Monday Oct 8
At 7 this morning Becky came over with two small black & white checked flags to wave us off. Instead we Sat in the car and waved them out the window while she took pictures. It was really dark and the pictures will have to be enhanced..
About 5 AM I woke up and Skip stirred around 5:45 and got up. Since he didn’t come right back, I went in to see if he was planning to stay up. He was. We dressed and finished loading the
rest of our stuff. Then we did what ever we wanted to. I checked the weather around the trip area and some scrapbook sites. Skip read the paper.
OUR STARTING MILAGE IS 167076 At 8 we left for Ihop to have breakfast with John, Madi and Phillip. WE left there at 9:05 and traveled down the Pearland Parkway. By now you have seen the picture of us leaving the IHOP.
We went on Beltway 8 and on to 45.
I am typing this like I wrote it.
I think that I haven’t fully ....absorbed, or whatever, what we are doing. That is, embraced the full scope of the trip. As we get past Arkansas, it will become more real.
Madi just called. They are close behind us. But instead of being on 45 where they are supposed to be, they are on 59, our hiway route. They are about a mile behind us.
We stopped for a break a couple hours ago and I got a cho shake.
We have been driving about 4 hours now. We’ve gone 200 miles. It is warm but breezy.
With the sun shining on my side of the car, it has been really warm.
We plan to gas up and eat when we get to Marshal. I t is 1:20 now.
At 1:50 we are gassing up on the edge of Marshal at $2.95 gal for premium. (Regular is 2.65) It took 12 gallons. 239.3 miles. Odometer 167310
We stopped for lunch at 1:40 at Juicy’s in Marshal. They have super burgers and free pinto beans. Yum! Jerry introduced us to the place and we try to go there each time we are there at the right time. Back on the road at 2:35.
We crossed into Ark at 3:45pm. We had some rain showers south of Texarkana but not heavy enough to close the windows. We stopped at the new Ark visitor center long enough to check the tires and call Ray and Martha and let them know where we are.. We will either go on to their house
or meet them in Hope for supper. We can see a few “feet” of a rainbow between clouds.
Millage numbers at Hope**milepost 29**105.4 67416...trip total 349 from Ihop.
Whew!! Rain and a cool breeze. Wet roads...OK windows up!!!. Time 4:25. Thunder !! It is over at 4:30 Wow short!
Arrived at RD & M’s at 4:47 in a heavy down pour. We will sit in the car until it slacks off. Not long before Martha came out with a big umbrella for us. Martha had a cold and probably didn’t feel like going out to eat. We visited and decided to stay home and have some microwave Panini sandwiches . They had chicken and beef. They were very good. We watched some TV and one by one drifted off to bed.
Day 2 Tuesday October 9
We slept well and after breakfast left about 9:45. We drove to the railroad depot in Hope to get a picture of “Monk” by the sign :”Hope–Home of Clinton”.
It is muggy but cool. We are keeping the windows up today so far. Today is the GPS practice day on hiway 67 on roads we are not too familiar with. It is one of the “60" numbered roads we will be Day 2 continued’
on for a while in the middle of the country. Just saw a deer crossing the road and carefully going down the embankment into the woods. 10:30am.
The sun is out. We opened our vent windows to let a cool breeze in. Beautiful pine and oak trees along side the road. A squirrel sat in the middle of the road watching us then turned and ran back.
It is so nice driving through the shaded highway feeling the cool breezes and hearing an occasional bird tweet and smelling the country smells. Wow!! This is nice!
At 12 noon we stopped in Rockport, north of Malvern at McD’s for lunch. Then drove down to the new bridge and took a pic of the freeway bridge over the Ouachita River. We have been at this crossing over the past years before the bridge was even started and have pictures. So we have watched the progress of the site to this completion of the bridge.
We are now on a twisty country paved road. Just saw a large der with a big “rack” of horns. Skip wouldn’t slow down in time for me to get a picture.
Now we have turned on Narrows road. I have taken several pictures of the drive between trees. There is another fawn. He was in a fenced in area and IF WE WEREN’T GOING SO FAST I COULD GET A PICTURE. Does this car have a slow down button.!!
Another gas stop at Opollo, Ark, reg gas price $2:63 we got Premium at 2.93. Millage 267.1 Odo 167577 13.5 gallons for $39.64. On hiway 9 to 64 at Morrilton. 88' temp at Atkins at 2:45pm.
We arrived at Jeanne & Raymond’s at 3:00. We visited until about 5:10 and then drove into Russleville to meet Marinelle, Sherrye and Bruce at Western Sizzler for supper. We had a good visit . Brenda couldn’t come. Now that she is principal of the Wonderview school, she had to go to a ball game between their two teams as a practice game. We went back to Jeanne’s and talked, watched tv and went to bed around 10.
Day 3 October 10 jim and Laura’s 8th anniversary today.
Raymond had eggs, sausage and biscuits ready when we got up for breakfast. Had a very nice visit with them. Jeanne showed us the baby sheet and pillow sets she is making to sell.
We left there around 10 til 10 and went to Hiway 64 toward Ozark. I made some calls. Becky told me about the school board meeting last night. Sounds like it went very well. Will be interesting to see how the issue ends. Was sorry to hear that Darren Smith was in the hospital and Becky Ware is, also. We must pray for them.
Pictures 11 & 12 were taken on the Pig Trail road hiway 23. I just saw an orange/blonde squirrel. I thought it was some colored leaves until it jumped and ran.
We have passed the Elkins house. Boy! Does it look worn out. It was such a pretty house and the favorite of where we lived.
Arrived in Springdale at 12:30 and headed to AQ chicken for lunch and to take a picture of the car there. That is a famous place and one of Clinton’s favorite places to eat. We used to go there when we were dating. They have a really good salad dressing, like Russian , that is their house dressing and I would have a salad and that. You also get hot rolls with butter and honey. Very good
Skip likes their fried chicken and tries to make it there every time we are in town.
After Lunch we went to see Mother. I found her “walking her chair” down another hall.
When I ask her where she was going she said” Just out for a stroll”. I kissed her and ask if she wanted to go to the lobby to visit Skip and she said ok. I took her hand and she lifted her feet and the chair just rolled very easily , with her in it. I was surprised that just holding her hand was all it needed to roll along. We sat and talked a little while and then she ask me to take her outside. We did Wednesday continued
and she had me help her sit on the bench. She grimaced and said it was hard. Very soon she ask me to get her back into her chair. She has no meat “cushion” to make up for the harness on the wood slats. After she got in the wheelchair she slid down and tried to lean back. It has a low back so she couldn’t rest her head on anything except the push hand holds. I ask her if she wanted to go back in and take a nap. First she said no. I told her she needed a hammock. She agreed. Then she agreed to go back in and go to her room. She was tired. I took her to her room and put her to bed. She was asleep before I left her.
We went on to Dad’s. Grady was there and Dad was having a therapy session. Grady had me put a catalog disk in the computer and let him look at cycle parts. When he saw the prices he was finished! And disappointed that they were so out of his reach price wise.
Dad finished his session and we just visited for a while. Grady and I were sitting on the couch. Jackie came by. About 6pm, as we sat watching the news, I heard Francy and Ray come in singing “Happy Birthday”. Dad came in from his room singing. They had a cake with our Route 66 logo and the two pictures on the cake!! She also had a sack of presents. You can see a picture of the cake on Skip’s biog. site. She gave me a pack of homemade cards to send out, empty CD cases to store stamps in, a disposable camera for the trip and a book on conquering clutter. She had hand stamped Route 66 on green napkins. Very nice and such a surprise!! What a good Sister!! Dad gave me a book that was titled “Somebody Loves you”. And said he had the ice cream for the cake.. We ordered pizza and it had cinnamon sticks and cheese bread with it. We ate and visited until about 6:30 and then all went home. Skip and Dad read while I watched TV till 10:10. Then I went on to bed. The high tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 60' s and low tonight in the 40's. Yea!! Good Night!
Thursday Oct 11 64* 9 Am
We slept good. I took a bath in Mother’s deep Jacuzzi, stripped the bed and washed the sheets. Skip had coffee and I had my bowl of cereal. Dad was still in bed. He said he would sleep a little longer but felt good, better, he said. We loaded the car and got it a little better organized. After kissing Daddy good by we pulled out at 8:50. Now we are driving on hiway 71 to Bentonville. Arrived at 9:35 and it is 56* with a cool day ahead. We have driven to the Walton’s 5 & 10 . It was the first “Wal-mart”. It actually is a very interesting museum. We have been in before. We took pictures.
On the edge of Ark/Okla border we stopped for gas: 203.5 167780 got 11.2 gal at $295 a gallon Regular is $2.71.
Saw a big flock of gray geese on the Bella Vista golf course. There were about 2 dozen.
Had to get on the new roadway since old 71 is closed. Trip planner wasn’t too happy. It kept saying “off route” will calculate new route”
Gas at Centerville Reg $2.45. After visiting a couple that have bought an old station and are living in it, we drove to Webb City for Lunch. The man there had a web site Skip had found and he emailed him and told him of our trip. He remembered. Skip and they exchanged info. He had a good book. One that I had intended to buy earlier but forgot. It is the EZ Guide to Route 66. We got it and it is adding to our information stash. It is a good one.
The place where we ate in Web city was set up like an old soda shop, complete with counter, stools, juke box and phosphates. Took some good pictures. We had a nice lunch and headed back to Centerville to get back on tract.
There is a gap in my notes here:
We left Lebanon at 4:35 Just missed getting pictures of 3 deer crossing the road. Fiddlestix!!
Another gap:
Hiway Z east of Ft Leonardwood is an original 2 lane divided land with curbs and it goes through the biggest cut in the area. That is a 90' cut in the rock mountain for the road way.
We decided to stop in Rollo for the night. Got a room and Skip worked on his site and I just snacked with him and I watched TV. Nearly fell asleep early. I set the TV to automatically shut off and let it do what ever. Not sure when Skip came to bed.
Friday Oct 12 49' cool!
When we went into the lobby for their breakfast, a man came in that was the husband of a woman I had talked to earlier. He ask if we were going all the way to California. We told him we were and he was from there. They had flown in and then rented a PT Cruiser to drive from Rollo to New Orleans to meet their church group and help with some work related to the Katerina storm damage. He said not to miss seeing the Hurst Castle in Calif. It was fantastic. I had forgotten it was there and had wanted to see it some day. We talked some more about what to do and see . We left the motel at 9. And gassed up at a Phillips 66 station for $2.79 a gallon. 257.7 168038 9:30AM
We plan to stick to the interstate much of the way so we can get to Chester’s by a decent time. We can “look” on the way back. At 10:00 we have been on the trip for 1000 miles and the car has been 2000 miles on the over hauled engine.
We just saw a whirlwind of buzzards. There were about 2 dozen, I counted them.
We are about 30 miles west of St. Louis and the trees are getting their fall colors.
Boy, the heater feels good on my toes right now. 10:45 AM.
We made it around St. Louis on the 270 bypass north of town. WE crossed the Illinois border at 11:20. We can see the 66 road beside us some of the time. We stopped in Staunton to see the Rabbit Ranch. It was at an old gas station but the folks had closed to go to the post office so we didn’t get to go inside. But at the side of the building were 3 large pens with rabbits in them. I got pictures of one of the pens and one of the rabbits in another. They also had a big Texas size rabbit that you could climb on and get your picture taken. I just got a pic of the rabbit. Beside the station there were lots of wooden tomb stones with the name and information of their deceased rabbits. There were also lots of “dead’ VW rabbits in their yard. I got a pic of one of their license plate..
Then we left there and followed the old road to Litchfield. We stopped at Walgreens for some batteries for the old GPS unit. It got cold overnight and isn’t working this morning. Don’t know if it is the cold or batteries so we are getting new ones, in case.
Then we went over to the Ariston Café from back when. It is rustic but with a very classy and $$ menu. Fancy folded napkins and flowers are on each table. We were greeted by the owner, dressed in a suit, with Howdy Pilgriams! You from Texas?” I ask how he knew. And he said, “I can see and read.”
The car and license. Well, duh! Ann!!. Dad had buffalo chicken and fries covered with melted cheese. I had an open face hot beef and mashed potatoes covered with gravy. Not bad. We got one Baklava for dessert.
We left the restaurant at 1:45. From here we are going North on the old 1930-1940 alignment to 1040-1970 alignment to continue on to I55. In ‘40 they shifted the road to go more west of town. We are staying on the main road 55. We are stopping for gas at 4:05. Mileage is 282.1 Odom reading 168319. We gassed up at Towanda for $2.79 a gal. Took 13.2 gal for $36.97.We made it through Chicago border with several “discussions” We called Chester where we were near the area to let them know where we were. He gave us some directions that were different from the GPS.
After we got there Skip added a quart of oil at 168458.
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