QUOTABLE: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” ~ T. S. Eliot
A CONUNDRUM FROM FACEBOOK: “When someone says ‘STOP’ I never know if it’s in the Name of Love, Hammer Time, or if I am supposed to collaborate and listen”. The struggle is real, people!
On Monday, August 26, we hit the road about 9 AM, passing through Boonville and zig-zagging south to Syracuse. There we hit US-50 east and stopped in Centertown for lunch at the Outpost Bar & Grill. Afterwards, we continued east and passed by Missouri’s capitol in Jefferson City. At MO-19 in Drake, we turned south through Owensville, then went over to Bourbon on MO-C. While waiting for MW at the gas station, I watched a woman looking at the front of her car. She walked away and came back with several rolls of duct tape, then proceeded to reattach stuff apparently knocked off in a collision. I smiled thinking of MW’s Dad, Art Jones, who truly believed that duct tape and J. B. Weld could solve ANY problem. After several minutes, she drove that baby away in one piece. Next task…explain to her husband why the car is held together with tape! LOL. We zig-zagged south on what became dirt road, which we weren’t planning on, especially when we had to slow down to go through water and mud. Our final leg was a left turn on MO-H and descent down into Onondaga Cave State Park. Since I had a few things to get done, I was dismayed to find this the second park in a row with ZERO cell signal. After we set up, I headed over to Sullivan to do a little work while sitting at the DQ.
Tuesday we had a nice, relaxing start to the day, then we headed into Cuba, Missouri, where we had lunch at Missouri Hick BBQ and I did a little writing. The place was really packed for good reason…the food was awesome. While there we chatted a bit with a tour group out of Chicago. They were driving all of the old Route 66, which runs right through this little town. The guide, Austin Coop with Two Lane America, was the lead vehicle, and he planned all of the stops, hotels, restaurants, etc. Everyone else followed along in their own car. We’ve talked about doing tours before, but don’t like the cattle-hauler busses. This, however, is a road tour format we could get behind…literally! The group of about 13 or so were very nice and seemed to be having a great time. After picking up a few things at the grocery store, we headed back to the park. MW dropped me off at the office, where they graciously let me sit in a side room to do a little writing. That was pretty much the day.
Wednesday it was rainy and grey but cleared up later. We headed back over to Cuba to check out Weir on 66, a restaurant in a 90-year-old old gas station building on the original route. The food was very good, especially the flash fried Brussels sprouts, but the waitress gave me an entirely different sandwich, brought MW the wrong beer, and messed up the order at the next table, too. She fixed everything, but at zero for three, we hoped it was just a bad day and not that she was just that bad. I did a little more writing while there, then we headed over to check out Pearl’s Crooked Cone Creamery. The owner’s name is actually Pearl, and she opened the place after she and her husband retired. Cuba is a fairly small town, but she said her business is pretty good since we got past all of the Covid mess. We chatted for a bit, then it was time to head back to Priscilla and relax.
RV ISSUE: After our Thursday drive, we found that the dust cover on one of our hubs was off center. MW took it all apart prior to our departure and put things back where they should be, but it was off center again when we stopped for lunch on Monday. We commented then that it should be fine since we aren’t on dirt roads, which made that little surprise at the end of our drive really irritating…all that dust getting into the hub grease!! He cleaned everything out and put the hub cover back in place, then used Flex Tape – something we always keep onboard – to secure it. I’m writing this a couple of weeks out, and it is holding fine. We will order the necessary part for the permanent repair when we get back to the barn.
Onondaga Cave State Park was really beautiful and offers a couple of things others don’t have…a cave and a bluff overlooking the Meramec River. Divided into two sections and located in Leasburg, Missouri just off of US-44 between Sullivan and St. James, the park offers a visitor center with displays and exhibits on the cave and other areas of the park, plus guided cave tours that take about 2 hours. There are also a park store, picnic areas, a picnic shelter, over 6 miles of hiking trails, a boat ramp, an amphitheater, a playground, a laundry, and 2 bathhouses. Other activities include fishing, swimming, and canoeing. The campground has 30- or 50-amp electric/water sites and basic sites that are paved and in a wooded, natural area. Some are shorter, so confirm length when making reservations. There are also special-use and family campsites. This is the second park in a row with ZERO cell signal for Verizon and AT&T. Over-the-air TV was also nonexistent. It was very nice, though, and we would return. For this visit in August ’24, we paid a little over $32 per night for a 50-amp electric site with water.
Thursday it was time to head on over to Piedmont, Missouri, to meet friends Lori & Jimmy Grimm. We took MO-49 southeast out of Cuba, which was a pretty drive through the Mark Twain National Forest. At Lesterville we stopped in at Three Forks Cafe and Home Cookin’ for lunch, then continued south to Sam A. Baker State Park. As we turned on the last road to the campground, we both had a dejavu…we had eaten at a restaurant we passed near the corner. Hmmmm? Neither of us could recall what brought us there, but we knew we didn’t stay at this campground. Lori and Jimmy arrived about an hour later, and the visiting commenced. I tried out my aluminum griddle on the inside stove, which worked great for cooking breakfast for supper. (I was a little skeptical when I got rid of my Blackstone and replaced it with a 3-burner outdoor stove and this griddle. I find that it cooks as well as the cast iron, and for the weight I saved there, I was also able to get an aluminum table. Win-win!!)
On Friday I headed into Piedmont to do laundry, and finally realized when we were here. When we passed through last year, we stayed at River Road Park on Clearwater Lake, which is west of Piedmont. There happened to be a little festival with a parade in town that weekend, so MW got to have fair food, too. Today I returned to the Denim Depot Duds & Suds laundromat in town to get the chore completed, then popped in at McDonald’s to write for a little bit before heading back.
We spent the next three days mostly hanging out at the campground. It was HOT, but we managed to play a few games and do a lot of catching up. Lori is an excellent cook and usually brings something new to each gathering. This time it was s’more quesadillas…YUM!!!! Saturday we headed into town for steak night at Hercules Southern BBQ (good NY strips and ribs), then checked out Tractor
Supply and picked a few things up at the grocery store. We also checked out the UFO Capital of Missouri, a designation given to Piedmont and Wayne County by the Missouri General Assembly in 2023. It seems that, in a 2-month period in 1973, residents of Piedmont and the surrounding area witnessed lots of unexplained stuff in the sky. So many that hundreds of calls were made to authorities, and national news stations began reporting the sightings. The government mostly ignored it, but a physics professor at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Harley Rutledge, put together a team to investigate. His paper, issued in 1973 and made into a book in 1981, was titled Project Identification: The First Scientific Field Study of UFO Phenomena. This guy used a large array of scientific equipment and really saw stuff. If you are hunting for little green men, you might want to check out his book. Or, you can go to the park in Piedmont and talk to the one MW found.
The only other excursion, except for parking at the nearby Dollar General for a little cell signal, was when MW and I went to church on Sunday at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where we heard a good message about our choices in life. It is always fun when we get together with the Grimms, and we’ll be doing it again soon.
Sam A. Baker State Park covers over 5,300 acres and is divided into several sections with something for everyone. Amenities include a visitor center constructed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), picnic shelters, a camp store, boat ramp, and restaurant. Other activities include fishing, swimming, wading, and tubing in the St. Francois River and Big Creek, and hiking, biking, or horseback riding on almost 25 miles of trails. Lodging options include cabins in a variety of sizes, many built by the CCC, and several camping areas, including special use and equestrian. Two campgrounds offer basic, electric, and family sites, and sites include picnic tables and fire rings. Water is available nearby. This is the THIRD park in a row with bad cell signals for both Verizon and AT&T, and no over-the-air tv, either. However, it is a beautiful park, and we would probably return. For this visit ending in September ’24, we paid a little over $28 per night for a 50-amp electric site.
HOLY SMOKES…I ALMOST FORGOT! They found my camera!! I received a message on August 23 while MW and I were at Arrow Rock. Awesome!! I asked them to ship it to Lori’s house, so we were reunited during this visit. Kudos to the employee who actually found it and turned it in. Kudos to Enterprise for letting me know and having a way to get it to me. NO KUDOS to the person that packed it for shipping. I paid $54 to have it shipped, and my Nikon Coolpix P950 was just chucked into a box, taped up and sent…no bubble wrap, no packing peanuts, no wadded up newspaper!!! Who does that??!! As a result, the focus mechanism is making more noise than it should and the digital display sometimes goes black. Ugh! It’s my fault for leaving it in the rental car, but wouldn’t you think they would at least stuff a little something in the box??!!
Tuesday was our 31st wedding anniversary. We celebrated by hitting the road to Memphis…woohoo. We left about 8 AM, heading south to MO-34, then east over to Marble Hill. Then it was south through Advance to Dexter, where we side-stepped east to MO-153. At Risco we made our way east to I-55 south, then took I-155 across the mighty Mississippi into Tennessee. We stopped in a parking lot and made tomato sandwiches for lunch, then continued south on US-51 all the way to Millington. There we headed west over to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, arriving about 3 PM. Annoyingly, despite being this close to Memphis, we AGAIN didn’t have cell reception. Ugh!!! In an attempt to do a little writing, I headed up to the park office. They had a nice room off to the side they let me use, but no sooner had I started when my computer began throwing up odd warnings. My VPN wasn’t coming on, and I was concerned something nefarious was happening, so I shut it down. Suffice to say, I was NOT a happy camper at that moment.
Wednesday morning MW found a little note on our steps with a pink lizard. Interesting! Desperate to figure out my computer problem. I packed up my Mac, the backup drive, and my backup Mac. In almost 15 years of having Macs, I’ve had two issues. The first was fixed at the Apple Store in Greensboro in a matter of hours. The second, though, required me to ship the computer back to Apple. Thanks to Covid, they said it would take WEEKS, which would basically shut me down during tax season. MW and I discussed it at the time and decided I should get a new computer, which would be delivered the next day, then keep the repaired one for a backup. As it turned out, the new one arrived on Saturday, the same day I shipped out the old one. We were shocked when the repaired one showed back up on Monday. Wow! So I didn’t really need the new computer after all, but now I have a backup for times like this. For the current issue, headed to Millington, Tennessee, and parked myself at Chick-fil-A. There I erased and restored my computer, which seemed to solve the issue but took HOURS!! I also sent a message to my son and daughter-in-love for their 17th anniversary. Hard to believe it has been that long, but that was a blessed day for all of us!! I got no writing done, but at least the computer was working again. To be safe, I imaged the old one so it was up to date, too. While twiddling my thumbs waiting for the tech to do its thing, I saw a guy wearing a McGuire’s t-shirt at the next table. That is my niece’s favorite place in Pensacola. A few minutes later another guy walked in with a Floribama shirt. Okay, I got the message…we need to pay a visit to the brother in P’Cola!! On the way back to the campground, I stopped to catch a pic of the hummingbirds at the feeders at the park office. There were dozens of them, but the best I could do was ten in one pic.
Back at Priscilla we got cleaned up and headed out for a celebration. MW planned dinner in downtown Memphis at the Majestic Grille. We also popped in at Dinstuhl’s Candy next door, where we added a few things for our Christmas baskets. We had a beautiful evening with terrific food. The company wasn’t too bad, either. *wink* *wink*
SINCERE APOLOGY: The last time we were in Memphis was probably 18-20 years ago. We stayed at the Peabody (of the famed ducks) and walked over to Beale Street. The latter was very sketchy and felt seriously unsafe, reminding me of the first time I went to Times Square 40 or so years ago. MW and I agreed that, since we had been to Graceland, there was really no reason to EVER go back to Memphis. Often folks ask me about Tennessee, and I’ll admit to saying things like “I’d just skip Memphis.” (To be fair, I say that about Nashville, too, with the obligatory country music caveat. That is not a safety thing but because there seem to always be thousands of people downtown these days.) So we were both truly surprised on this visit. We parked at a lot near one of the Beale Street arches to go to the restaurant, and everything was clean, brightly lit, and very nice. I asked the clerk at the candy store and our waiter about walking around at night, too. Both said the city has done a great job of making that area safe for workers and tourists. There is always a security presence, so residents walk around often and never feel unsafe or have issues. Isn’t that great??!! So now I need to apologize to the city of Memphis. Also, if I told you to skip Memphis, I was WRONG!! (However, both of the locals said there are definitely areas you want to stay away from.) MW and I plan to go back and spend a little time on Beale soon.
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park encompasses over 12,500 acres of land bordering the mighty Mississippi River and is a short drive to Millington and Memphis. Facilities include a seasonal Nature Center, gift shop, pavilions, meeting and conference rooms, more than 20 miles of hiking trails, and two 18-hole disc golf courses. In addition to the campground, they have some rental cabins. There are 49 sites with a playground and bathhouse, and it was all in need of repair. However, they will be closed beginning November ’24 for a year to renovate sites and the bathhouse. For that reason, we will give them another shot. As noted above, they are in a hole so cell signals and over-the-air TV were nonexistent. Hopefully they will address that as part of the reno, too. For this stay in September ’24, we paid right at $30 per night for a 50-amp electric site with water.
Thursday it was time to get our fannies down to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit family and prepare for the upcoming Navy and Marine Corps invasion. We headed south on US-51 and turned east on I-240 over to US-72, which took us into Mississippi, then through Corinth and into Alabama. At Tuscumbia, we stopped for lunch at Momma Jeans, a terrific home-cookin’ place, then took Alt US-72 through Decatur. The last leg was I-565 through Madison and into Huntsville, where we ended the day at Monte Sano State Park (the FOURTH park in a row with little to no cell signal, not that I’m counting).
FUNNY SIDE NOTE: There is an attorney named Alexander Shunnarah who advertises extensively all over the southeast. Most of his signs in Alabama used to say “Call Me, Alabama!” We always joked that we should call the office and ask for “Alabama”. Now the signs say “I’m Alexander” or “Call Me” with just the shape of the state. I guess he got tired of being called “Alabama”! LOL. Seriously, though, do people pick an attorney from a billboard??
Friday we had lunch with MW’s step-mom Peg & Colin at Biscuit Belly. (If you have one of these close, go…NOW!! They do some regular breakfast fare, but also all kinds of biscuit sandwiches. Mine was The G. O. A. T. – buttermilk fried chicken, sweet pepper jelly, and goat cheese. Yum!!) We spent the next several days scouting and getting supplies for the upcoming gathering. We also had supper at Colin and Peg’s house a couple of times, and saw MW’s brother Scott, wife Michelle, and nephew Caleb. On Sunday we went to services at First United Methodist Church with Peg and Colin, then spent a very nice afternoon with their regular Sunday lunch crew at the home of Don & Emily Craft. (There was a righteous brownie recipe that will show up in the future!!) MW was particularly excited to talk with someone who worked on the Apollo missions!! That, my friends, is what we in the South call hog heaven! We also met Peg at Cajun Steamers downtown for lunch on Tuesday, which was pretty delicious, too.)
Wednesday, after a morning grocery run, it was finally time for the Navy & Marine Corps to arrive. We belong to the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, RV Chapter, which includes Navy and Marine Corps officers. Our little band of nomads has gatherings, called ComeArounds, anywhere a member gets an urge to host one. The chapter was founded 25 years ago, with the first ComeAround held at Monte Sano. When someone found out that MW was born in Huntsville and visits family there regularly, we somehow became the hosts or Firsties. (Really it was just a little arm twisting. LOL) While a few folks arrived ahead of schedule, most pulled in by early afternoon and the party began. Our first night included happy hour where we had a moment of silence for September 11 and discussed the coming storm at length. You see, in addition to the Navy & Marine Corps, tropical storm Francine also decided to make an appearance. MW and a few of the guys secured tarps to the windward sides of our pavilion in an effort to keep us comfortable in the coming blow. Supper was two kinds of chili with lots of fixins and cake for dessert. Afterwards we had an impromptu presentation from a fellow camper, Taras Lyssenko, about his company A & T Recovery. For the last 40+ years, they have specialized in locating and recovering lost WWII-era U. S. Navy aircraft. Their finds are displayed in the National Naval Aviation Museum, the National Air & Space Museum, the National Museum of the Pacific War, and several others around the country. Along the way they have also found a Great Lakes schooner, an 8,000-year-old forest, and the wreckage and body of an insurance executive thought to have faked his own death to avoid prosecution. Cool! NOTE: Most of the pics below are courtesy of chapter members Joan Platz and Julie Turner. Thank you ladies!!
Overnight the wind picked up substantially, but the torrential rain didn’t show. We had already canceled the morning trip to the botanical garden, so it was a mostly free day. The guys took care of a little tarp repair at the pavilion in the morning, and with a few potential writing hours on my hands, I went into town for a while. That evening we met for our planned appetizer and margarita night, then most of us packed it in.
Friday things were still a little windy and grey on the mountain, but the day was nice, nonetheless. MW took a hike early in the morning, but no one else chose to brave muddy trails. We had a couple of meetings at the pavilion, then headed out for our afternoon activity…a tour of the Polaris plant in Madison, Alabama. Polaris makes several versions of 4-wheel sport and utility vehicles, the Slingshot cycle, and what they were initially known for, snowmobiles. They also own Indian Motorcycle. (Do I need to show you a pic of my favorite again??!!) We were greeted by Lesley-Anne and Todd, who gave us a very informative tour. The Huntsville facility is over 931K square feet and builds the Slingshot and several of their 4 x 4s. Due to proprietary manufacturing techniques, no pics were allowed inside the plant. Lesley-Anne did send me links to company-approved pics to use, though. They are the bottom five in this group.
The answer is “yes”, I do need to share my favorite…again!
EXPLAINER: You might notice a large photo of a young Naval Academy grad in some of our pics. That is Sunita (Suni) Williams, USNA class of 1987, who is currently in command of the International Space Station (ISS). This isn’t her first rodeo…she was assigned to several previous expeditions to, served as commander of, and logged more than 50 hours working OUTSIDE of the ISS. This is, however, the first time she’s had an unplanned stay. Earlier this year she flew the Boeing Starliner to the ISS, arriving on June 6 for what was supposed to be a quick trip with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore. Something went wrong with the craft giving NASA some concerns and making them ISS residents for not a week, but 7 MONTHS!! Despite the problems, the Starliner made it back to earth safely in September, and the ship that will bring them home in late February 2025 is already docked with the ISS. Suni and Butch became members of Crew-9 on their 6-month rotation. Several USNA grads have added Suni’s pic to activities here on the ground and even put together a video to cheer her up for the birthday she was planning to be back on earth for. Now you know.
Back on the mountain we had an early happy hour and supper…BBQ Night…so that we could make it over to see the planetarium show. Because it was cloudy, they did a presentation about gravitational waves, then we studied the constellations on the domed ceiling and took a gander at their telescope.
Saturday was my favorite part…the white elephant sale. Proceeds go to the chapter, and we all donate stuff we don’t use in our rigs and other things our band of nomads might like, including new and used items. We were lucky this year to have Jim Roberts as our auctioneer. As things progressed there was quite a bit of laughter as accidentally raised hands got counted as bids (Jim doesn’t mess around!) and competitions for coveted items broke out. I won one of the items I was eyeing, but had to let one go, because it was clear the other person WAS NOT going to stop bidding!! LOL. (I don’t know how much MW would be okay with me spending for a lap quilt!!) Afterwards we had happy hour, followed by our Southern night pot luck. Then everyone was subjected to *ahem* enjoyed a bit of trivia. MW made up the questions for our first game, which was all about 1999. (What was the cost of a first class stamp? What movie won the Oscar for best movie?) The second game was about National Parks with questions from an actual trivia game. (Who was the first director of the National Park Service? What is the only National Park set aside to protect a living organism?) I’ll just say…there was some grousing! The takeaway was DON’T LET MW MAKE UP YOUR TRIVIA QUESTIONS!!
Sunday everyone had time on their own, so MW and I met Peg & Colin for church. Afterwards we headed towards their house, passing some of our nomads dining at an outdoor table downtown. Nephew Caleb met the four of us for lunch at Red Robin, then MW and I picked up all of the things we’d been storing at the Bagwell abode (everything that normally resides in Big Jake’s back seat) and returned the borrowed items (Crockpot, cooler, ladles, etc.). Having family living in town sure made our job easier for this gathering! Then it was back to the park for our last afternoon/evening together. We enjoyed happy hour and “Clean Out the Fridge” night, with supper being a mix of everything from BBQ to banana pudding. Colin & Peg joined us for the evening. (You know Moms like to meet their kids’ friends!! LOL). Afterwards we heard speaker, John F. Weis, NASA Office of STEM Engagement tell us about “What’s Up At Marshall?” It really is amazing all of the stuff that goes on in Huntsville, Alabama!
Monte Sano State Park is truly beautiful. Located on top of the mountain of the same name, which means “Mountain of Health”, it offers 2,140 acres of incredible views and beautiful foliage. Just 20 minutes from downtown Huntsville, you can get to anything in northeast Alabama easily. Facilities include a lodge with room for meetings, weddings, or reunions, several picnic shelters, picnic areas, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a large playground. It also houses the Wernher Von Braun Planetarium, a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) Museum & Memorial, and the North Alabama Japanese Garden. There are also over 20 miles of hiking trails and over 14 miles of biking trails. Lodging opportunities include rustic cabins (most built by the CCC) and a campground. The latter has 89 improved sites, many of which will accommodate large rigs, some glamping safari tents for rent, and a primitive area. It is a truly beautiful park, and we have stayed before. In the winter, it can be a bit windy and cold, but in the warmer weather, it is consistently a little cooler and breezier than the city below. Views off of the mountain are incredible, although with all of the foliage, you have to look for them. The one negative here was zero cell signal for AT&T and Verizon. (I could get a bar occasionally, but it wouldn’t result in meaningful data.) There is plenty of over-the-air tv, though. While we mostly don’t choose this park when we visit family in Huntsville, it is less about the park and more about its proximity to where we need to go. We will definitely stay again, though, and you can’t beat it for beauty. For this visit in September 2024, we paid a little over $40 per night. (Sorry for the lack of pics. I only remembered to take one, but a fellow nomad provided a couple more.)
Another post in the bag, finally! Next up…Creeping Crud, More Family, And A Left Turn To Extra Alumni Time. See you on the path!!
Talisa
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