1994--Cross Country to Ashland
Me, Jessi and Jolene, On the Road
Saturday, June 11, 1994
In the summer of 1993 I came up with the idea of taking a trip to visit my Kretzer relatives back in Kentucky. My two favorite Aunts, Dad’s sisters, had come out to visit a few years before and I felt like I owed them a visit. This quickly escalated into a cross country road trip. The adventurers in this trip consisted of me, wife Margo, daughters; Jolene and Jessi, my Mom, my brother; Jayme, and his son, Brandon. Our ultimate destination was to be Ashland, KY. That is where my Dad grew up and it was well past time that we went to visit. Dad, unfortunately, was not going. He hates to travel and no amount of persuasion, including having a brother (my Uncle Jimmy) not doing so well, could convince him to go.
Planning for a road trip in 1993 was very different than it is now, fifteen years later. Personal Computers were around, by far from having one or more per house. The World Wide Web was in its infancy. There was no Google, no Yahoo, no Expedia.com and TravBuddy was thirteen years from it’s debut. There were virtually no places, hotels, cities, attractions, ect with their own websites. No MapQuest. No GoogleEarth. There wasn’t even iPods to pass the time.
Margo and I did the planning with the tools of the day. We got a brand new Rand McNally Atlas and began. We started with the premise that we were not going to just drive and drive and drive some more. There was no way we were going to miss this opportunity to see some of America and to expose our girls to some of America’s greatest treasures. That meant that we would plan to drive no more than six hours each day, getting an early start, and then stopping to experience something each day. With that established we next made a list of things between hear and Ashland, KY that we wanted to see or do. I had the most input there, as Margo, Mom and Jayme said they were fine with whatever I came up with. In the end we decided to make stops in Colorado Springs, CO, Canon City, CO, La Junta, CO, Dodge City, KS, Kansas City, MO, and St Louis, MO on the way to Branson. On the way back it would be Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN, Branson, MO, Coffeyville, KS, Wayside, KS, and a hotel only stop in Salida, KS on our way home. The cities were chosen both because their distance between each other allowed us to meet our driving goals and because they had something that interested us in them.
We had scoured the atlas looking for tiny little red squares that listed an attraction in a major city or on the general route. Most of these were thrown out, but a few of them were added in as stops to help break up the day. For each and every city we planned to stop in Margo wrote a letter to the Chamber of Commerce asking for information. We got answers from all of them. Most had flyers for attractions nearby and hotels. Those came in very handy in planning our trip.
Estimates in drive time were created and guesses of how long we would likely want to spend at each attraction were made. All of that was factored in and in something short of a year, we had all of the details ironed. We had a driving route planned, hotel reservations made (courtesy of the toll free numbers from either the brochures or from a chain cataloge), specific directions to each stop and most importantly a budget with wiggle room, and the money to cover it.
The trip was going to take us 13 days and promised to be one hell of a ride!
In the summer of 1993 I came up with the idea of taking a trip to visit my Kretzer relatives back in Kentucky. My two favorite Aunts, Dad’s sisters, had come out to visit a few years before and I felt like I owed them a visit. This quickly escalated into a cross country road trip. The adventurers in this trip consisted of me, wife Margo, daughters; Jolene and Jessi, my Mom, my brother; Jayme, and his son, Brandon. Our ultimate destination was to be Ashland, KY. That is where my Dad grew up and it was well past time that we went to visit. Dad, unfortunately, was not going. He hates to travel and no amount of persuasion, including having a brother (my Uncle Jimmy) not doing so well, could convince him to go.
Planning for a road trip in 1993 was very different than it is now, fifteen years later. Personal Computers were around, by far from having one or more per house. The World Wide Web was in its infancy. There was no Google, no Yahoo, no Expedia.com and TravBuddy was thirteen years from it’s debut. There were virtually no places, hotels, cities, attractions, ect with their own websites. No MapQuest. No GoogleEarth. There wasn’t even iPods to pass the time.
Margo and I did the planning with the tools of the day. We got a brand new Rand McNally Atlas and began. We started with the premise that we were not going to just drive and drive and drive some more. There was no way we were going to miss this opportunity to see some of America and to expose our girls to some of America’s greatest treasures. That meant that we would plan to drive no more than six hours each day, getting an early start, and then stopping to experience something each day. With that established we next made a list of things between hear and Ashland, KY that we wanted to see or do. I had the most input there, as Margo, Mom and Jayme said they were fine with whatever I came up with. In the end we decided to make stops in Colorado Springs, CO, Canon City, CO, La Junta, CO, Dodge City, KS, Kansas City, MO, and St Louis, MO on the way to Branson. On the way back it would be Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN, Branson, MO, Coffeyville, KS, Wayside, KS, and a hotel only stop in Salida, KS on our way home. The cities were chosen both because their distance between each other allowed us to meet our driving goals and because they had something that interested us in them.
We had scoured the atlas looking for tiny little red squares that listed an attraction in a major city or on the general route. Most of these were thrown out, but a few of them were added in as stops to help break up the day. For each and every city we planned to stop in Margo wrote a letter to the Chamber of Commerce asking for information. We got answers from all of them. Most had flyers for attractions nearby and hotels. Those came in very handy in planning our trip.
Estimates in drive time were created and guesses of how long we would likely want to spend at each attraction were made. All of that was factored in and in something short of a year, we had all of the details ironed. We had a driving route planned, hotel reservations made (courtesy of the toll free numbers from either the brochures or from a chain cataloge), specific directions to each stop and most importantly a budget with wiggle room, and the money to cover it.
The trip was going to take us 13 days and promised to be one hell of a ride!
c
The Colorado Front Range
Our first stop was going to be in Colorado Springs, CO. We planned to take the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the top of, you guessed it, Pike’s Peak. The summit of Pike’s Peak is 14,410 feet above sea level. A carriage trip to the top in 1893 inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write the song “America the Beautiful” But getting a train to the top is a real bear. A significant portion of the trip has a grade too steep for traditional trains to travel. Their limit is around a 9% grade. Parts of the ride to top are 25%. To over come this a “rack” system is used. The trains still travels on rails like a normal train, but in the center is a grooved rail, which a cog on the train fits in. We had tickets for the 10:40 AM departure.
Our trip from Brighton to Colorado Springs, actually it is Manitou Springs, took a little longer than we planned, so we didn’t get a chance to grab anything to eat. But, we got a snack at the gift shop. The trip takes about an hour and a half, as the train never gets above 9 miles per hour. They tell me that when they run the annual road race up to the top of Pikes Peak, the race cars make up to the top in less than 1/2 hour! I'll bet they don't see much scenery.
We did see quite a bit of scenery and some wild life. The marmots were our favorite. They look like a very large prairie dog, and live above the tree line. The trip takes you through several different life zones. There are different kinds of plants and animals in each of these zones. You start down at the bottom with large pine trees and then right before you get to timberline there are only bristlecone (very old! maybe 2000 years) pines.
Our trip from Brighton to Colorado Springs, actually it is Manitou Springs, took a little longer than we planned, so we didn’t get a chance to grab anything to eat. But, we got a snack at the gift shop. The trip takes about an hour and a half, as the train never gets above 9 miles per hour. They tell me that when they run the annual road race up to the top of Pikes Peak, the race cars make up to the top in less than 1/2 hour! I'll bet they don't see much scenery.
We did see quite a bit of scenery and some wild life. The marmots were our favorite. They look like a very large prairie dog, and live above the tree line. The trip takes you through several different life zones. There are different kinds of plants and animals in each of these zones. You start down at the bottom with large pine trees and then right before you get to timberline there are only bristlecone (very old! maybe 2000 years) pines.
c
Jolene, Brandon, and Jessi waiting to the ride the train to the top of Pike's Peak
Once we got to the top we only had about half an hour to enjoy the view, get something to snack on, and take a few pictures. We didn’t have great visibility at the top, which isn’t unusual. There is always some sort of weather when you start to get that high up. They have a large monument on the top, with the complete lyrics to “America the Beautiful” carved in it. We snapped a picture or two, and soon it was time to go. In truth we were ready. It was cold up there. It is usually 30 degrees colder on the top of the mountain, then at the train station. It was in the upper 60s/low 70s when we left. That meant it was somewhere around 40 degrees on the summit. We were prepared and had layers, but we missed the warm weather down below.
They did a nice job pointing mountains and whatever else there was to see, both on the way up and on the way down. We got a nice lesson in geology, the history of Pikes Peak, flora and fauna of the area, and a lesson on Cog Railways in general. We found out that the train we rode on was the highest operating cog railway in the world.
And it is one of only two still operating in the US. The other is in New Hampshire and goes to the top of Mount Washington. Truthfully, I don’t remember much else about our history lesson, but it was fun at the time.
When we got back down we really couldn’t linger very long. We had a full day planned. Our next stop was the Royal Gorge, near Canon City.
They did a nice job pointing mountains and whatever else there was to see, both on the way up and on the way down. We got a nice lesson in geology, the history of Pikes Peak, flora and fauna of the area, and a lesson on Cog Railways in general. We found out that the train we rode on was the highest operating cog railway in the world.
And it is one of only two still operating in the US. The other is in New Hampshire and goes to the top of Mount Washington. Truthfully, I don’t remember much else about our history lesson, but it was fun at the time.
When we got back down we really couldn’t linger very long. We had a full day planned. Our next stop was the Royal Gorge, near Canon City.
Trees on the way up to Pike's Peak
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Gorgeous ride up
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Me on the top of Pike's Peak
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Lake Morraine
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Me, Jessi, and Jolene on the Royal Gorge Bridge. See the Aerial Tram in background!
It is roughly an hour drive between Pikes Peak and Canon City, home of both the Colorado State Prison (a place I never want to visit) and the Royal Gorge (a place I love to visit). The Royal Gorge area is filled with ests.
The suspension bridge over the Arkansas River is the highest (1053 ft.) in the world. The aerial tram that crosses the gorge has the longest single span (2200 feet), and the Incline Railway is the steepest (100% grade, 45% angle) in the world. We were going to have fun doing them all.
But first we stopped at the nearby Royal Gorge Scenic Railway. This is located on the same road you take to the gorge, but it is not part of the park. They had a scaled down train, like on you would find in KiddieLand. The trip is about half an hour and at it’s apex you get a great view of the gorge and the bridge. That view alone is worth the price. We got to stop there for a few minutes, and admire the view. The kids liked the chipmunks, who were used to handouts from the passengers. Once back to the depot we toured their Steam Train and Antique Car Museum.
I don’t recall much about it, but I thought it was at least close to worth the admission price.
Next it was off to see the Gorge up close and personal. We paid at the gate and parked. I believe you are allowed to drive across the bridge, after paying park admission, but we weren’t really interested in that. The road didn’t go where we wanted to. But, we had to walk on the bridge and look down. The only thing that compares with the sheer drop off, at least that I have seen, is the Grand Canyon. But, while the Grand Canyon commands a feeling of awe, the Royal Gorge just gives you a dose of acrophobia. But evidently not everyone is so affected. They have sign, about the middle of the bridge that says "No Fishing Off of the Bridge". I couldn't decide if someone was trying to be funny, or if there are people in this world dumb enough to try, and had a reel with 1000 feet of line.
The suspension bridge over the Arkansas River is the highest (1053 ft.) in the world. The aerial tram that crosses the gorge has the longest single span (2200 feet), and the Incline Railway is the steepest (100% grade, 45% angle) in the world. We were going to have fun doing them all.
But first we stopped at the nearby Royal Gorge Scenic Railway. This is located on the same road you take to the gorge, but it is not part of the park. They had a scaled down train, like on you would find in KiddieLand. The trip is about half an hour and at it’s apex you get a great view of the gorge and the bridge. That view alone is worth the price. We got to stop there for a few minutes, and admire the view. The kids liked the chipmunks, who were used to handouts from the passengers. Once back to the depot we toured their Steam Train and Antique Car Museum.
I don’t recall much about it, but I thought it was at least close to worth the admission price.
Next it was off to see the Gorge up close and personal. We paid at the gate and parked. I believe you are allowed to drive across the bridge, after paying park admission, but we weren’t really interested in that. The road didn’t go where we wanted to. But, we had to walk on the bridge and look down. The only thing that compares with the sheer drop off, at least that I have seen, is the Grand Canyon. But, while the Grand Canyon commands a feeling of awe, the Royal Gorge just gives you a dose of acrophobia. But evidently not everyone is so affected. They have sign, about the middle of the bridge that says "No Fishing Off of the Bridge". I couldn't decide if someone was trying to be funny, or if there are people in this world dumb enough to try, and had a reel with 1000 feet of line.
Jessi at Buckskin Joe
Before you say it’s the former, there is another sign just down a piece, that tells of the time someone bungee jumped off of the bridge for the 1970s TV show "That's Incredible". Got to love those adrealine junkies.
The aerial tram had great views of the area. We had bought all inclusive tickers, so there was no reason not to go on it. We did and were very pleased. The feeling is different from the bridge. You are up a bit higher, and instead of being supported by 1300 tons of solid American Steel, you are supported by steel cables that weigh 7 tons each. It’s not like you feel your going to die, but it’s in the front of your mind that if something goes wrong it’s going to be ugly (almost 1800 feet to the bottom). So your feeling of awe at the views all around is tempered by that tap of “What If” on your shoulder. Still very cool.
Next up was the Incline Railway. An Incline Railway is difficult to describe. It like being in a subway car that goes up and down a hill. This particular “hill” goes straight down. As such sitting in the car is not possible. You climb into the car, which is open air, but surrounded by a cage, and move to the far side. It was three of four per aisle. When everyone is loaded, down you go. It takes about 5 minutes to travel the 1500 feet. When you get down several things impress you. First, the bridge waaaaay above you, looks so small. Second, the river is bigger than you thought from the top. Third, you look across the river and see what has to be an old water delivery system. But it is made of wood. A wooden pipe system! I imagine it leaked like a colander, but some water had to get to town! There is not a lot to see and do, once you are down there, but you stay as long as you want. As quick as the cars reach the bottom and are unloaded, they are reloaded with people returning to the top. So we admired the rock structures, cricked our necks looking up a lot, and watched the water go by for awhile. But soon we had had enough, and we went back up top. That was about it for the Royal Gorge.
The aerial tram had great views of the area. We had bought all inclusive tickers, so there was no reason not to go on it. We did and were very pleased. The feeling is different from the bridge. You are up a bit higher, and instead of being supported by 1300 tons of solid American Steel, you are supported by steel cables that weigh 7 tons each. It’s not like you feel your going to die, but it’s in the front of your mind that if something goes wrong it’s going to be ugly (almost 1800 feet to the bottom). So your feeling of awe at the views all around is tempered by that tap of “What If” on your shoulder. Still very cool.
Next up was the Incline Railway. An Incline Railway is difficult to describe. It like being in a subway car that goes up and down a hill. This particular “hill” goes straight down. As such sitting in the car is not possible. You climb into the car, which is open air, but surrounded by a cage, and move to the far side. It was three of four per aisle. When everyone is loaded, down you go. It takes about 5 minutes to travel the 1500 feet. When you get down several things impress you. First, the bridge waaaaay above you, looks so small. Second, the river is bigger than you thought from the top. Third, you look across the river and see what has to be an old water delivery system. But it is made of wood. A wooden pipe system! I imagine it leaked like a colander, but some water had to get to town! There is not a lot to see and do, once you are down there, but you stay as long as you want. As quick as the cars reach the bottom and are unloaded, they are reloaded with people returning to the top. So we admired the rock structures, cricked our necks looking up a lot, and watched the water go by for awhile. But soon we had had enough, and we went back up top. That was about it for the Royal Gorge.
Brandon at Buckskin Joes
We had spent between 2 ½ and 3 hours there. But, we weren’t done with Canon City. There was one more attraction that we had to see, Buckskin Joes.
Buckskin Joe is formerly a real town, that is now a combination movie set and Old West themed attraction. John Wayne filmed parts of “The Cowboys” and “True Grit” here. Other movies like “The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox” and “Cat Ballou” were also filmed there. But as much as that interested me (& Dad if we could have gotten him to go on this trip with us) the kids were most excited about the shows and things to do. But, our first order of business was to get something to eat. It was nearly 6 PM and lunch had long since worn off. We ate at the Crystal Palace.
I think Hamburgers and Chicken Fingers were the fare of the day. Jayme and I had beers. We did not fail to notice that in the bar upstairs a Yard of Beer could be had. Jayme and I had experienced yard glasses before. But, alas, this was family time.
We only had about 3 hours to enjoy the town. It is set up like an old west town you would see in the movies; dusty streets, façade cover buildings, a stable, cemetery, stagecoach, saloons, and plenty of shops and exhibits. We had no trouble finding things to see and do for our three hours. We road the stagecoach, saw a gunfight, shopped in the various stores, and took the kids on a horse ride. That was particularly memorable, because they essentially gave us the animals and turned us loose. The horses were saddled, and we put a kid on each one. Then Margo, Jayme, and I got to lead the horses, with a kid atop, around a specific trail. The kids loved it and we got a kick out of it too. It was a different way of doing it, like renting a moped. Here you go, bring it back when you’re done.
The town closes down when it gets dark, so all too soon we had to make our way back to the car and head off to find our hotel.
We spent the night in Pueblo, in our first of several Motel 6s. Our first day was done and we had a blast. Tomorrow we would be seeing Bent’s Fort and then on to Dodge City for more Wild West action!
Buckskin Joe is formerly a real town, that is now a combination movie set and Old West themed attraction. John Wayne filmed parts of “The Cowboys” and “True Grit” here. Other movies like “The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox” and “Cat Ballou” were also filmed there. But as much as that interested me (& Dad if we could have gotten him to go on this trip with us) the kids were most excited about the shows and things to do. But, our first order of business was to get something to eat. It was nearly 6 PM and lunch had long since worn off. We ate at the Crystal Palace.
I think Hamburgers and Chicken Fingers were the fare of the day. Jayme and I had beers. We did not fail to notice that in the bar upstairs a Yard of Beer could be had. Jayme and I had experienced yard glasses before. But, alas, this was family time.
We only had about 3 hours to enjoy the town. It is set up like an old west town you would see in the movies; dusty streets, façade cover buildings, a stable, cemetery, stagecoach, saloons, and plenty of shops and exhibits. We had no trouble finding things to see and do for our three hours. We road the stagecoach, saw a gunfight, shopped in the various stores, and took the kids on a horse ride. That was particularly memorable, because they essentially gave us the animals and turned us loose. The horses were saddled, and we put a kid on each one. Then Margo, Jayme, and I got to lead the horses, with a kid atop, around a specific trail. The kids loved it and we got a kick out of it too. It was a different way of doing it, like renting a moped. Here you go, bring it back when you’re done.
The town closes down when it gets dark, so all too soon we had to make our way back to the car and head off to find our hotel.
We spent the night in Pueblo, in our first of several Motel 6s. Our first day was done and we had a blast. Tomorrow we would be seeing Bent’s Fort and then on to Dodge City for more Wild West action!
Jolene
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Jessi, Brandon, and Jolene, in jail at Buckskin Joes
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Jessi
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Jolene
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Sunday, June 12, 1994
Mom, Brandon, and me at Bent's Fork
The next day we started out for Dodge City, Kansas. We made a scheduled stop at Bent's Old Fort, near La Junta, CO. I expected a slightly larger version of the adobe trading post, Fort Vasquez, which is a few miles north of Brighton. I was mostly right. It is made of adobe, but it's larger, and they had guides in period costumes, who assumed the identity and duties of various people that might have occupied the Bent's Fort in 1839. Our guide was a blacksmith. He took us to various points in the fort describing our duties (we, the tourists, were treated as arriving guests who would be staying at the fort for awhile), and introducing us to other members of the fort. Mom and I got to assume the identities of noteworthy people (I was a doctor, and Mom was an authoress, who stayed there, back in the day) He had us stand there while he told everyone about the medical practices of the early 19th century. He explained how leeches, used to remove bad blood and amputation were the more advanced techniques of the time. He did an excellent job of bringing the fort to life.
Near the end of the tour he took us to where he (the blacksmith) worked. He demonstrated how he would have lit his fire, 160 years ago. It was very interesting watch him do the job with a flint, a piece of black (flammable) cloth, and what looked to be cotton. He took his flint and struck a stone, causing it to spark. Soon a spark caused a spot on the black paper to glow. He then put the black paper into the cotton, and blew on it until it burst into flames. He then put that onto the coals and pumped his bellows. I guess matches weren't around in 1839. I would have expected it to take five to ten minutes at least, to turn a flint, stone, paper, and cloth into a raging fire. But, it only took him about 60 seconds.
We walked around the fort a little more, checking out the plains and imagining what it would have been like to know that back in the early 1800s there was nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction, except this trading post. Tough life.
Near the end of the tour he took us to where he (the blacksmith) worked. He demonstrated how he would have lit his fire, 160 years ago. It was very interesting watch him do the job with a flint, a piece of black (flammable) cloth, and what looked to be cotton. He took his flint and struck a stone, causing it to spark. Soon a spark caused a spot on the black paper to glow. He then put the black paper into the cotton, and blew on it until it burst into flames. He then put that onto the coals and pumped his bellows. I guess matches weren't around in 1839. I would have expected it to take five to ten minutes at least, to turn a flint, stone, paper, and cloth into a raging fire. But, it only took him about 60 seconds.
We walked around the fort a little more, checking out the plains and imagining what it would have been like to know that back in the early 1800s there was nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction, except this trading post. Tough life.
c
Front Street
We only planned to spend about 45 minutes at the Bent’s Fort, because we needed to be in Dodge City by 4:30 or so. We ended up staying for about an hour, and we saw pretty much all there was to see, so we loaded back up into our rented Dodge Caravan and off we went.
We jumped on to US-50 and continued our journey to Dodge City. Out destination was historic Front Street. There the people of Dodge City have recreated a block long section of Front Street circa 1876. It had a decided TV flair to it, but its location is where Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson would have patrolled 120 years ago.
The action started soon after we go there. We saw a gunfight with much gunfire and noise. I am always surprised at how loud the shotgun is, when they let it loose. Next up was a stagecoach ride that took us around the immediate area surrounding Front Street. It was interesting, but we were kind of on our own figuring out what was what. The tour wasn’t narrated. We were given a pamphlet that described the buildings then and now.
These were just gravy. What we had really come for was their Chuckwagon Supper and the Long Branch Variety Show. As for the supper, there was no Chuckwagon in sight, but the food was decent. We had BBQ beef, beans, bread, coleslaw and lemonade. It was all served in tin dinnerware and we ate on old benches in one of the Front Street buildings.
We jumped on to US-50 and continued our journey to Dodge City. Out destination was historic Front Street. There the people of Dodge City have recreated a block long section of Front Street circa 1876. It had a decided TV flair to it, but its location is where Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson would have patrolled 120 years ago.
The action started soon after we go there. We saw a gunfight with much gunfire and noise. I am always surprised at how loud the shotgun is, when they let it loose. Next up was a stagecoach ride that took us around the immediate area surrounding Front Street. It was interesting, but we were kind of on our own figuring out what was what. The tour wasn’t narrated. We were given a pamphlet that described the buildings then and now.
These were just gravy. What we had really come for was their Chuckwagon Supper and the Long Branch Variety Show. As for the supper, there was no Chuckwagon in sight, but the food was decent. We had BBQ beef, beans, bread, coleslaw and lemonade. It was all served in tin dinnerware and we ate on old benches in one of the Front Street buildings.
c
Dodge City Variety Show Program
I had reserved tickets for the supper and show well in advance. As such when we were seated we were right by the stage. The show opened with Chalk Beeson (there was a real Chalk Beeson in historic Dodge City and was a co-owner of the Long Branch Saloon) welcoming us and then introducing Miss Kitty. Fans of Gunsmoke, remember Miss Kitty as the owner of the Long Branch. But, Miss Kitty was TV fiction. She only existed on the tube. No matter she was up on stage and was soon singing to crowd and getting us in a festive mood.
After Miss Kitty sang she introduced one of her girls. She began singing a song about “Getting her Man”, while she flirted with most of the men in the audience. As we were near the stage, I expected that she would soon find her way over to us. I wasn’t wrong. She meandered from table to table and then came near ours. Her attention seemed to be on another table, when suddenly she dashed over to our table and plopped down in my lap! She was still singing, but now it was to me. I was speechless. Margo and my Mom were laughing their heads off. My five year old daughter, Jessi, had eyes the size of saucers. She could not believe some strange lady was sitting in her Dad’s lap and singing to him. No one had the presence of mine to snap a picture.
The show continued on with a comic skit and the Can Can dancers. Despite the risqué connotation of Can-Can, this was definitely a family show. The girls danced and kicked, but there was nothing overt about it and everyone had a great time. We were to see several shows though out this vacation, and even though this was tiny repertory company, with a budget of half nothing, we had more fun here than we did anywhere else.
After the show ended it was time to head to our hotel. We were staying at the Dodge House. There was a Dodge House in 19th century Dodge City, but this could not be the original building. It was too modern, even though it was clearly at least 30 years old. We did like the design of the hotel. It had a heated indoor pool in the center of the building, in a common area. The area was carpeted and had a place for various indoor games, like volleyball. Surround the common areas were the rooms. They all faced the pool, so if you had an upstairs room, you could walk out and look out over any activities. We had a ground floor room, which meant that we could walk right out and take a dip in the pool. As this is my daughters’ absolute favorite thing to do on vacation, Margo took them swimming. It never fails to amaze me. We will travel a couple of thousand miles, by air or car, see some of the greatest sights in America and the highlight of the trip will be a half hour in the hotel pool. Go figure. Tomorrow we get an early start and make for Kansas City.
After Miss Kitty sang she introduced one of her girls. She began singing a song about “Getting her Man”, while she flirted with most of the men in the audience. As we were near the stage, I expected that she would soon find her way over to us. I wasn’t wrong. She meandered from table to table and then came near ours. Her attention seemed to be on another table, when suddenly she dashed over to our table and plopped down in my lap! She was still singing, but now it was to me. I was speechless. Margo and my Mom were laughing their heads off. My five year old daughter, Jessi, had eyes the size of saucers. She could not believe some strange lady was sitting in her Dad’s lap and singing to him. No one had the presence of mine to snap a picture.
The show continued on with a comic skit and the Can Can dancers. Despite the risqué connotation of Can-Can, this was definitely a family show. The girls danced and kicked, but there was nothing overt about it and everyone had a great time. We were to see several shows though out this vacation, and even though this was tiny repertory company, with a budget of half nothing, we had more fun here than we did anywhere else.
After the show ended it was time to head to our hotel. We were staying at the Dodge House. There was a Dodge House in 19th century Dodge City, but this could not be the original building. It was too modern, even though it was clearly at least 30 years old. We did like the design of the hotel. It had a heated indoor pool in the center of the building, in a common area. The area was carpeted and had a place for various indoor games, like volleyball. Surround the common areas were the rooms. They all faced the pool, so if you had an upstairs room, you could walk out and look out over any activities. We had a ground floor room, which meant that we could walk right out and take a dip in the pool. As this is my daughters’ absolute favorite thing to do on vacation, Margo took them swimming. It never fails to amaze me. We will travel a couple of thousand miles, by air or car, see some of the greatest sights in America and the highlight of the trip will be a half hour in the hotel pool. Go figure. Tomorrow we get an early start and make for Kansas City.
Monday, June 13, 1994
Jayme lookin' cool in his shades
The next morning we loaded up the mini van and prepared to cross the rest of Kansas, with our final destination being Kansas City, MO. This was to be a day for the kids. No museums or historical things. Our plan was to go to Worlds of Fun, a Six Flags style amusement park. We were on the road by 8 AM and arrived at the park about 3:30 PM. I had guaranteed our arrival at our hotel, so I was planning a late check in, so the park was our first stop once we hit the city limits.
Arriving at 3:30 wasn’t going to be a problem either. By that time in the day, the morning people, which is most everyone, is starting to lose their steam and thinking about going home.
Our ride across Kansas gave us plenty of time to listen to the radio. We mostly listened to music to help while away the hours of boring Kansas countryside. It was here on the Kansas plains were word reached us of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. I specifically remember hearing that OJ Simpson was not considered a suspect, and thinking “That’s good. I always liked OJ” But, we all know how that turned out.
It was hot when we to there and we had no real plan, so we kind of bounced around a little. But, Jolene, my oldest, desperately wanted to ride the big roller coaster. I used to like roller coasters. Yell and scream and revel in the danger and the physical sensations. Now, I like nice firm ground without too many dangers, perceived or otherwise. But, Jolene is 10 years old and finally of sufficient height, so that she can now ride everything in the park. Margo, my dear wife, doesn't like roller coasters. She got over the novelty of them almost as soon as she rode one. That left the chaperoning and hand holding duties to me. I looked around for other volunteers. Mom was having no part of any roller coaster. My brother was game, but he had his hands full finding things for Brandon, his 3 year old son.
Arriving at 3:30 wasn’t going to be a problem either. By that time in the day, the morning people, which is most everyone, is starting to lose their steam and thinking about going home.
Our ride across Kansas gave us plenty of time to listen to the radio. We mostly listened to music to help while away the hours of boring Kansas countryside. It was here on the Kansas plains were word reached us of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. I specifically remember hearing that OJ Simpson was not considered a suspect, and thinking “That’s good. I always liked OJ” But, we all know how that turned out.
It was hot when we to there and we had no real plan, so we kind of bounced around a little. But, Jolene, my oldest, desperately wanted to ride the big roller coaster. I used to like roller coasters. Yell and scream and revel in the danger and the physical sensations. Now, I like nice firm ground without too many dangers, perceived or otherwise. But, Jolene is 10 years old and finally of sufficient height, so that she can now ride everything in the park. Margo, my dear wife, doesn't like roller coasters. She got over the novelty of them almost as soon as she rode one. That left the chaperoning and hand holding duties to me. I looked around for other volunteers. Mom was having no part of any roller coaster. My brother was game, but he had his hands full finding things for Brandon, his 3 year old son.
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Me and Jolene on the Orient Express.
1 second later I was catching the kids hat.
One of Worlds of Fun’s big roller coasters is called the Orient Express. That sounds innocent enough, like a train rides though the country side. Not so much. You start be traveling what seem to be a mile up a hill. Then when we got to the top, I was praying that it would be a nice gentle slope on the other side. We were in a middle car, the screams from the front car let us know, that God wasn't answering that particular prayer. (He did allow me to live through it, so I guess he was listening later on) After that first hill the car we were riding into launched into a series of loops and twists that would make Neil Armstrong sick, one more minor hill, and few more jolts and jerks, and the ride was over. I was very thankful that I hadn't eaten in awhile. Our final surprise came at the end of the ride, when we were afforded the opportunity to purchase a picture taken of the car we were riding in. The picture was snapped when we were ample distance down that first hill, to be convinced that it was going to be a hell of a ride. This picture thing is pretty common nowadays, but in 1994, it was new. In ours, I actually looked like I was smiling. That's what I told everyone, but in actuality I was gritting my teeth in horror. Jolene’s expression is much more honest. She has a look of unadulterated terror on her face.
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Jolene, Jessi, Margo, and Me on Viking's Voyage
As I mentioned it was hot. June anywhere in the Midwest can be hot. Worlds of Fun’s log ride is called Viking’s Voyage. All log rides are essentially the same thing. You get in some reproduction of a hollowed out log, and ride it through the water until you come to a big hill, which you plummet down, and make a big splash at the bottom. We were looking forward to the big splash. Jayme, Mom, and Brandon rode one log. Margo, Jolene, Jessi, and I were in another. This was a big deal for Jessi, because she was only 5 and didn’t get to do that many of the big kid rides. Margo had to hold on to her tight, because this ride you sat on the floor, with no seat belts, or even seats for that matter. When we hit the big hill, to make the splash, Jessi was almost gravitated out. But, she was having a great time.
We rode on the Sea Dragon, a ship the swings back and forth, higher and higher and several of the kiddie rides. We had passed a couple of water rides on the way over to Kiddie Land, and Jessi had expressed an interest in riding them. The two she had noticed were call “Fury of the Nile” and “Monsoon”. The Fury of the Nile puts you in round boat and you float through five acres of sights and spills (literally). The Monsoon is an up one side and down the other water ride, that creates a big splash at the bottom. We rode the Monsoon. We would be me and my two girls. Margo stayed with Mom. Brandon was too little, so Jayme stayed behind as well. The ride doesn’t last long, about a minutes and a half. Most of that time is spent snaking up the hill. The down hill part last about 10 seconds, and then you splash, and float back to the beginning. It’s a lot of fun, and if it is a hot day, it feels really good. But, this was our last ride of the day and it was getting dark, so the really hot weather was behind us. When we plowed through the water at the bottom of the chute, the Water Gods spared Jolene and I. The Gods cried all over Jessi and she left the ride soaked to the bone. By the time we met up with the rest, Jessi was shivering and very cold. Margo, who had admonished me to keep a close eye on Jessi, promptly sent me to the concession stand for a Worlds of Fun towel.
That was it for our day, and we were soon on our way to hotel, the Motel 6 of Blue Springs, MO. Tomorrow we would be heading to St. Louis.
We rode on the Sea Dragon, a ship the swings back and forth, higher and higher and several of the kiddie rides. We had passed a couple of water rides on the way over to Kiddie Land, and Jessi had expressed an interest in riding them. The two she had noticed were call “Fury of the Nile” and “Monsoon”. The Fury of the Nile puts you in round boat and you float through five acres of sights and spills (literally). The Monsoon is an up one side and down the other water ride, that creates a big splash at the bottom. We rode the Monsoon. We would be me and my two girls. Margo stayed with Mom. Brandon was too little, so Jayme stayed behind as well. The ride doesn’t last long, about a minutes and a half. Most of that time is spent snaking up the hill. The down hill part last about 10 seconds, and then you splash, and float back to the beginning. It’s a lot of fun, and if it is a hot day, it feels really good. But, this was our last ride of the day and it was getting dark, so the really hot weather was behind us. When we plowed through the water at the bottom of the chute, the Water Gods spared Jolene and I. The Gods cried all over Jessi and she left the ride soaked to the bone. By the time we met up with the rest, Jessi was shivering and very cold. Margo, who had admonished me to keep a close eye on Jessi, promptly sent me to the concession stand for a Worlds of Fun towel.
That was it for our day, and we were soon on our way to hotel, the Motel 6 of Blue Springs, MO. Tomorrow we would be heading to St. Louis.
Tuesday, June 14, 1994
Mom, Brandon, and Jayme on Viking's Voyage
Up and on the road by 8 AM. We drove across Kansas yesterday. Today we would transverse Missouri. We have another full day planned. Our next stop was Daniel Boone's house, near Defiance, MO, near St. Louis. I grew up watching Fess Parker play Daniel Boone, and I know that he did his coonskin thing in Kentucky. That is only partially true. Daniel Boone had somewhat of dislike for civilization, and an unquenchable wanderlust. The dislike for civilization had more to do with the way the government treated him, then being anti-social. But, the wanderlust was pure TravBuddy. Daniel was more of trailblazer then we knew.
We pulled in the Defiance area and got our first surprise. Everyone has this impression that Daniel Boone live and died in a log cabin. I don't know what he lived in Kentucky, but he built himself a three story mansion in Missouri. We took a tour of the mansion, listening to the stories about his life and times. Our guide told us the story in which Boone’s daughter, Jemima and two other girls, was captured by the Indians, back in Kentucky. She (our guide) continued the tale describing how Boone and a party of his men went and rescued her from the Indians. The part that impressed me the most was that Jemima married one of the men that helped rescue her, Flanders Callaway, and later had 10 children. All single births. Boone himself was the father of ten children. His youngest son Nathan fathered 15. This would explain the proliferation of Boone descendants.
We pulled in the Defiance area and got our first surprise. Everyone has this impression that Daniel Boone live and died in a log cabin. I don't know what he lived in Kentucky, but he built himself a three story mansion in Missouri. We took a tour of the mansion, listening to the stories about his life and times. Our guide told us the story in which Boone’s daughter, Jemima and two other girls, was captured by the Indians, back in Kentucky. She (our guide) continued the tale describing how Boone and a party of his men went and rescued her from the Indians. The part that impressed me the most was that Jemima married one of the men that helped rescue her, Flanders Callaway, and later had 10 children. All single births. Boone himself was the father of ten children. His youngest son Nathan fathered 15. This would explain the proliferation of Boone descendants.
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The Gateway Arch
In Missouri Daniel served as a kind of Justice of the Peace, hearing disputes and deciding them one way or another, under a towering oak tree, known as “The Judgment Tree. Apparently Daniel didn’t really live in this home full time. The home actually belongs to his son, Nathan, who built it. Daniel’s penchant for traveling never left him, and there are stories of him returning to Kentucky and on a great western hunt that went as far west at the Yellowstone River, when Boone was in his 70s.
The adults in our party were interested, but the legend of Daniel Boone appears to have died with my generation. None of the kids seemed interested. Not even the story of Daniel building his own coffin, and keeping it under his bed. That story led to possibly the most interesting one we heard. Daniel Boone’s wife, Rebecca, had died several years before. When Daniel passed it was his wish to be buried beside her. But, when they were digging the grave, beside her, they found the ground was already occupied. The story was that black slaves were also buried in that area. So rather than disturb the resting man, Daniel was buried at her feet. Daniel died in 1820. 25 years later, Kentucky wanted their favorite son, and had him dug up and moved to KY. The people of Missouri, not happy, failed to tell them that Daniel was not beside Rebecca, so the wrong remains were taken back to KY. This could just be sour grapes, so who knows where Daniel Boone now rests.
But, our rest stop was over, and we needed to get moving to St. Louis. We had a lot we wanted to do there, and it was already well after 1 PM.
The adults in our party were interested, but the legend of Daniel Boone appears to have died with my generation. None of the kids seemed interested. Not even the story of Daniel building his own coffin, and keeping it under his bed. That story led to possibly the most interesting one we heard. Daniel Boone’s wife, Rebecca, had died several years before. When Daniel passed it was his wish to be buried beside her. But, when they were digging the grave, beside her, they found the ground was already occupied. The story was that black slaves were also buried in that area. So rather than disturb the resting man, Daniel was buried at her feet. Daniel died in 1820. 25 years later, Kentucky wanted their favorite son, and had him dug up and moved to KY. The people of Missouri, not happy, failed to tell them that Daniel was not beside Rebecca, so the wrong remains were taken back to KY. This could just be sour grapes, so who knows where Daniel Boone now rests.
But, our rest stop was over, and we needed to get moving to St. Louis. We had a lot we wanted to do there, and it was already well after 1 PM.
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"Duke" on of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales
We loaded up and continued on to St. Louis. There our first stop was the Anheiser-Busch Brewery. The plan was take a tour of brewery and then head over to the Gateway Arch. The tour was very interesting. We saw the famous Budweiser Clydesdales. They have an air-conditioned barn, with stall nicer than my first apartment, and wear harnesses that cost over $10,000. Rough work. The bar at the end of the tour was popular with Jayme and me. We each got a complimentary free sample.
With itinerary intact, we then headed to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which where you go to get to the top of the Gateway Arch. We got our tickets and did not have long to wait, until it was our turn to go. The trip to the top is an experience.
You get in an elevator. Elevator isn't exactly the right word. You know those contraptions, usually on water wheels that are designed to pick up a container of water, and then keep it in an upright position as it travels up in a semi-circular path? We rode in something like that. There are four very cramped seats, in each of the six cars that travel up to the top. If you are claustrophobic, I recommend you go across the park, to Busch Stadium (home of the St. Louis Cardinals) instead. It's very cramped. The ride to the top only takes a couple of minutes. The view up top is great. You can see for miles, and you get an excellent view of the Mississippi, Busch Stadium, and the Old Courthouse, in addition to downtown St. Louis. The top of the arch is also cramped. The windows to look out of are pretty small. The trip down was a reverse of the first, except that is seemed a lot hotter going down, and then it did going up.
With itinerary intact, we then headed to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which where you go to get to the top of the Gateway Arch. We got our tickets and did not have long to wait, until it was our turn to go. The trip to the top is an experience.
You get in an elevator. Elevator isn't exactly the right word. You know those contraptions, usually on water wheels that are designed to pick up a container of water, and then keep it in an upright position as it travels up in a semi-circular path? We rode in something like that. There are four very cramped seats, in each of the six cars that travel up to the top. If you are claustrophobic, I recommend you go across the park, to Busch Stadium (home of the St. Louis Cardinals) instead. It's very cramped. The ride to the top only takes a couple of minutes. The view up top is great. You can see for miles, and you get an excellent view of the Mississippi, Busch Stadium, and the Old Courthouse, in addition to downtown St. Louis. The top of the arch is also cramped. The windows to look out of are pretty small. The trip down was a reverse of the first, except that is seemed a lot hotter going down, and then it did going up.
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We had to make a pit stop at the Gateway Arch Museum store. There we got a book about the construction of the arch. That was quite a project. Construction began in 1963 and was finished in 1965. It was build by simultaneously building both sides of the arch at the same time, and the meeting in the middle. It was completed by putting in the keystone wedge on October 28th. Because the arch skin is made of stainless steel, the south side is very susceptible to expansion and contraction as the sun warms it and the night lets it cool. This was a problem when the final wedge was to be put into place. The south arch had expanded to the point it was out of alignment with the north side. The St. Louis Fire Department hosed it down, until it contracted back to proper alignment.
After the arch we worked our way down to the river to take a good look. 1993, the previous year, had seen a hundred year flood. We were somewhat worried about that planning this trip, but we didn’t have any weather issues. I had asked one of the Park Rangers how high the water had gotten in this area.
He pointed me to a specific step on the staired levee leading down to the river. I went and stood on that area so I could have my picture taken. It was obviously quite a rise in the water level.
We had worked in a lunch during our afternoon travels but we were starting to get hungry. When we had gazed at the Mississippi River, after arriving at the Gateway complex, we all had noticed a McDonalds floating at the edge of the water. All three kids were doubly enticed, and made it clear that they wanted to eat on that McDonalds. Well, McDonalds does serve ice cream, and none of us could resist that triple threat. So we had some Ice Cream and then found the mini-van. It was only about 6 PM, but we were all very tired. Today would be a time to catch up on our sleep and do laundry. Our hotel was in nearby Collinsville, IL, and that is where we went.
After the arch we worked our way down to the river to take a good look. 1993, the previous year, had seen a hundred year flood. We were somewhat worried about that planning this trip, but we didn’t have any weather issues. I had asked one of the Park Rangers how high the water had gotten in this area.
He pointed me to a specific step on the staired levee leading down to the river. I went and stood on that area so I could have my picture taken. It was obviously quite a rise in the water level.
We had worked in a lunch during our afternoon travels but we were starting to get hungry. When we had gazed at the Mississippi River, after arriving at the Gateway complex, we all had noticed a McDonalds floating at the edge of the water. All three kids were doubly enticed, and made it clear that they wanted to eat on that McDonalds. Well, McDonalds does serve ice cream, and none of us could resist that triple threat. So we had some Ice Cream and then found the mini-van. It was only about 6 PM, but we were all very tired. Today would be a time to catch up on our sleep and do laundry. Our hotel was in nearby Collinsville, IL, and that is where we went.
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Wednesday, June 15, 1994
Mom wondering what I wanted
Today we were driving straight through to Ashland, KY. I’m estimating about 8 ½ hrs of drive time. This will probably work out to nearly 10 hours factoring in stops. Ashland is where my Dad and his family are from. We arrived and were warmly greeted by my Dad’s sisters, Aunt Ann and Aunt Ellen. Along with them were their husbands, and my Uncles, Bill and Tom. Aunt Ellen had a meal prepared for us, and as we were all hungry we ate hardily.
I am very interested in family history, and the Kretzer side has its roots all over Eastern Kentucky. One of the things I really wanted to do was to visit the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents. We spent the late afternoon and early evening bouncing around to three different graveyards to make that happen.
Did you ever see the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter"? There is scene in that movie where Loretta Lynn is visiting the grave of her father. It's on the top of a mountain. My grandmother is buried in a normal cemetery (a little hilly, but normal), in Ashland. That was our first stop, and we stayed only long enough to find the graves of my grandmother and two aunts who had died a few years back.
I am very interested in family history, and the Kretzer side has its roots all over Eastern Kentucky. One of the things I really wanted to do was to visit the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents. We spent the late afternoon and early evening bouncing around to three different graveyards to make that happen.
Did you ever see the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter"? There is scene in that movie where Loretta Lynn is visiting the grave of her father. It's on the top of a mountain. My grandmother is buried in a normal cemetery (a little hilly, but normal), in Ashland. That was our first stop, and we stayed only long enough to find the graves of my grandmother and two aunts who had died a few years back.
Next up was The Kretzer Family Graveyard. That is where my grandfather, and one set of Great-Grandparents are buried. My grandfather died in coal mine accident, in 1935, in the very same Van Lear coal mines, that Loretta Lynn sings about. The Kretzer Family graveyard is on top of a mountain (just like the movie), on the old Kretzer Family Farm. I don't know how they would have gotten a casket to the top, (I recommend a helicopter), but I did hear it took two men and a wheel barrow to get the tombstone, of my grandfather up there. Every Memorial Day the family back there makes sure flowers get put on the graves and the area is tidied up. I'm glad. I'd hate to see my heritage go in disarray. We took many pictures there. But the girls were post impressed by a turtle that they discovered on the way.
Also in Carter County was another cemetery that held the remains of another set of Great-Grandparents, this time from my grandmother Kretzer’s side. We took a few pictures, and really didn’t linger that long. It was starting to get late. It was time to head back to Ashland, visit for a little while, and then head to our hotel.
Also in Carter County was another cemetery that held the remains of another set of Great-Grandparents, this time from my grandmother Kretzer’s side. We took a few pictures, and really didn’t linger that long. It was starting to get late. It was time to head back to Ashland, visit for a little while, and then head to our hotel.
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Up until now everything had gone almost like clockwork. Then we arrived at the Kentucky Motel, in the heart of downtown Ashland. The literature that I received from the Ashland Chamber of Commerce lists it rates (very reasonable), and amenities. Double beds and Air Conditioning to name a couple. What the literature didn't mention was that this place was a dive. It was a dump. My first clue should have been the lobby. It was a closet -like enclosure in the front of the building, with a prominent sign that said "No Refunds". I was very tired and just wanted to go to bed.
I ignored everything I saw, pre-paid for the two rooms, for three nights and got the keys. We went around the corners and saw numerous undesirables drinking and smoking in the parking lot. We kept going and got to our rooms. After we got in we discovered that half of the lamps wouldn't work. The curtains (The whole hotel is one level) wouldn’t fully close, and the sheets were full of cigarette burn holes. Margo was upset and wanted to check out and forget about any money we would lose. I was inclined to go with her, but I talked her into spending the first night, as we were all very tired. That is what we did. It wasn't so bad. I won't ever go back, but no one bothered us, the people running the place were real nice, and the next morning I noticed that police station was directly across the parking lot. We did confirm that the locks on the doors worked though. We were all a little surprised that the Chamber of Commerce had included this hotel in the stuff we sent. I guess they belonged to the Chamber, too. At least we have a great story to tell.
I ignored everything I saw, pre-paid for the two rooms, for three nights and got the keys. We went around the corners and saw numerous undesirables drinking and smoking in the parking lot. We kept going and got to our rooms. After we got in we discovered that half of the lamps wouldn't work. The curtains (The whole hotel is one level) wouldn’t fully close, and the sheets were full of cigarette burn holes. Margo was upset and wanted to check out and forget about any money we would lose. I was inclined to go with her, but I talked her into spending the first night, as we were all very tired. That is what we did. It wasn't so bad. I won't ever go back, but no one bothered us, the people running the place were real nice, and the next morning I noticed that police station was directly across the parking lot. We did confirm that the locks on the doors worked though. We were all a little surprised that the Chamber of Commerce had included this hotel in the stuff we sent. I guess they belonged to the Chamber, too. At least we have a great story to tell.
Thursday, June 16, 1994
Aunt Annn and Jayme looking into the mine where my grandpa died in 1935
The next morning we went to Van Lear, KY. I already mentioned that my Grandfather died in a mine accident there. Dad was also born there, so we had a couple of reasons to visit. When we got there I found that Loretta Lynn's childhood house was there. I always had heard that she was born in Butcher Holler. I never really questioned where that was, or what a holler is. As it turns out a holler is a spot nestled between two mountains, a hollow. The Butchers were from Loretta’s maternal side of the family. So Butcher Holler was more of local designation, then an actual city. I suppose a clue might have been the line from the song Coal Miner’s Daughter, in which Loretta sings “My daddy worked all night in the Van Lear coal mine….” I am positive that he (Ted Webb, Loretta Lynn’s father) and my grandfather breathed in the same coal dust, and knew each other. They were both listed in Van Lear in the 1930 census. They were both coal miners. They both worked the Van Lear mines. It would have been almost impossible for them not to have known each other.
We found the mine. It was a boarded and cemented up hole in the side of a mountain. It was definitely not very impressive. I later learned that the accident happened well over a mile into the mine. What a way to make a living. We checked out the other family historical sites there. We saw the house where the bodies from the mine accident were taken. We didn’t see the house where my Dad was born. I don’t think it was there anymore. We took a tour of the local museum. They had a small memorial for the men who died in the 1935 accident. It wasn’t much, but my grandfather’s name was right there.
We found the mine. It was a boarded and cemented up hole in the side of a mountain. It was definitely not very impressive. I later learned that the accident happened well over a mile into the mine. What a way to make a living. We checked out the other family historical sites there. We saw the house where the bodies from the mine accident were taken. We didn’t see the house where my Dad was born. I don’t think it was there anymore. We took a tour of the local museum. They had a small memorial for the men who died in the 1935 accident. It wasn’t much, but my grandfather’s name was right there.
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Then we went to Webb's Market. Loretta Lynn's maiden name is Webb, (My Aunts knew this) and there was a sign out front announcing to the public to come in if you wanted to tour the home. We, at least Margo and I, did. We went in and met Herman Webb, Loretta’s brother, and a family friend, or maybe it was a family member, took us down the road to the house. It looks about like what you see in the movies, something akin to a shack. My youngest, Jessi, got her first introduction to an outhouse. She doesn't like them. The last time I was in Kentucky, which was in 1973, my grandmother still had an outhouse behind her place in Ashland. We toured the house and saw things from a bygone area and things of Loretta’s career. We took a few pictures and then went back to Webb Market and got a couple of souvenirs.
Van Lear is a nice place, and again everyone was so friendly, you wanted to move and live there. You might actually consider it if the area wasn't so poor, and the unemployment so high. There is no industry and damn little tourism at Van Lear. Everyone that works, works somewhere else and commutes. Still, it has a real family feel to it. That counts for something.
Van Lear is a nice place, and again everyone was so friendly, you wanted to move and live there. You might actually consider it if the area wasn't so poor, and the unemployment so high. There is no industry and damn little tourism at Van Lear. Everyone that works, works somewhere else and commutes. Still, it has a real family feel to it. That counts for something.
Friday, June 17, 1994
We spent our last day in Ashland visiting with relatives and attending a Bar-B-Q. This was more like a family reunion, but it was thrown in our honor. This was the first time I had been back in 20 years. Mom and my brother, Jayme had gone back in 1983 when two of my Aunts died within days of each other. I couldn’t afford to take off from work, so I didn’t go. But, I was here now and I saw people I hadn't seen in two decades and people I'd never seen in my life. Once the Bar B-Q was over, about the time it started getting dark, we all went over to my Aunt Ellen’s house to talk and reminisce.
My girls thoroughly enjoyed the evening. But, not because of the people they met, or the reminiscing. I mean they had no problems with anyone, but they were all strangers. No, they enjoyed things I had never even thought of. First, before the sun went down, we saw Billy Ray Cyrus’ boyhood home. Billy Ray’s Mom and stepdad live in Flatwoods, KY, just a five minute drive from my Aunt’s house. This was long before Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus became household names. But, it was when Billy Ray was at the top of his popularity. My cousin, Teresa, mentioned she knew where they lived, so we drove by. It was just a small, well kept, but unimpressive house. Jolene and Jessi were just tickled to see the home of someone famous. Then, after the sun went down, they got to catch fireflies.
I am sure the people in Kentucky take these peculiar insects for granted. I spent five years in Georgia as a boy and I only barely remember them being around. They were just a part of the way things were, like a particular kind of flower. I am surprised every time I go back. I always forget they are there and am delighted to see them again. Jolene and Jessi had never seen firefly in their life. They had the time of there lives running around my Aunt's yard catching bugs and putting them in a jar. This is the kind of thing I hoped to show them with the vacations we take.
I was barely starting my genealogical quest back in 1994. My enthusiasm was very high and brought with me a file box with all I had, so I could show my Aunts. Everyone was very supportive. But, after we had talked deep into the night and said our good byes, I forgot my file box. I realized it when we were most of the way back to our hotel. So we turned around and went back. But, when I got there both the box and my Aunt Ann were gone. They had discovered it, and as she and my Uncle Bill were leaving too, they decided to drop it off at our hotel. So we said more good byes and went back to the hotel. We recovered my cherished files, said more good byes, and bedded down for our last night in the not loved Kentucky Hotel.
My girls thoroughly enjoyed the evening. But, not because of the people they met, or the reminiscing. I mean they had no problems with anyone, but they were all strangers. No, they enjoyed things I had never even thought of. First, before the sun went down, we saw Billy Ray Cyrus’ boyhood home. Billy Ray’s Mom and stepdad live in Flatwoods, KY, just a five minute drive from my Aunt’s house. This was long before Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus became household names. But, it was when Billy Ray was at the top of his popularity. My cousin, Teresa, mentioned she knew where they lived, so we drove by. It was just a small, well kept, but unimpressive house. Jolene and Jessi were just tickled to see the home of someone famous. Then, after the sun went down, they got to catch fireflies.
I am sure the people in Kentucky take these peculiar insects for granted. I spent five years in Georgia as a boy and I only barely remember them being around. They were just a part of the way things were, like a particular kind of flower. I am surprised every time I go back. I always forget they are there and am delighted to see them again. Jolene and Jessi had never seen firefly in their life. They had the time of there lives running around my Aunt's yard catching bugs and putting them in a jar. This is the kind of thing I hoped to show them with the vacations we take.
I was barely starting my genealogical quest back in 1994. My enthusiasm was very high and brought with me a file box with all I had, so I could show my Aunts. Everyone was very supportive. But, after we had talked deep into the night and said our good byes, I forgot my file box. I realized it when we were most of the way back to our hotel. So we turned around and went back. But, when I got there both the box and my Aunt Ann were gone. They had discovered it, and as she and my Uncle Bill were leaving too, they decided to drop it off at our hotel. So we said more good byes and went back to the hotel. We recovered my cherished files, said more good byes, and bedded down for our last night in the not loved Kentucky Hotel.
Saturday, June 18, 1994
Show Schedule for the Grand Ole Opry, June 18, 1994
Our entertainment for the night was to partake of what makes Nashville famous, country music. And what is more country music than The Grand Ole Opry? The Grand Ole Opry is longest continually running radio program in the world. It debuted in 1925, and has been going ever since. The name Grand Ole Opry was coined in 1927, by George (Judge) Hay. He was the announcer for the WSM Barn Dance, which was what the Grand Ole Opry was officially called back then. The WSM Barn Dance was preceded by a program the played classical music. Hay noted at the start of one show that the audience had been listening to music from grand opera. He then went on to say that for the next three hours the audience would listen to the “Grand Ole Opry”, giving a home spun, countrified pseudo-hillbilly spin to his program. The name stuck.
In the early days to gain an audience the radio station (650 WSM) allowed people to come watch the radio show. Word spread and more and more people began showing up. They had to move several times because of the growing audience. In 1945 they moved to the Ryman Auditorium and stayed there for nearly 30 years. In 1974 they moved to it’s current location, The Grand Ole Opry House, which seats 4,400 people. Pretty good attendance for a radio show, huh?
There are two shows on Saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry. The first from 6 to 9 PM, and the second from 9:30 to Midnight. We had tickets for the first show, and we were all very excited about this. But we ended up being a tiny bit disappointed. We saw a wide variety of country stars. Vince Gill was the most contemporary, but there were many that I grew up listening to. Grandpa Jones (from HeeHaw), Bill Anderson, and Hank Snow each did a set. Then there were those that I knew from Dad’s era, whose music I liked. Stonewall Jackson, Hank Locklin, Jeanne Pruett, Connie Smith, and Jan Howard exemplified that time. There was also plenty I had never heard of. There was J.D. Sumner and The Stamps, The 4 Guys, Jake Hess, and plenty more. Including the warm up segment, the entire show lasted 3 hours.
The part that was disappointing was that we were too far away. Our seats were in the front of the balcony, which wasn't bad, but still a little too far away. We could see OK, but we couldn’t get down to take pictures, which is allowed, maybe even encouraged. I'm not sorry we went; we still had a good time. Next time, should there be one, we will get better seats.
After the show we lingered to buy souvenirs. Margo got a book on the members of the Opry, and we all got a souvenir glass. But, by now we were all tired. So it was off to the Motel 6 for a quick sleep. We would be heading to Memphis in the morning.
In the early days to gain an audience the radio station (650 WSM) allowed people to come watch the radio show. Word spread and more and more people began showing up. They had to move several times because of the growing audience. In 1945 they moved to the Ryman Auditorium and stayed there for nearly 30 years. In 1974 they moved to it’s current location, The Grand Ole Opry House, which seats 4,400 people. Pretty good attendance for a radio show, huh?
There are two shows on Saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry. The first from 6 to 9 PM, and the second from 9:30 to Midnight. We had tickets for the first show, and we were all very excited about this. But we ended up being a tiny bit disappointed. We saw a wide variety of country stars. Vince Gill was the most contemporary, but there were many that I grew up listening to. Grandpa Jones (from HeeHaw), Bill Anderson, and Hank Snow each did a set. Then there were those that I knew from Dad’s era, whose music I liked. Stonewall Jackson, Hank Locklin, Jeanne Pruett, Connie Smith, and Jan Howard exemplified that time. There was also plenty I had never heard of. There was J.D. Sumner and The Stamps, The 4 Guys, Jake Hess, and plenty more. Including the warm up segment, the entire show lasted 3 hours.
The part that was disappointing was that we were too far away. Our seats were in the front of the balcony, which wasn't bad, but still a little too far away. We could see OK, but we couldn’t get down to take pictures, which is allowed, maybe even encouraged. I'm not sorry we went; we still had a good time. Next time, should there be one, we will get better seats.
After the show we lingered to buy souvenirs. Margo got a book on the members of the Opry, and we all got a souvenir glass. But, by now we were all tired. So it was off to the Motel 6 for a quick sleep. We would be heading to Memphis in the morning.
Sunday, June 19, 1994
Even though they are in the same state, it is still over 3 hours from Nashville to Memphis. I allotted four hours, plus 1 ¼ hours for lunch. I did not have to account for a time zone change, as we crossed into Central time somewhere in Kentucky, yesterday. With an 8 AM departure time, that would mean we would be starting our first Memphis activity at about 1:30 PM.
What would be our first Memphis activity you ask? Well, Memphis is famous for many things. They have so many things to see and do. There is Beale Street, famous for it’s blues music. Except we had no blues fans in our group. There was Mud Island, a park based on the Mississippi River. I couldn’t find a lot of info on it, so I wasn’t sure if we would enjoy it. Ride The Ducks? Doing that in Branson. The Parthenom or The Pyramid? The Pyramid is really a sports arena. Drive past and take a picture. The Parthenon would be worth some time, but there was one thing that we just had to do; Graceland.
Mom was a fan of Elvis back from the days when he first go started. Margo, Jayme, and I all enjoyed his music. But, it boiled down to how could someone from our generations not visit Graceland when we had the opportunity?
We already had reservations. I had prepurchased The Platinum Tour package tickets for all of us. That included the Manison tour, Elvis’ Car Museum, and his jets. We parked across the street in the Graceland complex. The mansion is on east side of Elvis Presley Blvd. On the west side is a little tourist complex, with parking, restaurants, gift shops, the jets, and a few exhibits.
We decided to tour the museum first, and then find something to eat at the Complex. The Complex stuff was open an hour later, to give us a little more flexibility. We were all looking forward to the tour. It was hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm for all things Elvis, on the complex side. There was music playing, clips of his movies were screened, and everywhere you looked there was Elvis. It was amazing that one may could inspire all of this.
Once we started the tour two things stuck me at once. Elvis was tacky. Elvis was an entertainer and on the road he had to be somewhat over the top. I expected more understatement at home. Some rooms of the house, like the Dining Room, where decorated very well. The you would see stained glass peacocks in another room. The Jungle Room was an African themed room complete with animal skins. It was interesting, but over the top.
What would be our first Memphis activity you ask? Well, Memphis is famous for many things. They have so many things to see and do. There is Beale Street, famous for it’s blues music. Except we had no blues fans in our group. There was Mud Island, a park based on the Mississippi River. I couldn’t find a lot of info on it, so I wasn’t sure if we would enjoy it. Ride The Ducks? Doing that in Branson. The Parthenom or The Pyramid? The Pyramid is really a sports arena. Drive past and take a picture. The Parthenon would be worth some time, but there was one thing that we just had to do; Graceland.
Mom was a fan of Elvis back from the days when he first go started. Margo, Jayme, and I all enjoyed his music. But, it boiled down to how could someone from our generations not visit Graceland when we had the opportunity?
We already had reservations. I had prepurchased The Platinum Tour package tickets for all of us. That included the Manison tour, Elvis’ Car Museum, and his jets. We parked across the street in the Graceland complex. The mansion is on east side of Elvis Presley Blvd. On the west side is a little tourist complex, with parking, restaurants, gift shops, the jets, and a few exhibits.
We decided to tour the museum first, and then find something to eat at the Complex. The Complex stuff was open an hour later, to give us a little more flexibility. We were all looking forward to the tour. It was hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm for all things Elvis, on the complex side. There was music playing, clips of his movies were screened, and everywhere you looked there was Elvis. It was amazing that one may could inspire all of this.
Once we started the tour two things stuck me at once. Elvis was tacky. Elvis was an entertainer and on the road he had to be somewhat over the top. I expected more understatement at home. Some rooms of the house, like the Dining Room, where decorated very well. The you would see stained glass peacocks in another room. The Jungle Room was an African themed room complete with animal skins. It was interesting, but over the top.
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The second thing was the technology. You would see televisions (I loved his Television Room. He had several TV mounted in a wall, so he could watch different channels at the same time) and such, and they looked, well, old. Then I recalled, the man had been dead nearly 20 years. Having a 20 year old TV was to be expected. The last thing we did was walk outside, on the grounds to see his, and other family members’ graves. Lots of flowers everywhere.
It didn’t really take that long to go through the mansion. It was somewhere around an hour. Then we went back across the street and decided on the Rockabilly Diner for lunch. It was standard hamburger and milkshake fare, which was more or less what we were in the mood for. We still had the Auto Museum and the two jets to tour. So that’s what we did, once we had finished eating.
Truth be told neither one was terribly impressive. I’m not a big “Car Guy”, so once you’ve seen one car collection, you know. I do remember he had a big pink Caddy. Elvis had or has, if you prefer, two jets that he used to get around, once he made his big money. The first was a Convair 880. He bought it for a quarter of million. Then he spent another ¾ plus million in renovations. He named it the “Lisa Marie” after his daughter. The other is a Lockheed Jetstar. He bought that for $900,000. It was nicknamed Hound Dog Two. He bought both planes in 1975, just months apart. He only got two years worth of use out of them before he died.
After that, we wandered the rest of The Complex. We saw the various exhibits and gift shops. Everywhere you went, Elvis was singing. It was a kind of subliminal push to get you into an Elvis kind of mood. I know, to varying degrees it worked on all of us. We ended up with a souvineer or two before we left.
We weren’t through with Memphis. Even though we would be heading out tomorrow morning, we still had one more piece of business. I had booked us on a dinner cruise on the Memphis Belle III. We had about two hours until we were supposed to be at the dock, so Mom and Margo decided to run to the laundromat. But when they got there they found it very busy. They ended up not getting the laundry completely dry. They had to get back to make our departure time. When they got back to the motel they told us of feeling out of place. Memphis has a very heavy black population. About 2 out of every 3 people are African American. But, there must have been a lot of white people who did their laundry earlier, because Margo and Mom had to hold up the entire Caucasian laundromat using demographic for the time they were there.
It didn’t really take that long to go through the mansion. It was somewhere around an hour. Then we went back across the street and decided on the Rockabilly Diner for lunch. It was standard hamburger and milkshake fare, which was more or less what we were in the mood for. We still had the Auto Museum and the two jets to tour. So that’s what we did, once we had finished eating.
Truth be told neither one was terribly impressive. I’m not a big “Car Guy”, so once you’ve seen one car collection, you know. I do remember he had a big pink Caddy. Elvis had or has, if you prefer, two jets that he used to get around, once he made his big money. The first was a Convair 880. He bought it for a quarter of million. Then he spent another ¾ plus million in renovations. He named it the “Lisa Marie” after his daughter. The other is a Lockheed Jetstar. He bought that for $900,000. It was nicknamed Hound Dog Two. He bought both planes in 1975, just months apart. He only got two years worth of use out of them before he died.
After that, we wandered the rest of The Complex. We saw the various exhibits and gift shops. Everywhere you went, Elvis was singing. It was a kind of subliminal push to get you into an Elvis kind of mood. I know, to varying degrees it worked on all of us. We ended up with a souvineer or two before we left.
We weren’t through with Memphis. Even though we would be heading out tomorrow morning, we still had one more piece of business. I had booked us on a dinner cruise on the Memphis Belle III. We had about two hours until we were supposed to be at the dock, so Mom and Margo decided to run to the laundromat. But when they got there they found it very busy. They ended up not getting the laundry completely dry. They had to get back to make our departure time. When they got back to the motel they told us of feeling out of place. Memphis has a very heavy black population. About 2 out of every 3 people are African American. But, there must have been a lot of white people who did their laundry earlier, because Margo and Mom had to hold up the entire Caucasian laundromat using demographic for the time they were there.
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Memphis Queen III
We were a bit rushed, but we made it down to the docks on time. The Memphis Queen III is a true paddlewheel driven riverboat. While not steam powered, like the days of Mark Twain, the paddle wheel in the front of the boat still provides the power.
Dinner was the first order of business. The dinner was chopped barbeque and breast of chicken. It was good. Not great, but not bad either. While we ate we listened to a Dixieland band. They were good. We recognized most of the songs as familiar, even if we didn’t know the titles.
After dinner, rather than listen to the band, we went onto the outer decks to explore the boat.
The weather was cooperating very well. It had been hot, but both as evening approached and we got on the river things were cooling down. None of us had ever been on paddle wheeler before, so naturally the big wheel drew us like a magnet. We would watch it churn up the Mississippi and move us through the river. I would walk away and see barges, bridges or other river sites, but that wheel would always seem to pull me back.
On several occasions as we passed near a bridge I would notice that there were graduation marks on the support towers for the bridge. At the top would be “20”, and then every 5 or 10 feet the number would increase. So by the time you got to water level it might read something like 90. I kept thinking, those numbers can’t be to measure how deep the water is, they go the wrong way. But, my pondering would have to wait. Jayme and Brandon were also wandering around and I took a couple of pictures of them. The one with Brandon and the setting sun turned out very well.
Dinner was the first order of business. The dinner was chopped barbeque and breast of chicken. It was good. Not great, but not bad either. While we ate we listened to a Dixieland band. They were good. We recognized most of the songs as familiar, even if we didn’t know the titles.
After dinner, rather than listen to the band, we went onto the outer decks to explore the boat.
The weather was cooperating very well. It had been hot, but both as evening approached and we got on the river things were cooling down. None of us had ever been on paddle wheeler before, so naturally the big wheel drew us like a magnet. We would watch it churn up the Mississippi and move us through the river. I would walk away and see barges, bridges or other river sites, but that wheel would always seem to pull me back.
On several occasions as we passed near a bridge I would notice that there were graduation marks on the support towers for the bridge. At the top would be “20”, and then every 5 or 10 feet the number would increase. So by the time you got to water level it might read something like 90. I kept thinking, those numbers can’t be to measure how deep the water is, they go the wrong way. But, my pondering would have to wait. Jayme and Brandon were also wandering around and I took a couple of pictures of them. The one with Brandon and the setting sun turned out very well.
Jayme and Brandon
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One of the crew told us that we could go up to the wheelhouse, meet the captain, and ask questions. Well, as I just said, I had a question. So we got in line, with other curious passengers. When our turn came about we walked up the stairs to the wheelhouse, and listened to the Captain tell us a little bit about the boat and the river. We also got to admire the electronic depth gauge which told us how deep the water was. At least now I knew how he did that. I did finally ask why the numbers seem to go the wrong way on the bridge supports. He told me, doing a great job of hiding his amusement, that they weren’t for water depth; they were for clearance under the bridge. As the water rises, clearance decreases. No, I didn’t feel stupid at all.
We climbed down the stairs and felt the magnetic pull of the wheel. I watched that some more. It has a hypnotic quality. The whole trip was peaceful and we enjoyed it a lot. The sunset was gorgeous. Our only complaint was that the two hours seemed to fly by. All too quick we were back at the dock and the crew was telling us good bye. I hope we can do it again sometime
We climbed down the stairs and felt the magnetic pull of the wheel. I watched that some more. It has a hypnotic quality. The whole trip was peaceful and we enjoyed it a lot. The sunset was gorgeous. Our only complaint was that the two hours seemed to fly by. All too quick we were back at the dock and the crew was telling us good bye. I hope we can do it again sometime
l to r--Jolene, Margo, Jessi, Me, Mom, Brandon, and Jayme
Monday, June 20, 1994
We had to get an early start today. Our destination, Branson, MO, was more than a five hour drive. I had prepurchased our show tickets and we were due at the Grand Palace at 3:00 PM. I figured we would leave at 7 AM, get into Branson around 12:30 PM, check into our hotel, and still have plenty of time for lunch and a tour around town on a Duck. More about Ducks later.
Well it didn’t quite work out as smooth. We came up through Arkansas and once we got into the northern part of the state, traffic became a problem. I had figured that being a weekday, traffic wouldn’t be an issue. The problem was they were working on Highway 65. I don’t recall exactly what they were doing to improve the road. I do recall, perfectly, that whatever they were doing required the road to be shut down for stretches at a time. We ended up losing close to an hour.
We checked into the Ye English Hotel. I had picked this hotel for price and location. I knew before hand that it did not have A/C, and I was a bit concerned. It was June, and anywhere in the Midwest can be hot in late June. It also did not have an elevator. We were on the second floor. So that was kind of a pain. But, what it lacked in amenities it made up in charm. The desk clerk was friendly enough, and the hotel felt like it had been summoned from a much simpler time. It was quiet, and located in a recreated English village, with lots of green in the back. I read that it used to be a stop for the railroad, but those days were long gone. Now it and the other businesses in the village catered to tourist.
Well it didn’t quite work out as smooth. We came up through Arkansas and once we got into the northern part of the state, traffic became a problem. I had figured that being a weekday, traffic wouldn’t be an issue. The problem was they were working on Highway 65. I don’t recall exactly what they were doing to improve the road. I do recall, perfectly, that whatever they were doing required the road to be shut down for stretches at a time. We ended up losing close to an hour.
We checked into the Ye English Hotel. I had picked this hotel for price and location. I knew before hand that it did not have A/C, and I was a bit concerned. It was June, and anywhere in the Midwest can be hot in late June. It also did not have an elevator. We were on the second floor. So that was kind of a pain. But, what it lacked in amenities it made up in charm. The desk clerk was friendly enough, and the hotel felt like it had been summoned from a much simpler time. It was quiet, and located in a recreated English village, with lots of green in the back. I read that it used to be a stop for the railroad, but those days were long gone. Now it and the other businesses in the village catered to tourist.
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Our rooms each had a large ceiling fan, and those turned out to be enough to keep us comfortable each of the two nights we were there. The furnishings were also done in what I gathered as Victorian. I'm certainly no expert, but it was clean, comfortable, and easy on the eyes. It would do for our two nights.
We got back on the highway and drove into Branson. We no longer had much time for the ducks, and darn little time for lunch. We ended up grabbing something to eat at the Grand Palace. After snacking on the way up from Memphis that was good enough. I had bought our Grand Palace tickets months ago, but I wasn’t sure where we would be sitting. When we found our seats I was more than little disappointed. We were about 25 rows from the stage. I bought the most expensive seats in the house, and figured with months until the show we would be right up front. When I took a close look at the people who occupied the rows in front of us, I noticed one thing in common. They were all elderly. After a little thought I came to conclusion that The Grand Palace, in order to get guaranteed business, had made deal with various tour companies. The tour companies supply many patrons. The Grand Palace gives them the best seat. It made business sense, but I doubted I would be back.
The Grand Palace brings in big name acts in country music. Most of the other theaters in Branson are dedicated to one headliner (Moe Bandy, Andy Williams, Mel Tillis, ect) who perform there each night. We were seeing Barbara Mandrel. She put on a great show and we enjoyed it.
After Barbara we took a look at the time. It was 5 PM. We had tickets to the 8 PM Moe Bandy show. That gave us three hours to eat and sightsee. We immediately decided that we had time to Ride the Ducks. Ride the Ducks is the name of business. What they do is provide an amphibious tour of Branson and Table Rock Lake. The amphibious part is accomplished with one vehicle, a modified World War II craft known as DUKW. The DUKW, pronounced “duck” looks like a boat with wheels. It rides on land and then drives right into the water, becoming a boat. I found about them while researching our Branson stop and knew that we just had to ride them.
We got back on the highway and drove into Branson. We no longer had much time for the ducks, and darn little time for lunch. We ended up grabbing something to eat at the Grand Palace. After snacking on the way up from Memphis that was good enough. I had bought our Grand Palace tickets months ago, but I wasn’t sure where we would be sitting. When we found our seats I was more than little disappointed. We were about 25 rows from the stage. I bought the most expensive seats in the house, and figured with months until the show we would be right up front. When I took a close look at the people who occupied the rows in front of us, I noticed one thing in common. They were all elderly. After a little thought I came to conclusion that The Grand Palace, in order to get guaranteed business, had made deal with various tour companies. The tour companies supply many patrons. The Grand Palace gives them the best seat. It made business sense, but I doubted I would be back.
The Grand Palace brings in big name acts in country music. Most of the other theaters in Branson are dedicated to one headliner (Moe Bandy, Andy Williams, Mel Tillis, ect) who perform there each night. We were seeing Barbara Mandrel. She put on a great show and we enjoyed it.
After Barbara we took a look at the time. It was 5 PM. We had tickets to the 8 PM Moe Bandy show. That gave us three hours to eat and sightsee. We immediately decided that we had time to Ride the Ducks. Ride the Ducks is the name of business. What they do is provide an amphibious tour of Branson and Table Rock Lake. The amphibious part is accomplished with one vehicle, a modified World War II craft known as DUKW. The DUKW, pronounced “duck” looks like a boat with wheels. It rides on land and then drives right into the water, becoming a boat. I found about them while researching our Branson stop and knew that we just had to ride them.
The ducks are pretty popular, so once we bought our tickets we had a bit of a wait. When it was finally our turn we loaded up, and pulled up and parked long enough to have a picture taken. This kind of thing was still new to me. This was 1994 and squeezing a little extra money out of the tourist, via the sale of souvenir pictures was something I had not encountered. At least not until earlier in this trip, at Worlds of Fun. But, when it comes to pictures, I’m an easy mark. Pictures make the best souvenir. They are just great for showing the folks back home, and triggering a long forgotten memory. I had little doubt we would buy it, unless it was just terrible.
Our driver was also our guide and he spent the next half hour or so showing us the basic sights of Branson’s strip. Then we made for the lake. Our driver showed us Table Rock Dam, which created Table Rock Lake. On the east side of the dam is Lake Taneycomo, and a fish hatchery. The folks at Ride the Ducks have an outdoor military museum, which he took us through. A few pieces of artillery and tracked vehicles. Nothing special, but it was something to see. Our guide did a good job of telling us about all we were seeing.
Then it was time for the highlight of the tour. Our driver pulled us over on the lake bank, facing the water, and then put the vehicle in neutral. He turned around and announced there were two ways to enter the lake, Fast or Slow. He was now going to take a poll of his passengers to see which way we wanted to enter the water. This was like asking who wants free ice cream. When he asked for “Fast” a roar went up. When his petition for “Slow” came up, no one was brave enough to buck the crowd. Or else it was unamimous. I would guess that he had never taken a tour into the lake in foggey mode.
We turned back to face forward, pushed a lever, ground a gear, and reversed a few feet, to add to the tension. Another gear shift, and then rapid forward thrust. We entered the lake with a big splash, which sent water into the lower section of, the now, boat.
Our driver was also our guide and he spent the next half hour or so showing us the basic sights of Branson’s strip. Then we made for the lake. Our driver showed us Table Rock Dam, which created Table Rock Lake. On the east side of the dam is Lake Taneycomo, and a fish hatchery. The folks at Ride the Ducks have an outdoor military museum, which he took us through. A few pieces of artillery and tracked vehicles. Nothing special, but it was something to see. Our guide did a good job of telling us about all we were seeing.
Then it was time for the highlight of the tour. Our driver pulled us over on the lake bank, facing the water, and then put the vehicle in neutral. He turned around and announced there were two ways to enter the lake, Fast or Slow. He was now going to take a poll of his passengers to see which way we wanted to enter the water. This was like asking who wants free ice cream. When he asked for “Fast” a roar went up. When his petition for “Slow” came up, no one was brave enough to buck the crowd. Or else it was unamimous. I would guess that he had never taken a tour into the lake in foggey mode.
We turned back to face forward, pushed a lever, ground a gear, and reversed a few feet, to add to the tension. Another gear shift, and then rapid forward thrust. We entered the lake with a big splash, which sent water into the lower section of, the now, boat.
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The excitement was over. The ride on the lake was slow and steady. It was quite peaceful. Our guide continued his history lesson on the area, and invited anyone, particularly the kids, to come forward and take a turn steering the boat. We were able to coax all three of our kids to take a turn. There was nothing to hit out in the lake, so this was good fun for the kids. Our Captain even promised that upon our safe return all kids who had piloted his Duck would be given their own Duck Driver’s License. True to word, when we got back they each got one.
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Close up of photo on the left
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Earlier when we were at the Grand Palace, it had not escaped our notice that Moe Bandy’s Theater was close by. As was the Hard Luck Diner. The Hard Luck Diner looked good from the outside, and we had thought it would be a good place for a meal. As we expected, it was a 50’s themed diner, with the predictable, but perfectly acceptable, burger and fry fare. What we didn’t expect was the staff breaking out in the occasional song and dance. It turned out to be the perfect place for our dinner.
But, by the time we finished, we were running really short on time. Our show started at 8 PM, and it was just minutes of. We made a mad dash to get over to the theater. Again, I had no idea where we would be sitting. But, when the lady took our tickets, she handed them to an attendant, who was to take us straight to our seats. Most everyone else had already been seated, and the theater was fairly dark. This would insure we wouldn’t get lost. The attendant led us forward. Then more forward. The all the way forward, to the front row. Now this was more like it. We felt like VIPs. We had gotten an escort to take us to some of the best seats in the house.
We completely enjoyed Moe Bandy. He did a great job of intermixing comedy, his own songs, and music from other artists. He told us early on that they were video taping the show, and that we could buy copies of it. I was thinking, “Pass”. Just another way to harvest the tourists. But, Moe is not dumb. He had one song, in which he went out into the audience and shook hands with everyone in the audience. He also made sure that every kid in the audience had a short cameo. So now I went from “Pass” to “Oh, won’t the kids be cute?” So of course, at the end of show we ordered our copy.
At the end of the show Moe and his very cute back up singers all went out into the lobby to sign autographs and have their picture taken. We didn’t have our picture taken, but we did get Moe’s autograph on a picture. And I have to admit to chickening out on meeting the back up singers. I’m shy, and we all know that really cute women bite. No sense taking chances.
That was it for our day. We had packed it full again. We were up early, drove five hours, saw two shows, and Rode the Ducks. We were dead tired. Tomorrow we would still be in Branson. Our plan was to spend the day at Silver Dollar City.
But, by the time we finished, we were running really short on time. Our show started at 8 PM, and it was just minutes of. We made a mad dash to get over to the theater. Again, I had no idea where we would be sitting. But, when the lady took our tickets, she handed them to an attendant, who was to take us straight to our seats. Most everyone else had already been seated, and the theater was fairly dark. This would insure we wouldn’t get lost. The attendant led us forward. Then more forward. The all the way forward, to the front row. Now this was more like it. We felt like VIPs. We had gotten an escort to take us to some of the best seats in the house.
We completely enjoyed Moe Bandy. He did a great job of intermixing comedy, his own songs, and music from other artists. He told us early on that they were video taping the show, and that we could buy copies of it. I was thinking, “Pass”. Just another way to harvest the tourists. But, Moe is not dumb. He had one song, in which he went out into the audience and shook hands with everyone in the audience. He also made sure that every kid in the audience had a short cameo. So now I went from “Pass” to “Oh, won’t the kids be cute?” So of course, at the end of show we ordered our copy.
At the end of the show Moe and his very cute back up singers all went out into the lobby to sign autographs and have their picture taken. We didn’t have our picture taken, but we did get Moe’s autograph on a picture. And I have to admit to chickening out on meeting the back up singers. I’m shy, and we all know that really cute women bite. No sense taking chances.
That was it for our day. We had packed it full again. We were up early, drove five hours, saw two shows, and Rode the Ducks. We were dead tired. Tomorrow we would still be in Branson. Our plan was to spend the day at Silver Dollar City.
Tuesday, June 21, 1994
Today we were going to Silver Dollar City. Siler Dollar City is a themed amusement park. There is something for everyone. The park was built around Marvel Cave back in the 1940s. It was expanded when a 1890s village was built around it. This village included many craftsmen, like a blacksmith, a number of other metalsmiths, a baker, candlemaker and on and on. There are numerous shops selling various crafts, books, and souvenirs. And then there are the rides. There were only six rides, plus another four in the kiddie land, Tom Sawyer Island. But, they all sounded like fun when I read about them in a book on Branson I had found at the local Safeway.
Sliver Dollar City opened at 9:30 AM and it was about a fifteen minute drive from our hotel. That meant we got to sleep in a little. We didn’t have to get there right at opening, so we slept in a little more. It was about 10:30 when we got there. Our admission into the park included a tour of Marvel Cave. We skipped it, as there were 500 steps to get in and out. That was more than Mom wanted to deal with. So our first stop Main Street. Here they had a number of shops and craftsman. We watched the blacksmith beat a piece of metal into submission and wandered around the General Store.
The three kids were not nearly as interested in this as we were. They wanted to ride stuff. Brandon, Jayme’s son was three years old then. My two girls, Jolene and Jessi, were 9 and 5 respectively. That meant that Jolene was tall enough to ride everything, but the other two were not. So we made our way over to Tom Sawyer’s Landing. There they had a Roller Coaster (pint size), Carousel, a Balloon Ride, and a Ferris Wheel. We cycled the youngins through each of those, and then we decided we were hungry.
Sliver Dollar City opened at 9:30 AM and it was about a fifteen minute drive from our hotel. That meant we got to sleep in a little. We didn’t have to get there right at opening, so we slept in a little more. It was about 10:30 when we got there. Our admission into the park included a tour of Marvel Cave. We skipped it, as there were 500 steps to get in and out. That was more than Mom wanted to deal with. So our first stop Main Street. Here they had a number of shops and craftsman. We watched the blacksmith beat a piece of metal into submission and wandered around the General Store.
The three kids were not nearly as interested in this as we were. They wanted to ride stuff. Brandon, Jayme’s son was three years old then. My two girls, Jolene and Jessi, were 9 and 5 respectively. That meant that Jolene was tall enough to ride everything, but the other two were not. So we made our way over to Tom Sawyer’s Landing. There they had a Roller Coaster (pint size), Carousel, a Balloon Ride, and a Ferris Wheel. We cycled the youngins through each of those, and then we decided we were hungry.
American Plunge ride at Silver Dollar City.
That's not us in the log
There were close to a dozen choices on where and what to eat. Most were little snack kiosks, or that ilk. But we wanted to both sit down and get out of the building heat. We settled on Aunt Polly’s Fried Chicken. It was back over near Main Street. I thought the food was good, but Jayme was not impressed with the mashed potatoes. Based, I supposed on their viscosity, he assumed they were instant, and not worthy of consumption. The restaurant did seem to be disorganized, but we were sitting down in an air conditioned room.
We spent the next few hours riding the big kids rides. Mom and Margo ended up with Jessi and Brandon most of this time. They were too little, but they were also too tired. Brandon was asleep in the stroller in no time. Jessi was doing the same in her mother’s arms. Jayme, Jolene, and I had a good time with the water rides. I most remember the American Plunge, The Lost River of the Ozarks, and Fire-in-the-Hole.
The Lost River ride was a standard river ride. You see one a most parks these days. Fire-in-the-Hole was not a water ride, but an indoor coaster. The theme being that the town was on fire and the ride would be taking you through it. The climax had you headed into a fire, and then suddenly you dove underneath. But, our favorite was the American Plunge. This was a log flume ride that had a pretty short line. Jayme, Jolene, and I would go through it, get off, and dash back to back of the line. Ten minutes worth of flumes later and we would be on it again. Margo and Mom watched us get soaked from the benches in the shade.
After all of those water rides it wasn’t long before Jolene was getting cold. Margo and Mom had stayed dry, but Mother Nature fixed that. The skies opened up and a classic afternoon shower had us heading for the shuttle to take us back to our car. Once back, Margo was soaked to the point she was using the Mini-Vans heater to dry her hair.
We made it back to our hotel in Hollister and got changed. We settled on the Red Lion Inn for dinner. I remember nothing about it, except it was in the little English Village. We made an early evening of it. But, not before the kids got to see a few more fireflies in the grass behind the hotel. Tomorrow we were basically driving half way home, with a couple of brief stops. Our trip was winding down, and even though we were having a good time, we would be happy to see our own beds.
We spent the next few hours riding the big kids rides. Mom and Margo ended up with Jessi and Brandon most of this time. They were too little, but they were also too tired. Brandon was asleep in the stroller in no time. Jessi was doing the same in her mother’s arms. Jayme, Jolene, and I had a good time with the water rides. I most remember the American Plunge, The Lost River of the Ozarks, and Fire-in-the-Hole.
The Lost River ride was a standard river ride. You see one a most parks these days. Fire-in-the-Hole was not a water ride, but an indoor coaster. The theme being that the town was on fire and the ride would be taking you through it. The climax had you headed into a fire, and then suddenly you dove underneath. But, our favorite was the American Plunge. This was a log flume ride that had a pretty short line. Jayme, Jolene, and I would go through it, get off, and dash back to back of the line. Ten minutes worth of flumes later and we would be on it again. Margo and Mom watched us get soaked from the benches in the shade.
After all of those water rides it wasn’t long before Jolene was getting cold. Margo and Mom had stayed dry, but Mother Nature fixed that. The skies opened up and a classic afternoon shower had us heading for the shuttle to take us back to our car. Once back, Margo was soaked to the point she was using the Mini-Vans heater to dry her hair.
We made it back to our hotel in Hollister and got changed. We settled on the Red Lion Inn for dinner. I remember nothing about it, except it was in the little English Village. We made an early evening of it. But, not before the kids got to see a few more fireflies in the grass behind the hotel. Tomorrow we were basically driving half way home, with a couple of brief stops. Our trip was winding down, and even though we were having a good time, we would be happy to see our own beds.
Wednesday, June 22, 1994
Up, at’em, and on the road by about 8 AM. We have about four hours worth of driving before our first real stop of the day, in Coffeyville, KS. We had breakfast at McDonalds in Branson, and stopped for gas, snacks, and restroom in Springfield. After that it was straight through to Coffeyville.
Coffeyville has several claims to fame. Presidential candidate Wendell Wilke lived there for a time. Hall of Fame pitcher, Walter Johnson, was from the area. The largest hailstone ever recorded fell at Coffeyville. But, most people that have heard of the small town know it as place where, during the Old West, the Dalton gang tried to rob two banks at once and were shot to near extinction by the town folks. To celebrate the citizens who died, The Dalton Defenders Museum was established. That was where we were heading.
We arrived somewhere around 11:30 AM, and went right to the museum. I figured they would have information and a few artifacts about the failed Dalton robbery, and in that, I was not disappointed. They had the revolvers of three of the robbers, plus the actual bank doors (with bullet holes!) from one of the two banks that the Daltons tried to rob. They had the actual safe from the other bank, and many other displays or exhibits explaining that day.
But, they had plenty of other things as well. They have an Old Town area set up. There they have many store fronts, that you can window shop from. Plus there were numerous artifacts from the turn of the 19th century. Mom recognized an old crib that looked just like one her folks had when she was little. Other displays included a large oil portrait of Walter Johnson, beside some magazines and other artifacts of his life. When Cooperstown opened the Baseball Hall of Fame, there were five men inducted. Walter Johnson was one of those five.
We had allotted two hours to see the museum and eat. We took a little longer than we should have, in the museum and then had lunch at the nearby Chuckwagon Café. It was a decent lunch, but we were burnin’ daylight so we needed to get moving again.
Coffeyville has several claims to fame. Presidential candidate Wendell Wilke lived there for a time. Hall of Fame pitcher, Walter Johnson, was from the area. The largest hailstone ever recorded fell at Coffeyville. But, most people that have heard of the small town know it as place where, during the Old West, the Dalton gang tried to rob two banks at once and were shot to near extinction by the town folks. To celebrate the citizens who died, The Dalton Defenders Museum was established. That was where we were heading.
We arrived somewhere around 11:30 AM, and went right to the museum. I figured they would have information and a few artifacts about the failed Dalton robbery, and in that, I was not disappointed. They had the revolvers of three of the robbers, plus the actual bank doors (with bullet holes!) from one of the two banks that the Daltons tried to rob. They had the actual safe from the other bank, and many other displays or exhibits explaining that day.
But, they had plenty of other things as well. They have an Old Town area set up. There they have many store fronts, that you can window shop from. Plus there were numerous artifacts from the turn of the 19th century. Mom recognized an old crib that looked just like one her folks had when she was little. Other displays included a large oil portrait of Walter Johnson, beside some magazines and other artifacts of his life. When Cooperstown opened the Baseball Hall of Fame, there were five men inducted. Walter Johnson was one of those five.
We had allotted two hours to see the museum and eat. We took a little longer than we should have, in the museum and then had lunch at the nearby Chuckwagon Café. It was a decent lunch, but we were burnin’ daylight so we needed to get moving again.
The Little House on the Praire
Our next stop was only about 40 minutes away, near Wayside, KS. Most people in America have heard of Laura Ingles Wilder, either through her books of through the TV series in the 1970s. During the height of the TV series’ popularity, a couple of researchers from Kansas Historical Society went out in search of the actual site of the “Little House on The Prairie”. Wilder’s books, while fiction, were historical fiction based closely on her own life. The researches were able to take clues by the descriptions in Laura’s books, and eventually found what they believe to have been the foundation of the Wilder cabin. They found the various landmarks, including a hand dug well, that had all been mentioned in the book. After the discovery a group of volunteers, again using Laura’s books as a guide rebuilt the cabin on the original site.
As they wanted to draw tourists to the area, and it takes about 15 minutes to become bored with looking at the cabin, two other buildings were brought to the site as well. The first was the old Wayside Post Office. This was a tiny shack of a building with a wall of mail slots, and not a whole lot else. The second was the Sunny Side School House. A one room school building, with a coal stove in the back center and the other necessities for a 19th century prairie education.
We arrived and soon had toured all three buildings. The big thing that struck all of us was how small they were. The Ingles cabin did not seem nearly large enough for a family of five. The post office looked like a shed, and the schoolhouse was smaller than my patio. I suppose that people just had to make do with less room, as the larger you built something the more it cost in materials and labor.
But perhaps the most memorable part of the trip was when I youngest had to go to the bathroom. Reminiscent of our visit to Van Lear, KY a few days ago there was only an outdoor toilet. This one had become the home to many arachnids and it took a lot of convincing on Margo’s part to get our five year old to use the facility.
We had budgeted a full hour for this portion of our trip, but in we didn’t use it all. We still had another four hours to drive, and it was mid-afternoon already.
As they wanted to draw tourists to the area, and it takes about 15 minutes to become bored with looking at the cabin, two other buildings were brought to the site as well. The first was the old Wayside Post Office. This was a tiny shack of a building with a wall of mail slots, and not a whole lot else. The second was the Sunny Side School House. A one room school building, with a coal stove in the back center and the other necessities for a 19th century prairie education.
We arrived and soon had toured all three buildings. The big thing that struck all of us was how small they were. The Ingles cabin did not seem nearly large enough for a family of five. The post office looked like a shed, and the schoolhouse was smaller than my patio. I suppose that people just had to make do with less room, as the larger you built something the more it cost in materials and labor.
But perhaps the most memorable part of the trip was when I youngest had to go to the bathroom. Reminiscent of our visit to Van Lear, KY a few days ago there was only an outdoor toilet. This one had become the home to many arachnids and it took a lot of convincing on Margo’s part to get our five year old to use the facility.
We had budgeted a full hour for this portion of our trip, but in we didn’t use it all. We still had another four hours to drive, and it was mid-afternoon already.
Motel 6 in Salina, KS
We got back on the road and everyone was tired and running out of steam. We had started this road trip eleven day and nine states ago. On a long road trip what keeps you going is the thought of what was still to come. We had just run out of that. The only thing to look forward to now, was sleeping in our own beds. But, that would not come until tomorrow. We had nothing left to see or do, except the seemingly endless plains of Kansas and eastern Colorado.
If there had been more time perhaps we could have spent some time in Wichita or Newton. Both towns have a rich Old West heritage, which I am sure I would have enjoyed. That just was not to be. We only made one stop and that was almost immediately after we left Wayside. We traveled north to Independence and stopped for gas and snacks.
Our final destination for the day was Salina, KS. This was selected because it was on I-70 and about as far east as I figured we would get before exhaustion and chronic crankiness would set in. I was right. By the time we had found our Motel 6 ( our 6th different Motel 6) of this trip, we were spent. None of the adults were in any mood to travel another mile.
We had pizza delivered from the local Pizza Hut, and relaxed around the outdoor pool. It is amazing what a little water can do for one’s attitude.
Tomorrow we would be going home!
If there had been more time perhaps we could have spent some time in Wichita or Newton. Both towns have a rich Old West heritage, which I am sure I would have enjoyed. That just was not to be. We only made one stop and that was almost immediately after we left Wayside. We traveled north to Independence and stopped for gas and snacks.
Our final destination for the day was Salina, KS. This was selected because it was on I-70 and about as far east as I figured we would get before exhaustion and chronic crankiness would set in. I was right. By the time we had found our Motel 6 ( our 6th different Motel 6) of this trip, we were spent. None of the adults were in any mood to travel another mile.
We had pizza delivered from the local Pizza Hut, and relaxed around the outdoor pool. It is amazing what a little water can do for one’s attitude.
Tomorrow we would be going home!
Thursday, June 23, 1994
It was time to go home. Today was our 13th day of the road trip. Even as I write about this 15 years after the fact, I have never been on a trip this long. When it was all said and done, we will have traveled though eight states and logged 3800 miles. This last 430 miles was likely to feel much longer.
I have driven through parts of the Great Plains in seven different states; Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I don’t recommend it. There is nothing to see. Well, that isn’t accurate. There is always something to see. But for the most part it doesn’t change for hours on end. One small town looks like the next. One wheat field looks like the next. Each location on the map is populated with people of good morals and of hearty stock. Unfortunately the only stock that you see has four legs. In short the drive is boring.
So with this in mind we got in our mini-van and drove. When I say we, I should make it clear that on these trips, Margo does the great majority of the driving. I spell her on occasion. But, we have discovered that it makes much more sense for her to drive and me to navigate. She had far greater patience, so should be encounter traffic she is much less likely to do something that will ruin the rest of our day. On the other hand, she can’t read a map. Oh, she will figure out where we are eventually. Eventually, as in, eventually California will fall into the see. Eventually the sun will burn out. Eventually the Environmental Loonies will begin prophesizing about the next Ice Age. You know, eventually. But long before then, as the lost driver, my blood pressure would have caused a long dormant aneurysm to pop. So, with me pointing her in the right direction, and she insuring we get there. Things work out.
I as Navigator would not have much to do.
“OK dear, Jump on I-70 West and stay on it for the next 400 miles.”
My job was done. Like I said before, we drove. We made our first stop in Brewster, KS. I think this was as much to stretch our legs as anything. None of us make a good roadtripper, if the idea is to drive for hours on end, pee in a coffee can, and stop only when on fumes. This does not define the adage of “Getting there is half the fun”. I don’t generally buy into that anyway, but driving four hours on end is less fun than a trip to the dentist. At least he gives Novocain.
Our trip continued, the relatively short distance, to Burlington, CO. We stopped there and ate lunch at the local Sonic Drive In. With that stop we had made it through turn four and the home stretch was here. About three hours later, we were home.
This trip was special for a number of reasons. Even though it was not our first family vacation, it started a yearly vacation tradition. We would take a yearly trip every year, with one interruption, to this day. Even though my daughters are now grown and don’t come with us, we still travel.
Reason Two. It was this trip that showed me that taking the girls around in a car would not be a problem. They behaved perfectly. Of all the obstacles to overcome when going on vacation, I was extremely happy to find out, that 8 hours in car, with two kids under 10 was not one I had to worry about.
Number Three. This trip really showed us the importance of planning. While many people prefer to just “wing it”. With both time and money always in limited supply, this trip highlighted that planning will get you the most out of it.
Finally, this trip was the first in which I prepared an Itinerary Book and kept an Expense Journal. For most people both of these would be much more trouble than they were worth. But, I have looked through both of these many times in the past fifteen years. In addition to the great assistance it was to us in planning the trip, keeping us on schedule so we could see everything we wanted to, giving those not intimately involved with the planning (everyone but me) a look at what was to happen next, and helping us stay on budget. They brought back many memories of the trip and, of course, were an invaluable asset to write this journal, after a lapse of fifteen years.
I have driven through parts of the Great Plains in seven different states; Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I don’t recommend it. There is nothing to see. Well, that isn’t accurate. There is always something to see. But for the most part it doesn’t change for hours on end. One small town looks like the next. One wheat field looks like the next. Each location on the map is populated with people of good morals and of hearty stock. Unfortunately the only stock that you see has four legs. In short the drive is boring.
So with this in mind we got in our mini-van and drove. When I say we, I should make it clear that on these trips, Margo does the great majority of the driving. I spell her on occasion. But, we have discovered that it makes much more sense for her to drive and me to navigate. She had far greater patience, so should be encounter traffic she is much less likely to do something that will ruin the rest of our day. On the other hand, she can’t read a map. Oh, she will figure out where we are eventually. Eventually, as in, eventually California will fall into the see. Eventually the sun will burn out. Eventually the Environmental Loonies will begin prophesizing about the next Ice Age. You know, eventually. But long before then, as the lost driver, my blood pressure would have caused a long dormant aneurysm to pop. So, with me pointing her in the right direction, and she insuring we get there. Things work out.
I as Navigator would not have much to do.
“OK dear, Jump on I-70 West and stay on it for the next 400 miles.”
My job was done. Like I said before, we drove. We made our first stop in Brewster, KS. I think this was as much to stretch our legs as anything. None of us make a good roadtripper, if the idea is to drive for hours on end, pee in a coffee can, and stop only when on fumes. This does not define the adage of “Getting there is half the fun”. I don’t generally buy into that anyway, but driving four hours on end is less fun than a trip to the dentist. At least he gives Novocain.
Our trip continued, the relatively short distance, to Burlington, CO. We stopped there and ate lunch at the local Sonic Drive In. With that stop we had made it through turn four and the home stretch was here. About three hours later, we were home.
This trip was special for a number of reasons. Even though it was not our first family vacation, it started a yearly vacation tradition. We would take a yearly trip every year, with one interruption, to this day. Even though my daughters are now grown and don’t come with us, we still travel.
Reason Two. It was this trip that showed me that taking the girls around in a car would not be a problem. They behaved perfectly. Of all the obstacles to overcome when going on vacation, I was extremely happy to find out, that 8 hours in car, with two kids under 10 was not one I had to worry about.
Number Three. This trip really showed us the importance of planning. While many people prefer to just “wing it”. With both time and money always in limited supply, this trip highlighted that planning will get you the most out of it.
Finally, this trip was the first in which I prepared an Itinerary Book and kept an Expense Journal. For most people both of these would be much more trouble than they were worth. But, I have looked through both of these many times in the past fifteen years. In addition to the great assistance it was to us in planning the trip, keeping us on schedule so we could see everything we wanted to, giving those not intimately involved with the planning (everyone but me) a look at what was to happen next, and helping us stay on budget. They brought back many memories of the trip and, of course, were an invaluable asset to write this journal, after a lapse of fifteen years.