Day 4: 316 miles
Memphis, TN to Texarkana, TX
Arkansas started out with the best peaches weÂ’d ever eaten, bought at a road-side stand, followed by miles and miles of flat farmland.
The grass got drier and scrubby and the dirt turned to red clay. Gone was the lushness of Virginia, the rolling hills of Tennessee.
We ran into a really bad rain storm as we crossed Arkansas. The pounding, no-visibility kind of rain.
We took it slow and took plenty of breaks and made it fine. Later we learned thereÂ’d been a tornado. Very glad to not have seen/experienced that.
For lunch we stopped in Carlisle, Arkansas, pop 2000. We ate at NickÂ’s Bar B Q and Catfish and had our best meal yet.
I was tired of being hungry and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. I donÂ’t know if it was just that I was starving, but it was the best damn sandwich. Made on thick buttery garlic bread. Washed it down with sweet tea. IÂ’m a total sweet tea convert. I also had fried okra and stole some of BillyÂ’s fries. (So far Thumper is showing no adverse reactions to the sandwich, so I guess he can now handle a small amount of cheese in my diet. IÂ’m not going to take that as license to start eating dairy again, except in a pinch. I suspect if I had more than the two slices or so that went into that sandwich, it might be a different story.) Thumper liked the fried okra quite a bit, but was way more enthusiastic about the fries, unfortunately. We’re going to have to do some serious vegetable eating when we settle in Portland, to break this kid of his road food habit.
We drove through Hope and saw Bill Clinton’s first home, but we didn’t go in. I’ve got a certain affection (nostalgia?) for Clinton, but not a whole lot of interest in seeing a staged museum recreation of what his boyhood home looked like when he lived there. That doesn’t tell me anything about him. The town told me something. The house told me something. I didn’t need to see the inside. Far more compelling, more real to me, was an apparently recently burned out house on a nearby corner, the family’s belongings still all strewn about. I wish I could have stayed there a bit, looked at the things that had been left behind. But there was no respectful way to do that, so we moved on and got back on the interstate.
We reached Texarkana in the late afternoon and considered taking a break and then trying to reach Dallas, but decided against it. We were tired and the rain had made for a long day. We checked into a shabby little motel, got some Chinese food (ah! Sweet sweet broccoli!) and crashed out.
I look forward to your daily musings from the road. It’s always good to hear you are all safe.
Posted by: margene
Sounds like a very full, thoroughly exhausting day. I’m glad you got to sneak a grilled cheese in there with no adverse effects!
Posted by: regina
What an amazing picture-taking and experience-having opportunity this road trip is.
Posted by: claudia
I think I missed that you were planning to go through Dallas! Too bad you’re on a schedule — there are lotsa cool knitbloggers here who I’m sure would love to meet up with you and give Thumper a squeeze.
Posted by: chris
Looks like you’re having a great time – love the happy toddler pics ALTHOUGH I’m sure there’s some fussiness we’re missing out on! The western parts of Tennessee and Arkansas you’ve driven through are just finishing up the worst drought in a hundred years – normally this time of year you would have been passing lush fields of corn, soybeans and cotton – very SAD for the farmers in particular. I grew up in Memphis and unless y’all were staying in the downtown area there wouldn’t have been a lot of comfortable strolling to do lately – come back and see Graceland sometime – I’ve been once. Because it’s restored to it’s original Elvis “grandeur” it’s a little disconcerting ’cause back then a big house really had too many little rooms so it’s doesn’t really compare to stars houses you see now so a lot of people are let down! Hopefully you saw St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as you were heading towards the I-40 bridge – a wonderful place we’re really proud of!!
Posted by: Robin
I look forward to your daily musings from the road. It’s always good to hear you are all safe.
Posted by: margene
Sounds like a very full, thoroughly exhausting day. I’m glad you got to sneak a grilled cheese in there with no adverse effects!
Posted by: regina
What an amazing picture-taking and experience-having opportunity this road trip is.
Posted by: claudia
I think I missed that you were planning to go through Dallas! Too bad you’re on a schedule — there are lotsa cool knitbloggers here who I’m sure would love to meet up with you and give Thumper a squeeze.
Posted by: chris
Looks like you’re having a great time – love the happy toddler pics ALTHOUGH I’m sure there’s some fussiness we’re missing out on! The western parts of Tennessee and Arkansas you’ve driven through are just finishing up the worst drought in a hundred years – normally this time of year you would have been passing lush fields of corn, soybeans and cotton – very SAD for the farmers in particular. I grew up in Memphis and unless y’all were staying in the downtown area there wouldn’t have been a lot of comfortable strolling to do lately – come back and see Graceland sometime – I’ve been once. Because it’s restored to it’s original Elvis “grandeur” it’s a little disconcerting ’cause back then a big house really had too many little rooms so it’s doesn’t really compare to stars houses you see now so a lot of people are let down! Hopefully you saw St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as you were heading towards the I-40 bridge – a wonderful place we’re really proud of!!
Posted by: Robin
I too am loving this travelogue!
Posted by: Bertha
Ah, you are making me homesick with tales of sweet tea and fried okra. I was seriously worried about what you would eat in my old neck of the woods. I’m glad to hear that you gave in to the grilled cheese.
Posted by: melissa
mmmm, sweet tea. my teeth ache a little just thinking about it (but in the best sort of way). glad you guys are doing well and safe on the road.
Posted by: heather
Hopefully you’ll be able to find plenty of veg options here in the DFW area! I’d recommend perhaps stopping at a Central Market or Whole Foods Market, they have cafe sections with all kinds of stuff.
Posted by: lissa
Mmmm, sweet tea. Actually, I prefer the tea combo, but they’re both good. I’d been wondering if road food had gotten any easier for vegetarians, and now I know (nope!).
This may sound bizarre (it does to me), but I had a dream about you guys last night – you and Billy were leading a tour group of some kind, and one of the stops was apple-picking, and I’d picked a giant bag of apples, but then I forgot it at a senior citizens’ home, and by the time I went back for it, they’d eaten them all, except for a few with halves eaten off.
I guess y’all are on my mind, if I may borrow a Southern idiom.
Posted by: Lizbon
Sweet tea is the bane of my temporary Southern existence. In order to get a real cup of tea I have to remember to ask for “hot tea”, and many places don’t even have it. If you just say tea you get sweet tea, a mistake not worth repeating if you’re not really into liquid invert sugar.
Posted by: jodi
That colicky baby reaction to lactose in the mother’s diet does wear off after a while. Which is good.
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
That is so crazy, every time I have driven through Arkansas (the flat boring part) it is pouring rain and then as soon as I crossed into Texas it would clear up. Weird
Posted by: Kristin
I too am loving this travelogue!
Posted by: Bertha
Ah, you are making me homesick with tales of sweet tea and fried okra. I was seriously worried about what you would eat in my old neck of the woods. I’m glad to hear that you gave in to the grilled cheese.
Posted by: melissa
mmmm, sweet tea. my teeth ache a little just thinking about it (but in the best sort of way). glad you guys are doing well and safe on the road.
Posted by: heather
Hopefully you’ll be able to find plenty of veg options here in the DFW area! I’d recommend perhaps stopping at a Central Market or Whole Foods Market, they have cafe sections with all kinds of stuff.
Posted by: lissa
Mmmm, sweet tea. Actually, I prefer the tea combo, but they’re both good. I’d been wondering if road food had gotten any easier for vegetarians, and now I know (nope!).
This may sound bizarre (it does to me), but I had a dream about you guys last night – you and Billy were leading a tour group of some kind, and one of the stops was apple-picking, and I’d picked a giant bag of apples, but then I forgot it at a senior citizens’ home, and by the time I went back for it, they’d eaten them all, except for a few with halves eaten off.
I guess y’all are on my mind, if I may borrow a Southern idiom.
Posted by: Lizbon
Sweet tea is the bane of my temporary Southern existence. In order to get a real cup of tea I have to remember to ask for “hot tea”, and many places don’t even have it. If you just say tea you get sweet tea, a mistake not worth repeating if you’re not really into liquid invert sugar.
Posted by: jodi
That colicky baby reaction to lactose in the mother’s diet does wear off after a while. Which is good.
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
That is so crazy, every time I have driven through Arkansas (the flat boring part) it is pouring rain and then as soon as I crossed into Texas it would clear up. Weird
Posted by: Kristin
It is possible, if the cheese in said sandwich were of the “American” persuasion, that there was no milk solids in it at all. I have a couple of lactose-intolerant friends that can eat velveeta, etc without problems.
That said, I would never encourage anyone to live a cheese-free existence. So go forth and pick up some brie while you’re in Austin (are you here yet? if so, just in time – a new yarn store opens this weekend!)
Posted by: fay
I absoluting love the photos, I have never been to that part of the world and enjoy seeing it through your eyes.
thanks
Posted by: Ilona
well if you end up in dallas this weekend, my lys is having a sale on any yarn containing cotton (and a few other things as well) tomorrow (saturday). i’ll be working both saturday and sunday 🙂
at any rate, a continued safe trip!
Posted by: maria
No particulars here, just loving the recounting of a roadtrip. I miss the long vacation drives we took when I was a kid, and it’s wonderful, virtually following you guys along!
Posted by: MonicaPDX
I’m loving reading all your travel experiences. Glad you’re all well, and didn’t see the tornado (experienced ONE in FL, and that was enough for me!)
Posted by: Annie
Is “sweet tea” cold or hot? Man, I am so hankering for a road trip.
Posted by: alison
The grilled cheese and the eggs were probably made on grills that came in contact with non vegetarian foods. Not to mention the food at the chinese restaurant. I hear that Portland, Ore. has a lot of vegan restaurants, though. I’m a vegetarian and I’ve eatten at a lot of non vegetarian restaurants throughout the years before I really thought about the possiblity of my so-called vegetarian food coming into contact with non vegetarian food at those establishments. I don’t even go to Indian restaurants anymore. Not proslytizing or criticizing, just saying is all. I envy you your journey. Kiss Powells for me!
Posted by: Lisa
love that last photo! 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
It is possible, if the cheese in said sandwich were of the “American” persuasion, that there was no milk solids in it at all. I have a couple of lactose-intolerant friends that can eat velveeta, etc without problems.
That said, I would never encourage anyone to live a cheese-free existence. So go forth and pick up some brie while you’re in Austin (are you here yet? if so, just in time – a new yarn store opens this weekend!)
Posted by: fay
I absoluting love the photos, I have never been to that part of the world and enjoy seeing it through your eyes.
thanks
Posted by: Ilona
well if you end up in dallas this weekend, my lys is having a sale on any yarn containing cotton (and a few other things as well) tomorrow (saturday). i’ll be working both saturday and sunday 🙂
at any rate, a continued safe trip!
Posted by: maria
No particulars here, just loving the recounting of a roadtrip. I miss the long vacation drives we took when I was a kid, and it’s wonderful, virtually following you guys along!
Posted by: MonicaPDX
I’m loving reading all your travel experiences. Glad you’re all well, and didn’t see the tornado (experienced ONE in FL, and that was enough for me!)
Posted by: Annie
Is “sweet tea” cold or hot? Man, I am so hankering for a road trip.
Posted by: alison
The grilled cheese and the eggs were probably made on grills that came in contact with non vegetarian foods. Not to mention the food at the chinese restaurant. I hear that Portland, Ore. has a lot of vegan restaurants, though. I’m a vegetarian and I’ve eatten at a lot of non vegetarian restaurants throughout the years before I really thought about the possiblity of my so-called vegetarian food coming into contact with non vegetarian food at those establishments. I don’t even go to Indian restaurants anymore. Not proslytizing or criticizing, just saying is all. I envy you your journey. Kiss Powells for me!
Posted by: Lisa
love that last photo! 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
Texarkana! I’m sorry. I’m from there and it’s a sad looking place.
Posted by: Theresa
Texarkana! I’m sorry. I’m from there and it’s a sad looking place.
Posted by: Theresa