The Great American Road Trip of 2014

I just got back from a twelve day road trip out west and back.

I'm a firm believer that everyone needs to travel out west at least once in their lifetime. My first out west experience was last summer during my trip to Yellowstone.

While there, I fell in love with the outdoors and gained a new appreciation for the life I was blessed to experience. I realized what a beautiful country I live in and now that I'm home, I find myself constantly craving a mountain view.

We left from our home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and traveled through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. We got to see Cadillac Ranch in Texas, the Grand Canyon in Nevada, Caesar's Palace in Vegas, where I did some illegal gambling, Sequoia National Park, King's Canyon, Yosemite, the Redwoods, and San Francisco in California, Salt Lake City and the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and Pike's Peak and the Manitou Indian Cliff Dwellings in Colorado.

All in all, the trip was 6,056 miles. It was a long and tiring journey, but I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. I got to witness this beautiful country and sights that many don't have the chance to see. I loved soaking up every moment of this adventure and embraced everything I encountered.

I got the chance to talk to Native Americans about their culture, walked the streets of Chinatown where I tried bubble coffee, conquered a mountain, and so much more. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our road trip:

 The beauty of California

 At the top of mountain I climbed

 Calico ghost town

 Hugging a tree in Sequoia 

The roadsides of Arizona are lined with stands full of handmade Native American arts

Eating My Way Through the United States: Memphis

While my family and I began our road trip to California, we stopped in Memphis, Tennessee, to grab a bite to eat for lunch.

We found ourselves stumbling across Charles Vergo's Rendezvous, a little hole in the wall known for their ribs. 

Rendezvous is down a little alley and in the basement of an empty building, and if you blink, you'll miss it! But don't let the seemingly sketchy appearance scare you off, the food is fantastic. 

I ordered the half-size ribs which came with coleslaw and baked beans. 

The ribs were perfect; the meat fell right off the bone! This was my first time having dry-rub style ribs and I was very impressed. The flavor was great, not too spicy but gave enough heat to satisfy those who crave spices. The coleslaw was phenomenal. I'm not one for slaw, but this was out of this world. The slaw is vinegar based, and I'm a vinegar lover for sure. The flavor was great and complemented the ribs very well. And to top it off, the beans were delicious. I'm a fan of baked beans and was definitely a fan of these! 

Outside of the women's restroom, an apron signed by THE Julia Child. 

Birth Control's Out, Vasectomies and Viagra Are In

As I'm sure you all know, Hobby Lobby won their lawsuit. This means that they will no longer have to cover certain types of birth control that they have deemed as "abortion pills" (despite having factual evidence disproving their claims) but will still continue to cover vasectomies and Viagra.

This hypocrisy does in fact prove that they have no problem supporting safe sex when it comes to men, but have every problem supporting women in their personal choices- a private choice that should be handled between a woman and her doctor, not her boss. And even though Hobby Lobby's owners preach about their concern with birth control and abortion, they will continue buying the majority of their supplies from a China, a country that has one of the highest abortion and birth control rates in the entire world.

Birth control has many, many purposes other than controlling birth. It helps with acne, diseases such as endometriosis, chronic ovarian cysts, and plenty of other things that greatly improve the quality of life for the women who rely on their birth control. Vasectomies serve one purpose and one purpose alone: to prevent pregnancy. Let the hypocrisy sink in.

It's upsetting and disgusting that we live in a world where our leaders would support such an insane idea that directly opposes women. As a Christian and a woman, I fully disagree with Hobby Lobby and their choices they have made in the name of Christianity and urge my readers to take their crafting somewhere else. I heard Michael's has a good sale this week.


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