Memphis, TN - Everything I thought it'd be and more. Looks like a thriving area that would have a great night life. Too bad I was only there during the day. I stopped in Memphis to get lunch and ended up ordering a catfish burger. (*Note to self- The South really isn't vegetarian-friendly at all. In Nashville, the only viable thing that I could eat was a grilled cheese sandwich). 
After lunch, I continued on I-40 West, across the bridge, and passed into Arkansas. The drive wasn't as exciting as I would've liked it to be. The roads were bumpy and full of potholes, and there wasn't much to look at in terms of scenery. Just miles and miles of flat dust fields.
At around 4PM, I drove over the border into Oklahoma. By the time I go to El Reno, OK, I think I drove close to 14 hours. Thought I'd be exhausted, but I couldn't get myself off the steering wheel. I almost had to force myself off the road or else I probably would've driven through the night. Stopped in a motel 8 on the side of the highway. Sh*tty room, but what would I expect? I swear, I could hear the people upstairs. I woke up a few times during the night to the sound of footsteps. For a moment, I thought someone was in my room...only to realize that the sound was coming from upstairs.
Anyway, this morning, I had a slight detour; headed back to Oklahoma City, or to the airport to be exact to get my car serviced. Last night, the 'maintenance required' light showed up on the dashboard, which almost threw me into a panic mode. But, I've driven the poor car over 1,500 miles so it's no surprise.
The repair/maintenance service took 1 hour. I was back on the road by 8:40AM. The rest of Oklahoma passed by fairly quickly. Hit the border of Texas ab about 10 AM. Drove through much of the state before stopping in a Mexican restaurant that served authentic Mexican food. I didn't recognize half the items on the menu - no burritos or tacos. Instead, the waitress recommended that I get the 'Chiles Rellenos" - a giant jalapeno pepper stuffed with cheese and covered in eggs. It was different from any Mexican dish I've had so far, but it was delicious.
Before I knew it, I was back on the road. By 3PM, I had crossed into New Mexico. After driving close to 8 hours straight, I was ready to collapse. But I still had a good hour's drive ahead of me before I got to Santa Fe. The drive from the border of Texas to Santa Fe was beautiful, particularly after I merged onto I-25 where for miles and miles it was just me and the road - no other cars could be seen.
At around 5PM, I drove into downtown Santa Fe where I immediately found parking before marching straight into the Santa Fe Plaza to grab dinner.
The original Santa Fe is a beautiful, quaint pueblo town with strong Mexican influences. The narrow streets are lined with buildings made of clay and small stores specializing in Indian art and pottery. The town is totally walkable as I covered more or less two-thirds of the town in m y half-awake, zombie induced state.
The time is close to 9PM - I'll probably explore a little more of the area tomorrow morning before I head out to my next Pit Stop: Taos, New Mexico.
Stay tuned :)
