Tim, John and the VW Beetle TDI departed OKC and the very nice Colcord Hotel--complete with Bulgari amenities. The Colcord takes the prize for “best water pressure” in the shower. The roads were long, the temp was hot, and the sky vast. Our Beetle was serving us well with a cool cabin and 37 mpg. We rolled into the Texas panhandle and stopped in McLean…home of The Devil’s Rope Museum, to tour the largest collection of barbed wire along with Route 66 memorabilia. Entering the dark museum we were greeted by Alta, the Asst. manager of the property. We signed the guest book on the same page of recent visitors from Kuala Lumpur, The Philippines, Paris, and New Hampshire. John questioned Alta about the guest entries and they became fast friends. Tim went to the restroom and admired the various types of wallpaper in a truck theme.

Once Tim and John reunited, Alta turned the lights on in the museum. Some of the highlights were the 48 star U.S. Flag, a whole room dedicated to how barbed wire “tamed the west,” and a showcase of Route 66 bric-a-brac. Head over to the Focus Group Radio Facebook page to see all the pics. At the museum we were sent on our way and told not to miss the original Philips 66 filling station, the worlds largest cross in the western hemisphere, and the “Leaning Water tower of Briiten named after the leaning tower of pizza which was in Britain.” We did not make this up.

Driving through Texas was what we expected. The landscape was foreign to us and neither thought they could survive in this vast land. Continuing the journey into New Mexico we finally got into cooler weather and Wile E. Coyote terrain. Headed on into a rain storm and The Beetle got a much needed de-bugging right before Santa Fe. Late afternoon and 532 miles since OKC we arrived at our listeners recommendation…The Inn of The Turquoise Bear, also known as The Witter Brynner House. After a quick shower Tim and John shared a glass of wine with a cadre of guests and the Inn Keepers Robert and Ralph. After a few stories, highlighted again by the Meramec Caverns, Tim and John headed to Guadalupe’s for dinner and rewind for the final Friday push to The Luxor Las Vegas. We have met wonderful people along the route and cannot believe it is Friday. The Beetle TDI is fueled and ready for our next leg of the journey. Photos and more at the Facebook page, Focus Group Radio.

Day 3 continues with our now trusted friend, the silver 6-speed diesel turbo VW Beetle TDI. The temperature from St. Louis to Oklahoma City never varied much below 102 degrees. With the air pumping and car loaded with provisions we still managed to get a little over 39 mpg. Our first stop after a very restful night at The Moonrise in Missouri was the impossible to miss Meramec Caverns. Yes, there were more than two dozen billboards plastered along I-64/route 66. We planned to go anyway so the hype was a much appreciated affirmation. Pictures do not do the inside justice. It is a not a national park, but a “show cave.” Worth the 20 bucks alone if you get our “John Candy” like guide complete with ill fitting tie and pail of fountain soda. It was a memorable July 4th as the tour climax included a Kate Smith rendition of God Bless America in the cave cathedral replete with a homespun light show manually conducted by our guide. The loud clacking of the fuse box type ancient light switches were the perfect compliment to the spectacle. The only thing funnier about the tour was the fact that we met a couple on their 3rd visit.

We were soon back in the V-Dub and headed to Route 66 and all points West. Leaving Missouri after about four hours we rolled into Baxter Springs Kansas. All we can say is a twister may have just gone through as it was desolate. We had a piece of Sasquatch jerky and headed to Oklahoma. We were getting tired. Tim wanted to put in his Mandarin Chinese Living Language CD to continue his and John’s lesson…ni how ma…but they opted for some road tunes in order to not be hypnotized by the endless straight highway.

Finally at 6:30 Central Tim and John arrived at the Colcord Hotel in OKC. After a freshen up…a walk to the Oklahoma City National Memorial was necessary. Very well done and a great tribute to those lost on that horrific day.

We asked a local where we could get the best burger in town. Not sure we got it, but we ate fried green beans and burgers at the S & B Burger Joint. Star Wars was playing in the restaurant so John was happy. John wanted a chicken sandwich, but opted for the burger after Tim’s scowl. Desert was a salted caramel bacon homemade pie called a Hot Mess. Our server at the S & B bid us a farewell with, “Have fun tomorrow driving through nothing!” Tomorrow The Beetle TDI takes us to Santa Fe, New Mexico. God Bless America and Happy 236th. Photos and more at the Facebook page, Focus Group Radio.

After not a lot of sleep at The Lafayette, Tim and John decided to grab a real breakfast at the Busy Bee in the Harmar area of Marietta. It was a great down home breaky…although we were the youngest in there by decades. Tim and John enjoyed a scene right out of central casting. One of the regulars, Rusty, asked Joe if he had seen the headline about Anderson Cooper being gay. Joe replied, “Who?” Rusty says, “The news guy on CNN.” Joe replies, “Oh him. Who didn’t know that?”

Off to wild and wonderful West Virginia and some very nice road--thank you, Senator Byrd. Into Kentucky with some unremarkable roads and landscape. Seems that horse country somehow missed I-64. We did stop for lunch at what Tim thought was Crate & Barrel, aka Cracker Barrel. Tim got the meatloaf special, John got the salad…a surprise choice.

The car handled well and we averaged close to 39 mpg for the 9 plus hour trek to St.Louis. First stop the arch. Glad we did it, but we were hot and tired. It’s a racket, but a 50 Year old engineering marvel and something to see in person. After going to the top in an MRI/2001 type pod, we headed to our hotel, The Moonrise. Think Kimpton meets Schrager. Very hip and cool. Lindsey prepared a month aged rye manhattan with brandied cherries. Hmm. Jason, the commander (front desk clerk), at the Moonrise recommended Pi for deep dish pizza. Our waiter David was a movie buff, and John chatted with him about films.  Of course “American Beauty” came up. Tim hated it, John loved it, and David was nonplussed. Ain’t that America?

Tomorrow it is off to Oklahoma City in the Beetle TDI, but first we tour the underground Meramec Caverns as we start the Route 66 part of our journey. Photos and more at the Facebook page, Focus Group Radio.

Day one of The Focus Group Cross Country Adventure did not disappoint. Amtrak delayed the Philadelphia start, but our Beetle TDI manual six speed turbo diesel made up for the schedule lapse. Starting at iconic Boathouse Row in Philly, Tim and John cruised to the Steel City—John’s place of birth. We did make a quick stop on the PA Turnpike where the food choices were limited, a Farmer’s Market sat empty, John found a salad, Tim had a Whopper and both got the dry heaves from a fellow diner. The Beetle TDI averaged close to 40 mpg. Considering all the hills and city driving we were delighted. We pulled into Pittsburgh at 3:30pm and the first stop was Edward Marc Chocolatier. Our friend Norm met us and we had a lot of laughs. Soon Christian, Mark, and Albert from Edward Marc hosted us in the store for sampling of the best chocolate on the planet. But not just chocolates. They also have The Milkshake Factory. We cannot do it justice. Tim and John agreed for a change that they could not pick just one. The Bacon Milkshake with REAL bacon was a favorite for Tim, John, and Norm—a great brunch alternative. We obviously got off schedule, but we’re so delighted to see our friends in Pittsburgh.

You can order the chocolates online or get them at Saks. Do it. Tim and John headed up Mt. Washington to ride the incline. John had fond memories of riding as a kid with his granddad. We loved the nostalgia and great views of the city.

Next stop Marietta, Ohio. Tim and John checked in to the Hotel Lafayette where the past is still present. John remarked that he would not want it any other way. Tim went to college in Marietta and John sometimes feels like he did. Both walked the campus and John remarked about its small town wonderful feel with the brick streets and pleasant folk. John also remarked that he now understands why Tim comes back each year for Homecoming. After a walk through town we ended up at The Adventure Galley. We met Bryan and Justin who convinced us to have the unappetizing sounding bratwurst soup. It was delicious. After dinner, a Blue Moon and a treat we bought from Edward Marc, our first day is complete.

Tomorrow the Beetle TDI, Tim, and John head to St. Louis via West Virginia, Kentucky, and all points west. Tim remarked that John did great with the manual six-speed. Photos and more at the Facebook page, Focus Group Radio.