The Road to Memphis, TN

The rides are less scenic these days. Driving from St. Louis to Memphis kind of resembled the NJ Turnpike's southern half. Pretty non-descript.

It was about a 4 hour drive from St. Louis to Memphis & my first stop was the Stax Museum of American Soul.

After a 20-minute video chronicling the history of the label, you're able to wander through the rest of the museum to see some of the other exhibits. Some great musicians recorded here - Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Staples Singers, Booker T & The MG's, Sam and Dave....the list goes on.

I actually had a chill run through me when I walked through the studio where so many of these musicians recorded.

One of the flashier exhibits was Isaac Hayes' 72 Caddy with gold-plated everything, including the windshield wipers!

My hotel for the night is one of the nicer ones - Springhill Suites, a short walk to Beale Street.

I took a walk towards Beale St., where a friendly homeless man (Cliff) asked about coming to my place for dinner. Boy did I have bad news for him!

Beale St. reminded me very much of Bourbon St. - some cool history, but mostly a place for tourists to go and get drunk. The street is closed off to traffic and lined with bars selling lousy beer in big plastic cups.

I stopped to see WC Handy's home.

He's credited with being the "Father of the Blues", writing "St. Louis Blues" and "Beale St. Blues".

It's a really small house where five kids were raised (but still bigger than my apartment). He ultimately moved to NY and opened a publishing company not too far from my place on 52nd Street & 6th Ave.

From there I strolled back up Beale and listened to some cover bands playing on the street.

And kids doing back flips on the street for money.

I had a night of music planned seeing bands at both Rum Boogie Cafe and Blues City Cafe.

Guy Venible was playing at 5:30 at Rum Boogie Cafe & I was hungry. I heard a few songs and was all set to order some food when the lights went out! At first I thought it was just this bar. Then I heard sirens and realized it covered a bigger area in downtown Memphis. I promptly offered to purchase beer at half price to keep them from having it go bad, they declined.

I was pretty sure my hotel would be far enough away from this and would still have power. I walked up Beale St. and the party moved out onto the street, since the power was out and the AC wasn't working.

Still hungry, I was in search of something quick to eat. About 4 or 5 blocks from Beale on Madison Avenue, I found that the Madison Avenue Cafe had power and "food". On the menu was something called a "Memphis Dog". When in Rome....

It turns out this is a hot dog with cole slaw and BBQ sauce. Not too bad when you're hungry.

But around 8:45 I was having my doubts as the police had floodlights shining down the street. I thought that having to walk back to the hotel in pitch black wasn't a good thing, so I left. A few blocks away, in front of the Flying Fish, the lights suddenly came on! You could hear a roar from the crowd on the street! Maybe because they could actually see their way to the bathroom.

About face to Beale Street! First I had to pass through a police security check and the metal detector revealed nothing. I found it interesting they didn't do anything when there was no power.

After a few photos with the lights on, I returned to the Rum Boogie Cafe to see the Blake Ryan Band.

They're a blues band that plays mostly covers from bands like the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Stevie Wonder and even Pink Floyd. They were pretty good and worth every dollar they didn't charge at the door!

One odd thing tonight...people were lighting up their cigarettes in the bar. It seemed like they were breaking some law, but they weren't. Tobacco is still King here in the South. Clothes right into the laundry bag!

St. Louis is Baseball Heaven?

It was a manageable 3 1/2 hour drive across the Show Me State of Missourah (at least that's how it's pronounced....I don't see it). I arrived at the new Busch Stadium around 11:30 this morning for the 1:15 pm start between the Cardinals and the Phillies.

I was excited to see the new stadium and experience St. Louis baseball - despite Kevin's claim that they are all "motherless, godless, criminals."

St. Louis has a reputation for being a great baseball town. The fans show up for the games in their red Cardinals gear and love "El Hombre", Albert Pujols. I thought, with this kind of a reputation, I should experience it on a baseball tour. After all, the PA Announcer welcomed the fans to "Baseball Heaven."

The new stadium is a major improvement over the old Busch Stadium - a concrete doughnut, multi-purpose stadium. The new park, opened in 2006, still includes a view of the Gateway Arch and also displays some of the history of the 128 year old team.

There's a row of bats atop the scoreboard that shows the years of their World Series Championships (10 total, a distant second to the Yankees 27).

There's also an impressive list of retired numbers - both on the left field wall

and below the scoreboard in centerfield.

There are even sculptures of former Cardinals greats (they all seem kind of small though, maybe they should have used some of McGwire's steroids on them) like Stan Musial,

Bob Gibson,

Lou Brock,

and Ozzie Smith.

There's even a sculpture of Auggie Busch - one time team president and maker of some pretty lousy beer.

One of the things salvaged from the old stadium - the out-of-town scoreboard from the final game.....and the Cubs lost.

I wandered around looking for lunch options, but didn't see anything that really jumped out at me. They offered all the typical stuff and things like Philly Cheesesteaks (why would I get one in St. Louis?) and hot dogs wrapped in bacon. I ended up with Chicken "Tenders" and a Goose Island Honkers Ale from Chicago (guess there's no good beer brewed in St. Louis).

As for the fans, I was not that impressed with them. They were all there sporting their Cardinals red, however they didn't seem too knowledgable on the game. One guy sitting behind me was wondering if Cole Hamels still had his perfect game going in the second inning - Hamels had struck out the first five batters he'd faced. This guy was busy talking the whole game about the Yankees for some reason and how awful they are (they have the best record in baseball, by the way) and that they're in such an easy division (4 of the 5 teams in the AL East have a .500 record or better, while the NL Central - the Cards division - has 4 of the 6 teams with losing records...hmmm). Another fan was ready for the 7th Inning Stretch at the end of the 6th inning - 1/2 inning early. And I didn't hear much cheering for the Cardinals until the 10th inning, when Pujols came up to try and win the game. Even the scorecard was lame. At the end of each line where you'd total up the stats for the day, it only listed AB, R, and H - no RBI. But I guess that wasn't necessary on this day.

Maybe I'm being a little critical. Maybe it was just really hot and everybody was suffering from dehydration - and me a little cranky. But I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be.

As for the game, the Phillies won in 11 innings 2-0. The Cards managed only 1 hit all day against Cole Hamels and the rest of the Phillies bullpen.

After the game, I took a short walk over to the Gateway Arch and took the tram up to the top (beats climbing 1076 steps).

The Arch was built in the early 60's and designed by the same architect who designed the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport, Eero Saarinen. It's 630 ft tall and 630 ft wide. Up at the top there are 16 windows on each side that are only 7 inches tall. Not sure why they had to be this small.

The observation room gets pretty crowded and it's tough to get a view out of the windows. But it was something to do!

I'm spending the night in a Days Inn south of the city and planning the next leg of the trip - Memphis, Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Think I'll be able to find some good BBQ along the way!

Oh, and by the way, I actually had a SALAD from Panera Bread tonight!

Kansas City, Here I Come

Wednesday, July 23 was just a short 189 mile drive (about 3 hours) to Kansas City, MO. I'm beginning to see more police on the highways now, so I must be getting closer to the East Coast.

I headed to Kauffman Stadium for the 1 pm start between the Royals and the Blue Jays (O Canada will be sung too).

Kauffman/Royals Stadium has always been one of my favorites and was a key stop on this tour. It opened as Royals Stadium in 1973, re-named after their long time owners in 1993, and then renovated a few years ago.

There are statues to former Royals players George Brett

and Frank White

and also their former manager Dick Howser.

Each of their numbers has also been retired.

They also have a Royals Hall of Fame with memorabilia of not only the Royals, but all professional baseball in Kansas City (like the A's and the Monarchs of the Negro Leagues).

Included in the exhibit, the scorecard, bat, and home plate from the infamous Pine Tar Game in 1983.

My ticket was free today thanks to a friend of a friend who works as the Director of Event Presentation & Production for the Royals (translated...he produces & directs everything on the jumbotron). Yet another excellent seat and also undercover - perfect to stay out of the sun and the potential rain.

Lunch was a Sheboygan - some sort of sausage, but it was a name I didn't recognize so I knew I needed it - and a Boulevard Pale Ale (KC Brewed). Both were tasty. The two ladies seated next to me insisted that I have the last bite of their Cinnamon Roll from Stoudt's. I couldn't say no and it was also good (warm too).

The game lasted a tidy 2 1/2 hours, with the Royals winning 5-2.

Royals starter Zack Greinke (defending AL Cy Young winner) pitched 8 innings, striking out 9. The Royals lineup had so many no-name guys that Wilson Betemit (a guy who sat the bench for the Yanks in recent years) was batting cleanup for them.

After the game, I was given a brief tour of the Stadium video operations area in the press box. I'd like to say I found my dream job, but there are a lot of games in a season - plus weekends! And the offseason isn't really an offseason.

I checked in at the Q Hotel & Spa in the Westport District of Kansas City and got ready for dinner at Oklahoma Joe's BBQ, which came highly recommended by a few people.

For starters, I had to travel across the state line into Kansas (all of 2 miles) where the place was situated inside of a gas station convenience store. When was the last time you ate something good from a gas station? Beef jerky???

Second, the line was out the door and I was told by a couple of regulars from Ohio (yeah, Ohio...in town weekly for "business") that it would be 30-40 minutes and well worth the wait.

The line was kind of like the line for a ride at Disney. It looks short on the outside, but then once your inside you see that it winds through the entire place!

My Ohio friends told me I was in for a treat...it was Wednesday! Every Wednesday is Burnt Ends Night! You'd think that would be a bad thing. But you'd be wrong.

According to About.com, Burnt Ends are trimmings from beef brisket and considered a delicacy in the BBQ world. According to Ohio Mike "it's a big pile of Goodness!" Both are accurate.

The wait turned out to be exactly 35 minutes. Ohio Guys were right on, so how could I not get Burnt Ends? Paired with sides of fries and spicy slaw and something called Texas Toast (which looked just like toasted Wonder Bread).

The Burnt Ends were delicious, the fries plentiful and a bit over-seasoned, the slaw superb, and the toast.....well, untouched.

I did consider asking if my meal included a tankful of gas (for the car), but thought better of it.

I left just before 8 and the line was still out the door. They're supposed to close at 8:30 each night...maybe they just lock the door at that time.

If you're ever in the area, try phoning ahead for take-out (913-722-3366). You can download their menu at oklahomajoesbbq.com. You'll be glad you did!

Santa Fe to Wichita, KS!

Monday's breakfast in Flagstaff should have been a sign of the frustration I'd experience for the day.

I thought - start the day off with a bowl of Raisin Bran! I filled the bowl, but couldn't find the pitcher of milk (a hotel staff member was refilling it). So while I waited, I went to fill my cup with coffee - two drops left! Ok, orange juice. Just then, the milk re-appeared. When I poured some into my bowl, I saw it was lumpier than it should be. Food poisoning is never fun, especially on a road trip!

So I dumped it all, checked out, and went up the street to Starbucks for an Americano (with fresh milk), an egg sandwich, and no food poisoning!

Out of Flagstaff and on the road to Santa Fe, NM - about 5 1/2 hours along I-40 East and then north on I-25 for about 50 miles. A pretty easy trip.

Along the way there were plenty of Native American craft shops & casinos beckoning. Despite the temptation, I pushed on to Santa Fe.

After checking in at the luxurious Super 8, I drove the 4 miles to the historic district of Santa Fe. Since it was lunchtime and there was a brewpub nearby (Marble Brewery), I thought I'd get a little bite to eat and then wander around town to take pictures. The limited menu featured pizzas or "calzones". I chose the "calzone" (using quotes because this was no calzone). It was more like a mini-quesadilla with pepperoni.

After lunch I wandered around town looking for photo ops. What I found was that the historical buildings were now Coldwater Creeks or J Crews. Kind of a disappointment.

Next stop was the Santa Fe RR Station for some photos and maybe a toy for my nephew Jack's 5th birthday in a couple of weeks.

I managed to get the photos, but the gift store was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (the two days I'd be there). Swell.

That night after dinner at the Blue Corn Cafe, I planned on stopping by Evangelo's for some live music. But the only people in the place were the band and the bartender. I decided to call it a night.

Maybe better planning would have made Santa Fe more enjoyable, but it was kind of a dud to me.

Tuesday's goal was to get to Wichita, KS. Not that Wichita is some great destination. It just makes Wednesday's drive to Kansas City more manageable for a 1 pm Royals/Blue Jays game.

I was on the road by 9 and before I knew it, I was in the flatlands of NE New Mexico. I-25 N to US 56 E to US 54 E for those following on their maps at home. 579 miles, about 9 hours with a few stops.

While the landscape may be boring, at least I was passing through towns. Unlike the desert, I had things to look at along the way.

I actually cut through the panhandle of Oklahoma (my first visit here!) on my way up into Kansas. This included a lunch break in Guymon, OK at Yesterdays Diner. Pretty unremarkable, except for the fact that everybody looked at me when I walked in. Maybe it was the Yankee t-shirt. Maybe it was the fact that I'd showered on this day. Or maybe it was the fact that I'd lacked tractor dust on my clothes. Whatever it was, it was a nice break from driving for 45 minutes.

Perhaps the highlight of the drive was about 5 minutes across the Kansas state line.

I rolled through the town of Liberal, KS. I somehow doubt that in this big Red State, that Liberal was actually a Blue speck!

Even Haliburton had a location here!

But even more unbelievable than that is the fact that Dorothy's house from the Wizard of Oz is located here!

For $5 you can tour her house and other Oz memorabilia - located at 567 Yellow Brick Rd (where else?) in Liberal.

The house was actually built in 1907 and resembled Dorothy's home in the movie, which was enough for the governor to declare it the "official home of Dorothy Gale" in 1981.

I, however, had a lot of driving left and just snapped a quick photo from the road. I also was trying to stay ahead of a storm that was north of my route to Wichita.

The report on the radio was that severe weather was in the area, including the possibility of tornadoes! Great, I'm in Kansas for a couple of hours and I'm already going to get sucked up into a twister like Dorothy!

Anyway be sure to visit Dorothy's house on your next trip to Liberal!