#13 ARKANSAS

I continued straight down the freeway cruising in my cobalt blue Dodge Avenger listening to a rotation of all Elvis- all the time radio and blues. I arrived in Blytheville, AR for a welcome stay at the Hampton Inn. Blytheville is just south of the Missouri border so the bulk of my Arkansas exploration, so to say, was left for the next morning.

Arkansas is a state filled with many sights but for me I didn’t do it justice, only driving through the Delta into Memphis.

When I think of Arkansas two things come to mind: WalMart and Bill Clinton.
Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was born in Hope, AR which is on the opposite side of the state. Is there some sort of monument to him there? I don’t even know. His Presidential Library is in Little Rock and sounds to be very worthy of a visit. Other notable Arkansas natives are Scott Joplin, Douglas MacArthur and Maya Angelou.

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I saw no one of that renown but I did visit a WalMart. Sam Walton, a businessman from Arkansas, began his retail career at a J.C. Penney store in Iowa. I really wish it had been the J.C. Penney flagship store in Kemmerer, WY because it would then appear as if I was doing some sort of cohesive research and had a master plan in my travel but it’s strictly coincidence that I went by the first Penney’s two weeks ago. Walton’s retail career led him to Bentonville, AR where he opened "Walton's Five and Dime" Which eventually led to WalMart, which love it or hate, it one of the largest retail companies in the world, serving over 176 million weekly (so says walmart.com). I was one of the 176 million when I wandered in search of more cold medicine. My third purchase in three states that day. At least I was experiencing a part of Arkansas culture!

My gasoline purchase seemed worthy of documentation. Will I ever see regular unleaded for 3.39.9 again?

Just one example of what I was sharing the road with.

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An interesting bit of trivia about the naming of the state: It was originally the Territory of Arkansaw formed from land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase but a compromise and an act of the state senate designated the name Arkansas but pronounced ar-kan-saw when they attained statehood in 1836.

and then I crossed the Mississippi...

#12 MISSOURI

One bridge across the Ohio River led me very briefly into the southern tip of Illinois before crossing a second bridge over the Mississippi River into Missouri. I wish I took pictures of the bridges but I was calling my sister to say "hey, I'm in your state" and the time it took to leave the message was my entire travel time through Illinois. I did say brief!

When I decided to attempt something as crazy as visiting all 50 states this year I set out some visiting criteria for myself. First, layovers without leaving the airport don't count, neither do just driving into a state and turning around and driving out. I vowed to participate in some type of commerce or, ideally, a cultural or physical activity. So here I am in Missouri basically just driving along the eastern edge on the interstate, commonly known as the "Bootheel". The Mississippi River twists off to my left as I drive through essentially flat farmland. There are few logical stops but I was determined to make it count.

My first stop was one of desperation. I had a cold. It was one of those pesky my nose is running, eyes are watering and I keep sneezing every two minutes type of plague that made me grateful nobody was in the car with me. Frankly, I didn't want to be in the car with me. I had purchased cold medicine in Kentucky and it wasn't doing the trick. I exited the highway and went into this lovely Country Mart. Is this going to be my commerce of the trip? Cold medicine and a jumbo box of deluxe tissue, you know the spiffy kind with the lotion. How pathetic I've become!

The only site of interest on the map was the Hunter- Dawson Historic Site on New Madrid, MO. That's the site for me! They offer tours of a "majestic mansion illustrating the grand lifestyle once enjoyed by one of southeast Missouri's wealthy families during the late 1800's". Nifty! New Madrid sites right on the banks of the Mississippi where it loops in almost a 360 degree turn. Unfortunately my timing was off to tour the mansion but I enjoyed the town and wondered where all of the 3000 residents could possibly be.

An example of the flat terrain I was exploring.

Proof I was actually in the state with a rather artsy reflection of my phone in my glasses.

Next: Arkansas.

#11 KENTUCKY

This is the first post from my 5 state loop from Nashville, TN. I'm in Nashville to participate in the Country Music Marathon and couldn't resist checking out the neighborhood states. My first morning I drove to Paducah, KY, home of the National Quilt Museum. Coincidently the American Quilter's Society annual show is being held this weekend. I thought being there on the Wednesday prior to the show would allow me to experience some of the excitement but avoid the fray. WRONG! It was a zoo. The place was crawling with white haired ladies toting quilted bags making their pilgrimage to this Quilter's Mecca. I suspected attendance would escalate exponentially in the next few days but won't be around to witness it. The quilts I saw were spectacular but unfortunately no photos were permitted.

A little history...

The best part of Paducah was wandering around the historic downtown and seeing how the community has embraced the quilters. Every business was festooned with quilts and fabrics even this 20 foot cow. While I think it's a lovely cow, I have to wonder if it's a usual Main Street accessory.

more history....

$5 ???? Next: Missouri.

#10 WYOMING

Wyoming: where the deer and the antelope roam - really!

This a continuation of our tour of Utah and the Southwestern corner of Wyoming. It was cold! To clarify some confusion about my Utah pix: yes, it really was 34 at Echo Lake and we weren't bundled up because we hopped out of the car to take some pictures and got right back in. By the time we made it to Antelope Island it had warmed up to about 65. I'm sure the way I was dressed has nothing to do with the fact I am suffering from a cold right now, so don't even bother to bring it up.



We entered Wyoming on Interstate 80 and made our first stop in Evanston. The Bear River meanders through the town and we walked a mile along the paved path. I bet it's beautiful when the leaves come out but right now it was a muddy mess with pockets of snow. We enjoyed it nonetheless!

Bison along the path.

Well, fine...notice heeded.

We then headed north along Highway 189 to Kemmerer passing numerous heards of deer and antelope along the way. You'll have to take my word for it because all of the antelope pictures were taken by Lois. She uploaded them to Snapfish and while they're terrific to look at, I can't download them here so you'll have to be content with the antelope image at the top of this post.

Kemmerer is the home of JC Penney. An interesting bit of trivia but the flagship store didn't entice us stop for a visit. Lunch at the only restaurant we could locate in town, Taco John's, was just fine. A few miles west was the Fossil Butte National Monument. A fascinating stop with the potential for some great hikes if all of the roads and trails hadn't been closed due to snow. We were at an altitude of over 7000 feet so winter lingering into mid-April shouldn't have surprised us, but it did. Oh well, a reason to return...

#9 UTAH

Last weekend I met my friend Lois in Salt Lake City, Utah. We hit the highway, driving a loop to Wyoming and back to Ogden. The highlight was hiking on Antelope Island State Park in Salt Lake. See for yourself...

First view from the air.

Lois & I at Echo Lake - it was only 34 degrees! Brrrr!

Both the Oregon Trail and Pony Express Trail went through the area we explored.

Proof!

View of the Great Salt Lake from the levee road to Antelope Island.

What a surreal vista!

On the trail.