april 9th 2019
Quincy IL to Joplin MO 329 miles
Woke at 3.30, then 4.45. finally got up at 5.40, got a cuppa and then wrote up diary. Bird outside singing a beautiful medley as dawn breaks and car lights flash outside with people off to work no doubt. Heading for Joplin today, Mick to lead off in our Hyundai Elantra. Amusing incident with shower – Mick couldn’t get it to work so gave up, and then I finally found the way to do it and had a lovely shower!! Played crib before we left, lost, score now 2-4. We set off at 9.15, a bit later than planned.
Drove out through Hannibal, which is Mark Twain country, lots of refs to the great man around here. Took us just over 5 hrs to get to Joplin MO, and it turned out to be a town that’s seen better days. We set off and went to have a look at the industry on the River (Mississippi) and it looks as if that’s the only industry left here, using the river to move animal feeds and then a few manufacturing companies near the river in a sort of industrial wasteland. Mick drove as far as the breakfast stop, in Mexico MO, which was a good one in a small town once we’d found the only place that did all day breakfasts. The waitress loved our accents, only the second such comment so far this trip, the other on previous day when we filled up with gas. We drove down south west between St Louis to the east and Kansas City to the west. Uneventful journey, taking turns to drive, my phone camera stopped working again, claiming to be full. Mick tried to sort it this morning but without luck. So I used older vid camera to take stills all day till it ran out of battery.
Airbnb in Joplin is fine – some way out of town but a good walk down interesting street of contrasting houses and fortunes. Owners are off to England soon they told us. Haven’t seen Kim at Stoney Heights, but she has a good place here, in side door and upstairs to big rooms, two bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, lots of biscuits and tea, coffee etc. We’re on Route 66 here!
Arrived at 5pm. Settled in, then set off to walk to town and found a crappy sports bar, had two beers and ate salad and fries. Walked home along road being re-surfaced. Clearly some poor and unruly families along this road but our place is fine and cheap – another glimpse of ordinary folk in midwest America. Amusing incident when I walked past the house, Mick went up and left me outside hoping I would have forgotten door code. Thank God I had remembered it! Planned Airbnb in Amarillo tomorrow night. We are trying to avoid some cold weather and strong winds coming to central Midwest, temperatures due to plummet. Today here it has been 27C, and was still 23C late evening.
Woke at 3.30, then 4.45. finally got up at 5.40, got a cuppa and then wrote up diary. Bird outside singing a beautiful medley as dawn breaks and car lights flash outside with people off to work no doubt. Heading for Joplin today, Mick to lead off in our Hyundai Elantra. Amusing incident with shower – Mick couldn’t get it to work so gave up, and then I finally found the way to do it and had a lovely shower!! Played crib before we left, lost, score now 2-4. We set off at 9.15, a bit later than planned.
Drove out through Hannibal, which is Mark Twain country, lots of refs to the great man around here. Took us just over 5 hrs to get to Joplin MO, and it turned out to be a town that’s seen better days. We set off and went to have a look at the industry on the River (Mississippi) and it looks as if that’s the only industry left here, using the river to move animal feeds and then a few manufacturing companies near the river in a sort of industrial wasteland. Mick drove as far as the breakfast stop, in Mexico MO, which was a good one in a small town once we’d found the only place that did all day breakfasts. The waitress loved our accents, only the second such comment so far this trip, the other on previous day when we filled up with gas. We drove down south west between St Louis to the east and Kansas City to the west. Uneventful journey, taking turns to drive, my phone camera stopped working again, claiming to be full. Mick tried to sort it this morning but without luck. So I used older vid camera to take stills all day till it ran out of battery.
Airbnb in Joplin is fine – some way out of town but a good walk down interesting street of contrasting houses and fortunes. Owners are off to England soon they told us. Haven’t seen Kim at Stoney Heights, but she has a good place here, in side door and upstairs to big rooms, two bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, lots of biscuits and tea, coffee etc. We’re on Route 66 here!
Arrived at 5pm. Settled in, then set off to walk to town and found a crappy sports bar, had two beers and ate salad and fries. Walked home along road being re-surfaced. Clearly some poor and unruly families along this road but our place is fine and cheap – another glimpse of ordinary folk in midwest America. Amusing incident when I walked past the house, Mick went up and left me outside hoping I would have forgotten door code. Thank God I had remembered it! Planned Airbnb in Amarillo tomorrow night. We are trying to avoid some cold weather and strong winds coming to central Midwest, temperatures due to plummet. Today here it has been 27C, and was still 23C late evening.
