Tulsa, OK

Well someone seems to be taking far less photos than last year, so nothing to upload to represent our arrival in OK this year... maybe we are already taking the great American road-trip for granted. Nice to back in OK and not as sticky hot as last year - ah, but of course New Orleans is still to come! I love shoping in the US - it is sort of like going to Dubai from Al Ain to shop but multiply it by 100! It is nice to see things that you forget you like seeing when you are not seeing them, but then... well you know what I mean!

Springfield, MO

Well not quite - actually Merrimac Caverns off Route 66!

But Springfield, MO is our stop for the night - home to many things I am sure but just a short stop on the way through to Tulsa for us. Springfield is home to THE Bass Pro Shop! Ok, I know that doesn't sound much to anyone but while not a hunter, fisher, boater, or anyone who would normally be impressed by an "outdoorsy" store, I was impressed by this one and if you are ever passing through Springfield stick your head in and have a look around - it is HUGE! Nearly got me an urge to get a gun and hunt cute furry things (don't worry - that passed quickly).

St Louis, MO

Crossing the Mississippi again - two more times to go! This year is definitely a bit zigzaggy and joining stops together rather than the relaxed road trip of last year. So we are in St Louis, unfortunately without enough time to do the place justice!

Chicago, IL

Maybe a new favorite city? Clean, friendly, great buildings, and lots to see and do... Chicago is impressive. I am sure there are parts of the city that aren't the best, but it is a nice place to be in summer... but must be freezing in winter!

Sears - Willis Tower SkyDeck

5 feet 100+ stories above Chicago streets - kinda cool if you ask me.

It was called Sears Tower when we arrived and will be Willis Tower when we leave... if it wasn't so busy we would have gone twice - still worth the hour wait to get to the top though!

Hello Chicago!

Well this is a place I never thought I would get to see, but I guess that is how things go. Normally one big city feels like every other big city, but driving into Chicago seeing the Sears and Hancock towers lets you know you are heading into somewhere special.

It's a walking city for those that love walking around cities - it's a walking city for those that aren't used to walking as well which means after a week of this there are going to be some very sore feet and legs! Cool place though and looking forward to exploring (too bad a locked myself into a conference for 1/2 the time we're here though).

Madison, WI

On the road again... etc. Doesn't seem like a year ago we were traveling around the American countryside. Madison is a nice college town (even with drunk college students in the middle of summer - probably why they are doing summer school in the first place), and one claim to fame is home to Otis Redding's plane crash - as well as UW-Madison. Nice town!

Feels like another summer holiday!

So here we are once again. Having a peaceful and relaxing break in Minnesota before heading off on yet another overly ambitious US road trip... I'm sure I said something at the end of the summer last year that I didn't want to try to fit so much into such a short space of time but looks like I've gone back on my word - 16 states & over 5000 miles. Still got to love this expat escape!

Things to remind us of home!

No matter where you go there is always something to remind you of home.

1. When we arrived in Boston we took the time to have a quick look through the gift shop which was staffed by a couple of Muslim women wearing head-scarfs. Yes it is true that 1/5 of the worlds population or there abouts follows Islam, but still something that reminded us of home even though we had just flown some silly number of kilometres in some silly amount of time as sardines!

2. There is an area in Tulsa which is rather trendy; a bit along the lines of Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Across the road from one of the vintage clothing stores we visited was a Shisha Cafe complete with water pipes in the window.


3. Driving into Arizona at the entrance to one of the small towns (I think?!?) we passed a Mosque. Not just any Mosque of course, but a lovely green and white one very similar to one of the smaller ones between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. With the scenery in the background of the photo it really could be somewhere along the East Coast of the UAE... now if only the Azan was going as we had driven passed we would have been entering something even more surreal.

Even here in the USA there are moments where the Arabian desert doesn't feel too far away at all!

(no so big) McDonald's and Single Arches

In our journey's around this tiny little part of Oklahoma we have come across two bits of McDonald's history.

One is what was the "biggest McDonald's in America" which really isn't that big at all. Well the building is big as it spans the Interstate, but the McDonald's "restaurant" inside really isn't very big at all. That being said... we went, we ate, we bought the fridge magnet! The gift shop was much bigger than the McDonald's.

The other thing we have seen are the old single arches and the little running hamburger guy. Unfortunately I don't think we have a picture of the old running burger man, but out the side of one of the older McDonald's there was a single arch (although not as impressive as the "golden arches" out the front). I don't know much about McDonald's history, but I must say the older the looking the McDonald's was, the more interesting it looked. All the newer ones look exactly the same... and... who counts the hamburgers anyway?

I want to be an architect!

... well it is true.

I think architecture in some form is what I have always wanted to do. For some reason my younger life was full of dreams of becoming a musician (as with so many rebel-without-a-clue teens), but if I had followed my original path it would have taken me to university to study architecture. Instead another path was taken... a very long path with lots of side roads. Some how it ended with me becoming a marketing lecturer and then a business teacher in the Arabian desert. I even tried at one point to move the path back to architecture, but was informed that it was probably too late and the chances of success were slim. Maybe before I retire I may design a home... that would be fun!

Anyway, while in Oklahoma I did get the chance to see a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright designs which I have always been partial to. With the aid of the now trusty old Garmin, we took a detour around suburban Tulsa and had the chance to see the "Richard Lloyd Jones Residence" which is a pretty impressive looking home. The fact that this type of house was from the 1920's & 30's always amazes me.

We also went for a day trip up to Bartlesville and had a walk around the Price Tower. Would have been nice to have a look inside and maybe stay the night, but was not to be. I have noticed many of the places we have been (or would have liked to go) are not very child friendly, which is a shame because the ability to let a child see inside beautiful buildings may just be the spark that remains with them forever.

Thinking back of why I like the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright I have these faded childhood memories of either a dental clinic or doctors surgery in Masterton. There is something in those memories that tell me either the interior or aspects of the external design were inspired by designs similar to these... then again I am probably wrong.

Next trip we will combine Thrift shops with Frank Lloyd Wright homes!

Tulsa Pow-Wow

Headed into Tulsa today as the annual pow-wow was advertised on morning television. Something worth seeing... lots of very brightly coloured costumes and a LOT of feathers!

It made me smile as we arrived as one of the big indoor rodeos was on in the main hall of the convention centre. Cowboys in one door, Indians in another - yes I realise that should be "Native Americans" or their tribal name, but you get the idea!

This is probably going to sound strange but the one thing that struck me the most was the similarities between the Native American's dance and drum rythyms and that of the Gulf Arabs... actually even smilarities between Australian Aboriginal dance! Three very diverse and distinct cultures seperated in distance by one third of the world... yet at the same time there was something familiar about what they were doing.

Wouldn't it be nice if Abu Dhabi or Dubai could hold a "native cultures" event. It is important in these times of moderisation that traditions are held on to in what ever form they may take. Just imagine if "Global Village" wasn't just about shopping and was really about experiencing the diversity and simlarities in cultures that represent the people of the world.

Happy Birthday to me!

Well... 40 today... in Oklahoma. Who would have thought!

Five States In A Day

A long day it was too!

Leaving Minnesota, driving across Iowa, through Missouri then through Kansas City… down through Kansas into Oklahoma to Owasso on the northern outskirts of Tulsa. Farmland into rolling hills, back through the plains… tornado country. Really a pretty non-eventful trip and really our only destination to destination drive for part 2 of our holiday.

Thank you people of Iowa! I wonder if all of them will welcome us.

We love Airstreams... maybe next time!

... yet another State line!

Crossing the Missouri river... This time we really are in Kansas

This really is a big country!

Bye Minnesota!

After 3 weeks this is our last day in Hartland and we have already had such a great holiday. The weather, both hot and cold, sunny and stormy, the windy days and fresh air... the hospitality, conversations and laughs... fireflies, fireworks, fires... and the furry friends; it has been all too short.

At the same time it will good to get out from under your feet and let your lives return to normal; but, watch out, we might all just do it again soon!

Thanks for everything!

Across the Mississippi

GPS plugged in... punch in Red Wing and shortest distance... and head east!

Had a nice long drive through the countryside across the Mississippi into Wisconsin and back, via the odd thrift store and anything else of interest that appeared. There is so much to be said for driving the back roads; everyone seems in such a hurry to get from one destination to another to actually "enjoy" a holiday, it's nice to have the time to see what is inbetween the destinations. I guess that is what this trip is really all about after all.

After stopping at a few of the small towns we passed through, we came across what is said to be Minnesota's only remaining covered bridge in Zumbrota. Ok... so this isn't Madison county but still something worthy of note. I liked the sign above informing drivers that they may not drive faster than a walk from days gone by when the road still passed across the creek at this point.

Onto Red Wing (the home of boots) and the Mississippi ... oh and another Salvation Army Thrift store of course. K should make a coffee table book on "Op Shops I Have Known"! I'll make a companion book, "What I Saw Between The Thrift Stores".

After looking around Red Wing we crossed into Wisconsin (our 3rd state so far) just so we could say "we have crossed the Mississippi", then back again. Then off we headed along the river through Lake City and Wabasha, before heading back to our temporary "home".

We did stop at a park and have a little walk along the river bank. I was going to dip my toes in the river but thought better of it as the water didn't look very healthy. We did say hi to some Mississippi River ducks though.

All in all a worthy way to spend a day!

Rental Car

We collected our rental car yesterday; apart from the flights this was most expensive part of our holiday! Well maybe equal to all the accommodation, but as a single cost it did seem a lot; especially after paying far less for rentals in the Middle East. Then again we have only ever rented small cars at home so the cost may be the same... really don't know about that one.


We were going to be travelling in a smaller Chevy SUV (I kind of liked the idea of doing the great American road trip in an American car), but I let myself be talked up to a bigger SUV at the rental counter based on interior size and fuel economy. Luckily I did as with our luggage and bits and pieces collected along the way it would have been a very tight squeeze in the Chevy; and, with the price of gas any saving would be a good thing. So for the next month a Toyota Highlander would be our mode of transport and a comfortable one it would be...

Harmony, MN

Had a nice GPS directed back-roads drive down to Harmony today. It made a nice change to move out of the flat farmland plains into more rolling countryside, but it is all pretty countryside in it's own way...

The main reason for the drive was to visit the Amish community in that region of the state, but also just to take the time to see a little more of the area. We really have seen so little of Minnesota which is a shame but at the same time we already have had such a great break from routine.

When you think about it a little, it is strange in a way that we would take the time to visit somewhere because, for want of a better way to put it, there are people there who live a different lifestyle and dress away from the norm. At home we are surrounded by that all the time yet don't even give it a second thought anymore!

The one thing I can say is that the Amish have the best baked goods! I could of gorged myself on the cinnamon scrolls and donuts we discovered at an Amish homestead (if that is what they are called). Thinking about it the drive was worth it just for those alone. But we did browse around Harmony and pick up a few little bits and pieces at one of the Amish gift stores... I really didn't feel right about the whole "Tour the Amish Community" thing, so we didn't go as far as doing a bus tour. While I am sure they don't mind, they are not a side show attraction but rather just ordinary friendly people getting on with their lives... don't know about the no modern conveniences part though. But I do think Harmony is a good name for the town... was a very peaceful place.

Can I get a... "Witness"?

Mall of America

There are a couple of things you notice after living somewhere like the UAE. Everything isn't better and bigger in the US anymore... they are actually bigger and shiny in Dubai! But at the same time there is something to be said for mega-malls that have more than clothes. Not saying Mall of the Emirates or (the soon to be open) Dubai Mall just have clothes, but they certainly don't have the scope and range of goods that the malls here have. We have really yet to see what happens with Dubai Mall and Mall of Arabia... while they might be nicer they could take note of the concept of having a wider range of goods!


Anyway with GPS help we travelled up to Mall of America because it is one of those things that had to be done. Maybe we are a bit mall'ed out because it just seemed like a mall to us. Not that it isn't a nice one, but the thrift, antique, and big box retailers seem a far more enjoyable experience.
Malls are malls and really not what the people nor the place is about at all... it is the small shops that have the most interesting things, but it would definitely be a nice place to head during the long cold winters to alleviate cabin fever and get some hard earned retail therapy!

GPS enabled!

How did we survive before GPS' became available and affordable! There is something to be said for just sitting back and driving without having to worry about maps or getting lost. No need to even think about which turn to take or what direction to head... just punch something in and enjoy the drive... now for a car that drives itself!

I have decided that I like wind farms... don't know if it was just because I had never driven through one before, or because they break up the scenery. I remember someone at some point saying they were not a good thing because they were an eyesore... I think they were wrong.

It was off to Rochester, the city of the corn cob water tower today on the never ending hunt for K's vintage clothing. Finding thrift stores with a GPS is a much easier task and you end up seeing so much of everywhere you wouldn't normally see. Much more interesting than taking this "main road, turn right, follow the interstate, and..." so on. Garmin directed back roads, small towns, things to see along the way... a far better way to spend your day.