Well, we have made it to NC and are settling in. I'll post some more about our move in, but I wanted to recap the journey here. It was marked by laughter, tears, fun, and not so much fun.
Brad was not here for the trip because he is in Georgia learning how to jump out of planes at Airborne training. So my parents graciously agreed to drive with me.
We decided to make the journey into a four day trip because we didn't know how Clara would do on long days in the car. Most of the days we drove for about six hours, some more and some less. Clara did great everyday. She got a little fussy at times, but she slept some. Also, my iPad saved us. It!s the best investment that I've made in a long time. She spent hours watching Sesame Street, Muppets, and playing her apps.
Here is a recap of the days.
Day 1 - from San Antonio to Texarkana
We didn't leave until about 9 because we didn't want to hit Austin traffic. I had my last Whataburger for lunch that I will have for awhile. Man, does it take a long time to get out of Texas! We spent the night on the Texas side of Texarkana.
Day 2 - Texarkana to Memphis
We decided to make this our short day because we wanted to spend at least one night in a cool place. And I absolutely love Memphis. Brad and I have stopped here before and it is one of my favorite cities. I don't really know exactly why. Maybe it's the laid back, casual vibe. Maybe it's the cool downtown with Beale St. (they've also done a lot of work to revive the downtown area). Maybe it's the great food. Or maybe I've just seen "The Firm" one too many times. We stayed downtown. We took Clara to see the ducks at the Peabody. For those who don't know, here is the story of the ducks. Then we went to the Rendezvous. It's a restaurant that Brad and I happened upon by accident. We had no idea that it was a Memphis institution until afterwards. They're known for their pork ribs, which have this amazing dry rub. Different from Texas barbecue but delicious. Clara was happy because she got a sausage and cheese plate. It was kind of a dream dinner for her. When we got back to the hotel, Clara and I could hear the music from Beale St from our room. Luckily, we were so tired that we could still sleep.
Day 3 - Memphis to Knoxville
We crossed the entire state of Tennessee. Well, almost. I love the drive through Tennessee. It was even better this time because I had forgotten what green landscape looked like, since Texas has been in a drought. The terrain of Tennessee changes dramatically as you cross it. Near Memphis, it's flat farmland. As you get near Nashville, there are more dramatic hills. And from Nashville to Knoxville, you get into rocky, almost mountainous hills. Knoxville is really close to the Smoky Mountains, so you start to get that type of terrain.
Day 4 - Knoxville to Fayetteville
This was the most beautiful drive of all. We went right through the Smokies. I've always heard people say that Ashland, NC is beautiful, and now I am really eager to drive back out there, because it really was spectacular. We stopped at a rest stop in the mountains and you could feel the mountain breeze. We made it to the house and I picked up the keys, and everything went pretty smoothly, aside from a run in with the crazy HOA ladies in my neighborhood. I had to get an access card for the neighborhood entrance, because it is gated. I am not joking, you could do an SNL skit about my HOA. I found it more difficult to obtain this access key than I have to obtain any sort of government ID. If TSA hired these ladies, there would be no more lapses at airport security.
Anyway, after that was over, we headed down to Fayetteville to stay for the night before my stuff was delivered the next morning. Or so I thought. More on that in the next post...
