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coltraneandcoffee: You won't have much time to see anything along the way on that schedule except I-40, which I think is a shame. I like to take back roads and see the people in the small towns and soak it all up. BTW, I like your screenname! (I like John Coltrane!)
Hi Danielle! Catman is right. Take your time. Don't know a lot about your area but I've been on I-40 from Memphis all the way west. The old Route 66 traverses this route and there are a couple of cool Route 66 museums in Oklahoma. Tucumcari is one of my favorite small towns; lived there in the early '80s. It's 2 hours east of Albuquerque. And load up that CD car player with his Blue Note "My favorite Things" release from 1957. Good luck and be safe on that highway!
Seems to me this is your trip and you should decide. I suggest telling, not asking, you father that if he wants to co drive it will be on your terms.
Greg W-Yah Ill try that and see how well it flies But really, I appreciate the time you took to help plan out each day--planning for a trip across-country AND moving out for the first time on my own...theres always the possibility of missing some details and making the drive longer than it needs to be. So, thank you
And I told him to bring a book. But I have the feeling it will be me who is doing the reading and not the driving.
Cindy: we do have AAA...I hadnt even checked that out! Its about time I used it for something...
catman- THANK YOU! Im 22 and just about NO ONE my age knows who John Coltrane is...which is just a shame really. And I hate interstate roads....I-40 is what I want to avoid at all costs whenever possible....love those back roads....really show the character of an area.
DoubleH- Oh I will definitely be bringing some coltrane with me on the trip. And if I get to spend some decent driving time on 66 then Im sure Ill be breaking out the Johnny Cash, too. I will have to take a look at the map to check and see if 66 and 40 are somewhat parallel or not because that would be great! Ive never been this far west so Im sure these are things ya'll consider common knowledge
Also, checked your profile and see that your dad is Cherokee! Thats fantastic--Im mixed myself (thought more than two things...very much a mutt) and that includes the Chitimachas nation. Part of the reason Im moving to NM is so that I could 'give back' a bit and teach on the reservation, although its not anywhere close to my own tribe. Are you involved at all with the native community in your area?
Thank you everyeone for responding about this, Im always so pleasantly surprised when people write back so thoroughly for a complete stranger. I hope the rest of NM is like this... I cant wait!
Last edited by coltraneandcoffee; 04-11-2008 at 05:40 PM..
Reason: asked doubleh a question!
C&C - we really get our $$ worth out of AAA. I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow for Puerto Rico (pre-planned, or the vaca would be in NM!) - all flights, hotel & rental car are via AAA. I'll let you know how it turns out when I get back!
Hi Danielle! Catman is right. Take your time. Don't know a lot about your area but I've been on I-40 from Memphis all the way west. The old Route 66 traverses this route and there are a couple of cool Route 66 museums in Oklahoma. Tucumcari is one of my favorite small towns; lived there in the early '80s. It's 2 hours east of Albuquerque. And load up that CD car player with his Blue Note "My favorite Things" release from 1957. Good luck and be safe on that highway!
Well, for road music on this trip, you've just got to have Nelson Riddle's "Theme from Route 66." You can download it for free here at the Nelson Riddle official website ( Nelson Riddle - The Official Website ). Just right click on the speaker next to the song name and select "Save target as . . ." from the dialog box and you've got the MP3. Stick it on your MP3 player and start playing it about the time you hit Tucumcari, and then watch the lane markers go by in sync with the piano line of the tune.
Also, get some Tony Hillerman to read or listen to along the way. It'll give you a feel of where you're going to be working. I recommend these titles (some available as audio CD's, too): Tony Hillerman: The Leaphorn and Chee Audio Trilogy: Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time & Coyote Waits CD (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels); The Shape Shifter; Dance Hall of the Dead (set on the Zuni reservation), just to name a few.
Well, for road music on this trip, you've just got to have Nelson Riddle's "Theme from Route 66." ...Stick it on your MP3 player and start playing it about the time you hit Tucumcari, and then watch the lane markers go by in sync with the piano line of the tune.
Check at your closest Cracker Barrel for books on tape or CD. They'll charge you for the full price up front, but then refund the difference less a rental fee ($3/week or so) when you turn in the book/CD at any Cracker Barrel. And the way to keep Dad from driving like a demon is to keep the car keys away from him. I had one like him when I was growing up, although by the 4th cross-country move he'd mellowed considerably and we stopped to see the sites.
CandC - thanks, but it didn't take long to find a route using a road atlas. BTW the AAA atlas is a good deal.
In any case take some time to enjoy the trip (A & I once drove from western PA to western Oklahoma in one long day) and stop and see some of the "fly over states".
As far as moving out and being on your own take advantage of the Visitor Info and the school system. Look for a cheap place to rent until you get settled. Keep life simple to start (heck, keep it simple always). Be aware that NW NM is so completely different from upstate NY that nearly all you instincts will be wrong, so stay flexible, curious and adaptable.
Also, get some Tony Hillerman to read or listen to along the way. It'll give you a feel of where you're going to be working. I recommend these titles (some available as audio CD's, too): Tony Hillerman: The Leaphorn and Chee Audio Trilogy: Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time & Coyote Waits CD (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels); The Shape Shifter; Dance Hall of the Dead (set on the Zuni reservation), just to name a few.
I actually know some people who were the characters for the Dance Hall of The Dead book.
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Thank you!!
But really, I appreciate the time you took to help plan out each day--planning for a trip across-country AND moving out for the first time on my own...theres always the possibility of missing some details and making the drive longer than it needs to be. So, thank you
