Day 24: Mat goes home! (sniff!)

Well, readers, it was a bittersweet day indeed! It has been 24 days since we left Tacoma, WA, drove across our fair country, and delivered Mat safely into the arms of his Creator, Clark Whittington, in Winston-Salem, NC.  I can't believe it is all over and that this is our last blog post! It was a beautiful spring day and before we got to Clark's place we stopped (and made one last new friend for Mat) at a pre-fab home design center,Topsider Homes, that happened to be in the neighborhood.  Victoria is thinking about building a house and wanted to take a quick tour of the facilities.  One look at our cool Art*o*mat® sweatshirt "uniforms" got the associate from Topsider interested in Mat and our quest and he happily posed for one last on-the-road photo.

The associate from Topsider Homes loved meeting Mat and receiving some art samples

It was great to finally see Clark's home and art studio and we were greeted by his friendly pooches, Jethro and Ellie May, (and his cool human wife, Julie, too) and treated to a tour of "where the Art*o*mat® machines are born." We saw at least a dozen machines in various states of artistic rehab including the very first machine he created back in 1997.

Mat is happy to be home with his Creator, Clark Whittington

The Original Art*o*mat® from 1997 in Clark's studio

Ahhh, the room where ALL the Art*o*mat® art is sorted and stored!

Mat at home in the studio with his "brothers"

Clark treated us to a delightful lunch at a restaurant that hosts an Art*o*mat® machine called Mary's where we dined al fresco. It was nearly 80 degrees today! Then we took a tour of a few more local joints that hosted machines (there are 8 or 9 machines at various venues scattered throughout town) including a co-op gallery and an über hip coffee shop, called Krankie's Coffee, where the iced decaf americano totally hit the spot!  Our visit with Clark was short and sweet and it softened the blow of finally letting Mat go... hopefully to a good new host-home someday soon!

Checking out another machine in Winston-Salem: Krankie's Coffee

Our drive back out west begins tomorrow and it just won't be the same without the metallic bangs and clangs of Mat coming from the back of the minivan.  It truly is the end of an Epic Art*o*mat® Road Trip and we appreciate you, readers, for taking the trip with us. THANK YOU!!!!!

The End.

Day 23: Atlanta White House, Smoking Gun BBQ, Giant Peach Watertower

We left Alabammy this morning and made it to North Carolina by evening but we're still a ways away from Winston-Salem so we will be delivering Mat to his home tomorrow.  I can't believe Our Epic Art*o*mat® Road Trip is nearly over!!! The weather cooperated for three photo shoots with some great roadside attractions today.  In Georgia, we stopped at The Atlanta White House Replica and the "Smoking Gun BBQ" at The Rusty Nail Pub.  Then we pushed on through South Carolina but had to stop at the breathtaking giant Peach Water Tower in Gaffney.  The sunlight was just right and the pink blossoms on the trees made for a springy photo with Mat (with a gigantic peach coming out of his head!).  We hope you enjoy:

Mat wonders if any "Real Housewives of Atlanta" live in this White House replica!

The White House is 1/3 scale of the real thing and the hedge reads "God (hearts) You." Gardeners busy as we took this.

Mat with the Smoking Gun BBQ at The Rusty Nail Pub in Atlanta, GA.  The gun really smokes while the BBQ is lit!

Corky and Mat are impressed with the Smoking Gun BBQ. Too bad we didn't get to see smoke come out of the barrel.

It's a giant peach water tower! Gaffney, SC

Mat and the Giant Peach (on his head).  Gaffney, SC

Day 22: Heading East, World's Largest Rocking Chair, El Camino Chicken

We left New Orleans literally running from the rain in Louisiana.  They had 15 inches in one day and flooding in towns like Lafayette, where we'd been just two days ago. The skies were threatening through Mississippi and Alabama but we lucked out, grabbing a photo with Mat here and there, moments before the raindrops came down.  Spring has definitely sprung here in the south and we enjoyed views of dogwood blossoms, some funky pink thistles, and white, purple, and pink flowering trees along the highway.  Azaleas are also out in full force.

Mat says "Hi, Y'all!" from the "World's Largest Rocking Chair" in Gulfport, MS

Our first stop was the "World's Largest Rocking Chair" at the Dedeaux Furniture Factory in Gulfport, Mississippi. It seems that about 4-5 states claim to host the world's largest, but we didn't mind.  It's really big! And they had a very official looking sign. The giant rocker is actually stationary so it lost some coolness points for me.  I suppose it has to be hurricane proof or something..

Hungry for some gas station fried chicken? This rooster is fairly tempting.

Mat poses next to the famed El Camino Chicken (we think it still runs) at the gas station in Irvington, Alabama

Another off-the-beaten-path find from Corky's roadside attractions app was the El Camino Chicken in Irvington Alabama.  It's a big old chicken in a red old El Camino sitting there on the corner of the highway advertising gas station deli fried chicken.  It smelled really good (and fried chickeny) in there but we pushed on to a seaside restaurant to have lunch. Up on stilts on the beach at Mobile Bay is Felix's Fish Camp Grill.  Totally campy and totally cool.  We had some "key lime pah"after a delicious fish lunch (again with the Gulf seafood!) and chuckled because of the cuteness of the 3 year old at the table next to us who held up her drawn-on paper place mat and exclaimed, "Look! I'm finished, y'all!"

Lunch at the Fish Camp. Mobile, Alabama

Day 21: Still in the Big Easy: Bourbon St, Garden District

Corky was absolutely brilliant when she suggested we get up at the crack of dawn, before the drunks, and get a photo of Mat partying on Bourbon Street. It was just us and the beer trucks on the just-rained-on street. Some Mardi Gras beads on Mat made him look just like one of the revelers we'd seen the night before! Even though Mardi Gras was so last month we saw tourists everywhere clad in pounds of cheap plastic beads. There were broken strands of beads in the street, beads in trees, beads on people's doors...

"Throw me somethin, Mistah!" Mat's been partying on Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Mardi Gras beads in trees: tossed there by accident during the parade? Or a decorative statement?

Mardi Gras beads everywhere!

Safely back in the parking garage, Mat waited as Corky and I had yet another "Human Day" in New Orleans.  This time we were dying to try riding a real New Orleans Streetcar out to the famed Garden District to see some amazing homes.  It was only $1.25 each way and the weather was perfect! The rest of this post is about houses of the rich and famous and more New Orleans food so if you only want to see Mat photos, please skip to the next post -thanks, y'all!

Day 20: The Big Easy (Human Day) French Quarter: Beignets, Po' Boys

I've labeled today's blog post "Human Day" since it is just about us humans.  Mat is safely tucked away in the hotel parking garage where only valets dare to tread.  We "did the French Quarter" today (a place much too crowded and anxiety inducing to roll Mat around in) and the photos we have to show for it are about food and architecture so we don't blame you if you skip by this Mat-less blog post. Take it easy, y'all! :)

Victoria enjoys some iron work balconies in the French Quarter, New Orleans

The horse-drawn carriages were all mule-drawn (we don't know why). New Orleans

What we ate: One simply cannot miss the following when eating one's way though the French Quarter: powdered sugar-coated fried bread called beignets and chickory flavored cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde for breakfast and an oyster Po' boy for lunch.

Delicious powdered sugar coated beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde

We lucked out when a stroll down Bourbon Street led us right into NOLA's annual Oyster Jubilee where a collection of NOLA restaurant chefs got together to create the Longest Po' Boy in the World. We were an hour or so shy of when they actually assembled and cut the city block long sandwich (and gave it away for free) so we bought one for lunch a few blocks away.  Fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard on a fluffy white roll.  A thing of beauty!

The table is set for the World's Longest Po'Boy! Bourbon St.

A celebrity chef demonstrates how to dress a perfect Po' Boy sandwich.

We wandered around and ran into an employee of a (rich!!!) homeowner in the French Quarter and as we were admiring the house and grounds, he was lovely enough to volunteer that it was the home of a wealthy chef and oh, by the way, the house across the street belongs to Francis Ford Coppola and the one further down was Nicolas Cage's for a while, and that many people mistake this (the house we were admiring) house for Brangelina's but that one is actually two blocks down.  Did we go look for it? Of course!

The French Quarter house we THINK is Brad and Angie's

Day 19: Louisiana: Tabasco Factory, Avery Island, LA

Ah, the Mother Land! It is hot pepper sauce Mecca! If you are a serious Tabasco Sauce fan like I am, then it's no surprise that before we headed into the Big Easy we took a detour to Avery Island to tour the factory and load up on Tabasco flavored goodies.  A special thanks to Keena from the Tabasco Country Store who allowed us to borrow the giant sauce bottle to take pictures with.  Mat really appreciated it! And it wasn't that heavy -just awkward to carry (see the video).

At the Tabasco factory on Avery Island, Louisiana

He's just a machine after all, but if he were to enjoy hot sauce, this would be the choice for Mat!

Mat cozies up to his saucy new friend at the Tabasco Country Store. Avery Island, LA

Day 19: Louisiana! Crawfish Fun

First of all, we owe an apology to our blogviewers who are wondering what happened to Day 18: More Texas.  The truth is that it rained BUCKETS all the way from Sweetwater TX, where we stayed the night, through the rest of the Lonestar State and into Shreveport LA, where we slept last night in thunder and lightning.  I mean it was A LOT of rain! Corky was white-knuckling-it on the highway and we were very upset that there wasn't an opportunity to let Mat out to see the sights.  No matter... The morning was dry enough and we'd heard about a GIANT Crawfish to stop and see at a seafood boil joint in Alexandria, LA:

Mat is dwarfed by the giant crawfish at Swamp Daddy's in Alexandria, LA

Jeremy, the manager of Swamp Daddy's Crawfish, was just arriving for the day when he happened upon us unloading Mat in front of the giant crustacean and he was more than surprised to see us (doing God knows what) before opening hours. After a little explaining on our part he happily posed with Mat, accepted some Art*o*mat® art samples, and sold us a tee-shirt before we got out of his hair.  I'm sure he's still shaking his head about us!

Jeremy, manager of Swamp Daddy's, was a good sport to allow us to take his photo with Mat first thing in the morning.

Since it was still hours before Swamp Daddy's served the crawfish, we headed east and stopped for an amazing Cajun lunch (a huge "thank you" to the nice manager of the Shreveport Holiday Inn Express who recommended the restaurant in Lafayette) at Pre Jean's Award Winning Cajun Cuisine.  Since it's all about food down here, we thought a few photos of the stuffed gator tail and blackened catfish etouffé might be fun.  We had a blast waving to the restaurant's web cam as we texted to family back home watching us during lunch.  The food was rich and spicy and we think that we've eaten all the gator and frog legs we can handle (it's kind of a one-timer type of thing).

Day 17: Route 66, Cadillac Ranch, Combine City, Amarillo TX

We crossed the New Mexico/Texas border and got excited for our next I-40 roadside attraction, Cadillac Ranch, an art installation of  cars literally "installed" in the ground by art group, The Ant Farm and their silent partner, Stanley Marsh 3 in 1974. Of course it happens to be in a lumpy bumpy dusty field hundreds of feet from the road, so Mat had to take his photo street-side -but don't feel bad for him!  He got to meet some new friends who are visiting Route 66 all the way from Augsburg, Germany: Markus and Christine.

Mat at Cadillac Ranch (yes, those are half-buried cars!) roadside I-40 Amarillo, TX

Mat meets new friends, Markus and Christine from Germany

The Cadillac Ranch artists believe that the art must go on:  YOU ARE ENCOURAGED to bring some spray paint and make your own mark on the cars -but take a picture fast because someone else will cover up your art lickety split.  We weren't prepared to do so, but we enjoyed watching Nick, Andy, and Heather from Michigan spray their art graffiti (see video below).  Victoria found a paint chip piece on the ground, hundreds of paint layers thick! A true keepsake. We had a great time and our only complaint was that we wish that all the artists would pick up the empty paint cans they toss willy-nilly into the field (there's even a dumpster provided next to the road for the purpose).

Nick, Andy, and Heather came from Michigan to spray paint their mark on Cadillac Ranch. Amarillo, TX

Victoria holds up a cast-off paint chip from Cadillac Ranch. Amarillo, TX

A few miles away is a Cadillac Ranch copy-cat installation using tractors called Combine City where farmer Orville Ladehoff half-buried or "planted" 14 combines in his field by the roadside.  Mat had to check it out but it was so windy that Victoria had to keep a hand on him at all times!

Victoria keeps Mat from blowing away in the wind at Combine City outside of Amarillo, TX

It's so windy that Victoria has to hold on to Mat to keep him from blowing into the "planted" tractors at Combine City

We're Heading East! Day 16: Route 66 Tucumcari, NM

It's Day 16 of Our Epic Art*o*mat® Road Trip and we've finally left Santa Fe and hit the road, eastward, toward Winston-Salem, NC.  We're taking Interstate 40 and hitting some truly awesome Route 66 roadside attractions. Spending the night at the neon-tastic Blue Swallow Motel is a special treat with the pink princess phone in the room, neon everywhere, and the personal room-side garages with hand painted murals (there's even a Cars themed garage ala "Radiator Springs" with Speed and Mater, Calvin! Don't worry -Grandma took pictures).

Mat basks in the neon of The Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66.  Tucumcari, NM

Owners, Kevin and Nancy, were thrilled to meet Mat and happily posed for a photo with him along with their super friendly co-workers, golden retrievers: Boomer, the Vice President of Security, and Bessie, Director of Guest Comfort.  They were all so welcoming and sweet! Some Art*o*mat® buttons and art samples made them smile -guaranteeing Mat two new loyal fans in Tucumcari, NM! We hope you consider hosting a machine some day, Kevin.  Art*o*mat® would fit right in at this fabulous 1939 motel!

Mat meets The Blue Swallow Motel staff: owners Nancy and Kevin and the dogs, Boomer and Bessie. Tucumcari, NM

We can't recommend this awesome motel enough.  If you happen to be passing by and it's not time to bed down for the night yet, do stop and have a chat with Kevin and Nancy anyway.  If you're interested, they'll even show you a room or two if they aren't already occupied. We loved the adorable chenille bedspreads, the tiny tile shower, and the 1962 issue of National Geographic on the nightstand.  Of course it'd be worth a stop just to visit the garage murals painted by Wesolowski & Rennaux:

Park in this Blue Swallow Motel hand painted garage -or keep riding into the sunset!

Having your own "Easy Rider" moment? Park in this Blue Swallow Motel garage! 

It's Lightning McQueen and other Cars characters from Radiator Springs, Calvin!

The Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66.  Tucumcari, NM

Mat loves the giant sombrero atop La Cita Mexican Restaurant on Route 66. Tucumcari, NM

Around New Mexico 4: Very Large Array

ATTENTION ALL SCIENCE NERDS!!! Be ready to have your mind blown by The Very Large Array! All the spacey stuff we've seen in New Mexico so far has only made Mat more excited about what's really "out there" in the universe. We drove south again, 50 miles outside of Socorro, to the amazing grouping of 27 gigantic radio antenna dishes that point in unison up to the heavens listening to ...whatever.  The VLA was made famous (to most of us not-so-science-nerd-types) in 1997 with the Jodie Foster movie, Contact.

Mat at the Very Large Array: "Trust me. Those things are BIG!"

A radio antenna dish at the VLA is 422 feet across!

The Very Large Array makes Mat feel somewhat tiny and insignificant in the universe...

Mat thought it was amazing even if he wasn't quite invited to get close -being a machine and all.  Us humans had a lovely time in the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Visitor's Center talking with Laura at the gift shop and taking the walking tour (where we could get up close and personal with one of the dishes -they're 422 feet across)! Even though it was windy and we were constantly assaulted by tumbleweeds, we were thankful for the sunny day and we got our photos taken before the clouds came in and made everything look too dark and looming.

The NRAO Very Large Array outside of Socorro, NM

Laura at the visitor's center gift shop enjoys her Art*o*mat® art samples!

An "arm" of the Y-shaped Very Large Array of radio antenna dishes.