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| Scared the living daylights out of me when I lifted the lid and saw only the ears! |
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| A real dinner tonight |
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| Chalk on road wisdom |
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Buck Creek Photos
Love Those State Parks
Love those state parks. Spending the night in Buck Creek State Park in Springfield, OH. It was supposed to be only 4 miles from the Interstate, but we went about 5 miles on the most manicured curvy road after that to reach the campground - wide swaths of lawn mowed on either side. In the campground itself, there were grass lawns, lots of trees, and stayed in the tent section for the quiet since it is Saturday night and there is a reservoir here. (Are you sensing a theme in these state parks?) They had a cute outdoor movie theater made of a couple pieces of plywood painted white and are going to show Ice Age tonight.
Less than 700 miles from our destination (A&M, this means you! Fair Warning!) We have toyed with the idea to go for it, but our advanced age has its compensations - we are not in a hurry! So, will stay somewhere tomorrow night and be there Monday afternoon.
The Interstates were boring with lots of construction. We miss the small roads. We were within 60 miles of the Airstream factory and saw several Airstreams. Someday we'll have to take Twink back to visit her birthplace.
Here is the giant cross made out of aluminum siding - I think right across the Indiana border.
Less than 700 miles from our destination (A&M, this means you! Fair Warning!) We have toyed with the idea to go for it, but our advanced age has its compensations - we are not in a hurry! So, will stay somewhere tomorrow night and be there Monday afternoon.
The Interstates were boring with lots of construction. We miss the small roads. We were within 60 miles of the Airstream factory and saw several Airstreams. Someday we'll have to take Twink back to visit her birthplace.
Here is the giant cross made out of aluminum siding - I think right across the Indiana border.
The Big MO (and MS)
After going by Lake of the Ozarks (one of those dam created lakes that looks on the map like someone dropped a ball of blue string), we followed Highway 54 through Jefferson City, the capitol of Missouri, then followed along the Missouri River a ways through incredible fields of corn before stopping for the night at a city park in the town of Hermann.
The park had a small RV area with 18 spaces. Since we were in the 18th we were a little worried about sufficient electricity to run the A/C, but it was fine. We then engaged in the time-honored RV entertainment of watching other RVers try to park.
Max took Rosa and found a Little League game to watch. He was slightly horrified to discover that any child who wanted to play was allowed to, all at the same time. The outfield was well covered. He had to leave when Juan decided he could try to pet Rosa, despite his mother saying no, because he had 7 mean dogs. A hasty retreat was called for when Juan recruited his little sister to join in the fun.
The town was founded by the German Society (?) and has great red brick buildings. It is in the middle of Missouri wine country - beautiful green hills - and is on the Lewis and Clark Trail. It would be a good place to spend a couple days.
But in the morning we headed through St. Louis and across the Mississippi (see barges below). About 50 miles into Illinois we abandoned the 2 lane roads we've been on and took to The Big Road - the Interstate. Rosa will sit up and watch on the smaller roads if we have the windows open, but starts to fall asleep when she can't smell the countryside.
The park had a small RV area with 18 spaces. Since we were in the 18th we were a little worried about sufficient electricity to run the A/C, but it was fine. We then engaged in the time-honored RV entertainment of watching other RVers try to park.
Max took Rosa and found a Little League game to watch. He was slightly horrified to discover that any child who wanted to play was allowed to, all at the same time. The outfield was well covered. He had to leave when Juan decided he could try to pet Rosa, despite his mother saying no, because he had 7 mean dogs. A hasty retreat was called for when Juan recruited his little sister to join in the fun.
The town was founded by the German Society (?) and has great red brick buildings. It is in the middle of Missouri wine country - beautiful green hills - and is on the Lewis and Clark Trail. It would be a good place to spend a couple days.
But in the morning we headed through St. Louis and across the Mississippi (see barges below). About 50 miles into Illinois we abandoned the 2 lane roads we've been on and took to The Big Road - the Interstate. Rosa will sit up and watch on the smaller roads if we have the windows open, but starts to fall asleep when she can't smell the countryside.
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| Crossing the Mississippi in St. Louis |
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| Rosa wins the largest nose contest |
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| Missouri State Capitol |
Fort Scott, Kansas
We needed a break about the time we came upon Fort Scott, Kansas, - the city and National Historic site. Rosa endeared herself to the Ranger by barking at her in the parking lot ("The Ranger isn't going to like this, BooBoo," said Yogi Bear.)
Fort Scott has had 5 lives:
1. It was first a fort of unique buildings around a "public square" on the "Indian Frontier". When the frontier moved west, the fort was sold.
2. Pre-Civil War, during the Bleeding Kansas time, when there was a fraught vote as to whether Kansas would be a slave state or not, there was a "free state" hotel (pro-slavery) on the south side of the public square and an anti-slavery hotel on the north. (You understand the division when you hear the Southern drawls and the campground host tells you all he knows of Vermont is that it is Yankee. ) The Governor called a peace conference there which resulted in a riot. There were raids by the other side on each hotel, and blood spilled.
Max's great-great-grandfather, David Eaton, left Vermont with his family to participate in the Kansas vote. He was a Unitarian and the New England churches were urging parishioners to re-settle in Kansas to oppose slavery. He returned to Vermont when two of his sons were injured at Gettysburg and were taken to the military hospital at Brattleboro. One daughter married and stayed in Kansas. One of the injured sons, Eugene (Max's middle name) was shot in the neck and did not return to service, instead becoming an attorney and serving in his former Colonel's law office in Rutland after the war. The other, Henry Augustus Eaton, re enlisted and served until he was killed at Poplar Church in Virginia. His name is on the monument in the cemetery on North Hollow Road in Rochester where David Eaton is buried.
3. During the Civil War, it was a mobilization point for Union troops.
4. After the Civil War, it was an educational institution for black students. George Washington Carver was a graduate.
5. Now it is a National Historic Site.
The town is also charming, with covered walkways a la Tombstone but with Victorian columns.
Fort Scott has had 5 lives:
1. It was first a fort of unique buildings around a "public square" on the "Indian Frontier". When the frontier moved west, the fort was sold.
2. Pre-Civil War, during the Bleeding Kansas time, when there was a fraught vote as to whether Kansas would be a slave state or not, there was a "free state" hotel (pro-slavery) on the south side of the public square and an anti-slavery hotel on the north. (You understand the division when you hear the Southern drawls and the campground host tells you all he knows of Vermont is that it is Yankee. ) The Governor called a peace conference there which resulted in a riot. There were raids by the other side on each hotel, and blood spilled.
Max's great-great-grandfather, David Eaton, left Vermont with his family to participate in the Kansas vote. He was a Unitarian and the New England churches were urging parishioners to re-settle in Kansas to oppose slavery. He returned to Vermont when two of his sons were injured at Gettysburg and were taken to the military hospital at Brattleboro. One daughter married and stayed in Kansas. One of the injured sons, Eugene (Max's middle name) was shot in the neck and did not return to service, instead becoming an attorney and serving in his former Colonel's law office in Rutland after the war. The other, Henry Augustus Eaton, re enlisted and served until he was killed at Poplar Church in Virginia. His name is on the monument in the cemetery on North Hollow Road in Rochester where David Eaton is buried.
3. During the Civil War, it was a mobilization point for Union troops.
4. After the Civil War, it was an educational institution for black students. George Washington Carver was a graduate.
5. Now it is a National Historic Site.
The town is also charming, with covered walkways a la Tombstone but with Victorian columns.
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