10 of 60 - Woody Guthrie Park in Okemah, Oklahoma

 

Driving through Oklahoma can get pretty boring pretty quickly, so I decided I needed another detour. This time I found a park in the hometown of Woody Guthrie. 

 

Most of you probably don’t know who Woody Guthrie is, but when I was in elementary school we had a music teacher that LOVED folk tunes – especially since she taught us music by playing a guitar. And his song, “This Land Is Your Land” still makes me feel like I’m a 2^nd grader in Mrs. Garrison’s class.

 

I got out and spent a few minutes in this lovely little shady park, nestled right on the Main Street – before getting back on the road. And spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Woody Guthrie songs – many of which I had never heard before. They all tell a story, and a few are a bit surprising – but I love all types of music, so spending an afternoon listening to a different playlist was great. (I personally believe that Woody Guthrie was the inspiration for Johnny Cash’s House of the Rising Sun – and you can hear Woody’s version here: https://youtu.be/uX_bEDqxHFw?si=yd0nmC8rDEf2J9Ds

9 of 60 – Giant Coke Bottle, Arcadia, Oklahoma

Although I spent most of my time on I-40, there are a few detours I took to travel along Old Route 66. I live about 5 minutes from Route 66 near Kingman, Arizona -- so I love this old road, and even did a Route 66 Roadtrip (Santa Monica to Chicago) a number of years ago (which was a blast!) 

This time I detoured to Arcadia, Oklahoma, to stop at Pops -- a soda shop on Route 66. In front of Pops is a 66-foot-tall soda bottle (66-foot on Route 66, get it?), which is a popular stop for selfies -- and a great place to get out and stretch your legs. Pops has an incredible variety of Pop (aka "soda") and soda memorabilia. So I grabbed a Pop at Pops -- and a quick selfie -- and I headed back out on the road. (And on a cross-country roadtrip, a little extra caffeine is a very good thing.)

8 of 60 - The Lost Art of Hitchhiking

 

As I was driving along the highway, I suddenly saw this sign. It kindof caught me off-guard. Fortunately, since I usually travel alone I don't typically pick up hitchhikers anyway -- bit it is a bit disconcerting that there are frequent enough jailbreaks that they have had to put up signs. I mean, how often do people around here break out of prison???

My dad told me that back in the 1930s that he used to hitchhike quite a bit. He lived in Preston, Idaho, and attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah -- about 30 miles away. Back in the 1930s, it was the Great Depression, so few families had cars -- and even fewer college kids. But amazingly hitchhiking was a frequent method of transportation for my dad -- especially to get home to see his family. At 6'2’½" and a tall skinny red-head, I doubt that Dad ever looked very menacing.

Seeing this sign reminded me of the hitchhiking story my dad told me -- and that made me smile. If I had seen a tall skinny red-head, I might have stopped -- so it's probably better that no one was thumbing it on this stretch of highway that day.

7 of 60 - Blarney Stone, Shamrock, Texas

 

In the teeny tiny town of Shamrock, Texas, is a piece of the Blarney Stone. Yes, the real Blarney Stone from the Blarney Castle in Ireland. Since my family is Irish, I’ve heard Irish Folklore most of my life – including about the “Luck of the Irish” and “Kissing the Blarney Stone”. 

When in Rome ... or at least in Shamrock, Texas. I figured -- what the heck, right?!?!? Besides, it's been quite a while since any kissing of any type has happened in my life -- so I decided I should probably stay in practice. Just in case.

I can’t say that my luck has changed, but maybe the Blarney-Stone-specific promised “gift of eloquent speech” might find its way to me. I’d even settle for the gift of eloquent blogging.

 

6 of 60 - Buc-ees

One of my favorite places on the road is Buc-ees. IYKYK. If you don't know Buc-ees, you don't know what you are missing. Technically. it's a Gas Station with a Convenience Store -- but it's soooooooo much more than that. They easily have 50+ gas pumps, so no waiting -- and everything is really well-spaced-out (which is helpful because I'm pulling my Box Trailer, which makes my rig about 40-feet long). The bathrooms are huge AND clean, so I know it's a popular stop for Youth Church Trips, etc. (at least 30+ stalls). And the "convenience store" not only has every kind of drink/treat/souvenir imaginable, but it's really worth taking a stroll around -- because you just never know what you will find that you just cannot live without. 

And -- most importantly -- they have the BEST meat sandwiches (I'm partial to the Brisket), Beaver Chips (homemade potato chips that are AMAZING), and Beaver Nuggets -- which are kindof like Caramel Popcorn, but better. It's not necessarily a quick in-and-out type stop. But on long roadtrips a few stops to get out and walk around and stretch is a good thing. (And this is a 27-hour drive -- so a few long stops is helpful).

I made the necessary detours in the store, grabbed some yummers for dinner-while-driving, and then ran into Buc-ee himself. (Like literally, because I was distracted deciding on which sandwich I wanted and he had snuck up behind me. OK, so it's rare that a 7-foot Beaver can sneak up on anyone -- but the sandwiches really are that good.) So, I grabbed a quick photo with Buc-ee -- because I didn't realize they had a mascot that walked around the store, and when else are you going to have the opportunity for a photo with a 7-foot Beaver.

Buc-ees -- they are mostly just in Texas and around the southeast (this one was in Amarillo), but I heard that we might be getting one Arizona soon. And even if it's a little out of your way, Buc-ees is TOTALLY worth the detour.

5 of 60 - Second Amendment Cowboy

Near Amarillo, Texas, I stopped to see the Second Amendment Cowboy. He's just along the side of the road, and it's probably hard to see the large handguns at his feet. (It was a REALLY windy day, as my wild hair clearly indicates.) 

It's just a 20-foot tall cowboy with guns -- but a tall guy with guns is always going to get my attention. 😆

And although it's just a fun roadside attraction, I also fully support what it stands for. We have a Second Amendment to give us certain rights -- and those rights need to be maintained and protected. (And I found George Washington's quote to be eerily insightful in today's crazy world.)

Take a minute and review the first 10 Amendments in the Bill of Rights here: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/bill-of-rights

Our forefathers were pretty smart, and these have been the guiding principles for the United States of America since December 15, 1791. And every citizen should not only know these amendments, we must ensure that they are supported for everyone. We cannot stand idly by while the rights of others are violated -- or we could easily be next.

4 of 60 - Petroglyphs National Monument

As I drove along, another site popped up on the map. I stopped for gas and saw signs pointing the way, and decided I had time for a quick detour. Down near Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the Petroglyph National Monument. This includes a Visitors Center and a number of trails. There isn't any fee and you don't even need to check-in to visit. 

I took one of the shorter trails and walked for a little while -- but it's pretty hot mid-day, so I definitely recommend hitting this early in the day. (And take lots of water.) The petroglyphs are 400 to 700 years old, and drawn by Native Americans and Spanish settlers. 

I don't know how they drew these -- and some you can tell are definitely part of a story. And a few are even in some pretty tough-to-get-to-places. But to me it's amazing that these drawing have survived the harsh desert climate for hundreds of years -- when even my deck needs to be re-stained every few years because of the intensity of the desert sun.

3 of 60 - The Continental Divide

As I was driving along, I knew it would be a long, multi-day roadtrip -- so I wanted to find a few stops along the way, just to break things up. The first one was The Continental Divide. I'd heard of it before -- and might have even stopped somewhere along I-70 or I-80 at some point, but this was a little nothing-stop along I-40 -- and I was ready to get out and walk for a few minutes. I didn't realize what the Continental Divide even was: as the sign says, all the rain that falls West of it flows into the Pacific, and all the rain that falls East of it flows into the Atlantic. And it literally divides the continent -- from Alaska, through Canada, into the U.S. (Montana through Yellowstone and on through New Mexico) and continues south through Mexico, all the way to the tip of South America. 

You can see it, even from miles and miles away -- and it really is pretty amazing to think how intentional this amazing world is. Even down to the smallest detail, God planned it all perfectly for us. Even down to how the rain flows into the oceans -- God has a plan for it all, and for each one of us. And just like I didn't know how the Continental Divide works, still it works. And just like I don't always know what God's Plan is for me, that works too -- I just need to have faith in it. 

2 of 60 - Truck with Tree Growing Out of It

On the way home from the Hualapai Mountains, we passed this fun old truck -- with a big tree growing out of it. We both commented, so Cheri flipped the car around and we decided to take a couple of pictures. Because sometimes something cool shows up in your path. And it doesn't matter how busy your life is if you don't make the time to enjoy the cool things that come along. Enjoy the journey.

Cheri & Gena - June 2025

And then Cheri sent me this older picture (below) -- from the first time we met. We were in a Facebook group together, and I posted that I had an upcoming weeklong vacation, but little money -- so she invited me to come stay with her in SoCal. Her kids were terrified that she invited a stranger -- who could have turned out to be a serial killer -- to stay with her for a week. But we became instant friends. And a few years later she sent her daughter to come live with me for a while in Provo. And a few years later she drove 6-hours to surprise me for my 60th Birthday Party. 

Cheri & Gena - June 2017

Sometimes it's a truck with a tree growing out of it. Sometimes it's a stranger that becomes your best friend. Because things don't just happen by chance. God has a plan for each of us -- and we just need to be paying attention.

 

1 of 60 - Hualapai Mountain Resort

View at the top of the Hualapai Mountains

One of my best birthday presents this year, was that my friend Cheri Johnson spent 6-hours to drive up from San Diego to surprise me at my 60th Birthday Party -- and spend the whole weekend with me. After a very late night (or would that be a very early morning?), and sleeping out on my back patio, we woke up Saturday morning famished. There was a restaurant I'd always wanted to try -- and I'd heard had fabulous Saturday Morning Brunch, so off we went.

I live near Kingman, Arizona -- and it's usually pretty hot here. But less than an hour away are the Hualapai Mountains -- and they get quite a bit of snow in the winters. This was the perfect chance to get out and have breakfast with a friend while exploring these mountains. 

Cheri has a new car, so she drove and I navigated -- and we chatted and laughed and caught up on our lives. As much as I love a New Car smell, the smell of the fresh clean air up in the mountains was absolutely intoxicating. You couldn't help but take in big deep breaths of the cool air -- with just a hint of pine.

There's a lodge, cabins, and a couple of campgrounds at the top of the Hualapai Mountains. We stopped first in the cute little General Store, and met the nice lady that works there -- then headed to the restaurant. The buffet is simple, but good/fresh/clean -- so I loaded up on bacon, and Cheri dug into Biscuits & Gravy. And we chatted and laughed and caught up some more. Our poor waitress kept checking on us, because we were there for a while -- but eventually we were stuffed, and decided to head on out. 

Before we piled back into her car, we stopped again and took in the beautiful scenery. And, of course, snapped a few Selfies -- to commemorate the occasion. PRO TIP: You should always do the Selfies BEFORE a large breakfast. Trying to smile AND suck-in-your-gut is much tougher! 😉

If you're in the area, take a detour to the Hualapais -- the scenery alone is worth the drive. And the Saturday Morning Brunch is delish. More details: Hualapai Mountain Resort - https://hmresort.org/ 

Cheri and Gena - June 2025

60 New Places in My 60th Year

    I tend to get reflective around my birthday, and this year was a biggie -- so as I thought about the past 60 years, I decided to look forward to the next 60. (Yes, that IS optimism!)

    For this 60th year, I want to get out and see more of this great world. So I've set a goal to get to 60 New Places in My 60th Year. Fortunately, with a friend visiting, I got a couple of new places in over my birthday weekend. And I have a few roadtrips planned this year, so I'm going to try to rack up a few more.

    Because the best parts of this past 60 years has been LIVING this life -- and many of my best memories have been when I have taken a leap and did something outside of my comfort zone. And I'm not really very good at Selfies, but I'm gonna try. My mom always hated having her picture taken, so we have very few of her, especially over the age of 60 -- but I'm just going to muddle through some bad selfies and focus on LIVING. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The purpose of life, after all, is to LIVE it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."