I AM IN LOS ANGELES! It’s crazy to think that I’ve been here for over two weeks now. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’m embracing every moment that comes my way. I apologize for not blogging sooner with photos – between moving in, building furniture, visiting friends, and exploring my new surroundings, I’ve actually had very little down time (just the way I like life). I’ll try to post photos of some of my California adventures soon, but first, the (second) road trip! Without further adieu, here are photos from our Mother-Daughter excursion, from start to finish.
We started out our journey with a visit to New Jersey to see my mom’s cousins. Do I have photo documentation of this event? Sadly, no. You’ll just have to take my word that we had a fantastic visit. Everyone was so sweet and caring, and they showered us with homemade pierogies – yay! Mom and I would’ve liked to have stayed longer, but we continued forth that evening until we stopped in the quaint town of Cumberland, Maryland. It’s nestled in the mountains and is at the very far left-hand corner of the state, minutes from West Virginia. Here are some shots from the center of town the following morning:
The town has an old fashioned railroad station. I initially approached the train for this…
…but ended up being way more entertained by the icicles on the train itself!
I love Maryland. The name might have something to do with it.
Mom and I continued on to West Virginia, driving down a road that twisted and turned throughout the mountains. It was a blast! We stopped in the capitol, Charleston, for lunch at the Bluegrass Kitchen (fun fact: apparently Jennifer Garner is from Charleston…or so my West Virgina guidebook told me). The restaurant was really cute, and I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in and Sufjan Stevens was playing. Mom and I had incredible sandwiches – mine had artichoke hearts, avocado, goat cheese, and free range chicken…heaven. We were also grateful to the staff for directing us around a HUGE traffic jam in the city. It was so kind of them, and we would’ve been stuck for hours otherwise! This next photo is of the awesome ceiling/chandelier at the restaurant.
Mom and I made it from West Virginia to Louisville (or as Mom calls it, Luh-ah-ville), Kentucky that evening. We had a lot of fun exploring the city the next morning.
Mom by the Ohio River:
My mom is super friendly. She meets new people wherever she goes!
A friend recommended that we check out the 21C hotel and art gallery. It was so much fun! Here’s Mom looking at a gorgeous photography exhibit called “Faces of Fooshegu” by Lindsay Cameron.
There was a great projection by the elevators! The letters swirled around us when we moved.
A parafin wax portrait of President Obama. SO cool.
The red penguin seems to be the 21C mascot.
Me by the hotel/gallery
Mom and I continued on our journey (or really, eating tour of America) to Toast on Market. Anywhere that has breakfast available all day is good in my book, but this place was awesome. Not only did I have a majestic gingerbread latte, but my lemon souffle pancakes were complete perfection.
Before I continue, I must explain something. My mom (Trudi) is an avid quilter. Actually, she’s an amazing crafter in general – she’ll pick up a new artisan skill and have it mastered before I even read the first step. Mom had one stipulation for our trip. If we were going to cross the country, we had to stop in Paducah, Kentucky so she could visit the National Quilt Museum and Hancocks of Paducah fabric store. I will admit, I was not super pumped about this excursion, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was interesting seeing all of the incredible handwork on the quilts, and the town itself was adorable. Here’s Mom, psyched to go into her destination:
We weren’t allowed to take photos in the quilt museum, but it was a good time! My favorite was the Beatles quilt that was on display – every portion of the quilt referenced an album or song.
Upon stopping for the night, Mom and I were especially thrilled to find this guide to Paducah waiting for us in the hotel room. We used it wisely.
We went to an awesome deli/bakery called Kirchoff’s the next morning. It was one of my favorite stops on our trip! They made a great turkey reuben (one of my favs) and delectable cookies.
There was a coffee bar/bookshop/knick-knack store attached to Kirchoff’s. Coffee bar?! Yes please!
The lighting was a bit difficult, but it didn’t matter. The joy had to be documented.
My heaven will totally smell like this mecca of coffee beans. Mmmmmmmm.
Kirchoff’s exterior design was also awesome!
We left Paducah and headed to St. Louis for a quick stop at the arch. Mom and I were both so excited to see the arch from a distance while we crossed the Mississippi River…but it was SO misty, we didn’t see it until we were literally driving right next to it. While it wasn’t the picturesque day I had imagined, I think it made for some cool ethereal photographs.
We decided to push through Missouri and drive until we hit Tulsa, OK. As you may recall, Oklahoma is not my favorite state. Those sentiments did not change on this second trip. I was certain that we’d have no problem finding a place to stay that evening, but it turns out that there were “races” nearby. Mom and I lucked out and got the very last room available.
The next morning we drove to Oklahoma City to see the Memorial and Survivor tree. I was so struck by the positive message that resonated throughout the memorial. Rather than focusing on the loss and tragedy of the bombing, the memorial focuses on gratitude and life. Mom and I were both very touched by these tiles painted by children around the country. “Can’t we all just get along” especially affected us.
The rain and fog felt very fitting.
The “Field of Empty Chairs” represents those who lost their lives in the bombing.
This American Elm survived the bombing. Although initially blackened, it continues to bloom each year.
The bomb went off at 9:02am. They have a gate at the front that says 9:01 and one at the opposite end that says 9:03 to represent the before and after.
Now for a much different tone. We continued from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Texas to the Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch is simply ten Cadillacs buried at the same angle in the ground, and people come and spray paint them. Mom and I didn’t have any spray paint with us, so we just enjoyed the quirky visual 
We had some visitors! This can’t be good for the cows…but apparently they get let out around here all the time.
Chuck, Ashley, Jon, and Lisa, I don’t know who you are – but we got our picture taken with your names.
After doubling back for an amazing burger from “Blue Sky” restaurant, we drove on until we hit Santa Rosa, NM. We stayed at a hotel right along old Route 66 and saw some fun sights the next morning. Mom was especially excited to see a replica of Mater from the movie “Cars.”
I loved the kitschy sights along our drive:
Mom and I had a beautiful drive from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe. Naturally we played the Newsies soundtrack several times. We decided to pull over to capture our deserted landscape…here’s Trixie, looking good (okay, and a bit dirty). That’s one of my mom’s quilt creations in the back!
I lovvvve this photo of my mom.
Driving on to Santa Fe – this visual is great.
Santa Fe is AWESOME. It has such a fun feel – there are bright colors and interesting structures everywhere. There are so many great galleries, shops, and eateries, it was impossible to see everything in a day. We were also blessed with great weather during our visit!
We went to Cafe Pasqual’s for a delicious lunch. I loved that turquoise door!
Colorful decor inside:
DINER MUGS. The Costa family collects these gems at all of our favorite eateries, so of course we bought two mugs from Cafe Pasqual’s. Diner mugs must be this shape, and they must have the restaurant’s logo on them…otherwise, no go!
Chili peppers galore!
Sights around Santa Fe:
Unbeknownst to us, Mom and I wandered into a glorious bead shop. We ended up staying for quite some time! Truds also makes beautiful bead necklaces (I am wearing one of her creations above on the way to Santa Fe) and she let me pick out some new treasures – we had a blast. The ladies at the store were kind enough to let me take photographs, “so long as they didn’t end up on a porno website.” Haha, hardly!
We visited the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church still in use in the United States. It was breathtaking.
We then headed to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase…
According to the story, nuns at the church prayed for days for a way to get up to the choir loft. A stranger appeared after their novena and built this incredible staircase. The staircase lacks any kind of support – it’s a perfect spiral. The stranger then disappeared without ever asking for payment.
Mom and I finished off our day with a meal at the Plaza Cafe - love the broken dishware on the walls!
It looks like Mom is pointing to Albuquerque, but she wasn’t…
We left Santa Fe the next morning to head towards the Grand Canyon in spite of tales of an approaching snowstorm. We hit a lot of snow on our drive and stopped in Williams, AZ for the night, where we were told that they would get five to seven FEET of snow – even to us New Englanders, this seemed nuts! We had a healthy Pizza Hut dinner and went to bed, assuming we would not get to see the Grand Canyon the next day.
We awoke to blue skies and a gorgeous day. It barely snowed after all!
After taking one look at our surroundings, Mom and I decided to venture to the Grand Canyon.
Walking to the canyon…where is it?
OH, there it is! It was awe-inspiring and no photos could really capture it, but I tried!
In spite of a nasty cold/cough for Mom and warnings of torrential downpours in Nevada and California, we decided to head to the Hoover Dam. We managed to grab a couple of quick shots mere minutes before the downpour started!
Similar to the previous day, we were told the weather would be horrible in the morning – but once again, we had blue skies! God was looking out for us. We went back to the dam to explore a bit more.
They are building a huge bridge on top of the dam, so eventually people will drive directly over it instead of around it.
Suzy wouldn’t be allowed on the dam!
We took Trixie to a nice spot overlooking Lake Meade. Doesn’t she look lovely, dent and all?
Mom and I were amazed by Lake Meade and the construction of the Hoover Dam. It was incredible!
We arrived in Los Angeles in the midst of a monsoon. Okay, that might be a dramatization, but I haven’t seen such intense rainfall since…oh right, the LAST time I arrived in LA! We safely made it to my new home and thus began the unpacking frenzy.
Mom and I had an awesome time on our road trip, and I am thrilled that we were able to do it together. Great memories were made! I’m so lucky.
by Mary
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