Woke up to another day that could be rainy...
Or maybe sunny.... or maybe both. Not much traffic heading east.... often it felt like we had the whole road to ourselves.
Driving through Oklahoma we went through various Indian Nations... Cherokee, Seminole, and other I can neither pronounce nor spell. So many of the signs are not exactly "English".
What do you make of this one?
The fact that it was real close to a huge lake ... probably the Arkansas River dammed and made into either a hydroelectric plant or maybe just a recreational area... But... there was truly a Lot of Water there!
I won't bore you with a gazillion road photos... they all pretty much look the same..... Occasional shower so there'd be raindrops on the windshield... or maybe an unusual 18 wheeler driving past... we love trying to figure out their cargo.
Finally... into...
WooHoo! Another state closer to Ohio!
Doesn't take much to get me excited after 3 days of straight roads with little variance in scenery.
Wait! What did I just say?
Hey! The junipers and brushy stuff has given way to real, honest to goodness deciduous trees!
I start to see sycamores! And lots of scrubby sumacs in their fall colors (okay, their leaves turn early, but they are always beautiful).... and I saw some sweet gums... some elms.... The trees are taller... sturdier... my kind of trees! AND... you can even see a hint of autumn in their leaves, even though we're still quite a way south.
Now, I wasn't making fun of that "Lotawatah" sign... I mean, folks can name their places... or their dogs or their kids... anything they want to... But...
Come on now... Toad Suck Park?
Say, honey, lets take a picnic and have a romantic evening down at Toad Suck. I'll even place some nice music on the CD player... maybe "Jeramiah was a BullFrog" or something like that. I have a nice bottle of Boone's Farm in the cooler.
Just outside of Little Rock, the rains came down...
They didn't last long... just for the 15 miles it took to skirt Little Rock. Then they quit.
By the way, we were invited to stop by Carolyn's place... and as much as I'd loved to, we both knew that if we're gonna make it to Ohio by the weekend, it just wouldn't work. I'd love to meet Carolyn in person... have a feeling we'd both say a lot more than we blog about. No, that's not true... I think Carolyn says whatever's on her mind! Love her blog!
We were heading to Lonoke, Arkansas... (yeah, another Wal-Mart) and passed this place...
I could only wonder how much gun powder is kept here and how high the building would blow into the sky if it were to ignite.
Hey... it's been a long day... 320 miles.... I get punchy after the 3rd or 4th day of straight roads with the same kind of scenery. Cut me a break.
That's All For Today!
I have been passed that Remmington factory many times on my trips back to see family and friends in Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteHot footin', eh? I can feel it in my chest, too. Rolling hills, green grass, woods and fences...OhiO. Round on both ends and high in the middle.
ReplyDeleteThose signs sure keep traveling on the highway fun! I loved the Lotawater...especially since Joe and I declared ourselves part of the HiHowAreYa tribe!
ReplyDeleteI think you are making real good time...that's a lot of miles!
Be safe....
Wait a minute! The Toad Suck area isn't so bad. ;) They even have a COE campground. You missed Pickles Gap and Skunk Hollow!
ReplyDeletethey missed a lot! rascals... it has been a strange day f'sure. Toad Suck has an interesting history ... and, of course, the toad races ... I mean...
ReplyDelete"Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: "They suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads." Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend lives on."
Ooh, dreary driving in the rain... even though I love rainy days (just not on the road).
ReplyDeleteI love that Lotawatah sign. Being from NYC, I immediately got it.
And did you know that Lotawatah Road leads to Nowatah, Oklahoma?!? Really!
Hey, you are in my neck of the woods--I grew up in Arkansas and my whole family still lives there. I have always laughed at the name Toad Suck.
ReplyDelete