Missouri!

Claudia was ready bright and early at the hotel in Indianapolis that she and Peter stayed at after Nick’s graduation. We grabbed a little of the hotel breakfast and we set out for Aunt Jody’s Farmhouse in Blackwater, Missouri. We made good time, and yakking the whole way made the miles fly by. Claudia is a fun first mate!

Scenic Missouri.

We stopped at Ozarkland ("A road trip tradition worth stoppin' for"), like the billboards told us to. 

And we bought saltwater taffy, as one will do.

While browsing in Ozarkland, Claudia overheard a woman say, "Yanno, if I win the lottery, I'm coming back here!" Yes, it was that good. Fudge, salt-water taffy, t-shirts, caps, and all the cheap Chinese trinkets you could want.

We made quick miles to Blackwater and arrived before 4:00 and had time to explore the area. 

We had noticed a sign for a historic site, so we drove the few miles to Arrow Rock, a cute little stuck-in-time town. The buildings were as they were at founding, and though we were late to tour any of them, we walked up and down the main drag. 

There was a for-sale sign out front of this historic Aderton House. It can be yours for $699,000

The town dawg accompanied our tour.

Afterwards we decided to check out the historic town of Blackwater. Again, a charming old town amidst crop fields and cow pastures.  

We got to the crossing just in time to watch a train go by. 

Congrats to the 11 members of the Class of 2024!

And we explored the property. Aunt Jody’s was abounding with birds, and Claudia especially enjoyed watching and listening to them.

Entry to the root/storm cellar. We dared not explore further. Would you?

Side view of the cellar.

Corn!

I talked to Kevin in the evening, and as we hung up, he jokingly said, “Safe travels, and send me a pic of the largest ball of string.” Hahaha, yeah, right. The ultimate roadside attraction. If only.