A trip to Florida - first to Arkansas

Our Wisconsin kids were planning a trip to Anna Maria Island in Florida.  There is a place on the island for pastors/missionaries at a reduced rate.  They asked if we'd like to join them.  For sure!  We found an Air B&B close by where we would stay.

"Will you be flying?" is a question that is often asked.  We tend to be "roadies".   You can fill a car up with lots of things for the beach too!

For the first leg of the trip, we would drive as far as our son's home in Arkansas.  Sophia, our granddaughter from Wisconsin, had flown there to spend a week with her cousins.  It was her first solo trip.  As a minor, not quite 15, her dad was able to go through security and take her to the plane.  

The stewardess made sure she was seated and also helped with the deboarding process, where in Arkansas, our son was able to also go through security to pick her up.  We would be picking her up on the way to Florida.

We have been driving to Arkansas since 1997, where our son went to college at John Brown University in Siloam Springs.  We have been umpteen times over the years as he married an Arkansas girl and has worked in churches down there.

Since we like to go on scenic routes we've never been on or seen before, we studied the map to see which route we could go on that we had never been.  It's getting harder to find!  (we mark the roads with yellow) We found a route we had never been on; the road south of Iola, so we headed for there.  Except that highway (in blue) was closed for repair so we ended up on another route south.

We enjoyed going through rural Kansas.  This is Towanda, where the doll museum is.  I wanted to show Allen where it was.

What??!!  Actually, it was a gas station not yet opened.  The real prices were not listed.  We have a Jump Start in our town that we regularly use with the best prices for premium gas.

El Dorado

I love these old homes!

I love the old court houses!

Someone does a fantastic job of taking care of their flowers!!

Gorgeous!!

We went through the town of Eureka, population just over 2,200.

Josiah Daniel's cabin (circa 1866) complete with original furnishings.  We didn't take the time to stop, but it is on my to-do list!

Here he is.  Born in 1828, died in 1879.  51 years old.  His wife's name was Eliza.  That is a pretty name.  You can read a little of their story here.

Another old court house!  Every time I see one of these gems, I get pretty upset that our town tore ours down!  We now have a grody, old 1960's building.

Love this hotel too!  It has been turned into apartments!

Road construction.  In 100 degree weather.

Poor guy.

This plant by the road almost looked like weed.

But it wasn't.

Iola - My sister-in-law is from here.

It has the largest town square in the US!!  But, like our town, they tore down their old court house.

New

Old

Why???  I suppose it's all about saving $$.

Beautiful home!!  I can just see myself sitting outside on the porch sipping ice tea.

Because Highway 169 south was closed, we "passed Gas"😜, a little town (population 475 in 2020, named for the abundant natural gas found in the area) and turned south.  Al wasn't so sure about it.

Whenever we came up to a gravel road, Al would follow the paved one.  

We came upon Hawaii!

Then Florida!  (Need we go on?)

Delaware

Streets were named after states in alphabetical order.  We came from the north into Parsons and connected with Highway 400, the usual route we take to Arkansas.  This out of the way detour of "roads we have never been on" added a couple of hours to our trip, but it was sure fun!  Well, don't ask Al.  He may not agree.