Moving to Mexico: Oh, Boy, it's the Bible Belt.

It's a great experience joining the league of those who have driven cross country. It makes us think of our friend, Josh, who has made the coast to coast journey more than once. How he drove more than 12 hours/day is beyond us. After 8 hours on the road we are shot. Once at our destination we go out for a nice dinner, sampling the local food and culture (no tourist traps/chain restaurants for us), and then go back to the hotel and crash. Last night we ate good southern barbecue.

Yesterday we drove from the northeast corner of Tennessee to the southeast corner, passing through Knoxville and Nashville. The only significant stop we made was Knoxville where we sampled great local food: fried green tomatoes and grits. Dollywood (Dolly Parton's amusement park) was down the road, but we decided to pass given that it was over 1/2 hour out of the way, and all we really wanted was a photo outside the park.

Today we'll pass through Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas, ending in Texarkana, a city on the Texas, Arkansas border (Kansas is nearby, too). That will leave us 3 hours from Dallas, our final destination, where we'll drive tomorrow to stay with friends for a few days before heading south for the border.

It's amazing how many churches we've passed on the highway. I've lost count. And don't forget the crosses towering more than 6 stories high. Ironically I was standing in line at a rest stop urinal (yes, ladies, we occasionally have to wait, too) and this kid in his early teens cut in front of me. I said "excuse me", gently grabbing him on the shoulder. He apologized and moved aside. His friend then started talking trash about how he has taken wrestling and how him and his friends could "take me".

When I finished and walked outside the friend was staring me down. I did as any red blooded male would do - I stared back. He made me want to take him behind the building and beat the daylights out of him. But all that would do is wind him up in the hospital and me in jail. All it would prove is how stupid we both are. So I just headed back to the car. As Al and I drove away I saw him and his friends loading into a church van. It goes to show that it does not matter how often you attend church or what beliefs you profess. What matters is what's in your heart and how you treat other people.

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