Road Trip Day 4

Today we traveled from Little Rock, AR to Nashville, TN. Since this was the shortest day so far, we left a bit earlier this morning and took more time on the two stops we made in Memphis.

The first detour from our route was the Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee. For anyone unfamiliar with Beale Street, it was the birthplace of blues and rock and roll. Famous recording studios that produced hits from Jerry Lewis, Elvis Presley, Issac Hayes and BB King all originated on Beale St. Today it retains a lot of the same charm it had 60 years ago. Cafes, restaurants and bars line the street and it looks like a neighborhood you would see in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Just off Beale Street is the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum. Definetly a must see if you are in Memphis. It is a part of the Smithsonian and as you work your way through the exhibit you see the evolution of blues and rock and roll. They also spend a lot of time tracing the gains made racially within the industry generally and Memphis specifically. Lots of history and cool artifacts to take a look at.

Last was, of course, Graceland. How could I go to Tennessee without visiting Graceland? It was wonderful. A little pricey to get in but definetly worth spending a little money. As he died seven years before I was born, it helped expose me to a much richer history of the "King".

Tomorrow is our longest day. We will be living Nashville and driving 700+ miles to Lynchberg Virginia. After that we are just a few hours away from our final destination!

- LGM

Road Trip Day 3

Today did not seem as long as yesterday, although we did cover almost the exact same amount of miles. We finished up in Texas, crossed all the way through Oklahoma and ended in Little Rock, Arkansas.

One of the most remarkable things about this trip is how distinct every state I've been to is. It occurs almost instantly upon crossing the border as well. I'm dissapointed I didn't get to see as much Texas as I wanted to, but I have absolutely loved every state I've been to so far. It has helped enhance my love of this country. It is easy, when you live in somewhere like California, to dismiss the "flyover country" as boring or at a slower pace as the "rest" of the country. Or rather, just the coasts. The richness of the culture, diversity and land has been really surprising.

Best surprise of the day was our visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. When planning this trip, I didn't realize we passed through Oklahoma until I looked at the map. Since we are visiting so many states, I decided that it is important for us to stop somewhere in Oklahoma. The first and really only thing that came to mind is to visit the site of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Luckily it was right off of I-40, the main interstate we have used to cross the country. As I was still in grade school when the bombing occured, it amazed me how much I remembered about the bombing itself. That may be partly due the the trial and summary execution of Timothy McVeigh in June of 2001. At that point, six years following the bombing, I was just beginning my political "awakening" and was preparing to go the Stanford University as a high school junior to take government and speech classes for the summer. Part of my preparation included purchasing newspapers and news magazines in the weeks leading up to the summer semester to prepare for our course work and debate requirements we would have to fulfill. One of the Newsweeks I purchased was the one published before his execution.

The memorial itself is really quite perfect. There is a good balance of space and use of the remaining materials of the building. It is simple and not overwhelming, yet it truly can not be missed. There are two large walls, one on each end of the block. In the middle is a long rectangular reflecting pool that is about 1/2" deep. On one side there is rows of chairs, each one for an adult or child lost in the attack. Each chair is inscribed with a name. There is also a museum in the neighboring building that contains more artifacts, video and oral accounts of the event. Unfortunately we were there too early in the day, as it opens at 1PM on Sundays. I highly recommend taking half an hour just to walk around the memorial itself.

Tomorrow we have a short day. We will leave Little Rock in the morning, stop in Memphis to visit the Rock & Soul Museum and then Graceland. Tomorrow night we will be staying with friends outside of Nashville. A portion of our drive will take us across and then alongside the Mississippi River, so I expect to have some great pictures tomorrow!

- LGM

Road Trip Day 2

Today was a big day. We ended up covering about 100 more miles today than yesterday. In addition we passed through 2 time zones which means I will have to catch up on sleep tomorrow. We finished driving through Northern Arizona, completed New Mexico and ended in Amarillo, Texas. We didn't get to see all the things we wanted to, but we did get a lot in.



First stop was the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque. Very interesting. Got to see how nuclear technology is used for medicine, power and, of course, warfare. Had some great exhibits on the Manhattan Project and Los Alamos. Also had a good section on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Suprising it is also Congressionally chartered. We were lucky enough to get additional information from one of the museum's docents, who also happened to be a member of the original Manhattan Project. He had a lot of interesting things to say about nuclear energy as well. In all, a very good spot to check out if you are in Albuquerque. Pictures are of a WWII poster and me in front of a replica of Little Boy, the bomb that fell on Hiroshima.

Second was the International Rattlesnake Museum also in Albuquerque. I am so glad I stumbled across this little gem. I highly recommend the program Microsoft Streets & Trips (2008) as it helps you find museums, hotels, landmarks, restaurants and general points of interest within a 1 mile radius of your route. With that being said, rely on a GPS to get around town, as some of the road information was either not up to date or a little unreliable. Somehow while using this program this particular museum caught my eye. It was relatively small with two exhibits and all kinds of snakes and other creepy-crawly creatures. What made it stand out is all the information in the museum itself as well as being able to get so close to the animals. I've been in rattlesnake country for the last 10 years but this is the first time I've been able to actually see them up close. Definetly check this one out as well.

Missed the Wildlife West Nature Park and the Cadillac Ranch because it got darker quicker than we anticipated (time zones). Tomorrow we will finish the Texas pan handle, bust through Oklahoma (I hear its tornado season) and make out way to Little Rock, Arkansas. Stay tuned...
- LGM

Road Trip Day 1

This morning we packed up the old suburban and headed east. After sitting down last night and looking at the boxes that miraculously trippled in size and numbers when I wasn't looking, we vetoed the whole Rav4 idea. I think it would have had a hard time holding our luggage. Especially knowing how I pack... Here are some pics of the suburban and the family as we all said goodbye.

We covered 530 miles in about eight hours. By the time we had reached Kingman, AZ both of us were covering ground we had never been before. I have been to Havasu, AZ a few times and my father has been to Pheonix. Northern Arizona is nothing like either of us could ever imagine. It is covered in beautiful forests with large pine trees.

Before stopping for the night in Flagstaff, we stopped at the Grand Canyon Caverns for a tour. Named when they realized the air in the caverns comes from the Grand Cayon that is over 60 miles away, the massive dry cavern is quite impressive. Designated at one point as a potential fall out shelter during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the government stockpiled enough food and water for 2000 people. They forgot, however, to factor in why the cavern are called the Grand Canyon Caverns. The fall out shelter they created would have been useless in the event that any radioactive exposure reached the Grand Canyon as it would funnel right into the caverns. I'm attaching a few pictures from the tour.

Tomorrow we will cover the rest of Northern Arizona, fly through New Mexico and cross into the Texas Panhandle. Its looking like another 500+ mile day!

Check out my dad's post http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=613922

- LGM

Good Byes...

Just wanted to thank everyone who came to my Going Away Party this weekend. I had a great time and I know I'm going to miss all of you. Just remember, DC is only a 4 hour plane ride away and it is definetly worth it!

-LGM

Palin 2008

Counting Down

In 12 days my life will change forever. In ways I'm not sure I can even fully understand or anticipate. On September 26th at 6AM, my father and I will stuff everything I have ever owned into in '02 Rav4 and leave on a 3,000 mile journey that has been 18 months in the making. All because I have this ridiculous idea that I belong in the nation's capital. No one could have ever prepared me for all the obstacles I've had to overcome just to get where I am now. But nothing I have ever done in my life feels as right as this feels. For all of the problems I've had leading up to this moment, I've also had so many people behind me. People that believe in my dream. Believe in me. Recognize that I have finally found my niche, even though it takes me three time zones away from everyone I have ever known and loved. This is the part where you come in. I want to hear what you think. I want ideas, reactions, stories. I'm going to be posting a few times before DC-day and daily once my road trip starts. Once I'm there is when the fun begins. I seek to be the eyes of the west coast on the District. Culture, life, style and, of course, politics. If it doesn't make your blood boil you aren't listening. Over here on the left-coast we hear snippets of the elite in Washinton. How they think they can tell us how to live, what to eat, how to raise our children. Well, now you are going to see it first hand. And, of course, through the eyes of a born & bred So. Cal girl. I'm a California Conservative with a BA in Political Science, a job in Business and an eye on the world. I think my perspective is unique, but I also think its relateable. I'm no different than your daughter, your sister, the girl down the street. I just breathe, eat, sleep politics. I want to do my part to bring us back to the Federalism the Founding Fathers envisioned. Tell me when I'm right, when you think I'm wrong, and when I missed something. Look forward to the future...

-LGM