Spoffords Travel

October 18, 2023 Day 11 Natchez Mississippi to Laurel Mississippi 150 miles

We actually had a good breakfast this morning. The hotel had biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and grits. Unfortunately we had to hurry because we got up late and we want to make the first tour at Stanton Hall.

We arrived at the hall about the same time as a group of Harley Davidson bikers arrived. They didn’t stay long however so guess they aren’t interested in the tour. We walked around to the back of the house to see if the tickets were sold there. We did find the door to the gift shop but they were still closed. Before long a lady did come out and explain that a tour group from England was coming for the first tour. A group comes every Wednesday and have about 40 people. She did say she would ask the tour leader if we could join them. When he arrived he agreed. They split the group in two. Our group started upstairs and the others downstairs. The house was built in the 1850’s. Just like so many built at the time by the wealthy cotton plantation owners, they spared no expense. Huge 14 foot mirrors adorn the main parlor. The gas lanterns that hang from the ceiling are all different. They weigh about 300 pounds each. Of course now they have been converted to electricity. The house is about 14,000 square feet and has many of the original furnishings. The china came from France and the silver from England. The house was sold during the depression to a group of ladies who turned it into a bed and breakfast. General MacArthur, his wife and son stayed there for 3 days. The TV series North and South was also filmed here. During this time wall covering with paintings depicting the 1850’s in India were added to the main upstairs hall. The British tour group was interesting too. A few were very interested in our old car.

Then it was time to head out. We have a shorter drive today. We got on the four lane divided highway and went all the way to our hotel. Google Maps does not call this a highway. This is a great road with minimal traffic. The median and sides of the road are mowed with no trees. Further out the trees are tall and close together. We couldn’t see what was on the other side. The road has no on and off ramps. Other roads and driveways simply intersect. At one of these a truck carrying what looked like corn or dried beans had turned over on its side blocking 1.5 lanes. Some of the contents had spilled out on the roadway. Police and a fire engine were present on the scene.

The GPS took us to the wrong location but Google got us back on track. Probable user error. We arrived earlier than some days and took a nap. It felt good.

October 17, 2023 Day 10 El Dorado Arkansas to Natchez Mississippi 172 miles

Today is sunny with a light wind. We actually had biscuits and gravy and a cheese omelet at the breakfast bar. The hotel is in the process of remodeling so the hallway carpet is a mess. Some of the rooms contain mattresses and some are in various stages of completion. Luckily ours was finished unless they plan to add a toilet paper holder. Currently it just sits on the counter.

The landscape quickly flattens out and farmland is once again the main purpose. We still encountered a few logging trucks but not many and not for long. We crossed into Louisiana. Still mostly small towns with an occasional larger one. After a couple of hours we crossed the Mississippi River and crossed into Mississippi.

We headed for the plantation home called Rosalie. We took a one hour tour of the house. It is owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Therefore Rob’s ticket was discounted by 50%. The house sits just up above the river on the high ground. The house was built in 1823 and is one of the smaller homes with about 10,000 square feet of living space. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the home. The furnishing are mostly original to the house. The furnishings are very nice and in good condition. Only two families ever lived at Rosalie. Neither family had children of their own but they raised orphaned children. One of those was married in the house and continued to live their with her family. They had children. Two of their daughters lived out their lives at the house. They were the ones who sold the house to the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1938. The DAR restored the house and began giving tours.

We had time to also go to Longwood. This house is octagonal in shape. Unfortunately it was never finished. The house was begun in 1860. The house plans were obtained from a catalog. The original owners were very wealthy and brought in 74 builders from Germany. When the Civil War broke out they all left and construction stopped. They left in a hurry. The house was to have six floors and about 30,000 square feet of living space. Just a small place for one family. The family ended up living in the basement which is above ground. Unfortunately the owner died during the war of pneumonia. He was a Union sympathizer and did not have to serve in the Confederate army because of the number of slaves he owned. His wife was left to raise the youngest children on her own. They lost their fortune. She sued the American government and received some compensation. The house eventually had to be sold. The Texans who bought the house restored the basement to how it had been. The doors and windows of the upper floors were either boarded up or screened in. A floor was put on the first of these floors. Then the house was given to one of the garden clubs to maintain. The basement has some furnishings but the second floor does not. The upper floors are not accessible. This house would have really been something if it was ever finished. It is constructed mainly of bricks which were to have been covered on the inside with plaster and on the outside with stucco. The house sits on 94 acres of land so you feel like you are out in the country rather than in town. A dirt road leads in and out of the property. When we returned to the car we had a flat tire. Rob changed that with the spare and then off to our hotel.

Then Rob spent at least an hour replacing the tube in the tire. So a late supper tonight.

October 16, 2023 Day 9 Fort Smith Arkansas to El Dorado Arkansas 231 miles

Not a good night’s sleep. We are in a room closest to the road and we could hear road noise all night. The heating unit also went on and off with associated loud noises. Then their idea of breakfast was a granola bar, orange juice and coffee. This is the worst Super 8 we have stayed in.

The weather today is sunny but still cool. The high is supposed to be about 65. Of course the wind is still blowing.

We are going to visit the US Marshal Museum that opens at 9 am and then Miss Laura’s at 10 am. They are a very short distance apart. The roads to get there are in terrible condition. Lots of potholes and patches that really rattle the car. Most of the way is a four lane road and they are all bad.

The US Marshal Museum opened in July 2023 so it is very new. It sits right on the Arkansas River. The building is quite large and modern looking. The museum is very well done and includes several interactive displays. Surprising how many of the modern events we could remember.

Miss Laura’s is a bordello built in 1910. It had 9 bedrooms and was one of seven bordellos in a row between the river and the train line. This would have been a high end establishment based on the size of the rooms and the fact it had electricity and indoor plumbing. The building was moved a short distance from it’s former location in the 1970s. A tornado blew off the roof about then. The temporary roof also blew off so the building suffered a lot of water damage. Most of the furnishings are modern reproductions but they fit right in. Business was good because the original owner was able to pay the loan back in 6 months. As we left the building a 1935 four door Chevrolet drove into the parking lot. They are having some kind of meet locally today.

Then we got on the road to El Dorado. That turned out to be numerous different roads. The landscape is lots of trees. Almost a 50-50 split between deciduous and evergreen. The roads twist and turn and the speed limit is mostly 45 mph. Numerous full logging trucks are traveling in both directions. The roads are barely two lanes wide so they seem very close.

We got to our room about 5:30 which is pretty good considering the distance, speed limit and later start. This time we are staying in a La Quinta and it is significantly better. Of course they very recently remodeled so everything is new.

October 25, 2023 Day 8 Harrison Arkansas to Fort Smith Arkansas 139 miles

The car had some raindrops this morning. Luckily not many but the skies look ominous. We headed out at our usual 9 am. We had not gotten far when it began to rain. We drove in and out of storms most of the morning.

Harrison was having a Ride the Ozark Rally on Friday and Saturday. Lots of motorcycles in the area. This is an annual event. Several motorcycles were under the entry door roof of the hotel.

We are definitely on some of the back roads today. Not much traffic and narrow. The roads go up and down and around curves. Rob really has his work cut out between shifting and turning. The rain was too heavy to take pictures. The clouds were down low and hid the mountains from view. The windshield is covered with droplets which isn’t good for picture taking.

This is Sunday so lots of people are in church. Just about every church is present and they all have cars around. This area must be part of the Bible Belt.

We arrived in Fort Smith about noon. We ate lunch and then went to the hotel. We were able to check in early. This Super 8 is a step down from all the ones we have stayed in. No microwave!

Then we are off to the Clayton House. This is a beautiful Victorian home finished in 1882. The first portion of the house was completed in the 1852. Those people lost it to bankruptcy. The next owners added more house. He was a prosecutor in the Federal Court. At one time it was an apartment house with 10 apartments that housed about 100 people. The house is now owned by the Historical Society and is a museum. Rooms were decorated in various timeframes to represent the house throughout its history. A family with two children, parents and grandparents were on the tour with us. The children were constantly turning lights on and off, playing the piano and touching everything. None of the adults seemed to care. Both of us wanted to reprimand the children and adults. This was a test of our self control.

From here we headed to the Fort Smith Historical Site and the Trolley Museum. We managed to find the Trolley Museum and went inside. Oh my gosh it was terrible. Inside had very few artifacts but numerous cats and dogs. They were everywhere and the smell was unbearable. We left as soon as possible.

Across the street was the Fort Smith Historical Site. This is run by the National Parks Service so out parks pass worked. The lady at the information desk was less than enthusiastic. Only two buildings remain. The courthouse/jail and the commissary. They have lots to read but not much to see.

Since we have no microwave we decided to eat out. Miss Anna’s sounded interesting. Connie had catfish and Rob had pulled pork baker potato. The food was only fair.

In driving between sites this town looks depressed. We did see a couple of homeless and a few strange individuals. Hopefully its just the part of town we are in. Not on our need to come back list.

October 14, 2023 Day 7 Bolivar Missouri to Harrison Arkansas 126 miles

Today is much cooler with high gray clouds. Still a wind but perhaps not as strong. The ground doesn’t show signs of any rain overnight.

Since Missouri is the cave state we have decided to visit a couple of them today. They are very close to the route we have chosen so all looks good. The first cave is called the Fantastic Cavern. It is about 20 miles from our hotel. We only traveled a few miles on the expressway before turning onto farm roads. These really go up and down while going left and right. They are two lane roads with no shoulders. We are in the Ozark Mountains but they seem more like foothills to us. Most of this is small ranches and hobby farms. We did pass one stable where someone was getting ready to barrel race or to pole bend. The houses are a mixture of big new ones and old small ones. Sure glad I don’t have to drive these in the winter when they might be slick. We eventually came to the parking lot for Fantastic Cavern. This is definitely a big business. Everything is handicap accessible. The sidewalks are wide with heavy duty rails. We got to the visitors center where a large gift shop and seating area greeted us. The next tour will start in about 20 minutes. Right on time a young lady escorted us down a ramp and into the waiting trailer. This tour is done from a small trailer with seats along each side. It is pulled by an open air vehicle. The trailer probably holds about 20 people. We never got out of the trailer until the end back at the Visitor’s Center. We did stop at different locations for an explanation and to take photos. This is a very large cave but not as colorful as some. It was created by a stream that ran through it. Water still runs through the bottom and drips from the top. Only a few creatures live here. A few bats, a salamander and a few crayfish. Because there is no natural light in the cave the salamander and the crayfish are blind. If you lived in the cave for a short time you would become blind too. The cave was found before the electric light bulb so the first explorers (12 young women) used candlelight. Somehow they managed to write their names and the date on the wall. When the cave was first opened for tours candles had to be used. Then Edison invented the light bulb. These were installed in the cave and people camped outside waiting to take a tour so they could see the light bulbs. Two sink holes are located in the cave. They fill with water in the spring during the run off. The cave was found by a dog running after an animal. The farmer eventually entered the cave by crawling in order to get his dog. We saw the opening on the way out. That was a very small opening. The tour lasted about one hour.

We drove through Springfield to Smallin Civil War Cave. This is a family owned and operated business. Everything is on a much smaller scale except the entrance to the cave. They claim this cave has the largest opening in the United States. The entrance is 55 feet tall and 100 feet wide. It has a stream running through it which is nearly dry now but will be rushing again in the spring. This cave has been used by various Indian tribes and armies during the Civil War. It has been bought and sold numerous times. Once it was owned by a church which used it as a church camp. The accessible portion of the cave is smaller than Fantastic Caverns. Supposedly it goes for another 2-3 miles beyond where we stopped. We did see one of the little crayfish. It was entirely white. A carving on one of the formations was made by the Osage Indians and marks where the sun hits on December 21 every year.

We left the cave and drove the short distance to Ozark Missouri where we had a fast food late lunch. Afterwards we did supper shopping at the nearby Walmart.

We are definitely in hill country. More trees and less farming. We drove to Harrison Arkansas all on roller coaster back roads. The scenery is beautiful however. We kept the window curtains down on the woodie all day and discussed installing the manifold heater. We wore sweatshirts all day and Connie added a blanket over her legs. The ride home in November will be interesting.

October 13 2023 Day 6 Junction City Missouri to Bolivar Missouri 265 miles

When we looked out the window this morning you could hardly tell it had rained. The asphalt parking lot didn’t look wet. The skies are partly cloudy but the wind is still blowing.

Our hotel had no ice machine. The freezer did have ice cube trays if you knew to fill them. That required a stop at Walmart to get ice. Fortunately it is on the way out of town. Rob was able to fit almost all of the ice in the cooler even though is was rather full.

The skies remained mostly cloudy all day. No rain but lots of wind. Occasionally a short distance would be out of the wind. The flags are flying straight out.

For the first part of the day the landscape was rolling hills. Then it flattened out again and then back to the hills. Deciduous trees now dot the landscape. Most have not turned colors yet. The first part of the trip is through the Flint Hills. They are so named due to the flint that is near the surface. On top of one of the hills are flat metal sculptures of a covered wagon and rider. On another hill are the Indians.

Still lots of farming and ranching. All the small towns have silos. We stopped in Ottawa Kansas for lunch. Their claim to fame all revolves around agriculture. They make a lot of ice cream. Unfortunately we didn’t eat any because it was too cold.

The road kill count is up today. Mostly raccoons but occasionally other critters. Connie did see another eagle on the ground. Seems such an odd place for them.

Eventually we were on a divided highway with two lanes in each direction. Then as we approached town we were directed onto 1.5 lane local roads to get around the freeway and to our hotel.

October 12, 2023 Day 5 Oberlin Kansas to Junction City Kansas 242 miles

We had two extremely annoying flies in our room all night. Between that and the heat in the room the night wasn’t very restful. The heat was our own fault because we elected to open the window and not turn on the air conditioner. The night temperature was supposed to drop down and that seemed the quieter option. Unfortunately the curtains must have prevented that cooler air from coming in.

The temperature is cooler and the skies are mostly cloudy. Some of the clouds look very threatening. Rob received a tornado watch for the area. The clouds remained all day with only a rare bit of sun. The wind was also very bad all day. Rob really had to work to hold the car in our lane most of the day. We both watched the skies intensely. Surprisingly we only got a few raindrops.

We did encounter one very long stretch of road resurfacing. They restricted travel to one lane. We got very lucky and didn’t wait long. Because of that we missed our turn but the GPS quickly rerouted us. That route included 2.5-3 miles of dirt road which was supposedly closed except for local traffic. Well, we did say no highways to the GPS.

The terrain is lots of small rolling hills. Lots of big fields again today. The towns are really small with less than 50 in population. They do have large silos however..

We finally stopped at a Wendy’s for lunch. At least we were out of the wind. Several guys asked about the car. A couple of them even owned an antique car.

We arrived in Junction City about 3:30. As we drove in we stopped to fill with gas. The price per gallon was $3.15. Even the premium was only $3.65. Our mileage was only about 19 mpg which is down at least 2 mpg. Oh that wind. I never understand why the wind can hit the side of the car and then when you make a 90 degree turn it still hits the side.

We bought salad mix for supper and some oil. The car is losing a little oil for some reason. Then on to the hotel. This one has a kitchenette but no plates or pots. The check in papers say those can be purchased. No coffee or coffee pot either. Those can also be purchased. Then the front office is only open until 6 pm. This hotel is like the cheap airlines. You pay for any extras.

They did have a guest laundry so that became one of the evening jobs. Supposedly you can use coins or cards. Well the cards require you to download an app onto your phone. I didn’t bring my phone to the laundry room. The front office was still open so I could get quarters with the money I brought along. We forgot to bring a roll of quarters this trip. It would help if we followed our packing list a little better. Maybe next time?

About 8 pm a heavy rain started in. It’s pounding on the window. Wonder how Woodie will do in the morning.