After a bit of "wheel bearing replacement" activity, we were ready to get on the road again. We decided to backtrack, and go back to Joplin, Missouri, and see what the tornadoes had done in May. We were encouraged to see it by the by the folks we had met at the campground that we were staying in while we awaited our 'fix' on the RV. They also told us that they wished everyone could see what that kind of storm was capable of, and so we did after we saw it.
The pictures on the news, and my pictures below, simply cannot capture the real devastation. An older gentleman described the destruction to us as "like Hiroshima, only without the fires"...........and he was so right! The size of the area destroyed was a mile wide by 5-6 miles long. Incredible! When we were there, the disaster clean-up contractors were still busy at work. They were cleaning up, and carting away, huge piles of everything. No rebuilding can really take place until the area is cleared, and deemed safe.......and we are talking blocks and blocks! But, the spirit of the community was on display in many ways. They are happy to have survived! We will never forget what we saw that day, for sure.
We got back on the road East, with a few stops along the way. We decided to stop and visit the little towns Chad's mom had done some growing up in......Crane, and Cape Fair, MO. We visited the local library where they had some old journals on the community.In those, we found the names and activities of several members of Kate's family, including hers. After touring around Crane, we moved on to Cape Fair, where we camped for the night in a state park on Table Rock. It was really cool to think that she had swam in that lake so long ago as a young girl.
Then, on to Branson, MO........lots going there! We saw lots of people, theaters, attractions, people, food places, hotels and lots of people! We didn't stop for any shows, we'll save that for another trip. But, it is very commercial, which is hard not to do, I suppose. We drove thru the old original downtown of Branson, but it was sorta hard to see.....you guessed it, lots of people!
Farther on down the road, we had a nice visit in West Plains with Eric's folks.........we really enjoyed their company, and their cozy home in the woods. And, we really enjoyed the fresh eggs, and home made goodies they sent us home with! It's always fun to see where friends live!
Another day, we stopped and toured the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. That was interesting, and smelled of whisky! It is odd when you know that they can make whisky in a dry county, but can't sell it there. No samples, but you can buy a bottle and take it home to "look at". That's how they put it in the 'Bottle Shop'............But, after our hour long tour around the hollow, they did give us some good lemonade! ;-)
Later on, we stopped for a nice lunch at the 'Chattanooga Train Station, in Chattanooga, TN. The train was still there from our visit many years ago with our family in tow. It was fun seeing again, but it has now become a vacation destination in Tennessee, so there was so much more to it. They had added more sleeping cars, for guests, and a huge luxury hotel as well.
As we got closer to North Carolina, we were driving on the Ocoee River in Tennessee, and saw hundreds of people out riding the rapids, so we stopped for a while and watched/listened to people having a screaming good time! The mountain road was crawling with the raft buses carting people up and down the road to shove off in the water. We into North Carolina via the Nantahala National Forest in the south eastern part of the state. Our last nite on the road was spent in a State Forest Campground on Jackrabbit Mountain by a beautiful lake. What a hidden gem!
We stayed in touch with our family via phone and texting this trip, and my blog. That was fun! When we got the text that most of our family was going to be together and grilling out that nite, we decided we were close enough to just drive a little longer. Our arrival was a 'surprise'! We did surprise them all, but they all sort of suspected that we might show up, they know us well! It was wonderful to be with them all just as we got home again! There was lots of hugging and kissing going on, lots of chatter, and cool beverages, too!
We are thankful that we were able to make this great trip! The sights, the sounds and the new places we visited were awesome. We met more some memorable people. And, now we have officially visited, and slept in all of the states in the continental USA..........Kansas was the state that completed our list.
Now, we'll enjoy our family and our home, here in North Carolina, and then when we get the itch, we will look at the road again for another adventure.
Thanks for following along with us, via my blog, it's been fun for me, also. However at times I had a hard time disciplining myself to get at it......as I have said before, I didn't want to miss anything, so it was hard to open my computer sometimes! ;-)
Until next time,
Cassie & Chad
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| Coming into Joplin, MO....... |
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| ..........And, leaving Joplin. |
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| Camping at Cape Fair, Mo |
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| Lake at Cape Fair |
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| Where Grandma Kate lived as a girl |
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| Downtown Crane, Mo |
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| Branson, MO |
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| Old Downtown Branson |
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| Branson, the Strip |
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| Ripley's Believe It or Not |
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| Hollywood in Branson |
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| Duck Tours |
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| Titanic Exhibit, Branson |
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| Our Body Exhibit, Branson |
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| Oops, ran into a Clown |
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| Whiskey beginning process..... |
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| More of the process.... |
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| Let's see, how should I hold that? |
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| Wonder what water they use here? |
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| Getting ready to get wet! |
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| And, they're off........ |
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| The Chattanooga Choo Choo |
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| The Grand Central dining room |
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| Our Rainbow at the end of our Journey (by Zoe) |
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