Our second goal was to make Mississippi. We did that, too, and as an added benefit we drove through Tupelo, birthplace of Elvis. 1,416 to go. . .

The King would have been proud of us!

My biggest gripe of the trip is chips on my new PT Cruiser caused by debris from trucks. Dump trucks, garbage trucks, cement trucks, they all should take more care when driving, as their off-fall causes major problems wherever we go.

One of the neatest accessories I saw was a bra for this Prowler, painted the same color as the body, and flamed. Pretty trick — looks like flames on the paint until you get close. I should have thought of it, even though I prefer my cars braless. . .

Tic tac toe, two Cruisers in a row (and magnetic flames on the silver one to boot). . .

Our gas stop in Winfield, Alabama was interesting. There was only one station with 8 pumps in the whole town. Let’s just say things weren’t too swift at the ol’ Texaco. . .

We managed to clear the crowd and zoom back down Highway 78. There were lots of great sights to see, like the world’s only Salvage Shoe Store. Too bad they were out of blue suede shoes in 9-D. Looks like we were the only customers today. . .

Alabama has more modular homes than any place I’ve ever been. Some places even show how the younger crowd can stay upwardly mobile — by pulling their home around with them. . .

If my eyes are correct, that’s an early 70’s Honda CVCC.

Here we found one of those families, moving up in the world. . .

He seemed to be all over the road, literally. Once we got past him it was all clear sailing.

Clear sailing, that is, until we found the potholes. Now, when you think of potholes, you think of holes. Think again — of meteor impacts in Alabama. I swear these potholes had their own Zip Codes. They were huge! I had no doubt my tricked-out suspension — Eibach springs, Koni adjustable struts, Intro billet wheels and Toyo tires would be able to take it. But, I was worried about the fillings in my teeth. Luckily, they held!

Coming in to Birmingham, we managed to cause a MAJOR traffic jam. These two Indiana Hoosiers found the solution was as close as the back seat of their Chevelle. . .

My children found out what it was like to sit in a NASCAR. . .

We even found a 1972 AMC Javelin police car — used by the Alabama Highway Patrol. Sad to say I am old enough to remember seeing them on the road. . .

How about the 1938 Chevy in which Richard Petty dated his now-wife Linda? Yep, it’s all in Talladega. . .

No story I write would be complete without my tribute to the winged wonders from Chrysler — the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird. Maybe one of these days someone will give me one. I’ll just keep dreaming. . .

By the time we finished the tour through the Museum, our dogs were barkin’ — so we packed up and headed back to the hotel. . .

We stopped to gas up, and found that not all pumps automatically shut off. Gas shot all over the PT, and I invented a few new words (luckily the kids were ignoring me, as usual). I guess this means I’ll be washing the car (again) tonight. We even stopped for food, and met the mayor of a nearby town. . .