It always sounds so glamorous, so spur-of-the moment, the
epitome of freedom: the American “Road Trip”!
The movies portray them as a dive into the heartland of America,
experiencing landmarks and cuisine like one has never experienced. That is, until you have had your second round
of the runs as a result of the twist on the carnival fry bread. That’s when you start to think: what the heck
am I doing in Hays Kansas and how far is it to the nearest hospital (just in case!). The gas stations or “truck stops” are a whole
other story. I always tell my
husband…”No truck stops!” but sometimes you just don’t have a choice when you
are flying down the open road and nature calls.
I mean, what is a road trip without road snacks and a giant Diet
Coke. Forget New York, no congressman in
Oklahoma would even consider the possibility of banning the Big Gulp! What would the truckers do? What would I do?
The adventure began last week as we left the metropolis of
Denver to journey into the great unknown of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I would encourage you all to road trip
through the heartland once in your life.
Where else could you find the “Jesus is Lord” truck stop or meet Bob
Meaty at the Whataburger. Yes, I did ask
Manager Meaty if that was his real name…I just couldn’t resist!
If your TV can be a bonding experience, then I have to
resign myself to the fact that Swamp People, Man-vs-Food, and Diners Drive Ins
and Dives are part of this coffee talk mom’s world. That is why, to please the teenage boy in the
back seat, we maneuvered our way to several “Triple D’s” on our journey.
Our friends in OK City have been part of our lives for 17
years. With them, we can laugh until our
stomachs hurt, cry at loss, and celebrate new beginnings. With that in mind, we started our day at the
Oklahoma City Bombing memorial. Tears
fill your eyes when you see the empty chairs for each victim and the small
chairs representing each child who was killed that day. It was definitely worth the trip, since my
youngest was born the week of the event, and we quickly forget the history of
these events when our lives continue on at 80MPH.
OK, back to the new beginnings: Mary was not at all
surprised when we had the address to our lunch destination: Mama E’s chicken
and waffles. The funny part was, as we
approached the yellow…hum…restaurant, she said “I have never been to this part
of town”. How have you never been to ANY
part of OK City after 6 years? There are
no words…just happy, helpful people willing to take our order over a steamer
table. Ahh…what to order? Mary went for the burger dog (see photo…and
keep in mind she couldn’t actually fit her mouth around it to take a bite), and
the rest of us did some combo of chicken…and ummm waffles? Suffice it to say, Kool-Aid was on the menu
and we were off to the races and some indigestion! The kid’s eyes were rolling back with every
greasy morsel as we sat in more of a storage type of area than the
restaurant. They definitely saw us
coming and the $10.99 special was not offered.
We didn’t care…we were experiencing the real OK City! It’s all part of life. Skip the McDonalds drive through and head for
adventure…
NEXT: Road Trip #2
Happy Days,
Coffee Talk Mom
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