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Detroit, MI - St. Louis, Mo - Oklahoma City, OK - Amarillo, TX

It all began in March, my friend Cody wanted to move out to Portland, OR and I wanted to visit some new cities along the way. We packed up his car and hit the road from Detroit to St. Louis. It was mostly a straight shot there except for the only roadside attraction we could find...

The World's Largest Covered Wagon!!! (It gets cooler, I swear!)

Now I know it isn't the most exciting thing in the world but neither was driving through the farm lands of Illinois (the trip gets a lot more interesting, i promise). We stayed on the outskirts of St. Louis and after our first 8 hour stretch we were ready to hit the hay.

Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri

The next morning Cody and I went to explore the Meramec Caverns, a legendary place where the infamous Jesse James Gang used as their hideout. In the middle of the caverns tour you reach the deepest point in the caves and they shut off the lights. I have never known darkness like that. I put my hand in front of my face and still could not see a thing, very freaky!

(Sorry for the quality, I took it with my phone)

The end of the tour really caught my surprise though. There was a 70 foot rock face where they put on a light show and play a video on it to the tune of God Bless America with what looks like an Exxon Mobile Commercial. Missouri is the most patriotic place I have ever been.

At the end of our spelunking trip through Missouri, Cody and I pushed on to Oklahoma City. This is one place I never thought I would visit but it was a perfect 8 hours from St. Louis and we needed to rest. As luck would have it, there was a hotel right next to a Punk Bar and Bowling Alley and on Tuesdays (which it was a Tuesday) they have live punk bands play.

The Drunken Fry, Oklahoma City, OK

The first band (that's the video above) just cracked me up with songs about Battlestar Galactica and being old. At one point they all took their shirts off and things started to get weird but I highly recommend spending a Tuesday Night In Oklahoma City at the Drunken Fry!

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial in Oklahoma City, OK

The next morning we set out to the site where Timothy Mcveigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. The site of 168 deaths and over 680+ injured. I have never visited a place quite like this before. There is something in the air there that looms over the memorial, constant military, police and security guards everywhere you look and that weeping statue really brought down that beautiful day , at least until we got back on the road.

The Big Texan Steak Ranch, HOME OF THE 72oz STEAK! Amarillo, TX.

In 2 1/2 days we have gone from Detroit, MI to Amarillo, TX. We have covered a lot of ground and it was time to pig out. I first learned about the Big Texan on the Food Network. Having been a chef most of my life, I loved watching all the different shows on that channel, but one was probably my favorite....

MAN VS. FOOD

(photo from the internet)

I am not the powerhouse eater Adam Richman is but I did enjoy some steak, potatoes and their specially brewed beer. The Big Texan is by far one of the biggest tourist traps I have ever been to in my life but I am happy I went. They have interesting art, shooting gallery and some of the finest steak and milk Texas has to offer.

Coming up in Chapter 2...

Roswell, New Mexico - White Sands, New Mexico - Jacumba Hot Springs, CA - San Diego, CA

Please comment on any thoughts or anything and lets start chatting! Thanks!