Arkansas was the next state on our list. As we crossed the border we stopped at the sign to take a picture and then continued north east. The air conditioning still refused to work. It would be cold for ten minutes and then do absolutely nothing for the next 30. We raced down Interstate 40 and would quickly close the windows every time the AC kicked in to relieve our suffering from the heat and humidity temporarily. Although Arkansas had lots of nice scenery I would never be able to live there due to the heat and humidity.
After a long time in the car we made it to Memphis. Just outside of memphis we passed the License Plate "YOUGOOD" which was a definitely a notable experience.
When we got to Memphis, the first thing we did was find a good BBQ place. We decided to go to Central BBQ and when we got there the line went out the door and around the block. Finally we were seated and ordered. The portions were huge and my half rack of ribs which came with a salad, beans, a roll and fries was very filling.
On the way out of the restaurant we noticed some cool street art and graffiti outside the establishment.
From Memphis we continued on into Nashville. Tennessee turned out to be a much bigger state than I had expected. I didn't realize that it crossed two time zones until we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel in Nashville and I checked my phone to notice that the time it showed did not match the time on my car's clock. After a quick google search, I realized that we had gone forward an hour. We were all tired from the drive from Memphis to Nashville and quickly fell asleep after checking in to the Comfort Inn and Suites.
Upon waking up the next day, we hailed an Uber and headed to the Nashville Hot Chicken festival. This turned out to be an amazing event. We had nothing to do that day and had heard about it through a friend so we decided to give it a try. At the festival there were tents selling chicken, trailers selling chicken, pop up chicken stands, a giant strawberry lemonade acting as a lemonade stand, and a live band. I tried three types of hot chicken, my favorite by far was one variety with pickles on it. Who would have thought? Pickles and chicken!
After the chicken festival we walked around downtown Nashville. The main street (Broadway) was closed off and a stage was set up with different bands performing. People were already setting up their chairs and blankets along the river getting ready for the biggest fourth of July fireworks show in the United States with over 60 thousand shells and a quarter of a million people in the streets to watch them explode.
The fireworks were amazing and after they were over people quickly got up and began to walk in different directions. We headed back to our hotel.
The next morning we got up and quickly continued east. We stopped at Virginia Beach where we rented a suite at a hotel and recovered from our journey across the country. The next two days of lying on the beach were great. Finally we headed north along 95 through Maryland, Delaware and finally my Home State New Jersey. Before the trip was over, I drew this map of the route.
I hope you enjoyed the Great American Road Trip Series.
Here's the link to part 8-
https://steemit.com/travel/@aaronburt/great-american-road-trip-part-8-car-wreck
Be sure to UPVOTE, FOLLOW, and RESTEEM
--Aaron