Our Visit to Carthage, MO (or "What I Did on my Summer Vacation") (Joplin: motel)

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We just returned from visiting family in Carthage, MO, and I wanted to let y'all know that we really enjoyed getting to see your part of the country. We were there from Tuesday - Saturday and took in a lot of sites around the area. It was a mini family reunion with 6 adults and 7 children so we kept them pretty busy (and out of the house).

We all arrived on Tuesday and most of the grown-ups toured the beautiful Jasper County Courthouse and visited the Boots Court Motel where the manager was happy to share about the place's history and its restoration - really neat!

On Wednesday, we went to Galena, KS, and met Melba the Mouth and saw much of the inspiration for the movie Cars - including several buildings and Tow-Mater (or as the lawyers say "Tow Tater" ). On the way back we swung by Joplin's Schifferdecker pool which is probably the nicest municipal pool I've ever visited. We got a second wind later that evening and rode out to Oklahoma in search of the Spooklight. We didn't see the Spooklight before a very polite sheriff's deputy advised us we were parked illegally - whoops. That was a bummer, but this kids thought getting run out of Oklahoma by the cops was a hoot.

Thursday, we were all pretty beat. We went to Whistler's Drive-up in Carthage and enjoyed their burgers at Central Park. Then we strolled around town a little and probably went back to Mother Road Coffee - we went there a lot and the visits run together. Later on, we boys all sneaked off to procure some fireworks and were pleased to see y'all have have rather permissive controls on those. We out-of-towners were all from places were we can't get the "good stuff" without crossing state lines.

Friday, we visited George Washington Carver National Monument and were facinated, touched, and inspired. That evening we watched a movie at the 66 Drive-in Theatre and watched fireworks going off all around. It all just felt uniquely American and was a special Fourth of July we will never forget.

On Saturday, we went to Wildcat Glades & Audobon Center and then went for a stroll along a creek in Joplin. We then rode over to see Grand Falls which are lovely.

Anyway, it was a fantastic week. Everyone we encountered was so helpful and kind and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. There is something special about traveling to place the isn't often thought of as a "destination", but running out of time to do all the things you want to see and do. We're already looking forward to our next trip.

See you then,
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[Curmudgeon]

Thank you for the feedback. So glad you enjoyed your visit to our neck of the woods. Next time you come you should check out the tri-lakes area and surroundings for a taste of the southernmost MO Ozarks. They're fantastic. You might also wish to dip into NW AR and spend a day in Eureka Springs. You won't be sorry and the scenery is breathtaking..

So you visited some nostalgia regarding Rte. 66. Thanks to my father's military career I traveled almost the entire length of it several times back in the 50s and early 60s. It was then I fell in love with the MO Ozarks so here I am. Vestiges of it still remain here and in other states and always bring back fond memories when I travel them. The last times I followed the general route from California back east then back again were during my own military service in 1966, 1974 and 1978. Good memories of the Mother Road.

Also glad you enjoyed the people. They've always been wonderful to us and are a delight to live among and be accepted as a local by them.

Happy trails!