09 Countryside and A Cajun

When you come cycling in Missouri we recommend you ride Highway 43 out of Joplin. Flat, fast and the kind of countryside you should expect here. We stopped for a cold drink at a place called Cajun’s Tire Service. The owner, Steve,  that locals call Cajun, is an interesting guy. We met his youngest son who he blames for the move from Florida to this rural area. Seems the street in front of their house was busy and most drivers just blew through the stop sign. After an almost violent confrontaton they headed Missouri. We talked about music, of course. I sent him a copy of our band playing “Guitar Lady”.

Old Time Combine

 

Heavy Traffic

Cajun Steve

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08 Onward, Ever Onward

July 1, 2010 and we’re rollin’ again. A sort of backtrack over to then down Main Street. We got out early so traffic wasn’t too bad. Main Street is so Middle America. Old brick buildings flags and flowers. Fireworks are legal and there sems to be a stand on every corner.

Joplin, Main Street USA

Black Cat & Cat

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07 Masharubu’s Cousin Jim & Aunt Gladdy

Cousin Jim is an Attorney, he and his wife Diane hosted a wonderful getting to know each other luncheon at Pandera, a great place. Then we dropped Diane off to take care of business and Jim took us to meet Aunt Gladdy. Yes Masharubu she is alive and well. And yes, she’s at least 100, actually she’s now 102!  Jim drove us to meet her in her Independent Living Apartment. Incredible, she’s an incredible woman. After we shut the camera off she said, “Tell Joel (Masharubu) that I love him!”

Cousin Jim & Diane

Aunt Gladdy

Visiting

  

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06 Masharubu Re-Visited

Some of you who’ve been riding along with us since 2002 may remember Masharubu? We met him in Tanzania, Africa. He helped us and became a life long friend. He has stayed in touch via e-mail and when he saw that we were headed toward Joplin he sent a note suggesting we look up his Aunt and Cousin. He said, “If Aunt Gladdy is still living she must be 100 years old.”

This is just a remembrance of our time with Masharubu. (Masharubu is the Swahili word for Mustache.) Check these pictures and watch Masharubu Play the Blues. 

Mashurubu

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05 The Fantastic Caverns

Several urged us to be sure to see “The Fantastic Caverns” on the way back to Joplin. I’ve seen Carlsbad Caverns and smaller caverns in Arizona. Cat hasn’t been inside one so it became a must. And, this one is unique in that it’s the only Cavern trip in the USA that you ride in a jeep.

Fantastic

Caverns

Journey

 More than just a journey amongst the stalactites and stalagmites, we learned that it was discovered because the farmer’s dog ran in chasing a Rabbit. Also, that a group of women explored into the large cavern and name it the Room of the Giants. The farmer at one time grew mushrooms inside. Later, during prohibition it became a speakeasy, a bar and a music venue.

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04 The Ozarks and Branson

Maybe we spent too much time with G. W. Carver? Then too, those dang Ozarks Mountains are steep and the road is long and winding. Scenic, yes but mostly trees and hills. When we finally reached Branson it was too late to see any of the shows. We aren’t exactly “Go To Show” types. There are no BIG name shows during the summer. Cat wanted to see Andy Williams but he won’t show up until his Christmas Show. Our time in Branson became an overnight-er.

                                                         

Andy's Moon River

  

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03 Dr. George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver

Tired but not drained from the 65 mile ride we opted to rent a car the next morning and keep moving. This is grass country but you won’t find any growing under our feet. The sign said, “George Washington Carver National Monument”. All we could remember about him was that he invented peanut butter.

We spent a very interesting and informative couple of hours there. Born into slavery and taught to read and write by a black woman because blacks weren’t allowed to go to school. At age 11 he moved to a town where he could go to school, an all black school. He attended University at an integrated school in Iowa. Then went on to a Professorship at Tuskegee in Alabama. Yes he did invent peanut butter but it was in the process of teaching farmers about rotating crops. Cotton had completely depleted the soils. He became a wold renowned Botanist. He even appeared before the US Congress.

 

His Mother’s master, Moses Carver, wasn’t a wealthy farmer? He paid $700 for her. We assume he bought her for breeding? He expected to fetch a good price for G. W. but that damned Civil War thing runied the slaves trade.

Carver on Virtue

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02 Zap, Kaboom, Welcome to Joplin

Riding in to Joplin we were greeted by one of those Storm Cells that they talk about so much on the weather reports here. Our second downpour of the day, we ducked into a service station and under their canopy.Unlike the earlier deluge in Afton, this one was accompanied by bright flashes of lightening and ear splitting thunder claps.

Old Route 66 took a left turn, we went straight on 7th street. It was afternoon rush hour. Traffic was thick and in a hurry to get home. We asked a guy how far it was to Range Line Road and didn’t believe him when he said, “Range Line’s bout 5 miles that’a way.” We rode off in the direction he’d pointed. He was close, it was about 3 1/2 then on Range Line another 3 1/2 in tough traffic. We were really happy to finally see the Comfort Inn sign.

Cat in Shelter

 

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01 In To Missouri

A sign alerted us to the change but little else changed. It remained hot and humid but felt good to have entered our 3rd state of this journey.

In To Missiouri

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30 Baseball and a Battlefield

The Field of Dreams, the site of the Movie where old time baseball players appeared out of a corn field because Keven Costner (a Ventura CA boy) built it. It’s 5 miles off the highway so we passed on it.

At that same point in old Route 66 a battle raged way back in 1863. The band of Bushwackers known as Quantrill’s Raders dressed as Union Soldiers and drew the troops of General James Blunt into an ambush. A dirty trick? Depends on which side you were taking we suppose.

We Won't Come

 

Ambush

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