I-40? Right?

I-40? Right? Asked Shawna on day one of our trip. I could only respond with laughter knowing that we would be taking 40 West for three days, all the way to Phoenix.

I would say we had a successful first day. We all had a chance to try out the rental, a Dodge Journey, a pleasant surprise considering we requested the smaller ford escape. And it's a good thing because we need EVERY inch of space we have. It's a daily game Tetris loading us into this car. Apparently, us ladies need to learn how to travel a little lighter.

Our only sightseeing for the day was the worlds largest treehouse in Crossville, TN. What a pleasant surprise. It was creepy, as expected, but I wasn't aware of the religious associations. It has a very well articulated chapel inside, with pews, choir, alter, and balconies all inside an unexpectedly dramatic three story space.
An added plus was that the act of climbing ten stories while circumambulating the building at each level was a great way to stretch your legs. Congrats to Jimmy for making it all the way to the top! (I just wasn't brave enough to climb the ladder suspended over two flights of stairs). Thanks Horace, for building it, and inviting all of us to visit.

We also stopped in Nashville for dinner at the Whiskey Kitchen, a great suggestion by Rachel, our director of activities and recreation. My overall impression of Nashville is a good one it seems to have an active nightlife, which is more than I can say for Memphis which seemed to be completely abandoned, so much for partying on Beale Street.

Our drive to Memphis was tough one, hopefully the worst of the trip. It rained the whole way. Thanks to Jimmy for being brave through all of that. And thanks to Verizon unlimited data and Netflix instant streaming for keeping us well distracted through the whole experience. Thankfully we finally figured out the windshield wipers when we got to Memphis and it stopped raining.