Today we continued our trek to Nacogdoches. This was the place where dad’s grandfather lived before he moved to San Diego and met his wife – which would be my dad’s grandmother.

We stopped in Rusk for some breakfast – at a diner that his grandfather would have likely eaten at. We convinced our waitress to be a Seahawks fan. (She was rooting for Philadelphia – and that’s not a mistype.)

Really good southern breakfast at this little place.

After breakfast we continued on through eastern Texas towards Nacogdoches. The street signs were helpful.

We expected the land to be bleak and char-broiled like western Texas – but far from it. The landscape was heavily tree-covered and had lots of really nice rolling hills and VERY nice houses. Good deer country.

Log trucks in Nacogdoches.

Another riveting view of the road.

Finally we got there. The small town wasn’t really so small at all. Over 30,000 people in Nacogdoches! According to the history on the map we bought it is the oldest town in Texas (1779) and had many of the famous western names stay there, live there, and buried there. People like Sam Houston, Davy Crocket, and others. (I’ll post more here later.)

Main Street was having it’s red brick road re-done – but we managed to get a few pics of the “down-home” feel of Nacogdoches.

After we poked around downtown we went to get a map of the area to match up with the map of the oil wells. We ended up doing our laundry at the “Washeteria”.

Coincidentally, across the parking lot was a car wash. So while waiting for our clothes to wash and dry we washed the truck.

After we washed it and it dried, we noticed we did a poor job. Streaks and smears everywhere. Well … that just WOULD NOT do. So we gave it another quick wash with a rag.

Perfect!

Then, it rained.

We took off from the “Washeteria” towards the road with the oil wells. Unfortunately we did not find the precise location (the two maps did not totally jive together) but we drove through the area. Again, very beautiful stuff.

We headed north towards Arkansas, then through Arkansas to Memphis.

Again, not many pics today – but with Graceland and Nashville tomorrow, I should have pics galore! (I promise Dan!)

Tomorrow: Graceland, Nashville

Road Trip Links:

• Road Trip: Washington Arrival
• Road Trip Day 1: Shelton to Fresno
• Road Trip Day 2: Fresno to Yuma via Tehachapi
• Road Trip Day 3: Yuma, AZ to El Paso, Texas
• Road Trip Day 4: El Paso to Jacksonville, Texas
• Road Trip Day 5: Jacksonville, Texas to Nacogdoches, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee (You are here)
• Road Trip Day 6 (Part1): Graceland
• Road Trip Day 6 (Part2): Nashville, Tennessee
• Road Trip Day 7: The Road Home