Thoughts and Ramblings after a week in Missouri (Springfield, Poplar Bluff: hotel, high school)

[Cali BassMan]

It was really a week in Missouri and a week in Arkansas, but who cares...
So as I said in a thread two weeks ago, we drove across southern Missouri on Hiway 60, spent the night in Willow Springs at a nice new Hotel, with friendly staff and drove hiway 60 into Fisk the next morning. The drive between Springfield and Poplar Bluff is just beautiful, with NO TRAFFIC and trees changing color....On the east side of Poplar Bluff the farm country begins, it's definatley more flatter and not as pretty this time of year, as not alot of crops are growing.
We pull into Fisk, and stop by my cousins Barber Shop. Have a good visit between customers and roll down to my Uncle's House. Again another good visit along with a good supper, then off to our Hotel in Poplar Bluff. We stayed at the Drury Inn and I would recomend it to anyone visiting that area. In the morning the Hotel has a free breakfast of eggs.sausage, bisquits and gravy, french toast, waffles etc and it's all very tastey.
The next day is My Aunt and Uncles 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Brosley Community Center. Well I have more relatives than I ever knew existed, they just all live in Missouri...and boy, can they cook.....In the community center they have pictures of the Broleseley High School Graduating Classes and I found a picture of my Mom from 1945. Pretty Cool..One of my Cousins who grew up out here (California) and retired from Pacific Gas and Electric was there. We had lost touch as kids and never talked again until then. He retired and moved to the West Plains area, his Mom, Brother and Sisiter still live in Alton, Missouri. Anyway, we talked about the difference in living in Missouri vs California, and I went to stay a night with him and his wife at thier place, So I got to see first hand what I would be able to afford upon retirement....
We drove Hiway 160 to my cousin's place just outside of West PLains, again very pretty country but the area east of Donphan was pretty trashy with trailers and seemed very poor. To bad as the land is stunning.
Fininshed our visit with a trip to the Bluff Dwellers Cave in Noel, Missouri, again WOW it's something to see....
Wifie say Broselely, reminds her of Mayberry from the TV show. We watched these kids walk down the street with thier .22 rifles going down to the river, Here those kids would be face down with cops surrounding them, SWAT on the way, and helicopters circling overhead.....
.............Will post some pics in the pics thread ....................

[Curmudgeon]

So glad you had a great, family-filled time in our beautiful state. As for trailers, remember, you were in the Ozarks after all. Gotta keep up appearances to discourage out-a-towners, dontcha know!

So, how are you readjusting to life in CA after a few weeks back in America?