Natchez is called the Jewell of the Mississippi because of its beauty. One of the beautiful things in Natchez are the old plantations. We toured the Longwood. It just looks cool, with its octagonal design. Though the exterior structure was completed, the Civil War interrupted the completion of the interior and the plastering of the exterior.
After Longwood we drove through Louisiana into Mississippi.
We stayed at the Bay Hide Away RV Park and Campground. Very nice facility. The restrooms are spacious and well-designed.
Over the years I have begun noticing shower design related to comfort, e.g., hooks and shelves to place stuff, and, even more interesting, keeping the water contained in the smallest area, as opposed to soaking dozens of square feet of floor.
In most showers, the shower head is at head height or below. The shower heads are aimed out, not down. Often the water is aimed out of the shower. Even when the shower head is on one side of the shower aimed toward the other wall of the shower, shooting water horizontally bounces water off the body and some of it flies out the door.
The shower heads in these showers are over six and a half feet high and stick out of the wall so that the water comes almost straight down. By putting the shower head above the person the water is aimed down. Even water bouncing off the body is more likely to be reflected down to the floor. Less water flies horizontally out the door.
I suspect the reader is thinking that a good shower curtain is the answer. Shower curtains work well when people pay close attention to ensure that it is properly tucked in and the water is not sneaking out the sides. Mistakes here are the floor outside the shower is soaked. Though this shower did have a shower curtain, but the curtain and the walls of the shower had relatively little water. Proper placement of the shower heads helps ensure water is reasonably contained even when the curtain is not carefully arranged.
Furthermore, the floors of these showers were angled back toward the shower. The only drain was in the middle of the shower stalls. Showers with drains outside the stalls are much less effective in containing the water inside the stall.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009: Famous frogs we know...
We stayed the night in Greenville to visit the museum of the 1927 flood the next morning. The Mississippi flood of 1927 was one of the greatest natural disasters in the history of the US. Chris had read a book, Rising Tide, about it several years ago and wanted to refresh his memory. Unfortunately, the museum advertised as open on Saturday morning was closed. So we drove east toward Leland.
Muppet creator Jim Henson spent his early years in Leland. At Leland is a little memorial building with lots of Muppet stuff and a person who knows a lot about Jim Henson and Muppets and who will not stop telling us about them. As a result, we learned a lot about Jim Henson. She also showed us a video documenting Jim Henson's early career as a puppeteer doing commercials and late night satire. Henson has said that this is the birthplace of Kermit the Frog because the seeds of his creation began during Henson's years exploring the Leland countryside as a child. The little place was actually rather inspirational.
We drove on Jackson, Mississippi where we drove the Natchez Trace Parkway (map) southwest to Natchez, Mississippi. We camped at Natchez State Park, on the Mississippi River. Nice park. Good facilities.
Muppet creator Jim Henson spent his early years in Leland. At Leland is a little memorial building with lots of Muppet stuff and a person who knows a lot about Jim Henson and Muppets and who will not stop telling us about them. As a result, we learned a lot about Jim Henson. She also showed us a video documenting Jim Henson's early career as a puppeteer doing commercials and late night satire. Henson has said that this is the birthplace of Kermit the Frog because the seeds of his creation began during Henson's years exploring the Leland countryside as a child. The little place was actually rather inspirational.
We drove on Jackson, Mississippi where we drove the Natchez Trace Parkway (map) southwest to Natchez, Mississippi. We camped at Natchez State Park, on the Mississippi River. Nice park. Good facilities.
Friday, October 16, 2007: From Arkansas City into Greenville, Mississippi
In the morning we drove down to Arkansas City, Arkansas, near the Mississippi River. During the steamboat area, Arkansas City was a major steamboat stop on the Mississippi River. When the Mississippi River ate Napoleon, the county seat was moved to Arkansas City. The 1927 flooding of the Mississippi River, one of the worst natural disasters in US history, changed the course of the river away from Arkansas City. Arkansas City went into decline, but the county seat remains because the two large towns in Desha County would never agree on where the county seat should be moved. So imagine Admire, Kansas, as a county seat and you have a good picture of Arkansas City.Kathy's plan was to find out something about the time her great-great grandfather, Samuel Woods Reid spent in Napoleon as a young man. This is where he also joined a Confederate unit called the Napoleon Grays. Family stories about Sam make it believable that he was a part of this hard-drinking bunch of Irish riverboat men! More about this is included here.
It was hoped that Sam would at least show up in a poll tax listing of some type for a year or two so a period of residence would be established (he is listed in the 1860 census at Napoleon). These types of taxes were based on who could vote (mostly adult, white, males) so a young man without property might show up in these listings. Unfortunately, even though the county employees were very helpful, and we checked records in three different buildings, we didn't find anything new on Sam's time in Desha County.
Beside the old high school, now the county courthouse annex, is the boyhood home of John H. Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines.
From Arkansas City crossed the river to Greenville, Mississippi. We spent the afternoon doing laundry. In the evening we ate at "Doe's Eat Place." We entered and left the restaurant through the kitchen. When the waitress approached our table she asked us what we wanted to order. We said we have not seen a menu. She told us the menu was simple
- 10 oz. filet steaks
- 2 pound ribeye
- 3 pound T-bone
- 4 pound sirloin
- tamales, or
- shrimp
- everything comes with fries
- you can also get a dinner salad with their special oil-vinegar and lemon dressing.
We camped in the city's campsite, Warfield Point Park, down by the river. The spots were nice with plenty of room, but the whole place needs to be refurbished. Restrooms have rusting metal stalls, etc. The sinks are definitely kept clean, it isn't that. It justs needs some loving care.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009-- A Fair day in Arkansas
We actually saw the sun for a brief time today! Then it returned to overcast and cool, but we have hopes that the weather is improving, plus we are heading further South!
Chris has been a great sport on this vacation and has assisted Kathy in satisfying some of her genealogical questions. This morning we headed for the Arkansas Vital Statistics office in Little Rock in search of Ted Perdew's death certificate.
After a wait of over an hour, we are now in possession of the certificate! We already knew his birth and death dates and his parent's names, so the new information included the fact that he died of a heart attack (infarction of myocardium) at the VA Hospital. But the best part was discovering that he had been living in Hot Springs, Arkansas before his hospitalization! Ah, other avenues to pursue!
Another fact on the certificate was the name of the funeral director. After checking the phone book, we discovered that the company (Ruebel) was still in business in Little Rock. A quick phone call and Justin assured us that he would copy what information they had and it would be ready when we arrived. And he was true to his word! While verifying much of the same information as the death certificate, we also learned that the next of kin listed was a sister, Mrs. Henry Solberg. There are two known sisters that were living at this time, we believe, but there is no way yet to determine which this is (the married names Kathy has are different from this one). It appears she may have been living at the same address in Hot Springs that was reported for Ted. (Or she simply listed his address)
On that successful note, we decided to head out of town. However, sometimes we are easily distracted and decided to check out the Arkansas State Fair! The day was cool and dreary so the crowd was pretty small. We checked out the Hall of Industry that had the vendors and enjoyed some of the displays. We toured one building in which they were asking Spam trivia questions (Kathy shudders). We, of course, ate a few fair-type goodies like funnel cake and roasted corn.
The most fascinating foods were offered, though (by fascinating I might mean fried things that we never have imagined). Some of the offerings included
We were actually surprised this Fair seemed much smaller than the Kansas State Fair. This is not comparing the number of attendees (it was a gloomy Thursday afternoon), but rather the number of exhibits and buildings. One of Kathy's favorite activities at the Kansas State Fair is touring through the RVs, camping trailers, and modular homes. There did not seem to be any equivalent activity in Arkansas. For us, it was a disappointment. But the midway did seem to have some new rides we were not familiar with and we are sure the grandsons would have enjoyed them immensely.
We finally headed south and decided to stay the night at Cane Creek State Park, south of Pine Bluff. This State Park is situated along the Arkansas River, so we feel right at home. (And we still pronounce it "Ar-kansas" like at home!) It is a nice campground with good separation between all of the spots. But the month of October brings quite a new glamour to the campground! Most of the spots were already reserved and/or occupied. Some of those spots have been reserved for nearly a year!
The reason for the “rush”
in October is that many of the same families return each year and they all decorate their sites for Halloween. And we don't mean just decorate, we definitely mean DECORATE! There are lights everywhere and all types of wonderful displays: partially buried skeletons, ghosts dancing in rings or flying from trees, horse drawn hearses, many inflatable pumpkins and other spooky paraphernalia, and lots and lots of jack-o-lanterns of all types. It is a veritable Halloween wonderland! Our site looks very boring compared to all the glitter of the other sites.
We talked to one gentleman tha
t actually lives only three miles away, but his family stays at the campground each October so that they can participate in the Halloween decoration extravaganza. They make their reservations a year ahead for twelve sites.
It was a busy day. We hope to continue on toward the Mississippi River. Kathy gets one more bit of genealogy searching. Her great-great-grandfather, Samuel Woods Reid, was an Irish riverboatman. He is found on the 1860 census in Napoleon, Arkansas, and later served with a Confederate unit called the Napoleon Grays (made up of mostly Irish riverboat men according to one source).
Napoleon, situated at the junction of the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers, no longer exists. The rivers have done their work and the town has supposedly disappeared.
We hope to go to the Desha County courthouse at Arkansas City, Arkansas, to see if there is any other information about the Napoleon Grays or Sam's time in Napoleon. Then Kathy plans to let Chris rest from genealogy for the rest of the trip!
Chris has been a great sport on this vacation and has assisted Kathy in satisfying some of her genealogical questions. This morning we headed for the Arkansas Vital Statistics office in Little Rock in search of Ted Perdew's death certificate.
After a wait of over an hour, we are now in possession of the certificate! We already knew his birth and death dates and his parent's names, so the new information included the fact that he died of a heart attack (infarction of myocardium) at the VA Hospital. But the best part was discovering that he had been living in Hot Springs, Arkansas before his hospitalization! Ah, other avenues to pursue!
Another fact on the certificate was the name of the funeral director. After checking the phone book, we discovered that the company (Ruebel) was still in business in Little Rock. A quick phone call and Justin assured us that he would copy what information they had and it would be ready when we arrived. And he was true to his word! While verifying much of the same information as the death certificate, we also learned that the next of kin listed was a sister, Mrs. Henry Solberg. There are two known sisters that were living at this time, we believe, but there is no way yet to determine which this is (the married names Kathy has are different from this one). It appears she may have been living at the same address in Hot Springs that was reported for Ted. (Or she simply listed his address)
On that successful note, we decided to head out of town. However, sometimes we are easily distracted and decided to check out the Arkansas State Fair! The day was cool and dreary so the crowd was pretty small. We checked out the Hall of Industry that had the vendors and enjoyed some of the displays. We toured one building in which they were asking Spam trivia questions (Kathy shudders). We, of course, ate a few fair-type goodies like funnel cake and roasted corn.
The most fascinating foods were offered, though (by fascinating I might mean fried things that we never have imagined). Some of the offerings included
- Hot beef sundae
- Fried Coke
- Chocolate covered bacon
- Fried Oreos
- Fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Fried dough
We were actually surprised this Fair seemed much smaller than the Kansas State Fair. This is not comparing the number of attendees (it was a gloomy Thursday afternoon), but rather the number of exhibits and buildings. One of Kathy's favorite activities at the Kansas State Fair is touring through the RVs, camping trailers, and modular homes. There did not seem to be any equivalent activity in Arkansas. For us, it was a disappointment. But the midway did seem to have some new rides we were not familiar with and we are sure the grandsons would have enjoyed them immensely.
We finally headed south and decided to stay the night at Cane Creek State Park, south of Pine Bluff. This State Park is situated along the Arkansas River, so we feel right at home. (And we still pronounce it "Ar-kansas" like at home!) It is a nice campground with good separation between all of the spots. But the month of October brings quite a new glamour to the campground! Most of the spots were already reserved and/or occupied. Some of those spots have been reserved for nearly a year!
The reason for the “rush”
in October is that many of the same families return each year and they all decorate their sites for Halloween. And we don't mean just decorate, we definitely mean DECORATE! There are lights everywhere and all types of wonderful displays: partially buried skeletons, ghosts dancing in rings or flying from trees, horse drawn hearses, many inflatable pumpkins and other spooky paraphernalia, and lots and lots of jack-o-lanterns of all types. It is a veritable Halloween wonderland! Our site looks very boring compared to all the glitter of the other sites.We talked to one gentleman tha
t actually lives only three miles away, but his family stays at the campground each October so that they can participate in the Halloween decoration extravaganza. They make their reservations a year ahead for twelve sites.It was a busy day. We hope to continue on toward the Mississippi River. Kathy gets one more bit of genealogy searching. Her great-great-grandfather, Samuel Woods Reid, was an Irish riverboatman. He is found on the 1860 census in Napoleon, Arkansas, and later served with a Confederate unit called the Napoleon Grays (made up of mostly Irish riverboat men according to one source).
Napoleon, situated at the junction of the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers, no longer exists. The rivers have done their work and the town has supposedly disappeared.
We hope to go to the Desha County courthouse at Arkansas City, Arkansas, to see if there is any other information about the Napoleon Grays or Sam's time in Napoleon. Then Kathy plans to let Chris rest from genealogy for the rest of the trip!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009-- Hail to the Chief, and all that jazz
We didn't get to use the Internet last night. The campground we stayed at advertised “Wifi”. However, when you log on you get a message that tells you that you have 30 minutes of “free” Internet, then you have to go to the office for more time (one imagines that means “for a fee”). Even if we wanted to, we arrived after the office closed so had no option! It seems like this is definitely a “bait and switch”-type situation. Advertising wifi and then only giving a short time, while other places sincerely have free wifi with no strings did not set well with us.
Ah, well, enough gritching... back to vacation!
We headed for Little Rock, capital of Arkansas. Chris did not know anything about his maternal grandfather, Edward E. Perdew (Ted), because his grandparents were divorced in the early 1930s and Ted left Kansas City. In the last year, Kathy discovered a listing at the FindaGrave website for an Edward Perdew with approximately the correct birthdate. Now we had a death date (12 October 1952), but we didn't know where he had lived in the ensuing years. After requesting that one of the volunteers post a picture of the stone, the results showed that it must be the correct Ted Perdew! The military headstone (think all of the white markers lined up perfectly) states that he was from Nebraska! Bingo!
So we headed to the National Cemetery in Little Rock. This is a U.S. military cemetery. We hoped that the Cemetery officials would be able to tell us his address and/or next of kin information. Well, due to regulations, they will not provide that information without a formal request from an heir, even if the deathdate was 57 years ago! The kind staff person at the Cemetery told me how to make a request and where to send it.
There is a computer at the cemetery that will print out a page with your loved one's burial location and a map. We discovered that Ted was buried quite close to the office. It appears that the stones were placed about six feet apart during the 1950s and then later there were newer stones placed between each of the older ones. So, even though we didn't really discover too much that was new, it was interesting to actually be there at the Cemetery.
And where better to go after the Military cemetery? Well, to another U.S. agency, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum! Our tour of the museum's displays was very interesting. We opted for the audio tour, which means we had audio players to listen to at designated sites President Clinton explained things in more detail. There was also an introductory film that we watched. This was narrated by President Clinton and provided a good basis for viewing the displays.
It was interesting to learn more about the Clinton presidency after nearly ten years have passed. Even though the “spin” is, of course, favorable to President Clinton, it still served as a good reminder of all the good things that he either accomplished or attempted during his two terms.
One of my favorite parts of the film was where he told that he was the youngest governor in the country when first elected. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the next election and then became the “youngest EX-governor in the country”! He later decided to run again and served at least four more terms as governor before moving on in his political career.
After leaving the Museum, we drove down the street to the Clinton Museum Store. It has an eclectic inventory. Kathy purchased a top that was on sale, simply because it was sooooo soft! The top is actually made out of bamboo! (renewable energy source) Another favorite for Kathy was a woven basket in many bright colors. The basket was created by women in Africa from telephone wires! It was really nice, but Kathy wasn't willing to spend the $90+ that it cost.
We decided to camp for the night at the North Little Rock KOA. We really liked out site because it was isolated in it's own little triangle of land, but was right near the restrooms. The spot was too small for many of the bigger RVs, so they were probably happy to see us. There was even a little “stream” right behind our site.
After eating supper at the campground, we returned to Little Rock and went to the Public Library to see if we could look through some Little Rock city directories to find Ted Perdew. We were directed to an adjacent building that houses the Arkansas Studies Institute. We searched their run of city directories from the 1930s to the early 1950s. But no Ted Perdew! Perhaps he lived elsewhere in the region. We had time to browse some of the other materials in the collection before closing.
From a librarian's viewpoint, the reading room in this building was a real surprise. The central part of the room had many of the lights off and so was extremely dim. It was actually difficult to read the reference items! The stack areas had better lighting, but it is still a mystery why they have such poor lighting in the other areas.
Tomorrow the search for Ted Perdew continues...
Ah, well, enough gritching... back to vacation!
We headed for Little Rock, capital of Arkansas. Chris did not know anything about his maternal grandfather, Edward E. Perdew (Ted), because his grandparents were divorced in the early 1930s and Ted left Kansas City. In the last year, Kathy discovered a listing at the FindaGrave website for an Edward Perdew with approximately the correct birthdate. Now we had a death date (12 October 1952), but we didn't know where he had lived in the ensuing years. After requesting that one of the volunteers post a picture of the stone, the results showed that it must be the correct Ted Perdew! The military headstone (think all of the white markers lined up perfectly) states that he was from Nebraska! Bingo!
So we headed to the National Cemetery in Little Rock. This is a U.S. military cemetery. We hoped that the Cemetery officials would be able to tell us his address and/or next of kin information. Well, due to regulations, they will not provide that information without a formal request from an heir, even if the deathdate was 57 years ago! The kind staff person at the Cemetery told me how to make a request and where to send it.
There is a computer at the cemetery that will print out a page with your loved one's burial location and a map. We discovered that Ted was buried quite close to the office. It appears that the stones were placed about six feet apart during the 1950s and then later there were newer stones placed between each of the older ones. So, even though we didn't really discover too much that was new, it was interesting to actually be there at the Cemetery.
And where better to go after the Military cemetery? Well, to another U.S. agency, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum! Our tour of the museum's displays was very interesting. We opted for the audio tour, which means we had audio players to listen to at designated sites President Clinton explained things in more detail. There was also an introductory film that we watched. This was narrated by President Clinton and provided a good basis for viewing the displays.
It was interesting to learn more about the Clinton presidency after nearly ten years have passed. Even though the “spin” is, of course, favorable to President Clinton, it still served as a good reminder of all the good things that he either accomplished or attempted during his two terms.
One of my favorite parts of the film was where he told that he was the youngest governor in the country when first elected. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the next election and then became the “youngest EX-governor in the country”! He later decided to run again and served at least four more terms as governor before moving on in his political career.
After leaving the Museum, we drove down the street to the Clinton Museum Store. It has an eclectic inventory. Kathy purchased a top that was on sale, simply because it was sooooo soft! The top is actually made out of bamboo! (renewable energy source) Another favorite for Kathy was a woven basket in many bright colors. The basket was created by women in Africa from telephone wires! It was really nice, but Kathy wasn't willing to spend the $90+ that it cost.
We decided to camp for the night at the North Little Rock KOA. We really liked out site because it was isolated in it's own little triangle of land, but was right near the restrooms. The spot was too small for many of the bigger RVs, so they were probably happy to see us. There was even a little “stream” right behind our site.
After eating supper at the campground, we returned to Little Rock and went to the Public Library to see if we could look through some Little Rock city directories to find Ted Perdew. We were directed to an adjacent building that houses the Arkansas Studies Institute. We searched their run of city directories from the 1930s to the early 1950s. But no Ted Perdew! Perhaps he lived elsewhere in the region. We had time to browse some of the other materials in the collection before closing.
From a librarian's viewpoint, the reading room in this building was a real surprise. The central part of the room had many of the lights off and so was extremely dim. It was actually difficult to read the reference items! The stack areas had better lighting, but it is still a mystery why they have such poor lighting in the other areas.
Tomorrow the search for Ted Perdew continues...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009: In Search of the "wild" RIPPELs!
In the morning Kathy continued her genealogy research in Rogers Public Library, County Administration Archives and the Rogers Historical Museum. The original plan was to find the marriage of Chris' grandmother, Bonnie Gene Black Rippel to her second husband, Albert Moody. We knew they had lived in this area while Chris' dad, John Rippel, attended high school at Rogers High School.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find a marriage record in Benton County. The search will have to continue elsewhere. (the county archivist suggests they may have married in Fayetteville; I know they lived there in 1943).
Because of the failure to find the Moodys in the marriages, taxes, voter registrations, and a list of eighth grade graduates, the research focus switched to trying to verify when they lived in Rogers and John's school attendance.
We checked city directories at both the Public Library and the Museum. Unfortunately, between the two they still did not have all of the late 1930s-early 1940s volumes. The only success was in the 1939 Polk Directory for Rogers. Mrs. Jean Ripple is listed. So that helps with pinpointing the marriage date, at least.
We were also disappointed looking for John's school yearbook. Between the two facilities they only had a couple and they were probably too recent. We did not find him in either. All in all, it was a disappointing day for family research. At least we found one thing!
The Rogers Library contains great signage as flags.
A librarian named Leslie hand writes "shelf talkers" using ShelfWizes. Chris and Leslie agreed to start a Website for posting shelf talkers for librarians all over the country to print out and use to promote authors in their libraries.
Walmart has purchased a supercenter-sized children's room in the
Rogers' library with lots of fancy sets and other stuff.
We also met a library employee, Mary Koch (pronounced "cook"), who grew up in Great Bend and even worked in the old library building! What a small world...
In the Rogers Historical Museum, Chris learned that Will Rogers was married a Rogers, Arkansas girl, Betty Blake: Informal quaint bio, Formal bio with picture.
When we left the museum we drove a few blocks to find where Chris' paternal grandmother had lived on the wrong side of the railroad tracks on Arkansas Street. The lot seems to be occupied by a laundromat now. The location was interesting though, because they are right next to the train depot and the downtown is right there and convenient.
We stopped briefly in the Roger Library's used bookstore in an old bank building on 2nd street. This is the first time I have seen a Friend's bookstore outside the library. It was large and one of the best used bookstores I have ever seen. It contained numerous large signs hanging from the ceiling. Libraries should have such good signage.
On the way out of town, we called the companies that produce the salsa and bread that we purchased at the Bentonville Public Library. We learned that we could purchase Shaggy's Salsa at one location in Rogers (White Oak Station), but the bread was not available in Rogers. So we drove back to the Library in Bentonville just to purchase a few loaves. We also stocked up on the salsa at both locations. Obviously, we like these products!
Unfortunately, we couldn't find a marriage record in Benton County. The search will have to continue elsewhere. (the county archivist suggests they may have married in Fayetteville; I know they lived there in 1943).
Because of the failure to find the Moodys in the marriages, taxes, voter registrations, and a list of eighth grade graduates, the research focus switched to trying to verify when they lived in Rogers and John's school attendance.
We checked city directories at both the Public Library and the Museum. Unfortunately, between the two they still did not have all of the late 1930s-early 1940s volumes. The only success was in the 1939 Polk Directory for Rogers. Mrs. Jean Ripple is listed. So that helps with pinpointing the marriage date, at least.
We were also disappointed looking for John's school yearbook. Between the two facilities they only had a couple and they were probably too recent. We did not find him in either. All in all, it was a disappointing day for family research. At least we found one thing!
The Rogers Library contains great signage as flags.
A librarian named Leslie hand writes "shelf talkers" using ShelfWizes. Chris and Leslie agreed to start a Website for posting shelf talkers for librarians all over the country to print out and use to promote authors in their libraries.Walmart has purchased a supercenter-sized children's room in the
Rogers' library with lots of fancy sets and other stuff.We also met a library employee, Mary Koch (pronounced "cook"), who grew up in Great Bend and even worked in the old library building! What a small world...
In the Rogers Historical Museum, Chris learned that Will Rogers was married a Rogers, Arkansas girl, Betty Blake: Informal quaint bio, Formal bio with picture.
When we left the museum we drove a few blocks to find where Chris' paternal grandmother had lived on the wrong side of the railroad tracks on Arkansas Street. The lot seems to be occupied by a laundromat now. The location was interesting though, because they are right next to the train depot and the downtown is right there and convenient.
We stopped briefly in the Roger Library's used bookstore in an old bank building on 2nd street. This is the first time I have seen a Friend's bookstore outside the library. It was large and one of the best used bookstores I have ever seen. It contained numerous large signs hanging from the ceiling. Libraries should have such good signage.
On the way out of town, we called the companies that produce the salsa and bread that we purchased at the Bentonville Public Library. We learned that we could purchase Shaggy's Salsa at one location in Rogers (White Oak Station), but the bread was not available in Rogers. So we drove back to the Library in Bentonville just to purchase a few loaves. We also stocked up on the salsa at both locations. Obviously, we like these products!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009: Rush through Missouri, into Arkansas
We ate breakfast in Shirley's Cafe, not far from the Dalton Defender's Museum and C. M. Condon Bank. Shirley's reminded me of Granny's Kitchen in Great Bend, but Kathy and I decided Granny made better omelets.On the way out of Coffeyville we stopped by the Amazon.com "fullfillment center," i.e., warehouse. It is large, really, really large. There are 72 loading docks. Since Kathy was hoping to pick up a couple of tips for the CKLS interlibrary loan office, we asked whether they did tours. Amazon.com, fearing to give away secrets to a tough competitor, claimed they do not do tours. We continued our journey East.
We visited the Johnson Public Library in Baxter Springs. The library looks like a courthouse building. It was built in 1872 when Baxter Springs was struggling to become the Cherokee County seat. When Baxter Springs lost the county seat struggle with Columbus, the building was used for a number of other purposes until 1907, when it became the library. The library has a friendly calico cat named Kitty.
We ended up in Bentonville (Arkansas) Public Library doing genealogical research. On the way out of the library we stopped at the cafe and purchased jar to Shaggy's Salsa and a loaf of Stone Mill's Jalapeno Three Cheese bread. Outside in the van we dipped the bread in the salsa and fell in love with both. Kathy named Shaggy's Salsa the official salsa of Shaggy Lawn, the name under which she sells books online.
We camped out at Monte Ne at Beaver Lake. When we pulled up there was no one in the security/registration cabin even though the lights and television were on. Kathy used her cell phone to call the telephone number posted. A woman in nearby Rogers told us to drive to a pickup truck half a block to our right. We did. Kathy went inside. An elderly man was searching for his campground on the Internet. He complained that he could find every other campground around, not his.
The campground was fine. The weather was misty and cool.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, October 11: And away we go! Finally!!!
Well, we didn't actually get away from home as soon as originally planned, but we finally got on the road about 3:15 PM today!
The weather has been cool and sometimes we get drizzle, so we are really looking forward to getting south!
We decided to take a route that neither of us was familiar with.
We camped for the night at Coffeyville's Walter Johnson Park on the east side of town.
The park campground was almost full with large RVs which look like they had been there a long time. There were about 5 or 6 spots left. We parked beside a large tree.
The City campground has a book swap in the park shelter. Books were stored in plastic containers
with lids. The quality of the selection was amazingly good; we later speculated that they may come from Amazon.
In the morning, a city employee solved these mysteries. A housing shortage forces some workers at the Amazon.com warehouse to live here in RVs. He claimed they earn $11 an hour plus Amazon.com paid the $8 a day camping fee. The city man knew nothing about the book swap which was probably being run by one of the Amazon.com employees. His large RV was parked right next to the shelter. He used the shelter as his front porch. Two rugs had been laid down on the shelter's concrete. Comfortable chairs sat facing each other on one set of rugs. The book swap allowed him to get store his library outside and swap with other readers.
The weather has been cool and sometimes we get drizzle, so we are really looking forward to getting south!
We decided to take a route that neither of us was familiar with.
We camped for the night at Coffeyville's Walter Johnson Park on the east side of town.
The park campground was almost full with large RVs which look like they had been there a long time. There were about 5 or 6 spots left. We parked beside a large tree.
The City campground has a book swap in the park shelter. Books were stored in plastic containers
with lids. The quality of the selection was amazingly good; we later speculated that they may come from Amazon.In the morning, a city employee solved these mysteries. A housing shortage forces some workers at the Amazon.com warehouse to live here in RVs. He claimed they earn $11 an hour plus Amazon.com paid the $8 a day camping fee. The city man knew nothing about the book swap which was probably being run by one of the Amazon.com employees. His large RV was parked right next to the shelter. He used the shelter as his front porch. Two rugs had been laid down on the shelter's concrete. Comfortable chairs sat facing each other on one set of rugs. The book swap allowed him to get store his library outside and swap with other readers.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009 - Thermopolis, WY, the long way around
First thing in the morning we all headed across town from the campground to the Hobo Pool at the hot springs in Saratoga. Since the campground is designed for "self-contained RVs" only, we had overlooked the fact that we haven't yet been using all the self-c0ntained aspects of the camper and were not ready to learn quickly.
But Saratoga, Wyoming, has a good deal for travelers in need of a place to relax, shower, or use the other usual facilities. Behind the Hobo Pool (the hot springs made into a sort of rustic "hot tub" (cement sides, but with the algae and sand on the bottom still)) are men and women's simple shower, sink, and toilet facilities. All of this is free and there are quite a few folks from all over taking advantage of the pool and the rest.
The route from Rawlins to Thermopolis can be done at least two ways; through Lander and/or Riverton, or through Casper and Shoshoni. We opted for the shorter route through Riverton. More on that decision later!
The terrain north of Rawlins is rather desolate in many ways. Although it has its own beauty, many might think the endless rolling red dirt hills (with larger hills in the distance) covered by sparse vegetation (mostly sagebrush) is too hot and lonely.
But we discovered a little "oasis" in all of this sameness.
July 11, 2009, Saturday - Laramie, Snowy Range
In the morning we breakfasted in Shair's Restuarant. Afterward we visited Aunt Jean Linde, Ethan's oldest living relative. She is ninety something. Aunt Jean told Kathy some stories. Like way her great aunt Florence McKillip going up to Alaska.
Then we visited Wyoming's Territorial Prison and broom factory.
Then we drove to and through the Snowy Range. Kathy was in fine form spotting prong horn deer. We visited summit tour, Lake Marie and the field with the trout stream. A lot of snow remains on the ground.
Then on to Saratoga where we camped at Deer Haven camp ground.
We spent the evening at the free Hobo hot springs pool.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009 - On the rocks
We started off the morning with a visit to Cabela's. This is the original location (Sidney, Nebraska), I believe. Ethan enjoyed looking at the diorama of wild animals and wanted to look at knives. He selected a beginner knife to try some carving in the campsite.
The original plan [o.k., Kathy's original timetable!] had been to arrive in the Laramie area on Thursday night. So we were already behind schedule. But it's a vacation, right?
We arrived over the Wyoming border in Pine Bluff. The guys, Chris and Ethan, also followed a trail leaving the rest area. This trail ended at an archaelogical site of a pioneer trash midden dated from 1880-1910. The underlying layers go back to 15,000 years before Christ.
Kathy read at the rest area and watched a family taping the son (grandson?) jumping on a pogo stick while they provided commentary. They are videotaping him pogoing in every state they travel through.
During the afternoon we finally arrived at one of our "featured" stops that Kathy considered a "must see" for Ethan. He is now the fifth generation of the Reid family (Kathy's family) that have enjoyed climbing on the rock formations at Vedauwoo, near Laramie. For some other nice photos and information about the recreational area, try these websites:
The original plan [o.k., Kathy's original timetable!] had been to arrive in the Laramie area on Thursday night. So we were already behind schedule. But it's a vacation, right?
We arrived over the Wyoming border in Pine Bluff. The guys, Chris and Ethan, also followed a trail leaving the rest area. This trail ended at an archaelogical site of a pioneer trash midden dated from 1880-1910. The underlying layers go back to 15,000 years before Christ.
Kathy read at the rest area and watched a family taping the son (grandson?) jumping on a pogo stick while they provided commentary. They are videotaping him pogoing in every state they travel through.
During the afternoon we finally arrived at one of our "featured" stops that Kathy considered a "must see" for Ethan. He is now the fifth generation of the Reid family (Kathy's family) that have enjoyed climbing on the rock formations at Vedauwoo, near Laramie. For some other nice photos and information about the recreational area, try these websites:
Ethan demonstrated that he does have excellent balance and other athletic skills as he climbed, jumped, and slid his way up and down some of the formations. Although both Grandma and Grandpa did climb a short (I emphasize "short") way up at some places, their usual role was to monitor as our family mountain goat proceeded to make us feel old!
You might think the day was about over, but after driving into Laramie and obtaining a campsite at the KOA, we still had time to attend the carnival downtown (part of the Jubilee Days celebration) and then go to the movie! We picked Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
Thursday, July 9, 2009 - No place like home
Kathy and Chris arrived at Silver Lake last night at around 11 pm.
After two hours of visiting we finally got to bed around 1:30am.
We awoke around 7:30 am and got on the road by 8:30 am.
We drove north on highway 75 to highway 36, then west to Belleville.
After two hours of visiting we finally got to bed around 1:30am.
We awoke around 7:30 am and got on the road by 8:30 am.
We drove north on highway 75 to highway 36, then west to Belleville.
On the way to Belleville, we stopped in Home, Kansas where we took pictures.
Our first stop in Belleville was the public library.
Ethan checked out three books and Chris asked directions to the Boyer Gallery.
After lunch at the park by a lake, we went to the Boyer Museum at 1pm.
Paul Boyer comes from a creative, artistic family.
For the past forty years, Paul Boyer has created whimsical men, women and animals animated
hundreds of delicate metal wires moved by small electrical motors.
Ethan was inspired to make his own creations.
[Ethan's note--I am going to post pics and videos.I mite sell sume!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
At 2:10 we drove north again to I-80.
We drove west on I-80 to Sidney, Nebraska where we camped at the original Cabella's.
Our first stop in Belleville was the public library.
Ethan checked out three books and Chris asked directions to the Boyer Gallery.
After lunch at the park by a lake, we went to the Boyer Museum at 1pm.
Paul Boyer comes from a creative, artistic family.
For the past forty years, Paul Boyer has created whimsical men, women and animals animated
hundreds of delicate metal wires moved by small electrical motors.Ethan was inspired to make his own creations.
[Ethan's note--I am going to post pics and videos.I mite sell sume!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
At 2:10 we drove north again to I-80.
We drove west on I-80 to Sidney, Nebraska where we camped at the original Cabella's.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
