Annieoakley53's Blog

July 19-23, 2020

We rode from Amarillo, Texas to Lawton, Oklahoma on July 19th. It was quite a hot ride. We were elated to get out of New Mexico and into Texas. Oklahoma was not as shut down as New Mexico. Still, many small businesses clearly did not survive the initial shutdown. Our friend in Lawton is getting ready to move Henderson, Texas. She’s a very dear friend, whom we’ve known since 1984. We’ve been through so many life changes, joys, and tragedies together. I am grateful that we’ve remained so close. We had a wonderful visit.

Today, July 23rd, we left Lawton and headed for Dodge City, Kansas. We went through miles of farmland, and gently rolling hills, all across western Oklahoma. When we crossed the border of Kansas, the land almost immediately flattened out. Very few trees; lots of fields. As we pulled into the south end of Dodge City, our shifter suddenly stripped out – right in front of the only Harley Davidson store in many miles! God is good. The shifter was replaced while we waited; the people in the store were so helpful and friendly. They recommended a good motel, and settled us with water, etc. in the service lobby. They kept checking on us. We made sure we bought some commemorative shirts while there. Tonight, we are in a very comfortable motel, and tomorrow we head for North Platte, Nebraska. The next day we ride to Deadwood, and meet Bill and Lisa there. We are going to check out the statues of Wyatt Earp, Matt Dillon, etc. on the way out of town. It is humid here!

July 18, 2020

Socorro, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas

We left Socorro around 9:30am today. The weather was already pretty warm – lots of sunscreen and long sleeves were essential for this ride. We headed North on 25, and then traveled east on Highway 60. We stopped at the 17th century Abo ruins – a former Franciscan church and Indian trade route settlement. The remnants of the church are made of brick, adobe, and the red rock from the region. The site was profoundly peaceful. We then stopped in the tiny town of Mountainair. There were two restaurants open – you could only eat outside. Most of the businesses were closed, boarded up, the buildings falling apart rapidly. We stopped for an outside breakfast at the historic (allegedly haunted) hotel, and ordered a decent huevos rancheros, served outside. The men of the town were drinking coffee on the front porch. We enjoyed the small-town chatter. The regulars were very friendly. New Mexico’s governor has kept the state closed down for months now, and these tiny, historic towns, some of which were just barely surviving, are almost ghost towns. New Mexico – the land of disenchantment.  Heading toward Texas, a county sheriff pulled behind us and followed us for about 25 miles. We had no idea why. The roads are pretty deserted, and we traveled through lots of grazing land, old, abandoned ranches, and dismantled mobile homes. We rode through a couple of thunderstorms before we left New Mexico. We took shelter for a few minutes under the cover over the gas pumps when we stopped for gas. Pretty crazy weather!

Upon our arrival in Amarillo, we stopped at the Hofbrau Steak & Grill House. Very good food! Much better than our first dinner on the road, drive-through Subway. Texas feels much more prosperous, so far. The roads are much better, too. Tomorrow, we head for Lawton, Oklahoma. It will be a much shorter ride than either of the last two days.

On the Road Again

July 17, 2020 – Apache Junction AZ to Socorro NM

First, breakfast in Globe at the Copper Hen (a new find for us, across from the Globe police/fire station). Pretty good food. Then, out Highway 60, all through the Salt River Canyon, into the mountains, through Show Low, and from there, into New Mexico.

A striking feature of the Arizona topography is the prevalence of bare rock, and mountains that are denuded of all but scrub growth and cacti. These are the bones of the mountains – bereft of the green that clothes them in the Northwest. Some of the desert growth has the shape of sea plants. Cholla, as our daughter-in-law pointed out, looks like coral. Agave, Aloe, Ocotillo – all have less-prickly sea cousins. Are they related? Much of Arizona was once under the sea.

The drive through New Mexico to Socorro reveals strikingly western landscapes. We rode through a few small, brief, blustery storms: not enough to drench; merely dampen. We wanted to tour the VLA (very large array), but it is closed. The huge dishes are, we observed, on rails so they can be moved. This part of New Mexico feels depressed. Few businesses are open. Many are for sale. Many “for sale” signs on businesses, houses, and acreage. I wouldn’t recommend Socorro as a desirable destination. Tomorrow, Amarillo, Texas.

The next morning, we rode into downtown Taos to take a look at the historical structures. We decided to tour Kit Carson’s final home, which has been restored and is now a museum. He lived here with his third wife, Josefa.The house has a large courtyard with an outdoor kiva, as well as one in the kitchen Clearly, in this climate, much of daily life took place outside. Carson had a fascinating life, and was one of the most celebrated mountain men – he was good friends with Joseph Meek and Jim Bridger.

One of our good friends recommended that when we head out of town, we cross the Rio Grande and stop the bike, walk back toward the bridge and listen for the “hum” of Taos – supposedly there is no explanation for the sound. When we went over the canyon, we did sop the bike and listen. All we heard was the sound of cars crossing the bridge and tourists walking back over to hear the hum. Oh, and there were mountain goats all over the cliffs below – precariously perched among the rocks and sagebrush.We stopped and browsed in the vendor tables and booths – interesting pottery, jewelry and other artistic offerings. I can never resist jewelry….After a bit we rode on, past the “earth ships” colony – sustainable living made of recycled materials, and in fantastic shapes.

We rode on toward Farmington, NM and turned toward Aztec. We were on our way to Colorado, through the mountains. Our goal was to meet up with our niece, who was on duty in Durango (she’s a flight nurse) and we would all drive together to her place in Grand Junction. The place we stayed in Durango receives honorable mention as one of the worst on this trip. (Avoid Day’s End!)

I will leave you with a nicer thought – a view of one of one of the many roads and mountains we passed on our New Mexico journeys. We do want to come back to this area!

Today was another long day on the bike. The place we stayed overnight – the NW Inn – was clean and comfortable. It had more amenities than we realized, and was very reasonably priced. Biscuits and gravy are still a breakfast menu staple in this region. This is common in the southern Midwest (and the south, I am quite sure). I developed quite a liking for them!

We had decided to ride into the mountains. We headed out across the OK panhandle – miles of mostly flat farmland – sparsely populated, with oil derricks dotting the landscape. I wondered as we passed abandoned farms how many of them were abandoned in the 1930s, during the “dust bowl” era.

We had lunch at LeeAnn’s Restaurant, located in Texhoma. It’s a hole in the wall with quite good food and plentiful servings – a locals’ hangout. When we got back on the highway, we missed a sign and wound up going into Texas for about 60 miles. We finally crossed into New Mexico, and stopped to make reservations in Taos for that evening, at the Sagebrush Inn.

We stopped in Springer, NM to find a map and to stretch our legs. We came across a museum – a former courthouse and walked through it. After its time as a county courthouse (the county seat was moved) it had also served as a boys’ reform school.

We rode toward the mountains. The locals were telling us that the canyons were a great ride. We were ready for some cooler riding weather.The ride along the into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains did not disappoint us. There are some beautiful passes on Hwy 64. You go by small towns like Eagle Nest and pass some spectacular rock formations, such as the palisades.

It was in these mountains we saw a bear cross the road in front of us. We stopped to take a picture, but the juvenile black bear moved faster than I could reach my phone! As we sat in the road, we suddenly both had the same thought – where’s mama? We headed on down the road. This is country we definitely want to come back to fully explore.

We arrived in Taos. Our motel was a beautiful, if somewhat neglected, property. We had a wonderful room.

August 19 was a travel day. We mostly rode highways, and managed 413 miles. Our goal was to outpace the thunderstorms that were covering the region.

When we headed out from Branson this morning, we were in full rain gear – and we needed it! We rode further into the Ozarks, and in 20 miles were in Arkansas. More hills, more forest – very beautiful, but we were still trying to get ahead of the weather. We were rained on, sometimes with major gusts, for the first four hours solidly. We stopped for lunch in Springdale, Arkansas – at a restaurant known as Susan’s, on highway 412. The lunch was wonderful! Homemade beef stew for me and ham and bean soup for Rob – and BLTs for both of us. This was all washed down with several hot cups of coffee. When our fingers had finally warmed up, we paid up and hit the road again. I highly recommend Susan’s Restaurant to any weary travelers!

We crossed into Oklahoma without realizing we had. Suddenly we were in the Cherokee Nation. There were turnpike toll roads for various tribes along this route – quite reasonable, and the road was good in these sections (and the speed limit is 75). We flew along, still trying to get ahead of the weather. It seemed to stay ahead of us – just when we’d see a clearer sky, the clouds would move in.

From rich fields to high desert, all in the space of a few miles

Finally, we moved ahead of the pattern – in Enid. We got to be free of our nylon pants and jackets (etc.). We decided we could continue on to Woodward. As we headed west, suddenly the farmland was dotted with mesas and other formations. The soil became a rich red color. And naturally – we ran into road work! We were halted for about half an hour, while the highway was down to one lane for the re-paving project.

We waited, but not too patiently.

Finally, we made it to Woodward. Here we will rest and start out for our new adventure – to New Mexico, perhaps? After all, tomorrow is another day!

As we traveled further south into Missouri, the land changed. It was clear we were leaving the Great Plains behind us. There were more hardwood forests and more distinct hills. There are natural stone ledges and walls along the road – and many houses and older buildings clearly made of the stone found in this area. Unfortunately, the area does not possess the same level of historical prosperity that is evident in Iowa.

There are hundreds of small, individual churches – Church of Christ – Church of the Firstborn – Assemblies of God – and different Baptist sects galore. I noticed there were many 1st Baptists, and also a few 2nds. It is a very rural area, with tiny communities.

Rob and I also began to see armadillos on the road – they must be nocturnal. Somehow, I never associated armadillos with Missouri!

August 18 was the day we traveled further into Missouri to do some family research. Rob’s mother’s family had owned a farm from just after the Civil War in what is now the Buffalo area of Missouri – about 20 miles north of Springfield, near March. We had GPS coordinates to where the family farm had been and also to a churchyard where many of the family were buried. So, we set out on an adventure to find this tiny church – down country roads (thank goodness for the TriGlide!). We started following the Google directions, which told us to look for a county road which was not labeled as such. Apple maps actually got us much closer – speaking of tiny churches, we were looking for one that was called the Union Mound Baptist Church – it had a graveyard that had been in use from at least the 1830s. As we were deciphering the directions, a very friendly local man stopped to see if we needed help – and directed us to the tiny church. We headed down the bumpy country road and found the church and the graveyard, in which there was an entire Wingo section. The property on either side of the church had once belonged to Rob’s family. The weather was extremely muggy – we walked among the graves and finally found the ones we were seeking. Wiley is Rob’s great-great-grandfather. The original headstones had been replaced (they were there, but no longer legible).

The little graveyard was quite peaceful and the headstones told many sad and sweet stories. I kept thinking of the song “Shenandoah” while walking among the graves.

The property is still being farmed – all these years later. Signposts marked the intersection above the church. There was a clear stream – not muddy – running alongside the road, across from the church. There were wild turkeys in the field, and some original buildings, including this one.

Finally, we headed back to the paved road and into Springfield – we were going to check out where Rob’s mom had gone to school and lived after they left the farm. We were also looking for the grave of the Union veteran and homesteader who founded the farm – he was buried at the national cemetery in Springfield. National cemeteries are very often in battlefields, by the way – this is something I have learned while on our travels. We did find his grave.

We also found the schoolhouse and the location where the house in Springfield had stood – it has been taken down.

We then rode on to Branson. Neither of us was sure what to expect – but the Ozarks are quite beautiful, albeit not mountains of The Cascades or Rockies genre. They are covered with hardwood forests.

Who knew that pesky iceberg was in Branson?

Branson is rather ticky tacky, in my view. Some have compared it to a Country/Western Las Vegas – that’s apt, sans the gambling.

We did have a nice dinner and take in a “tribute” show to Creedence Clearwater Revival – and that was actually quite fun. The cover band did a great job. I’d forgotten how many “hits” the band had! We were pleasantly reminded.

All in all, quite a full day. We watched the thunderstorms come into our valley in Branson and watched the weather reports for Wednesday – rain, for the entire day, interspersed with thunderstorms. We decided we’d ride on, in our rain gear.

When we left Davenport, it was hard to take leave of my sister Sally – back to work for her. Her dog Chloe was also depressed. Such a sweet doggie!

Today was a bit longer ride than we like. 396 miles, mostly on bumpy back roads. We traveled on 61 south to 5, passing through some very cool Iowa towns on the way. Washington was one of the most interesting – full of beautiful old homes and other buildings and very friendly residents. One of the historic houses, called the Blair house, made us wonder – Rob’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name was Blair. Is this somehow connected to his family?

We finally dropped into Missouri at Unionville. We continued on 5 south to 139, and went through Sumner, home of the giant goose (which is the only one we saw there!).

We took highway 24 south to where it connects with 65 and then to Sedalia. We head toward Marsh, Missouri tomorrow morning, which is where Flower Mound is supposed to be – the birthplace of Rob’s great, great-grandfather (his mother’s paternal grandfather) – his homestead and burial plot. We will meander toward Branson from there.

We escaped thunder showers today by staying ahead of them all day – only a few drops fell on us. Unfortunately, there is no way to stay ahead of the humidity! It is awful. We did manage to not get sunburned, too.

We crossed the wide Missouri today. It’s interesting that nearly all of the rivers and streams we see here are muddy.

We discovered on our arrival in Sedalia that this was the second week of the Missouri State Fair. We had no idea, and were very lucky to find a motel room.

We’d noticed a BBQ place on the way to the motel – Dickey Doo’s BBQ – and decided to have dinner there. After registering in the motel, we headed for Dickey’s. Rob has been talking about deep-fried dill pickles since our trip began – and guess what was on the menu? He was elated. (BTW – these were very, very good!)

Saturday, August 15 dawned hot and muggy. We headed out to the local farmers’ market, down on the banks of the Mississippi. There we picked up sun-ripened tomatoes and Muscatine melons. There was quite an assortment of tomatoes; all sizes, colors and kinds – and all perfectly ripened by the hot Iowa sun. We headed home to cool off and finish preparing our food for the family feast later that evening.

After a wonderful lunch of those amazing tomatoes in homemade bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, we headed out to cruise the Mississippi on the Celebration Belle, a river boat with a paddle wheel that turns (but doesn’t power the boat). It was quite muggy and hot. We saw a few sailboats on the water, and gorgeous homes along the riverbanks, on both sides.

I went to sit in the Captain’s cabin as he narrated the trip so I could cool off. Over the wheel was an amusing sign:

The boat took us to Lock 15 and back to the dock – explaining the sights along the river. There are beautiful mansions dotting both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the river, mostly built either just before the turn of the century or just after.

The boat went past the I74 bridge, which is in the process of being replaced due to its inadequacy, and then veered over toward the (Illinois) Rock Island Arsenal. Of note was the base commander’s house – 22,000 square feet, a private residence second only in size to the White House.

The island also includes Colonel Davenport’s house, where he was murdered. His friend Antoine LeClaire, who lived in Iowa, insisted on naming the town of Davenport for his murdered friend. Both were the movers and shakers who helped create this four-city area, which includes Rock Island and Moline/East Moline in Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. There are five bridges crossing the Mississippi connecting the cities, which locals refer to as “the Quad Cities.”

There is much bridge history in this region – the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi was built here in the 1850s. It was quickly replaced when struck by a steamboat and destroyed soon after its completion.

We came home after our riverboat ride and had a wonderful family BBQ and get-together.

August 16 – another hot and muggy day. We went to Mass with Sally, and afterward went to Dubuque Iowa, and visited the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

This is a very well laid-out museum, built over what was once a boat-building site. Steamships were widely used on the Mississippi. They were notoriously dangerous. The average life expectancy for a steamship was five years.

We toured a steam-powered dredge which had been built there and was used through 1973. The temperature in the engine room on the dredge could get up to 130 degrees – something that was quite easy to believe when one looked at the size of the engines.

The boat-building business closed in 1972 and was auctioned off, and the museum was established, eventually. I highly recommend taking the time to do this tour and to check out Dubuque, which has many charming brick buildings with iron facades. This was evidently the first European settlement in Iowa.

We headed back to Davenport, and Rob took Sally for a ride on the TriGlide. She liked it!

Tonight, we had a wonderful dinner at the Bix in the revamped Blackhawk Hotel in downtown Davenport. The hotel had fallen into disrepair and has made a glorious comeback. It’s encouraging to see this kind of reclamation of historic areas and town centers.Tomorrow, we leave Iowa for Missouri. We are on our way to Springfield.

Today we traveled to Rock Island, IL – The Arsenal. This is an active military base where military armaments are still made. The massive sandstone block buildings were all begun right after the Civil War, and are nearly all still in use. We saw one that was being renovated. There is an incredible amount of history on this island, including a fortification which dates from pre-Revolutionary War times.

There is a display of foreign captured and American tanks and big guns (mostly Howitzers) on the grounds.

There is a National Cemetery and a Confederate Cemetery – there was a prisoner of war camp on the island, and 955 confederate prisoners died in the first three months they were there of smallpox and pneumonia. There was no hospital.

The cemeteries were a somber reminder that we are never far from a conflict, no matter what we may believe. War is far more likely to break out than is peace – whatever chances peace may be given.

We went through the museum – a great display of guns from all eras. I’d still recommend the Cody museum for a definitive look at the whole history of firearms.

A wall gun from the Revolutionary War

Tonight we are making food for the family gathering tomorrow night. The day has turned muggy. The cicadas have already begun their loud song.