Santa Fe to Sedona

Blizzards in Santa Fe? Hailstorms in Albuquerque? Blustering winds in The Petrified Forest? Take me to Sedona!
Santa Fe, New Mexico was my most anticipated destination. Of all the research I had done and of all the photos I had viewed, I was certain the city of Santa Fe would appeal to my inner wanderer forever being culled by the western winds, yadda yadda yadda. Well, apparently I'm a seventy year old woman with a fervent passion for turquoise jewelry and hokey Native American ponchos, because I'm pretty sure that's who this city was designed for. In addition to Santa Fe being a massive (albeit lovely to look at) disappointment, we also got nailed with a hail-ridden blizzard from the frigid bowels of some arctic hell. Never would I have thought myself to be screaming "Get me the fuck out of Santa Fe" with such intensity as I steered our car through a Southwestern frozen nether world.






Random hailstorms continued as we made our way to Albuquerque for some mouthwateringly delectable mexican food at Cecelia's Cafe. And for the record, Albuquerque kind of rocks. I deeply regret booking our overnight stay in Santa Fe when we could have explored the more authentic culture and lively city life of Albuquerque instead. Sorry Santa Fe, don't hate me, but you kind of severely let me down. Maybe when I'm a little... older?



Next up was The Petrified Forest and The Painted Desert. Awe-inspiring views, sprawling sun-speckled vistas, and plateaus and mountain ranges for days comprise this national park. On the day we visited, we were also greeted with winds so intense Billy nearly lost his tripod and Canon Rebel. Nonetheless, if you ever get a chance to see this wonderful park, do yourself a favor and go as I'm still retrieving my jaw from the floor.






After a long day of heinous weather and endless highways, we finally arrived at Sedona, Arizona, or as I like to call it, heaven on earth. Seriously, this place is gorgeous. The people are awesome, the food is good, and the red rocks wrapping around the cozy valley of Sedona are stunning. I had been informed of this previously by friends in nyc, and girls (Rachel, CJ, and Jen), you were right! I cannot wait to return here. But for now we"re off to The Venetian in Vegas, baby!!!

Who knew a bunch of liberal city slickers would love Texas? For a state I've always associated with George Bush, big oil, and political ideologies that veer towards secession, I have to say I found myself smitten with the vivid, larger than life facades and the endless, big blue skies of Amarillo, Texas. First stop was The Big Texan which Billy drove 90 mph to get to in time for Renae to catch The Kentucky Derby (Go Super Saver!). For those of you who don't know, if you order a 72 ounce steak at The Big Texan and eat it in its entirety, you eat for free! Seeing as how I'm recovering from curiously flu-like symptoms, I wasn't so bold. Neither were Billy or Renae. The Big Texan is also host to a series of slot machines, optical illusion portraits, and cowboy style shoot 'em up games,the latter of which Billy and Renae indulged in. And yep, Billy got a 32 ounce beer with a free mug. Sucker!










Next up was the Cadillac Ranch. As the pictures indicate, the Cadillac Ranch consists of ten Cadillacs buried face down in the earth. In spite of the signs requesting you don't spray paint, people come from all over the country to leave their transient mark on the automobiles. We didn't spray paint, but we did climb atop the cars and gaze out onto the wide open ranges of Texas, mystified by the vastness of the land. Everything seems bigger in Texas, and this locale is no exception. For as annoying as the fierce patriotism of Texans can be, days like this make it easier to understand.

America is Neat

After Tulsa, we stopped in El Reno, OK for Fried Onion Burger Day. Needless to say, I was very excited for this stop on our journey. Every year this town proudly grills up the world's largest hamburger. At 750 lbs. this is definitely a cause for celebration. Here are some photos...

Tulsa... who knew?

First off, the St. Louis arch is absolutely amazing. To walk around the bases of it and really grasp the scale of it is awe-inspiring. Pictures cannot do it justice. Frankly, I think we all expected the “gateway to the west” to be a little cheesy, but fortunately we all walked away from the experience glad we took the time to get up close and personal with the arch. We didn’t get a chance to go to the top, there are only so many hours in a day...





Next we stopped at Café on the Route, a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives recommended hole-in-the-wall in Baxter Springs, KS. Located in an equally charming yet creepy part on Kansas, this restaurant was pretty much the only place of business open in this self- proclaimed “cowtown.” That doesn’t mean they skimped on anything though. Renae’s burger was a monster as big as her head. Oh, and did I mention fried potato salad?







Ahhh Oklahoma! Finally someplace that doesn’t still feel like the Midwest. We rolled into Tulsa after a torrential downpour and about a 7 hour drive from St. Louis. We were a bit tired, a bit crabby, and Bruce was getting sick. But that’s nothing a little vodka can’t fix! A few drinks at the hotel and we were good to go. Somehow I managed to find the only hipster bar in Tulsa. Yeasayer and Ratatat were on their playlist before the house blues band went on. A good place for soup-bowl sized martinis, 24 oz. beers, and fried pickles.



Consensus: Tulsa is pretty great. It’s quaint, it’s nice to look at, and it’s kind of gay. We had our choice of about a half-dozen gay bars to choose from and I pictured country music and whiskey, cowboys… plaid. Nope, not here. We ended up at Club Majestic. The music was thumping, there was a cage, and we witnessed our first Rihanna drag queen. All in all, not a bad night. We got a little crazy on the way back to the hotel, but that is to be expected when you are under the charm of Tulsa.












Today we’re going to see the rest of Tulsa and on to Santa Fe…