout time this town had a hangin’ ” Yikes…