There's no place like Homer

Kansas City, MO/Bentonville, AR/Little Rock, AR/ Homer, LA

Day's summary: We woke up in Missouri, had lunch in Arkansas and dinner in Louisiana.

Day's details: We got a late start on Monday morning. But once we were up we quickly got ready and double and triple-checked that we had everything before heading out. Chris and Farrah had already left for work and warned us that once the door closed it would lock behind us.

Missouri
Once we were on the road it was clear that we would need something more than the small breakfast we grabbed at the house so we pulled into a Sonic drive-thru in Peculiar, MO (nothing Peculiar but the name, at least as far as we could tell) and made jokes about making our own Sonic commercials. The food was piping hot and good for roadside fare. (It was only the second time I'd been to Sonic and Clay's first time).

The ride through Missouri was pretty uneventful except for large bugs annihilating themselves against the windows leaving stains in interesting colors and shapes. We saw signs for President Harry Truman's birthplace, Joplin - the town devastated by a tornado last May, and a monument dedicated to scientist George Washington Carver, the first national monument dedicated to an African American and the first to honor someone other than a president. Since we had 10 hours of driving we didn't want to stop too early in the trip and pressed on.

Arkansas:
About 1 in the afternoon we pulled into Bentonville, AR and followed the signs for Walmart's HQ while passing huge buildings for Walmart Logistics, Walmart Transportation, and Walmart Global People Center. We pulled into the vast parking lot in a space reserved for suppliers and snuck out to take a quick picture, noticing all the security cameras mounted from various angles. Since all the people heading into and out of the building were dressed for business we didn't want to bother any of them to take a photo and tried to be discreet. As we raised the camera a woman shouted "STOP!." I hurriedly snapped the photo in case she was going to say we weren't allowed to take pictures. Instead she walked over to us introduced herself and offered to take a picture of both of us. (Notice the security cameras above and to the right of our heads.)

Then she gave us directions to the Walmart visitors center housed in the original Walton five and dime store in downtown Bentonville. The five and dime turned out to be located in a small town square that looked a lot like the scene of Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future escaping from Biff and his goons on a newly invented skateboard. The center had lots of old time candies and kids' toys as well as a whole museum documenting Wal-Mart's rise, Sam Walton's philosphy on business and his replicated office and the pick-up truck he drove until his death.

Outside of Bentonville, the terrain gave way from farmland to rocky bluffs and rolling foothills dense with trees. We noticed lots of armadillo roadkill. I've never seen a live one but knew immediately what they were by their hard plated shell. At this point (outside of Kansas City) we'd only seen two other black people all day. As we moved through Arkansas the southern hospitality became a little less reliable though we didn't experience any issues just less general friendliness. We weren't able to keep a steady pace as about every hour we'd hit a patch of heavy rains that almost obscured the roads. The traffic would slow to a crawl and then 5 minutes later the rains would stop and the sun would shine brightly again.

The flash rains continued into Little Rock and we were only able to briefly glimpse Central High School between two flashes of heavy rain. Unfortunately we arrived too late to visit the Visitor's Center and museum. It's crazy to think that just 55 years ago (during our parents' childhood) the Little Rock Nine integrated this school. (We took the top two photos. The one on the bottom is from Wikipedia depicting the 101st Airborne escorting the Little Rock Nine up the school stairs - visible in the top left photo.)

From Little Rock we drove on through vast stretches of two lane highways that slowed to a crawl during roadside construction. We got caught behind several timber trucks until the road opened up to include a passing lane. We drove and drove and drove and were still in Arkansas.

Louisiana

We didn't cross the state line into Louisiana for quite some time as Homer is not too far from the border. By that time it was about 8:30 in the evening and it was dark. Not city dark. Country dark. As in you drive with your bright lights on when oncoming traffic isn't coming. When there is oncoming traffic you avert your eyes to the white line on the right side of the highway so as not to be blinded. And if you come across a deer in the road blinded in the headlights you turn the lights off while you brake, hoping the darkness will release them from the magical spell and they run safely to the other side of the road.

I was a little worried about arriving after dark. I am used to approaching Homer from Shreveport where the airport is. This time, since we were coming from Arkansas, we'd be coming in the back way, a way I wasn't familiar with. I knew we would have to pass the town square and the family business and those would serve as our landmarks but I still would have rather arrived in the daylight.

We pulled into Homer at about 9:15. I had an address and after we passed the family business we slowed to a crawl looking for the address. Clay noted that the  house numbers were smaller than the one we were looking for so we turned around. As we passed one I pointed to it and said the house looks exactly like that, but that isn't the address, so look for something that looks exactly like this one. We did but once we got to the family business again I knew we'd gone too far. So we pulled into the gas station to call my Aunt LaFaye. Our phones had no service. I went in and asked for help and in the small town it wasn't surprising that the clerk could give me exact directions. We had been in the right area she said and she told us exactly what we would see across the street from the house as the house was a bit set back from the road.

We thanked her and drove up the road again -- to the very house I'd pointed out to Clay. Turns out the address I had was for the family business down the road, not for the house. We pulled into the drive and Aunt LaFaye called asking where we were. I told her we were in the driveway and she and my Cousin Carolyn came out and welcomed us in. Carolyn's sister Gwen was inside waiting. They had a big dinner waiting for us. Of course Aunt LaFaye had to call her sister - my grandmother - and brag that she was spending time with us before my grandmother would get to. Ah sisters! :)

After we ate and talked for a bit they showed us to our bedroom and we fell deep asleep.

-jev

Chilling with The Cerfs in Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo/ Kansas City, KS

At just after 11 we rolled into Kansas City and crossed Bond Bridge (below).  Chris met us downstairs holding Colin - 15 months old with a head full of springy curls.  Chris said we looked remarkably awake for having driven all night but it sure was exciting to see them and to see Colin who looked like the older brother of the boy whose 6 month old picture we had seen not too long before. Colin was shy at first but I knew we would be friends before too long although he did take to Clay first. Farrah put together a huge breakfast for us and we relaxed and chatted.

Chris told us about Bacon Fest and for a while we debated going but decided that we were unlikely to get our money's worth for $40 of unlimited bacon products. (A pic of the Bacon FEst sign after the Fest closed is below.) Later that afternoon we headed out to see the city and stopped at a lounge. Everywhere we went Colin enchanted everyone. While the biz school trio sat and caught up, I took the antsy Colin out for a walk. He was very curious and showed me his vocabulary. He was mesmerized with cars but stopped to smell the flowers I pointed out too. And we played a game of stomping crunchy leaves. 

A shopkeeper with a teacup dog came out to say hello and Colin said 'dog' but didn't want that particular one to touch him. We passed a couple getting ready to take a bike ride. They had pink mohawk tufts on their helmets and Colin stared. The man started ringing his bike bell and encouraged Colin to do it too. Colin shied away from the loud noise. The man said that Mozart had not liked the noise brass instruments made either and most of his music was piano and strings. I said I hadn't known that. The man said that apparently someone had tried to cure Mozart of his distaste for brass by tying him to a chair and blowing a trumpet in his face. We agreed that that had probably not helped matters. Colin and I returned to the lounge and refreshed our pineapple juice drinks and ate appetizers.  

My mom called on the ride home. She wanted to know who was the baby in the background. It was Colin. And where I was. I didn't know other than in Kansas City in The Cerf's car. I told her I would call later and she said I needed to call my aunt in Louisiana as she'd been calling her sister - my grandmother asking when exactly we would arrive there. Got it, I said, will do.

When we got back I fell asleep on the couch while the boys were out and woke up to Farrah putting a throw over me. For dinner we had Oklahoma Joe's barbecue take-out (tasty!) and enjoyed great conversation. It was pretty much a wrap after that. (Thanks ribs!)  

Clay and I slept in late but that was too be expected as it was our first night of more than four hours of sleep in two nights. When we got up Chris, Farrah and Colin had already eaten. I made breakfast for us. It rained for a few hours and we hung out inside. I watched Farrah playing with Colin and she showed me an interactive book Hallmark makes where a stuffed animal is featured in the book and responds with his own line after a certain line in the book is read. Too cute! And Colin loved it. It was helpful to hear Chris and Farrah talk about how they plan their household schedule to both work demanding jobs and take care of and spend time with their son, and things that we should think about as we go down that same road. 

Once the rain stopped we headed out to Google Fiber. Chris and Farrah kept saying it but I had no idea what it was. Apparently Google is wiring all of Kansas City for superior cable and internet at competitive prices. Once they get enough density in a neighborhood they can wire everyone and they wire the schools, police and fire departments for free! Game changer! We checked out their interactive store and became convinced that their entry into the market is just the disruptive factor needed to shake up the cable industry. 

We went past all the shops on Wyandotte Street and shopped in the Halls department stores in the Plaza. Who knew the Halls of Hallmark are based in Kansas City and own a Halls department store and other properties all over the city? I certainly didn't. Farrah started looking at little girl clothes for Baby Girl Virgil and we had Colin try on a train engineer's hat. He was game and gave the cutest smile to the camera.

We decided on Mediterranean for dinner and while everyone else went in and ordered takeout I took a quick nap in the car which continued once we got back. I did get up for dinner though.

Tomorrow morning we all head out.  Farrah and Chris head to work and Clay and I head to Little Rock, Arkansas and then Homer, Louisiana.

-jev

Hit the Road, Jack!

Chicago, IL/ Des Moines, IA/Kansas City, MO

At 2:30 am we woke up, packed our cooler full of snacks and juices, left our keys on the counter and headed south on Lake Shore Drive where the roads were peaceful, empty and dark. As we cut across Columbus to 290 I remembered I had a fleece and a blanket in the office and figured I could just grab them from the office rather than have my coworkers mail them but the streets around my office were shut down for construction on the 'L' so we settled for Dunkin' Donuts instead and hit the road.

For the first hour or so we were often the only car on the road in our direction. We stopped for a restroom break and found the oasis had massage chairs at $1 for 3 minutes. We 'treated' ourselves to what ended up being a rather abusive massage and hopped back in the car. Clay turned on the CD player and instead of the track playing we heard a disquieting nothing. I turned the volume up and still nothing though we could see the time counting off on the track. We stared at each other open-mouthed with our hearts pounding. A road trip spanning several days with a non-functional CD player?! Then Clay switched tracks and the next song came on blaring. Phew!

The next few hours were quiet. We passed by signs indicating the birthplace of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Herbert Hoover. In Iowa we saw the most beautiful orange sunrise over cornfields. And then at just after 7 in the morning, we rolled into Des Moines.

We didn't have an exact destination but we knew we needed to eat breakfast. As we turned a corner, we saw what looked like a fair ahead and a sign directing us to free parking. So we parked and got out. Turns out it was the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market and at 7:30am it was quite packed. There was quite a bit more diversity than we expected to with a lot of African and Asian immigrants.

We settled on breakfast sandwiches which turned out to be extremely tasty. The owner directed us to some lawn chairs to eat and people watch and came back by to ask how we were enjoying the sandwiches. We walked around several blocks of stands centered around Court and 3rd Streets. All the stoplights were blinking red and the roads were blocked off. There were lots of stands with pastries, flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, even kebobs and samosas. I stopped to smell some tuberose. (They were in my wedding bouquet and the light heavenly smell reminds me of our special day.) We were wondering why and how so many people were out so early but Clay and I figured it must get pretty hot later in the day on the plains. We bought a loaf of apple cinnamon pecan bread to give to The Cerfs and treats for the road and got back in the car.

I joked with Clay about stopping to run through the cornfields we saw on the side of the highway, if only but for my fear of snakes. Then I looked closer and noticed that the 'drought corn' I'd heard about on the news was actually visible from the road. Rows and rows of the corn cobs burnt black at the tips!

We always try to find a car to keep pace with, one who is willing to lead the way at a fast but not dangerous clip. That way we can fall in behind the pace-setting car and make good time but they will be more likely to incur a speeding ticket. We had a great lead car for the last two hours into Des Moines and we were looking for one into Kansas City but all we found was a driver going waaaay too fast. We decided not to use that car as a pacesetting lead car and it turns out that it was a very good idea. Half an hour hadn't passed before we drove past that very same car pulled over on the side of the road getting a ticket.

At another stop, as we were about to pull onto the highway when I noticed some horses tied to a sign post. I said to Clay, "Wow someone rode here on the horses. Hard core!" Then I noticed that the horses didn't have saddles. "Oh, I guess they took the saddles with them so no one could steal the horses," I laughed. Then we saw the covered wagon and the people standing in its shade with long sleeved dresses down to their ankles and bonnets for the women and suits, beards and hats for the men. Amish! The only ones I have seen have been in downtown Chicago selling their wares. They don't ride horses or wagons into downtown and they dress a bit more modern to "blend in" though the beards and bonnets are a dead giveaway. But these Amish actually travel in covered wagons!! As we neared them I realized my mouth was open and shut it and made attempts to stop staring wide-eyed. They looked up at us from their multitude of baskets as we passed. I'm sure we were a sight in the middle of nowhere in Iowa too. They looked at us. We looked at them. They waved. We waved back. And we pressed on. 

-jev

Moving Day

Chicago, IL

I couldn't sleep the night before we moved. I woke up at 4:30 with excitement and anticipation and couldn't get back to sleep. Clay left for his last session of physical therapy (on the arm where he had surgery to repair the torn tendon in June) at 6:30 and since the movers were coming at 8 it was time to be up anyway.

The movers arrived on time but couldn't start for another hour as the cars hadn't moved as requested by their parking permit. But they were quick and efficient once they got started and required nothing more from us than to move our laptops off the nightstands and give up our perches on the bed when they were ready for that too.

Next we headed to our storage facility a few blocks away where the rest of our household items were stored. My job was to watch the open unit while sitting in a chair and listening to the pop music piped in through the speakers while the movers went back and forth. Tough gig but someone had to do it. As we got down to the last items the movers informed us that the last crate to be filled could either fit our sofa or the bed and the rest of the boxes.  We went around and around with the different options. Perhaps they could fit the sofa and we could mail the book boxes as media with the post office, or they could fit the boxes and we could get a new sofa once we arrive. Then I had the idea to leave that second queen-sized bed as we were planning on buying a king-sized one upon arrival anyway. Turns out the sofa fit diagonally which meant they could accommodate all the boxes. Phew!

So we just had to figure out what to do with the bed. According to the facility we couldn't leave it in the unit as we technically wouldn't have moved out and they would keep charging us. They also didn't have a dumpster where we could leave it. At such short notice we wouldn't be able to donate it and many facilities don't take mattresses anyway. As we headed downstairs we pondered the options when we saw two groups of young men moving items into the facility. Clay asked the first group if they wanted the mattress. They didn't. They were trying to downsize. The second group didn't need it either. Then I told them that they could sell it on Craigslist but that we didn't have the time to as we were leaving that night. They agreed to take the mattress set and sell it and actually asked if we wanted to give them our contact info so they could share the proceeds with us. So thoughtful but totally unnecessary. They were doing us a favor and we just wanted to be done. We shook hands and left.

By this time it was 2:30 in the afternoon and we were hungry and still had another errand. Clay had promised me Swedish pancakes (the third time I ate them that week but who is counting) so that's what we had. After running the last errand we got back to our empty place in the evening and ate a picnic dinner in the middle of the bare living room. Then we curled up with sweaters under our heads for a few hours nap before hitting the road.

-jev

How it all began....

After eight years in the Midwest (well, 8 for me and 5 for Julayne), we are heading west to the Bay Area.  Why?  Well, there are a number of reasons for leaving a city....  one of my friends told me that (in his Ray J voice which I laughed about for a minute) "you have that new new new" which is definitely true.  For me, new city, new job, closer to family and the best part of it all.... a new little one coming in December....

What did we decide to do?  Well, we felt that sharing our good times on this trip could be really fun so here you go.  Follow us on our trip from the Windy City to the Bay Area.  We'll post pics, commentary and all that.

Enjoy our blog and post comments whenever you feel like it :)

Until our next destination.....

cjv