The original plan is in pink & the variations are circled & in orange.

We varied by traveling Rt. 66 a bit, then a side trip to Portales, NM to find a missing cousin, we completely eliminated Vegas & Hoover Dam. We scooched across Rt. 160 East & resumed the original plan at Limon, CO.

Charlie and John Hall on West 4th, Huntington, August 12, 2004.

The morning of our departure, John is preparing to leave for Japan for almost a year. We're sure going to miss him. We were glad to get to visit before we left.

Our first night in East St. Louis. How fortunate. An antique mall!

A big storm was a'brewin' and it was downright cold.

Crazy hair - Day Two of the trip.

Ah...a more controlled mess of hair. Wonders what some painstaking hot rolling can do for a do!

We reached Oklahoma and veered off the beaten path to travel Rt. 66.

We really did get our kicks!

We ate lunch at Dowd's on Rt. 66. Best catfish I've ever eaten in my life!

We spent some quiet time at the Oklahoma City Memorial.

This is the entrance. Engraved into the wall are the words “We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.”

The Gate of Time 9:01 a.m., the peaceful minute before the bombing. The reflecting pool is in front of the gate.

The outside of the memorial is covered with thousands of mementos and gestures of love.

Caddy corner from the main memorial is this statue with his back turned, his head in his hand.

"And Jesus Wept" engraved at his feet.

Each chair represents a life taken on that day. The chairs in the first row represent those who died on the first floor, second row, same, etc.

Billie Nunn at the Nunn Family Reunion in Lawton, Oklahoma.

The boys.

A cousin.

The cousins together.

The girls.

Janet & Aunt Ethyl.

Joe & Grandson. Carroll & Bob from left to right.

Ron & Aunt Ethyl.

Taylor Nunn & Charlie Hall in Portales, NM.

After the family reunion, we visited Earth, Texas, population 1,109, established 1924.

Had to stop and play a dollar at the Rt. 66 Casino in New Mexico. Of which I promptly lost.

We then spent the night in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico and visited Billy The Kid's gravesite.

They had to put a cage around the site due to the tombstone being stolen several times in the past.

Another marker in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico near Billy's grave.

From there we landed in Winslow, Arizona, where I was standing on a corner...

Notice the flat bed Ford? That's a mural.

The murals on this wall were fantastic!

After the Grand Canyon, we made a roadside stop to view the Little Colorado River on the way to Cameron.

We decided to stay over in Cameron, AZ after the Canyon trip. We used the chair to keep anyone from taking the view.

Sunset in Cameron over the Little Colorado.

The sunset right before dark.

The next day we stopped at Four Corners.

Utah, Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico each have their state flags along with the flags of the Indian Nations represented - Ute, Navaho & Hopi Indians.

Mesa Verde National Park was next.

Indians from eons ago made their homes in the side of mountains and farmed the tops.

We stopped in Durango, Colorado after Mesa Verde and found a great view of the Animas River with a private deck.

The Durango & Silverton steam train runs between the river and our hotel.

In Durango - Charlie never has looked more relaxed!

Notice the Happy Sox? It was COLD in Durango.

We stayed two nights though. It was Day Eight of the journey and I was weary.

We made it to the Continental Divide.

Notice my clenched teeth? It was about 40 degrees with the wind gusts. Wolfe Creek Pass was under construction & it took an hour to get through it.

Treasure Falls where legend has it, gold is in the hills from the 1700s. The falls are waaay up there in the center.

A group of 300 entered Ute Indian territory with only two to return years later telling tales of how the leaders cached the gold. No one has been able to locate it to this day.

We crossed Kansas to Abilene where we ate lunch at the Brookville Hotel.

Did you know Wild Bill Hickock was marshall of the town in 1870?

The owner, Mrs. Martin tells me about her daughter Brandy, depicted in the mural onstage.

This room is Brandy's Opera House.

Constance Ernatt painted the murals. The mirror behind the actual bar is a painting.

This is the opposite wall from the bar & its mirror. She did a fantastic job!

This room is called The Spirit Room.

Apparently, Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, Kansas.

After Abilene, we found Milford Lake, near Junction City, Kansas.

This was the best camping spot I've ever stayed.

Here's the view of the lake. It was right there!

The sunset that night was gorgeous.

The only negative was this creepy spider I found on the air mattress the next morning. ICK!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next day we made tracks toward St. Louis for our last overnight of the trip.

Charlie letting off a little stress at a roadside stop in Kansas.

Did you know that Kansas is the Sunflower State? I think I'm meant to live there...

We made it to St. Louis and traveled on to Mt. Vernon, Illinois where we finally found a hotel.

This is mostly what we saw in Illinois & Indiana. The landscape began to resemble home.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. There's no place like home!

And today, I can honestly say, we're not in Kansas anymore!