My strongest memory from today is driving to Paducah from Memphis. I took a bunch of back roads (now over 7000 miles btw on the odometer). It was raining hard and the fields next to the roads were flooded, but then, as I approached the Mississippi River, everything was engulfed in fog. I could barely see 6 feet ahead of my car. Going over the bridge, which was higher elevation, it cleared up, and then wasn’t as bad. But, boy was that scary.
Another crazy thing was I woke up with a bad headache, sweating and feeling nauseous. I think my motel room made me sick because I started feeling better soon after I drove away. The room didn’t seem that bad, but I guess it was.
So, the tourist highlight for today, as recommended by my friend Kathi, was the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. Unbelievable work. There was a special exhibit HERstory, a celebration of strong women, highlighting their ground breaking accomplishments, created by quilt artists. They were amazing! And then the regular collection was even more so. When I get home, I’m going to learn to quilt. This was all the inspiration I needed.
After looking at a map I decided to drive east to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky, and Lake Barkley State Park Resort to be exact. I got a great deal online and its so nice, I’m staying an extra night. The view from my balcony is stunning and the rooms super comfortable.
What I learned today: 1. Quilting is a really complicated art form; 2. Walmart in Paducah has the exact same food as the one in North Platte; and 3. Fog can make everything seem to disappear, including the road ahead.
