The Promised Land

"I may not get there with you but I want you to know that we as a people will get to the promised land."

A sobering visit to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis situated right at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated. Besides a slightly-tacky 10-foot plastic wreathe over

Room 306, there is nothing else that brings attention to the "man" that was Dr. King.

The "dream" that became the legacy of Dr. King, however, was plenty evident: people of all walks of life, of nations, of religious beliefs, strolling through the grounds of this motel-turned-museum, turning what was the site of his death into a playground for those who are in the "promised land."

Walking through the exhibits and browsing through the books that are housed in this location reminds each visitor of what may have been forgotten or taken for granted over the years since we first learned about this man & his dream. Walking out of the exhibit, visitors stand a bit taller, taking bolder steps as they bring forth a refreshed spirit of not taking this "dream" for granted.

For our family, we leave knowing that we live each day in full expectation of equality because of the sacrifices made by simple folks like Dr. King. For this, we are eternally grateful.

There were plenty evidence, however, of tWhat this trip to the museum , this quote in the picture is the only other significant display of the "man" that was Dr. King. . Sure there were pictures and stories displayed throughout the museum; however, the most poignant reflection of King's heart was in the faces of those who took time out of their day to visit this monument.

Singing in the Rain

For two consecutive years, we've purposely included Lake Catherine, Arkansas, as a part of our travel itinerary. The lake is breathtaking - providing a vast playground for our boys (boating, kayaking, fishing) in the day, and an amazing scenic slideshow in the evening as the lake is blanketed with a delicious layer of fog that spritzes a refreshing coolness to all in its way.

More than the scenery, we value the time with our good friends - Johnny & Donna May. Johnny and Johnny met when Johnny Tang was in high school, and Johnny May was involved with a group called YoungLife. Not only is Johnny May still Johnny's mentor, he was also the one who officiated our wedding.

Our boys have also fallen in love with the Mays and their two dogs, Tucker & Sammy, and listen intently to the stories that they share with us.

Nature is a funny thing - spend a few days with her and all your inhibitions go out the window! Don't believe me?! Well, let me show you (this posted with the performer's permission, of course):

American Idols at Last

Purchasing the tickets to the American Idols Concert in Memphis was the turning point to planning our road trip. Before this "investment," we didn't have anything vested in the idea of spending the summer driving cross-country.

The concert was entertaining, and I don't think we've been to a nicer venue. Well, the venue itself was ordinary, but the staff who worked the concert were SOOOOO nice. One of our four seats happened to be behind the camera set up for the concert, so the staff relocated us onto the floor, about 15 rows from the stage, all the while trying to find us aisle seats so the kids can see, and then apologized for the inconvenience!!

The concert was average, taking the form of a countdown, starting with the 10th final contestant and working its way down to THE American Idol. Of course, Adam and all his posing stole the show; however, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta & Matt Giraud were very very fun to watch. The beginning of the concert was mellow; in fact, we looked down about 10 minutes into the concert and saw this (see picture to left):

Luckily, my Sleeping Beauty woke up just in time to gobble up his brother's popcorn and take in the piano-poundin' Matt Giraud.

Now that the show has come and gone, we are heading West more intently than ever. We are excited to visit with our friends, the Mays, in Lake Catherine Arkansas. After this visit, we will be dropping Johnny off in Albuquerque and then the boys and I will head back home, AT LAST!

Baby No More

Jonah is always going to be my baby boy, I know this for certain. Nonetheless, the thought of him losing that first baby tooth has always made me cringe. His baby teeth are tiny, just as he is in stature. It's part of that "cute" package that makes this little man so irresistible.

Deep inside me, not wanting him to lose his baby teeth was all about me trying to hold on to that baby which will inevitably grow up. But knowing this did not stop me from freaking out after he told me that his teeth were wiggly.

Jonah was in the process of biting into a waffle at the Waffle House in Tunica, Mississippi. He was copying Micah and eating the waffle without the use of his hands. He bit down onto the plate and said, "Ow!" I looked up and saw a spot of blood and nothing else where one of his wiggly teeth once occupied his mouth and yelled, "Nobody move!"

After looking on the plate and the table, I got down on my hands and knees to look on the ground. "Oh, there! No, that's just a piece of hash brown! Oh there...no, another bit of hash brown." 8 specks of hash brown, 3 crumbs, and 2 mysterious hairs later, I found the tooth. Tiny. Sharp. Alone.

Needless to say, the Tooth Fairy made her way into our hotel room;. Jonah's note to TF included a request for TF to leave the tooth for his grandma, and to leave an extra dollar for his brother. Well, after reading this very well-composed note, TF left Jonah with $5, PLUS an extra $1 for his brother.

Oh, she also left the tooth from G-Ma.

Day 25 - Heading East

We travel eastward on Highway 64 towards the shores of Virginia. In fact, we just dipped into Chesapeake Bay via a lengthy tunnel that allows the Navy subs and battleships to cross into Norfolk at their leisure.

Hundreds of gulls frolick above the blue waters of the bay as twilight welcomes the Tangs into their final leg of their road trip before heading back home.

We will spend a night in Chesapeak Bay, and drive the 10 minutes into Norfolk tomorrow to see which Navy vessels just happen to be in port. We shall then head to Virginia Beach where we will spend three days just getting to know the Atlantic Ocean and celebrate Johnny's birthday. Having grown up with the Pacific Ocean as our neighbor, and having walked upon the fine sands of the Gulf of Mexico, we eagerly await the opportunity to impress our footprints on the sandy shores of the Atlantic.

Although we will begin our journey westward in a few days, our road trip adventures will hardly cease. On our list of stops will be Durham, NC (made famous by the Kevin Costner-Susan Sarandon movie Bull Durham (yes, we'll stop off at the ballpark), Nashville, Tunica (Mississippi), and Memphis, TN, for the American Idols concert.

If you know of places we "MUST" stop at, please feel free to email me at mrsarcadia@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook!

Perfect timing, our exit's coming up! Have a good night y'all!

The Price of Baseball!

Tickets to see the Yankees play at the new Yankee Stadium: $100.

Souvenior for the family: $125.

Getting a ball tossed by Mariano Rivera (#42 in pix): Priceless.

Tickets to see the Red Sox play at the historical Fenway Park (home of Green Monster): $160.

Sausage dogs with onions and peppers, soda & ice cream: $40.

Catching a baseball tossed to me by pitcher Takashi Saito (below): Priceless.

Baseball is part of our family. My boys play baseball, collect baseball cards, plan to play in the Major Leagues (right after they win American Idol), and know the stats of many, MANY professional baseball players.

P.S. - The "curse" of the Tangs: home teams lose when we attend. We could not be happier! Go Angels!

THE Banner!

A middle-aged woman, her nieces, daughter, and servant girl sew a flag that outgrows her home and is assembled in a nearby barn. The result: a 30'x42' garrison flag for Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The year: 1813.

A Major and his men defend their fort against the powerful British military; the underdog Americans refuse surrender and, determined to hold the fort, successfully force the withdrawal of British forces the next morning. The Major orders the garrison flag to be raised for all to see. The result, a symbol of resolve visible for miles around. The year: 1814.

A Georgetown lawyer, negotiating the release of his friend from the British military, is detained on a "Truce Ship" overnight. He is 8-miles away, anxiously looking for a sign that the Americans proved successful in defending Baltimore from the British. The result, by the "dawn's early light," he sees an American flag proudly waving against all odds, and is inspired to compose what has become our beloved National Anthem. The year: 1814.

A curious tourist leads her family into the American History Museum of the Smithsonian, promising them a glimpse of a huge flag hanging on the wall, but is unable to recall why that flag is significant. Walking into the great hall, she is met instead with a modern "interpretation" of the flag, comprised of metal rectangles pieced together to form the idea of a flag. The year: 2009.

Confused and doubting her memories, she and her family turn to leave when a small sign catches their attention. They follow the arrows through an entry. Rounding the corner, they are greeted by a blue glow eminating from a glass display case large enough to rival the best window displays Macy's has to offer. As they look beyond the reflections of the crowd, they realize that laid out before them, in absolute attention, in all the glory and prestige she deserves, was THE very flag, THE star-spangled banner which Frances Scott Key saw "by the dawn's early light" on the morning of September 14, 1814, hanging gloriously outside Fort McHenry in Baltimore.

Despite the ominous glow of the temperature & lighting-controlled lab that is now her residence, it is still breathtaking to be in her company.

The moments we spend in this exhibit encapsulates the very reason Johnny and I decided to take this road trip. To be in the presence of such a profound moment in history - to understand the story behind a motion we practice (or in this case, sing) almost every day - is truly priceless!

If you are curious about this star-spangled banner, or would like to share this story with your children, check out the following link:

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_Si/nmah/starflag.htm

The Baseball Hall of Fame

A town straight out of Norman Rockwell's paintings, Cooperstown is the quintessential Small Town USA!

Strolling down Main Street, fathers and sons (and ocassionally, daughters) oooh and ahhh at the display of bats, autographed balls, and rare baseball cards. They do not say "Hello" or "Hi" when greeting passers-by; instead, the salutations shared are slight nods toward the direction of the persons and the words uttered are "Hey, nice shirt," or "Great team!"

Although no memos were issued to any of the visitors of Cooperstown, everyone knows to show up to town wearing their favorite team's jersey and cap.

Spanning only three blocks, everything in this town seems a bit smaller than what I'd imagined. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a lovely brick building that contains the history of America as seen through the eyes of the game of baseball. Still, I always thought this place would be bigger.

Perhaps it was the grandeur Hollywood films add to the hallowed ground of baseball that is Cooperstown, but I for one was a bit disappointed in the end.

Definitely visit Cooperstown if you, your husband, and/or child love baseball; just make sure that you have other destinations on your itinerary to fill in the rest of your trip!

For more pictures, please click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5GLHqvAOaRADEm8bMeobZg?authkey=Gv1sRgCJq09LfTkP_1RQ&feat=directlink

Happy Birthday America!

There really is no better way to celebrate the Nation's birthday than being here in the East Coast. Maybe because this is where "it" all started or maybe as the Country moved westward, a bit of the pomp and circumstance was lost?

About 15 years ago, my sister and I came to NY for the 4th of July and stayed with what was, back then, my ONLY set of married friends. We navigated our way with the rest of New York through overpacked Subways and overstuffed streets. We sat under the FDR (a major highway here in the City) and watched the Macy's Fireworks and felt like we were six-years-old again, giddy with pride and "ooh-ing and ahh-ing" at the amazing display of explosions in the air.

Today, I revisit the City, with 2 kids and a husband in tow, missing my sister and the memories of yester-year. Still, for the men in my life, this is a first. To be in the center of freedom, with the void of the Twin Towers and the presence of the Umpire (as insisted by my 6-year-old) State Building returning our curious gaze, we consider ourselves blessed beyond words.

Passing through Indiana a few days back, we stopped into the local Cracker Barrel Country Store for some country fried chicken and camp fire beef. As we passed through the store portion of the establishment, a 2'x2' plaque with a cutout of a Marine and the words "freedom isn't free" commanded my attention.

Indeed, it is the sacrifice of the men & women throughout the 233 years of this country that affords me and my family the luxury of being an American.

So no matter how we define freedom today, let us say an extra prayer for the individuals and their families of dedicated Americans serving the rest of this country, and make it a point to appreciate their sacrifice.

In closing, at this very moment, I am thankful that I can be chomping on a freshly toasted, authentic Hoboken bagel with fresh, soft, oozing cream cheese and sweetly smoked lox, I exercise my freedom of speech by blogging my own thoughts and posting it for you all to read in real time. Now THAT is freedom.

(Left: M&J at Rockefeller Plaza, celebrating America with hundreds of Old Glory!)

Sparkly Windshield

My legs are propped up on the collapsible passenger front seat. My laptop staring at me, wondering what my mind to conjure up in this next blog entry. I stare ahead at the row of 18-wheelers ahead zooming up Highway 76 going WAY too fast, when the light beams from the oncoming traffic reveal little sparkles on our windshield.


The sparklies are tiny drops of rain splattering against the window. Yep, it's rainy and 60-degrees en route to Harrisburg, PA! In fact, July in the Midwest has begun with unseasonably cool and wet weather.


I packed for everyone in our family, and going with the humid & hot forecast of summers past, packed exactly ONE pair of jeans for each person, and one water-resistant windbreaker.


Last night, we leaned our jeans up against the closet wall, as the three-consecutive days of wearing the same pants have molded them to the very shape of our bodies. Given that the cool weather will last for at least one more day, my forecast is that our jeans will be the ones leading us down the streets of Hershey, PA, as we explore the home of Hershey's chocolate.

Will post pictures as soon as Johnny can remember where he put the camera.

Night-night!