Road Trip South: Days 2 & 3
Oct. 14th, 2006 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamagotchaWhere did I leave off?
Let’s see... we were loading up back at the Joplin KOA. Clay and Linc played in the little park after dumping the rest of the fish food into the little pond for the grateful little fishies, while I loaded up the van for our next leg. The plan was to drive down to Hot Springs National Forest (“President Bill Clinton’s Boyhood Home”), which on my map looked about the same distance as Kansas City from Joplin... piece of cake (yep, that was foreshadowing).
We stopped at Richardson’s Candy House and picked up some dark chocolate almond bark (plus some goodies for home) and redeemed a coupon for half a pound of peanut butter fudge (think Reese’s filling). It was pretty much a See’s Candy store in disguise, though... not at all a chocolate factory as advertised. Of course, I’ve been spoiled since my Scharffenberger tour, so the bar is already pretty high, but these guys never got off the ground.
Then it was off to Springfield, with a stop at Ozarkland:
where we saw this glass table balanced on the nose of a wolf (this one’s for you,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
justme8800):
Of course, every pure-blooded travellin’ boy gotta have his firearm (this was one of about six toy gun displays):
And doesn’t everyone need a little Welcome tombstone?
Then we took a swing by the “Largest Tourist Attraction in Southwest Missouri,” the Precious Moments Chapel. Clay threatened mutiny if we actually entered it, though, so all you get is the billboard.
Then we headed to Fantastic Caverns for the jeep-driven tour. There were lots of beautiful burning bush trees all over, and we stopped for lunch at Ritter Park first, so Linc could run around and burn off some energy before the 1-hour cave tour.
The tour was mesmerizing. About three women jumped ship at the entry, which the driver said happens often (it really wasn’t that tight or claustrophobic, but some folks just don’t like being underground, I guess). Turns out a dog found the cave in the 1800s, and it had been used as a music hall and speakeasy before being turned into a tourist attraction in the 1960s.
It was a wild tour... the photos really don’t do the place justice. There were a few times (when the driver turned off all the lights, and when he shot off a capgun) that Linc got a bit nervous, but other than that he was as fascinated as everyone else. I even managed to get a decent photo of a leopard frog that lives near the cave exit, from about fifteen feet away.
There are other things that live in the caves (crayfish, salamanders and fish, blind and colorless, deep below the surface, surviving on bits of rotten leaves and muck that filter down from the topside), but we didn’t get to see any of those except in photos. It was a very cool trip and I’m glad we did it... I’m not sure I’d let Linc walk through a cave in one of the other tours, and I’m not sure I could get through with him in a backpack.
We saw this sign:
... which reminded us that it was Friday the 13th, and the release date of Lemony Snicket’s final volume, “The End.” So we set off to find a bookstore in Springfield. Which, as it turned out, was a much more difficult task than one would have suspected. Because Springfield is a godawful sprawl of suburban American dreck. Very, very few independent businesses, and miles upon miles of Applebys, Sonic Burgers, and no less than three Super Walmarts. I finally stopped at the third one, and found “The End” in a book department no bigger than my dining room. I think that’s the only time I’ve ever stepped foot into a Walmart, and I feel terrible about it. The less said about it, the better... but the next time I come across an independent bookseller, I’m going to spend at least an equivalent amount there.
It was now about 3pm, and so we started south towards Hot Springs. But it turned out that the road was as twisted as Foley, and quite steep to boot. I have to say that Arkansas has fabulous roadways, and it was truly a delight to motor along through the fall foliage, gorgeous weather and fairly happy kiddos. It wound up being more than seven hours to our destination, and both boys were troopers all the way. Clay read the first chapter of “The End” aloud, DJed some more, and entertained the baby the whole time.
Once it was dark, the road quit being so much fun to drive. I was ready to be done, and I’m afraid I wasn’t nearly as much a trooper as the kids were. We did stop along one road, though, so we could turn off the lights and really see the start. The Milky Way splashed across the moonless sky in fabulous form, and Clay was captivated... I wish we could have spent longer admiring the spectacle.
We finally rolled into the Hot Springs KOA at about 10:30pm, with Linc snoozing and Clay finishing off some fast food onion rings and a shake that we obtained when it was clear we weren’t going to make it to the campground in time to cook dinner.
Amazingly, Linc slept through being unloaded, and by 11 we were all tucked into our beds. I dragged out extra padding for the mattress and my hips felt much more comfortable... I was very much looking forward to some deep sleep.
Around 11:30, as I was drifting in and out of dreamland, not quite all the way asleep, Clay coughed. It wasn’t one of those little innocent coughs... it was one of those juicy ones that meant business. I leapt up and tried to find the wastebasket, but it was neatly hidden behind Clay’s suitcase. The onion rings and shake returned with a vengeance, and the mess was truly incredible. Let’s just say this was one of those memorable mothering moments that belong in the Parental Hall of Fame.
Clay got down to the showers, I did the best I could with a roll of paper towels and a box of baby wipes, and Linc blessedly slept through the whole thing. This was one of the few times my phone has had connection all along, and Bill made kind and encouraging IMs that kept me from bursting into tears and running into the woods before Clay got back. Poor Clay was mortified, and I did what I could to make him feel better, but there was no way around it... the cabin was waaay whiff. I opened the windows, turned on the little space heater, bundled Clay into the extra blankets I’d brought, tossed the nasty stuff onto the porch, applied liberal amounts of Burt’s Bees lip balm to my face, and hunkered down to wait for morning. Linc woke up several times after that, but it was easy to forgive him since he’d been so undemanding for so long.
At dawn, we got up and assessed the situation. I was cheered to find a cool metal sculpture moose outside our cabin (this one's for you,rubrick.
Inside was another story... it was going to take some elbow grease and a lot of help from some serious chemicals to deal with this. We decided to indulge in the campground’s cheap pancake and egg breakfast (Clay felt fine by now) because I really didn’t feel like cooking.
The campground owner happily handed over a bucket of steaming water, a bag of lost-and-found towels, and spray bottles of bleach and disinfectant and deodorant. Later, she confirmed that most campers who have a similar eruption in their midst usually leave most of the mess for her to deal with, so I felt a little bit cheered up by that. Much laundry and scrubbing later, and the cabin was once again inhabitable.
To celebrate, we decided to go swimming in the campground’s heated pool. One end had a six-inch deep area for little guys, and Linc was overjoyed at the opportunity to splash around. Clay played with a few other kids, and I talked with some of the moms.
One warned me off the diamond mine: “It’s just a big dirt field. They found ten diamonds on October 11, and none since then.” (It had rained that day... that’s the best way to find them, right after it rains). She recommended the crystal mines instead.
Another mom was traveling with her husband and three boys from Ottawa to Costa Rica in an RV, in a very similar trip to what I’d wanted to do a few years ago. We had a great talk while the kids splashed around, and it was fun to hear about their adventures and plans.
Turns out there aren’t really any hot springs available to the public in Hot Springs National Forest. There was a spa not too long ago, but it recently shut down. The campground lady said doubtfully, “There’s a reflecting pool about 130 degrees at the tourist center, but you’d have to be pretty brave to wade in it.” Oh well. So much for my hopes for a soak!
One note about Arkansas (and southwest Missouri)... I have only seen one grey squirrel, no other wildlife other than birds. No deer, bears, (live) opossums, rabbits, chipmunks... and there are “No Hunting” signs on every fencepost and tree. Are these things related?
Once we dried off and ate some lunch, we packed up to head off to a crystal mine. Clay thought the diamond field probably wasn’t going to be much fun, and I agreed. We wound up at Wegman’s mine, about 40 minutes from here, and had a blast.
Here's a huge piece of amethyst geode (taller than me! this one's for you,1firefly!):
Tons of gorgeous rocks to explore, and then a bucket of dirt with hidden gemstones to sluice and a long pile of quartz mine tailings to dig through.
Linc loved both the sluice and the diggings, and Clay found lots of cool keeper stones. I even found a bit of quartz that had an iridescent look to it, and kept that one. Now we’ve got a lovely bag of stone to clean up tomorrow.
Got back to the campground after another drive through the Ozark mountain forests, with a quick stop at a grocery store. I have to say that I haven’t seen any “hillbilly” encampments, although there are a LOT of car repair and junkyard type places. Lots of quilt stores (not quilting supplies, but quilts themselves... haven’t yet stopped in to check them out yet), gun & pawn store combos, “Ozark Crafts” purveyors, and doll stores (granted, we ARE in a main tourist area). There are still far too many Walmarts polluting the place, but lots of cool little mom-and-pop country stores and smokehouses and diners (“Bikers and Hunters Welcome!”).
And a little sample of Ozark humor:
Back at the campground, I fixed dinner while the boys fed cheap hamburger buns to the ducks in the campground pond. Linc tried out Clay’s scooter, saying “Look! Look!” (his new word. He’s also saying a bright “Hi!” to people he sees in the stores and campgrounds, although he shyly turned his face to a wall when one man answered back in a Donald-Duck voice). Before we ate, I treated the boys to a performance of an elegant interpretive dance I’ve entitled “Ack, I’ve got a bit of vegetable matter into my sinus and I can’t get it out, don’t laugh so help me or I’ll brain you ow ow ow.” Clay was very appreciative (and fast).
Lincoln ate his weight in pasta and garlic zucchini, and I’m hoping this means he’s gonna sleep all night again (although it took him well over an hour to conk out). Clay’s reading the third Harry Potter book on the porch swing, and now I”m gonna turn in.
We’re off to Memphis tomorrow, I think... unless it rains. Then we just might have to take a diamond detour...
Let’s see... we were loading up back at the Joplin KOA. Clay and Linc played in the little park after dumping the rest of the fish food into the little pond for the grateful little fishies, while I loaded up the van for our next leg. The plan was to drive down to Hot Springs National Forest (“President Bill Clinton’s Boyhood Home”), which on my map looked about the same distance as Kansas City from Joplin... piece of cake (yep, that was foreshadowing).
We stopped at Richardson’s Candy House and picked up some dark chocolate almond bark (plus some goodies for home) and redeemed a coupon for half a pound of peanut butter fudge (think Reese’s filling). It was pretty much a See’s Candy store in disguise, though... not at all a chocolate factory as advertised. Of course, I’ve been spoiled since my Scharffenberger tour, so the bar is already pretty high, but these guys never got off the ground.
Then it was off to Springfield, with a stop at Ozarkland:
where we saw this glass table balanced on the nose of a wolf (this one’s for you,
justme8800):Of course, every pure-blooded travellin’ boy gotta have his firearm (this was one of about six toy gun displays):
And doesn’t everyone need a little Welcome tombstone?
Then we took a swing by the “Largest Tourist Attraction in Southwest Missouri,” the Precious Moments Chapel. Clay threatened mutiny if we actually entered it, though, so all you get is the billboard.
Then we headed to Fantastic Caverns for the jeep-driven tour. There were lots of beautiful burning bush trees all over, and we stopped for lunch at Ritter Park first, so Linc could run around and burn off some energy before the 1-hour cave tour.
The tour was mesmerizing. About three women jumped ship at the entry, which the driver said happens often (it really wasn’t that tight or claustrophobic, but some folks just don’t like being underground, I guess). Turns out a dog found the cave in the 1800s, and it had been used as a music hall and speakeasy before being turned into a tourist attraction in the 1960s.
It was a wild tour... the photos really don’t do the place justice. There were a few times (when the driver turned off all the lights, and when he shot off a capgun) that Linc got a bit nervous, but other than that he was as fascinated as everyone else. I even managed to get a decent photo of a leopard frog that lives near the cave exit, from about fifteen feet away.
There are other things that live in the caves (crayfish, salamanders and fish, blind and colorless, deep below the surface, surviving on bits of rotten leaves and muck that filter down from the topside), but we didn’t get to see any of those except in photos. It was a very cool trip and I’m glad we did it... I’m not sure I’d let Linc walk through a cave in one of the other tours, and I’m not sure I could get through with him in a backpack.
We saw this sign:
... which reminded us that it was Friday the 13th, and the release date of Lemony Snicket’s final volume, “The End.” So we set off to find a bookstore in Springfield. Which, as it turned out, was a much more difficult task than one would have suspected. Because Springfield is a godawful sprawl of suburban American dreck. Very, very few independent businesses, and miles upon miles of Applebys, Sonic Burgers, and no less than three Super Walmarts. I finally stopped at the third one, and found “The End” in a book department no bigger than my dining room. I think that’s the only time I’ve ever stepped foot into a Walmart, and I feel terrible about it. The less said about it, the better... but the next time I come across an independent bookseller, I’m going to spend at least an equivalent amount there.
It was now about 3pm, and so we started south towards Hot Springs. But it turned out that the road was as twisted as Foley, and quite steep to boot. I have to say that Arkansas has fabulous roadways, and it was truly a delight to motor along through the fall foliage, gorgeous weather and fairly happy kiddos. It wound up being more than seven hours to our destination, and both boys were troopers all the way. Clay read the first chapter of “The End” aloud, DJed some more, and entertained the baby the whole time.
Once it was dark, the road quit being so much fun to drive. I was ready to be done, and I’m afraid I wasn’t nearly as much a trooper as the kids were. We did stop along one road, though, so we could turn off the lights and really see the start. The Milky Way splashed across the moonless sky in fabulous form, and Clay was captivated... I wish we could have spent longer admiring the spectacle.
We finally rolled into the Hot Springs KOA at about 10:30pm, with Linc snoozing and Clay finishing off some fast food onion rings and a shake that we obtained when it was clear we weren’t going to make it to the campground in time to cook dinner.
Amazingly, Linc slept through being unloaded, and by 11 we were all tucked into our beds. I dragged out extra padding for the mattress and my hips felt much more comfortable... I was very much looking forward to some deep sleep.
Around 11:30, as I was drifting in and out of dreamland, not quite all the way asleep, Clay coughed. It wasn’t one of those little innocent coughs... it was one of those juicy ones that meant business. I leapt up and tried to find the wastebasket, but it was neatly hidden behind Clay’s suitcase. The onion rings and shake returned with a vengeance, and the mess was truly incredible. Let’s just say this was one of those memorable mothering moments that belong in the Parental Hall of Fame.
Clay got down to the showers, I did the best I could with a roll of paper towels and a box of baby wipes, and Linc blessedly slept through the whole thing. This was one of the few times my phone has had connection all along, and Bill made kind and encouraging IMs that kept me from bursting into tears and running into the woods before Clay got back. Poor Clay was mortified, and I did what I could to make him feel better, but there was no way around it... the cabin was waaay whiff. I opened the windows, turned on the little space heater, bundled Clay into the extra blankets I’d brought, tossed the nasty stuff onto the porch, applied liberal amounts of Burt’s Bees lip balm to my face, and hunkered down to wait for morning. Linc woke up several times after that, but it was easy to forgive him since he’d been so undemanding for so long.
At dawn, we got up and assessed the situation. I was cheered to find a cool metal sculpture moose outside our cabin (this one's for you,
rubrick. Inside was another story... it was going to take some elbow grease and a lot of help from some serious chemicals to deal with this. We decided to indulge in the campground’s cheap pancake and egg breakfast (Clay felt fine by now) because I really didn’t feel like cooking.
The campground owner happily handed over a bucket of steaming water, a bag of lost-and-found towels, and spray bottles of bleach and disinfectant and deodorant. Later, she confirmed that most campers who have a similar eruption in their midst usually leave most of the mess for her to deal with, so I felt a little bit cheered up by that. Much laundry and scrubbing later, and the cabin was once again inhabitable.
To celebrate, we decided to go swimming in the campground’s heated pool. One end had a six-inch deep area for little guys, and Linc was overjoyed at the opportunity to splash around. Clay played with a few other kids, and I talked with some of the moms.
One warned me off the diamond mine: “It’s just a big dirt field. They found ten diamonds on October 11, and none since then.” (It had rained that day... that’s the best way to find them, right after it rains). She recommended the crystal mines instead.
Another mom was traveling with her husband and three boys from Ottawa to Costa Rica in an RV, in a very similar trip to what I’d wanted to do a few years ago. We had a great talk while the kids splashed around, and it was fun to hear about their adventures and plans.
Turns out there aren’t really any hot springs available to the public in Hot Springs National Forest. There was a spa not too long ago, but it recently shut down. The campground lady said doubtfully, “There’s a reflecting pool about 130 degrees at the tourist center, but you’d have to be pretty brave to wade in it.” Oh well. So much for my hopes for a soak!
One note about Arkansas (and southwest Missouri)... I have only seen one grey squirrel, no other wildlife other than birds. No deer, bears, (live) opossums, rabbits, chipmunks... and there are “No Hunting” signs on every fencepost and tree. Are these things related?
Once we dried off and ate some lunch, we packed up to head off to a crystal mine. Clay thought the diamond field probably wasn’t going to be much fun, and I agreed. We wound up at Wegman’s mine, about 40 minutes from here, and had a blast.
Here's a huge piece of amethyst geode (taller than me! this one's for you,
1firefly!):Tons of gorgeous rocks to explore, and then a bucket of dirt with hidden gemstones to sluice and a long pile of quartz mine tailings to dig through.
Linc loved both the sluice and the diggings, and Clay found lots of cool keeper stones. I even found a bit of quartz that had an iridescent look to it, and kept that one. Now we’ve got a lovely bag of stone to clean up tomorrow.
Got back to the campground after another drive through the Ozark mountain forests, with a quick stop at a grocery store. I have to say that I haven’t seen any “hillbilly” encampments, although there are a LOT of car repair and junkyard type places. Lots of quilt stores (not quilting supplies, but quilts themselves... haven’t yet stopped in to check them out yet), gun & pawn store combos, “Ozark Crafts” purveyors, and doll stores (granted, we ARE in a main tourist area). There are still far too many Walmarts polluting the place, but lots of cool little mom-and-pop country stores and smokehouses and diners (“Bikers and Hunters Welcome!”).
And a little sample of Ozark humor:
Back at the campground, I fixed dinner while the boys fed cheap hamburger buns to the ducks in the campground pond. Linc tried out Clay’s scooter, saying “Look! Look!” (his new word. He’s also saying a bright “Hi!” to people he sees in the stores and campgrounds, although he shyly turned his face to a wall when one man answered back in a Donald-Duck voice). Before we ate, I treated the boys to a performance of an elegant interpretive dance I’ve entitled “Ack, I’ve got a bit of vegetable matter into my sinus and I can’t get it out, don’t laugh so help me or I’ll brain you ow ow ow.” Clay was very appreciative (and fast).
Lincoln ate his weight in pasta and garlic zucchini, and I’m hoping this means he’s gonna sleep all night again (although it took him well over an hour to conk out). Clay’s reading the third Harry Potter book on the porch swing, and now I”m gonna turn in.
We’re off to Memphis tomorrow, I think... unless it rains. Then we just might have to take a diamond detour...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
amethyst geode
Date: 2006-10-15 04:31 am (UTC)Love ya AA
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-15 05:10 am (UTC)So is there internet access at the campgrounds, or are you writing all this on your Sidekick?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-15 05:11 am (UTC)And that's really weird about the Wal-Mart... I also stepped foot inside one for the first time on Friday. We were trying to get hose for Sharai. I didn't last very long, though, and had to wait outside. It's a scary place.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-15 01:15 pm (UTC)I was talking to a geologist yesterday who mentioned Fantastic Caves. She calls it her 'Women's Lib' cave! Near the exit the members of the Women's Atheletic Club, who originally explored the cave, signed their names. (The farmer who owned the land- and the discovering dog- put an advertisement in the newspaper for someone to explore the caves for him; the women's club [perhaps the only respondants], got the job.
The jasper and moss agate, etc. is a better bet than the tiny yellow diamonds. Happy trailings!
mine
Date: 2006-10-16 06:04 pm (UTC)