Hey, y’all from Branson Missouri! We were reading the pamphlet on Tulsa and found that there is a large flea market at the fairgrounds this weekend. It was on the same road as the motel, but when we got there all we found was a horse show. As much as I like horses, that’s not why we went there, so we decided not to stay. We almost turned right out of the parking lot, but I thought if we drive all the way around the fairgrounds, we can say we checked out the whole place. On the other side we found this giant pavilion and sho’nuff there was the flea market. It was typical except that there was tons of jewelry and Thea was in heaven! We spent an hour and a half looking and meeting some of the people there. It was fun even though we didn’t drop any cash. I almost bought a hand-made inlayed Zuni ring, but didn’t have enough money on me. It was real nice, but maybe it’s for the best. We found some lunch and aimed the car east towards Missouri. We followed route 66 almost all the way to Joplin and then found hiway 60 and then south on I-65. We passed through many little towns and hit a few stop lights, but it was very pleasant scenery the whole way. We didn’t choose I-44 because you miss so much and they want $3 toll to use it and the traffic is no fun. I am continually amazed at how the country side changes as you cross the state lines. Oklahoma was lush, but mostly flat. As we traveled further into Missouri, the terrain morphed into longer rolling hills and deeper and deeper draws with higher hills. This is horse country and so there are many large horse operations along the way. It is also tornado alley and many of the trees look shredded with tall piles of branches after the clean-up. We were told that much of the damage was also caused by recent ice storms. As we neared Branson, we stopped at the visitor center and found that we could make arrangements for a room and a show. Branson is an amazing little town. It’s the Las Vegas for Country Music. We saw a show called “Country Tonight”. It was wonderful. I really like live shows and this one was excellent! The band had some older musicians, but the dancers were young and full of energy. The singers were also younger and sang with lots of power and purity. I was impressed and very glad we chose that one. It would be good to spend some time here because there are about 100 shows going on every night. Right now there are few big names, but during the summer there are many famous country singers to enjoy. When you think of where we are on the planet, it makes me wonder, “Why here?” This is the northern edge of the Ozark Mountains. There are many hills and very deep and steep hollows and yet the town of Branson is spread over 7 miles through them. The exteriors of the theaters are as imaginative as anything you’d see in Vegas and there are many hotels and motels to choose from along with all the amenities you’d ever need. I’ll try to include some pictures in tomorrow’s post. We are so glad we stopped here and wish we could stay longer….maybe some other time. We hope to make it to Poplar Bluff tomorrow afternoon. We might spend part of the day Monday trying to find some records of our family who lived there at one time. Both Thea and I have relatives from Poplar Bluff so we hope our search proves fruitful. We shall see. I wanted to say that yesterday I posted 2 separate days because I couldn’t get onto the internet until then, so click the ‘Previous Post’ spot at the bottom of the page. That will take you back to the events of Thursday. Sleep well.

Hello from Tulsa Oklahoma! We were treated to 2 days and 3 fun-filled nights at the Johnson Resort/ Bed & Breakfast! The gourmet cuisine and the wonderful conversation was such a treat for us. After taking so long to get the car repaired, it was way too late to head out on the hiway and Ron and Cindy kindly offered us another night on that fine new bed. We thank them genuinely. We made good time today and were at Oklahoma State University early in the day. The fellow at the Visitors Center recommended the Museum of Natural History on campus. We found it easily and spent quite a bit of time looking and learning about the local prehistoric population as well as the current animal residence. We also perused displays on the Native peoples who were sent here after the Indian displacement that took place in the late 19th century. It is one of the largest College supported museums in America. It was very interesting. After lunch at Sonic, we found the cut-off to Route 66 that parallels I-44 to Tulsa. It was a winding, rolling ride and was mostly enjoyable. As we left the hiway a small car of 3 stupid girls passed us on the shoulder and cut us off. Because of the traffic flow, we ended up in front of them as we entered the small town of Dale. They were right on our tail all the way to McCloud. We came to a turn in town and they tried to dart in front on the left before we were even in the turn lane. We got on a straight stretch and they passed us on a hill, yelling obscenities and waving their middle fingers and took off. I think they were telling us they thought we were number one! Or maybe it was their I-Q. We caught up to them at another stop and they just sat there holding up the line of 3 of us behind them. Again with the fingers. Weird! We let them get way ahead of us and then caught up again as they turned into their driveway. Whatever! Maybe they were high or drunk or just don’t like foreigners. I’m not sure and I guess I don’t care. It just made our impression of Oklahoma a little tainted. Other than that the rolling lush green hills, topped with groves of mesquite trees and dotted with ponds and water holes and large herds of well-fed horses was made for a pleasant drive. We finally got to Tulsa and found the Days Inn. We get the Super Saver pamphlets with special prices at participating motels along the way. We checked in to a non-smoking room and dragged our bags up to the second floor. The smell of cigarette smoke became so strong that by the time we got into the room, we were struggling to breathe. The smoke from downstairs was rising up through the stairwells and probably the floors and was, for us, unbearable. I went back to the office and got our money back. He did not offer us another choice so we left. Super Savers had a Comfort Suites listed that is smoke free, has continental breakfast and Wi-Fi. There isn’t a hint of smoke and it is very pleasant. Tomorrow we think we will be halfway across Missouri; Lord willing (maybe). If something looks interesting along the way, we’ll stop and see just how interesting it really is. Sleep tight!

Well, we sure did welcome the chance to take a day of rest. Cabela’s was so huge. We didn’t buy anything; I’m pretty well set for hunting gear and I don’t fish much (yet). We still spent nearly 2 hours just looking at all the trophy game and displays of animals from around the world. We stayed and had lunch in the Cabela’s cafeteria. It was quite an experience and we had a great time. The rest of the day we just took it easy. We so appreciate the hospitality of Ron and Cindy. We slept so good and Cindy, as busy as she is, fed us well and we really enjoyed visiting with them. Thanks, you guys; you are welcome at our house any time! It got a bit dicey last night however when the TV broke in with Tornado Alerts! What!? The weather map showed these terrible looking storms coming right at us. Ron and Cindy seemed a little too calm. It happens often this time of year. The sky outside was being lit up every few seconds with huge lightning and huger thunder. I actually like a good storm, but then they started talking about hail warnings. They described them as the size of tennis balls! Cripe! Do you know what that would do to the glass on my car? The body might survive; it’s made of composite, but not the glass. I went out and covered the front glass with our car blanket, figuring that if I could save the windshield, I could at least see to drive. Then we strapped a tarp over the whole car to help if it would. We went to bed hoping that it would pass without much damage. No damage would be good… and within a half hour the heavy rain stopped and we found that the danger had passed and the warning of hail had been lifted. It had stayed a few miles south and missed us completely. Phew! The wind was still whipping around and it was still raining some. Then it occurred to me that the tarp might just wear through the paint on the car. I’ve had experience with that kind of damage and would be just sick if my perty little car got hurt. So, I went out into the wind and rain in my jammies and rolled off the tarp and pulled the blanket and put it in the back of the car. I didn’t want to deal with a sopping wet wool blanket in with our luggage. All was well and to sleep I went. This morning I went out to square away the back so we could pack up and hit the road. It’s got an automatic latch, but it would not release. I tried the fob, the switch on the dash and the button at the back. The release motor was humming and clicking, but the latch wouldn’t let the lid pop open. Well damn! I can’t load the suit cases through the front, so we are stuck. Cindy suggested a nearby Chevy dealer, so I called. They can get me in right away and they even had the part if it was needed. The car only has 10K miles on it so it’s still under warranty. I found the dealer easy enough and they did get the car right in there. Turns out the part they had was damaged and would not do. Hmmmm. Another dealer across town has one and it’s on the way, but it sounds like the fix will take several more hours. So, here I sit watching Jeopardy and recording the day’s events in the waiting area of the dealership. I’m sure it will all work out and this is the first and hopefully only glitch in the trip. There has been a slight change in plans. We have had this thing knawing at us ever since we left Flagstaff and it’s been getting stronger and stronger. It feels like we are missing much of the Southwest. The weather up north is not looking good and since we are down here already, we are thinking that we should still get to Bowling Green to see the Corvette museum and then head back down this way to see more of the sights there are. We want to go down to the desert country in New Mexico and drive past Area 51 and see the giant Sequaro cactus. We really are loving the Southwest and figure we can always do a trip to the Upper mid-west another time when the weather is more favorable. So, we’ll keep you informed as this thing unfolds.

Everything IS big in Texas!

We had a good sleep and a good breakfast in Childress, then we left sooner than usual to get to Ron & Cindy's earlier in the day. We wanted have time to visit and did have a great dinner and coversation with them. On the way we experienced still more variation in the landscape. They know how to get and use the available water down here. I hear that it changes as summer comes on, but it is so green and lush in north -central Texas right now. The terrain has become long rolling hills and shallow valleys and what comes to mind is a 500,000 acre golf course. There are some large herds of cattland horses. There are also, as you might expect, large feed lots for the cattle going to market. We passed sections of low green trees, I think they are junipers, that have been trimmed up by the cattle activity and draws full of green, lush bushes. It looks like they use the Juniper trunks for fence posts and there are hundreds of miles of them. Seems like there are plenty left too; Junipers that is. It's been the high 80's and low 90's the whole way today, but you don't get the feeling that it's that hot. It's getting more humid though. I think because of the clouds moving in and the threat of rain has been forcasted. It's been a very pleasant day and aside from the couple times we had to drive the "big freeway" we have stayed on the 'two lanes' and enjoyed the drive the whole way. Tomorrow, we are going to take it easy and just stay still. We don't want to wear out our welcome, but the day of rest will do us good. The big Cabella's store is just a few miles away, so we might veture out for a short time. I know we have one at Hawk's Prarie, but this one is maybe 4 or 5 times that size. Then we can say we've been there. Time is short, so I'll say adue and bring this up to date Wednesday night. Sleep well, we will I'm sure. P.S. This did not get posted until 4/23 in the morning, thus the seemingly wrong date. More tonight...

What a fun day! We left earlier than usual today because we planned to stop and see Billy the Kid’s museum and grave. We headed south on hiway 84. It is just 2 lanes through the high plains, mostly desert, that is New Mexico. The road had been recently paved and was as straight as an arrow for 30 miles. You could see way ahead and there was virtually no traffic. The fields came right up to the edge of the road and the car was running just fine. I came upon another car finally about 5 miles in and just had to pass. Well I looked down and was already doing a hundred and there was that long black stripe out in front of us. I crept up to 115 and told Thea,”I’m going for it”. I pressed the peddle to the metal and the car took off! It felt so tight and solid and the road was so smooth and straight that I kept ‘er floored! The excitement was exhilarating! 130, 135, 140, 145…..146! Whooo was the scenery screaming by! The road has some long rolling bumps in it that you wouldn’t even notice until you reach the higher speeds and Thea was starting to get nervous. I could tell by her stiffening up and whispering something about bumps and critters and side winds; stuff like that. Besides we were fast approaching a spot where you couldn’t see the whole road out there anymore and so I decided that there will be another day and who knows….we’re going through Oklahoma in a few days…he, he, he. The car was as solid as a rock and I only want 14 more miles an hour anyway. Time will tell, won’t it? We only saw 2 other cars until we got to Fort Sumner. It was known as the first concentration camp in the US. The US Army captured and forced the Navajo Indians into virtual slavery. The soldiers were so brutal that thousands of the captives died. The rest were forced to build the fort in the hot New Mexico sun and many more perished. It’s a long sad story and if you want more details, check it out on Wikipedia. Fort Sumner is located in Lincoln County and that’s another story to look into. It was worse than the Hatfields and the McCoys. The families of the original feuders are still holding the grudge to this day. We talked to 2 different guys and they both concurred that the whole county has an angry cloud over it. Even on the clearest day. After the fort was abandoned a fella named Maxwell bought it and thousands of acres around it. At the time it was the largest plot of land owned by one person in the whole country. Lincoln County is where Billy the Kid was to breathe his last. Pat Garrett had set a trap for him and he tried to hide in a back bedroom in Maxwell’s house, but Pat found him and that is where Billy met his maker. The museum has many interesting things beyond Billy the Kid stuff, but the one item that is fascinating is that they have the actual rifle that he had used for some of his killing and it’s the one he’s holding in the now famous portrait he had taken. The proprietor is the grandson of the man who first collected the gun and opened the museum back in the 1950’s. It was time well spent for us today. We then went up the road a few miles to see the actual grave site of Billy. It is a desolate graveyard with maybe 11-12 graves. Billy’s head stone was stolen a few years back, for the second time, but it was found quickly somewhere in California. It has since been put behind a steel fence and wrapped in steel banding to thwart another attempt. We followed state84 east to the Texas border. The terrain was changing before our eyes. It became more lush and had longer rolling hills. They had figured out how to get water because there were now farms everywhere that were thriving. We got to Amarillo and ate at the Sonic drive in. They have the best blackberry tea. Mom had peach tea. Mmmmm! We turned south on state 207 because it was a scenic by-way according to the map. We cruised along for quite a while and started wondering what was so scenic? Then the sign said to slow from 70 to 55…hmmm, OK. We started down a hill and the canyon opened in front of us. We dropped down and down into a small version of the Grand Canyon, but the soil was solid red! You could see the road about 5 or 6 miles away climbing back up to the rim on the other side. At the bottom we crossed a small river and the sign said,” Red River Canyon”. It’s part of the Red River Valley that the song is written about. We stopped at a picnic area on the other side and took some pictures if the canyon and some cool native cactus at the park. We came out at a town named Silverton and headed east once more. We went through several towns, but two of them were spittn’ images of Radiator Springs. The buildings were very weather worn and many of them were abandoned or closed up. There was still some life there, but it was dwindling. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any good pictures that did those towns any justice. The interstate hiway was many miles to the north and had left these places behind. There are still farms that are doing well, but the rest of the commerce has moved away. We came back out to the hiway ourselves because there was nowhere to stay out there on the country road. So here we are at Childress on S 287 that will take us through Wichita Falls and on to Keller to see Ron and Cindy tomorrow. Talk to you later! Night y’all!

Well today we stayed in Albuquerque to see the sights around town. We were going to stop by Skip Maisel’s Indian Merchandise, but since it is Sunday, the store was closed. From the outside, it looked like quite the store. We decided to find ‘Old Town’ because the little brochure touted the fact that it has been refurbished and is much like it was 50 or 60 years ago. There are many shops with all kinds of Southwest type stuff. There are local Indians with their wares spread on blankets on the sidewalks. Some of it just beautiful and very skillfully made. We loved the architecture and just the whole feel of the place. It was nice and warm too! Humidity is very low (12%) and it felt real nice. We had some authentic local food and were treated to some live music and song by a Mexican troubadour. It was very cool. Then we drove north to Santa Fe to see the sights and also the miraculous staircase built in the Loretto church. The story goes that they built the church with only ladders to reach the choir loft and when the church became a girl’s school taught by nuns they wanted to build stairs for the ladies. The loft was 23 feet above the church floor and there was no room for a conventional set of stairs. The nuns prayed to St. Joseph to solve the problem. After a week, an old man arrived on a donkey with a tool chest containing only a saw, a hammer and a square. He offered to build the stairs for the nuns. It took him 8 months to complete and then he just disappeared. None of the local people supplied him with lumber and what he used was not native to New Mexico. The stairs were 2 full spirals and there is no center support. These stairs have been used for over 100 years and are as stout as when they were first built. Originally there was no hand rail, but one has been added for safety in recent years. It is amazing craftsmanship and the fact that this old man just showed up one day and then disappeared right after it was finished makes the people think that he was sent by God to help them out. Maybe so! We also went through Santa Fe’s ‘old town’. The shops were impressive, but so were the prices! I found a real nice custom hat, but I couldn’t rationalize $800, so I passed. So far, New Mexico is our favorite place. The adobe houses are wonderful and the climate is very nice. We can see ourselves living in such a place; at least part time.
We came down hiway 285 from Santa Fe to pick up I-40 (Route 66) and drive to Santa Rosa. The road is well maintained and some straight stretches as far as you can see. I think there were only 3 curves in 31 miles. There was almost no traffic so I let the Corvette roll out some. We went 110 for about 10 minutes and then let off a little for some hills ahead. I went by the Sheriff going the other way at 95 and he didn’t even tap his breaks! Even at that we averaged 28 mpg. I love that car! It snowed as recently as a week ago, but New Mexico is plagued by wild fires already. We could see the smoke for about 30 miles and drove into it for about 10. It has blown over mostly and it is not unpleasant at all. It made the sunset the reddest red I’ve ever seen! Beautiful! Tomorrow we are going to go south on State Route 84 to see the grave of Billy the Kid and then head east into Texas. Not sure how far we’ll get, but we’re hoping to be in Keller by Tuesday evening. P.S. Don’t forget that you can leave a comment on the bottom of the blog. Is anyone reading this?