Experiencing America > Road Trip Year...2003 > 10 States, 4 Days,...the saga continues > Day 3
Day THREE...
Saturday, September 20th, 2003
Well we're at day three. Plus, we are in the Lone State State. Never saw that coming. We stayed the night in another Comfort Inn in Addison, TX. Nice rooms and service.
The Comfort Inn in Addison, just off Beltline.The night before, as we were heading up the Dallas North Tollway, we say a big building with "Clear Channel" on it (can't get away from it). The picture below was taken as we drove south and with the camera over the back of the seat...turned out half-way decent...
CCU-Dallas
This is the home of...
102-1 The Edge; KDGE-FM
Mix 102.9; KDMX-FM
97.1 The Eagle; KEGL-FM
FOX Sportsradio 1190AM; KFXR-AM
106.1 KISS-FM; KHKS-FM
92.5 KZPS-FM
We headed into Dallas to see what this major city in the vast much of nothing called Northeastern Texas, is like. In doing so we decided to have breakfast in a half horse town.
Downtown Dallas from I-345.
Before breakfast we found objective number tow of the trip...find a cotton field. This was located in a small town of I-45 called Trumbull.
A cotton field at Trumbull.
Breakfast took place in Ferris at a hole in the wall right smack dab on the main drag. What was interesting we my orange juice was served in the Minute Maid bottle that you would get from a gas station cooler. Bottle or no glass either way the food was great. Worth stopping back through. After breakfast, we stopped at a Fina gas station in Ferris. That place was infested with crikiets. A plus though was I own $2.00 on the Texas Instant Lottery. So I cashed it in...and won $20.00...score!
The $2.00 winner.
The $20.00 winner...bless the Texas Lotto.
Now it was time to head back north. Although how can you go to Dallas without going to Fort Worth. So we drove over to Fort Worth on the way north. From Ferris, TX to Denton, TX, via Fort Worth, there were many...um..."odd" things. From interesting road names to commuters on the highway.
The Wimer, TX PD in action on NB I-45.
The logo on the door of a truck on WB I-20.
I thought he was from Atlanta.
I wonder if that is a good side job.
Signs on NB I-35W for the Texas Motor Speedway.
Looking at the speedway from I-35W.
Now it is written somewhere in Texas law that someone in the motor vehicle must but a cowboy hat at one time or another with in the visit to Texas. Well the tuff part is finding a decent hat shop. Nothing spells excellent hats like a shop that uses a sign similar to expressway gas stations.
As we headed north toard Oklahoma, we did notice how the Texas Department of Public Safety like to use the states interstate system as their own peronal roadway. A DPS unit turned from NB I-35 across the median, across SB I-35, across the ditch between SB I-35 and a service road to enter the service road. No known reason.
TX DPS car.
Now Back to State #6...Oklahoma!!
In Oklahoma, we stayed on the highway only for a short while. A good alternate to Interstate 35 is U.S. Rt. 77 that runs along it. Near the Arbuckle Mountains, Turner Falls, we encountered one of the states older highway bridges that are still in use. Plus, the vast rocky lands of the state.
A bridge on NB U.S. Rt. 77.
Looking out over Oklahoma near Turner Falls.
By mid-afternoon we reached downtown Oklahoma City. It was really the first site of civilization in the state.
Downtown Oklahoma City on NB I-235.
In Downtown Oklahoma City, we decided to stop and see the site of the former federal building. The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial is located on the side where the former building once stood. It was very quiet here. Everyone walked through in silence.
Looking west at the east entrance to the memorial.
looking over the pond where the street use to be, from the east entrance.
One of the few pieces of the building that still stand.
A plaque explaining the display.
Each chair represents a person that vanished in the bombing.
A wall on the west side of the memorial for people to leave their own tribute.
A pictuoral guide of the horror from the event.
This is a close-up of the picture in the section on the bottom row second from the left in the picture above. It shows the area after the bombing.
Looking north from where the south entrance use to be.
Around the memorial you had your choice of parking most about $5.00. Across the street from one of the $5.00 lots was meter parking on Fifth Street. It cost 25 cents for 30 minutes...guess one which we choose.
We got back with one minute on the meter.By now your wondering...we have seen the comic book figures statue...but where is the giant cross. I know we had one in 2002. So we found one for 2003.
On NB I-35, near OK St Rt 66.Now that the Grand-Am is gassed and were ready to go once more...it back north on I-35. Oklahoma is a whole lot of nothing followed by a tad bit more of nothing. Kinda glad to leave that state...
Now to Kansas!!...State #8!!
Through the State of Kansas, we traveled the extremely boring Kansas Turnpike. The day continued to wear on...but on thing the Kansas Turnpike had going for it...is some placed to get excellent sunset pictures.
Looking west on the Kansas Turnpike near Emporia.
I wonder how good a Chinese buffet in Kansas actually is...
We continued up to Kansas City, via Topeka...where the top song on a Saturday night is the Chicken Song...
Now Back to State #2...Missouri!!
Here is Missouri we decided to head up Interstate 29 and stop for dinner...kinda late...but oh well... Dinner was a cozy little Cracker Barrel in St. Joseph, Missouri.
We tried nite time photogrophy. NB I-29 at St. Joseph.
This was the longest of the trip.
Now to Iowa!!...State #9!!
The Iowa/Missouri State Line was just a sign.
Now to Nebraska!!...State #10!!
The resting stop for the night...a Best Western in Omaha.
Day FOUR