Familiar Roads

We just couldn't seem to get it right on the way back to Indy!  Let Down #1:  We thought we could make it to the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, KY before it closed, but while speeding there we learned from the Internet that it closed at 4:30 p.m. & crossing into a different time zone did not help our cause.  Let Down #2:  Since a customized O'Babbitt Louisville Slugger was not in our future, we decided to set our sights on the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, but that museum closed on us too after we got caught in our first & only serious traffic jam in 7 months.  Then, while stuck in traffic we decided to put Anne's address into in the GPS just to see what time we could get there if we decided to throw in the towel all together...once we saw how close we were to our dogs & to our interim home there was no turning back!

Our last sunset in the Rig
Earlier in the day we told Anne we would be home the following day, so when we decided to change
our plans at the last minute, we couldn't help but surprise our new roommate with an early arrival!

The Music City

The Rig's average speed increased slightly & we did not make nearly as many stops after the robbery.  However, we decided to end the first leg of our trip on a high note & spent the afternoon in Nashville, TN driving through the ritzy Belle Meade neighborhood, taking in the country music scene & eating till we cried.

The Nashville Parthenon in Centennial Park - It's a full scale replica of The Parthenon in Greece
The Parthenon was impressive, but not impressive enough for us to leave
the Rig to be robbed again, so we snapped this photo & quickly moved along

The Elvis Guitar outside of the Historic RCA Studio B on Music Row in Nashville, TN
Apparently Dolly Parton ran her car into the Home of 1,000 Hits
on her way to a recording years ago...we looked, but couldn't find any structural damage

Babbitt walking through the Artists Entrance of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN
We were a little turned off when we saw the steep tour price, but it ended up being more than worth it

The O'Babbitt's at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN
We also drove past the Ryman Auditorium, which is the most famous, former home of the Grand Ole
Opry, but opted for the Backstage Pass Tour at the current home of the longest-running radio broadcast

Babbitt on country's most famous stage
Our tour guide encouraged us to sing You Are My Sunshine onstage...it wasn't pretty

The O'Babbitt's standing inside the six-foot dark, oak wood circle cut from the Ryman Auditorium
The circle reminds musicians who step inside that they take part in something larger than themselves

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, TN
The chicken comes in mild, hot & extra hot...Babbitt has never had a problem with spicy food
before, so he tried the extra hot & it was so hot that we had to eat our lunch in the Rig to save face

We Were Robbed In Memphis

At the last minute Katie convinced Babbitt to extend our trip a little longer, so she could introduce him to Memphis, TN.  This ended up being the worst idea we've had in 7 months, because while we were sightseeing & eating the best fried chicken on the planet...the Rig was broken into & robbed in broad daylight.  Our plans for the day immediately changed as we waited for the cops to fingerprint the Rig & file their report.

Katie "flexing" with a cheeseburger at Krystal in West Memphis, AR
The Krystal slogan is "Nothin' Like It," but this fast food restaurant shares quite a few similarities with
White Castle...Katie did not think it was as good, but at least we tried it & checked another state off the list

The Peabody Duck Walk Of Fame in Memphis, TN
After our night at a Wal*Mart in Arkansas we got up early, parked downtown & were ready to explore
all that Memphis had to offer...the famous Duck March at the Peabody was our first order of business

The Peabody Ducks swimming in the Duck Fountain at the Peabody Memphis
We had great seats to watch these quackers ride down the hotel elevator to take their daily dip

Babbitt at Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken in Memphis, TN
We LOVED Gus'...Katie even took a few bites & Babbitt asked if we
could go back for another meal before we left Memphis...it's that good!

Katie at the Mud Island River Park in Memphis, TN
The Riverwalk is an exact scale model of the Lower Mississippi River
& guests are encouraged to cool off in the water

The Rig's broken lock complete with police fingerprint powder
As we walked back to the Rig, Babbitt noticed that the doors weren't locked anymore &
as we got closer we realized someone had been inside...they took some obvious stuff, skipped over a
wallet & cash, but the worst part was that they took Katie's planner that had everything in it...
George Costanza from Seinfeld said it best, "It was an organizer, a secretary & a friend."

,

Babbitt on the Elvis X at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN
We decided to try to salvage some of our visit, so we packed up our last remaining valuables, stuffed
paper in our broken lock & toured the Birthplace of Rock N' Roll & home to the Million Dollar Quartet

The O'Babbitt's at Charles Vergo's Rendezvous in Memphis, TN
Before the sun set in Memphis we decided to try one more restaurant
The staff was outstanding, Babbitt couldn't get enough of the ribs & since the owners daughter is a
vegetarian, they even had meatless options, we then walked on Beal Street & got the hell out of Memphis

You Can Find Me In St. Louie

Babbitt was still on a Kansas City high as we drove into St. Louis, MO.  For some reason he just couldn't shake his new favorite city & even though St. Louis gave us a great place to take a sunset jog at the Laumeier Sculpture Park, the thickest custard we've ever tasted at Ted Drewes plus the one & only St. Lunatics he still wasn't feeling it.

The Hill Neighborhood in St. Louis, MO
Our first order of business the next day was to try the Amighetti Special at Amighetti's,
which is referred to by many as the best sandwich in St. Louis...it may very well be
"Often Imitated, Never Duplicated," but we didn't think it was the best of anything

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO
This iconic monument symbolizes the westward expansion of the United States

Babbitt in the Journey To The Top Capsule
We felt like Michael & Janet Jackson in the Scream video as we rode 630 feet up in the air

The Old Courthouse with the Gateway Arch in the background
We happened to park next to the courthouse that held the famous Dred Scott case...this is also where
we noticed an intoxicated man attempting to remove our bikes from the rack...he was unsuccessful

The O'Babbitt's at the original Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis, MO
Even though we went on the same tour in Colorado, we couldn't pass up the first home of Bud Light
The buildings here were more historic than those in Ft. Collins, plus we got to see a real life Clydesdale

Katie enjoying a Straw-ber-rita after our tour
Our expectations were high when entering this tasting room...when we were in Ft. Collins we got a few
extra tastings, but we learned quickly that the original King of Beers sticks with a 2 drink maximum

Gus' Pretzels in St. Louis, MO
These pretzels came highly recommended on the Internet, but after trying them first hand,
it turns out they are just regular pretzels...luckily delicious carbs never hurt anyone

Federhofer's Bakery home of the Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey Butter Cake is one St. Louis delicacy that didn't let us down
O'Babbitt Tip: If you ever go to St. Louis, don't leave without a Gooey Butter Cake

Kansas City Here We Come

As we traveled closer & closer to Indianapolis, IN we found it harder & harder to want to explore the last few cities we came across.  Babbitt loved Kansas City, MO & Kansas City, KS, but a number of sights we planned to see ended up being closed during our visit.  So, we did what we do best; ate lots local food, took in some culture & dropped in on our amazing family friends without much notice at all!

Babbitt digging in at Stroud's Restaurant in Kansas City, MO - Home of P-A-N Fried Chicken
Fried Chicken, Chicken Noodle Soup, Mashed Potatoes, Beans & our all-time favorite Cinnamon Rolls

One of the famous Shuttlecocks at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO
After a trip to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, we decided to go for a toasty
jog around the grounds of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, while snapping a few photos

Rodin's The Thinker at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Katie was surprised to see the one & only Thinker in Kansas City, until she
found out that Rodin sculpted more than 20 Thinkers throughout his lifetime

The O'Babbitt's with Evan, Tony & Diane at the Taco Republic Truck
We then crossed the Missouri border into Kansas, where we were
treated to scrumptious tacos "on the move" with "permanent" friends

Evan, Tony, Babbitt, Lisa & Katie enjoying Mexican sodas before dinner
Katie was thrilled to finally introduce Babbitt to the Kansas City Gang!

The O'Babbitt's with Evan & Tony
After tacos we got a tour of the city in the Ford Flex, had Pizza 51, enjoyed Fireball drinks, talked Disney
& life on the road and even got a Halloween sneak peak from 2 of the cutest/smartest kids around

Babbitt at Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in the Country Club Plaza
Babbitt gave the burnt ends sandwich 2 thumbs up & Katie LOVED the fried mushrooms...
Even though we were confused as to which state Kansas City was actually in...we can't wait to go back

Crushing At The Fall Harvest

Since the lovely folks at the Summerset Winery let us spend the night in their parking lot, we rolled out of bed around 7:15 a.m. for their 16th Annual Fall Harvest, a day filled with grape picking, wine drinking & juice stomping!   

The O'Babbitt's getting ready to pick grapes at the Summerset Winery in Indianola, IA
After breakfast & a spirited safety talk, owners, Ron & Linda put us to work

Katie collecting grapes with picking shears
The O'Babbitt's took their new "jobs" very seriously & made sure not to leave one grape on the vine

Babbitt filling up his bucket with grapes
Once a bucket was filled the "picker" yelled BUCKET! to get a fresh, empty bucket delivered

The O'Babbitt's with the bare vines
Ron did not bring out bottles of last year's vintage until our selected acre was
completely picked, but once he did, things escalated very quickly

Katie doing her best Lucille Ball impression, while stomping grapes in the barrel
Throughout the afternoon, we drank, met our new friends, Alice & Dan & enjoyed sangria & lunch

The O'Babbitt's drinking & stomping
Luckily Ron took a liking to us & insisted that we sleep off our hangovers in the woods on his property,
he even took Babbitt on a personal tour...Babbitt bounced back, but things did not go so well for Katie

The Mid Midwest

Although Babbitt is 1/16 Blackfeet Indian & proud of it, we knew our days at Indian Casinos were sadly numbered.  So, when we found a casino in Iowa with Free Play, unlimited hot buttered popcorn & Wild Cherry Pepsi, cheap gas, a safe place to stay the night & antenna access to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, we knew it was time to break out the box wine & make a night of it.  The next day, we crossed the Iowa/Nebraska border quite a few times while trying to beat the abnormally high temperatures in the area.

Giant beaver Elvis outside of the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, IA

Katie "single starfishing" in Nebraska & Iowa on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in Omaha, NE
As we walked on the bridge we noticed the state line...Katie couldn't resist & Babbitt was not happy about
the time or gas we wasted to go to the Four Corners, when he saw that Katie was equally excited here

Babbitt walking along the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Our HOT walk through 2 states started & ended in the air conditioned Lewis and Clark Visitor Center

Buffalo sculpture along the Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness Park in downtown Omaha, NE
There are more than 120 individual pieces that cover over 6 city blocks
It was too hot to walk, so the Rig took us on a driving tour of the rest of the city

Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, IA
We didn't make it in time for the tour, but Katie heard there is a collection of dolls that depict the first
ladies of Iowa in mini inaugural ball dresses...we're pretty upset we missed that scary collection

The High Life Lounge in Des Moines, IA
This 70's throwback bar had some of the cheapest most delicious food around, we had Fried Pickles,a
Cheeseburger Basket, Fried Egg & Cheese Sandwich done the right way & Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Principal Park in Des Moines, IA
To be honest, we didn't know the Iowa Cubs played here & although we missed game
day we had a great time snooping around the closed park...afterward we cooled off in a
Target till closing time & spent the night at the very accommodating Summerset Winery 

More Of The Mount Rushmore State

South Dakota treated us to even more attractions on our last day there, but we couldn't help but notice that the drive back east was flying by compared to our 6+ month drive out west!  There just didn't seem to be has many stops to make along the way & we were driving for much, much longer periods at a time.  Please note that the term WE is used loosely when referring to the driving...Babbitt has stuck to his guns & not allowed Katie behind the wheel.

The Mitchell Corn Palace, the world's only corn palace since 1892, in Mitchell, SD
We couldn't miss it...each year the exterior is redesigned with corn & grains for a totally different look
We were even able to write a blog post in the air conditioned gymnasium while watching a pickup game

Bob's Cafe in Sioux Falls, SD
Babbitt had the Mega Bob, 3/4 lb. burger, 3/4 lbs. of fries, 2 cookies & 2 sodas, while Katie had mac &
cheese squares...the diner food was some of our favorite...we even ate with THE Bob, who is now retired

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD
We were very relieved to find out that Sioux Falls actually had some incredible falls

Sioux Falls is apparently one of the happiest cities in the USA
It was by far one of our favorite small towns, but getting much needed
showers at their YMCA may have played a role our high ranking

Landscape of Falls Park from the Observation Tower

It Really Rocks!

Our South Dakota To-Do-List was not short.  We didn't want to drive through this rugged terrain without seeing the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, the Presidential Alpine Slide (the 2,000 foot slide was closed at 2:00 p.m. on a weekday afternoon for some reason, so unfortunately we had to miss it) Wall Drug Store or the Badlands National Park.  So, we got our casino fix in Wyoming, a new crack in our windshield & drove to the world's largest mountain carving.

O'Babbitt's with the Crazy Horse scale model being used to construct the REAL memorial in the background ... Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began working on this carving in 1948 to honor the North American Indians & since his death in 1982, it doesn't look like much has changed...we are pretty sure it will never be finished...however, we did get to see his widow, Ruth walking through the cafeteria during our visit so we haven't given up hope yet

Mount Rushmore from the parking lot in Keystone, SD
When we realized parking was $12 per vehicle & that the Crazy Horse head could fit across
all 4  presidents, we decided our view from the parking lot was humbling enough

The South Dakota Black Hills

Babbitt at America's Favorite Roadside Attraction - Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD
They have obviously raised the prices in recent years, but they still offer free ice waters, a
huge jackalope & an animated T-Rex, which made it a must see in our opinion

The Badlands National Park
We were hot & tired by the time we finally got to the Badlands,
but the prairie dog colonies really made up for our bad attitudes

The Giant Prairie Dog statue on the way out of the Badlands at The Ranch Store
Since our real prairie dog photos did not do them justice, we knew we couldn't go wrong with this one