Idaho, Montana and Me

In life things don’t always go as planned. This is also true of the trucking business. Sometimes, when you pick up a load, for whatever reason you may not deliver it. In these cases, your boss will arrange for you to make a swap with another driver or team so things can be delivered on time. This very situation has happened at least six times in the past week. Long story short, no trip to Massachusetts for us. That being said, let me bring you up to date on things.

The second trip through Idaho proved much more interesting. The first time around, the state hid its treasures, but I found if you head farther north into the state you get more of the Rockies as well as the cities where the majority of the population has collected. We lucked up and found a nearby McDonald’s to do some much needed internet updating (I personally stayed there for more hours than are decent to mention).  I bring up all of this because of one employee who was feverishly working during my stay. Her name is Meggee (pronounced May-Gee) and she was one of the most positive people I’ve come across. Even though she was relegated to mopping the floors, scrubbing the toilets and basically cleaning every square inch of the restaurant, she did it all with a smile on her face and a glow about her. Noticing that I was hanging around for a while, she struck up a conversation with me and come to find out, not only does she work at McDonald’s but she also volunteers at the homeless and womens shelters in town. She says her parents love for her to stay busy, figures it will keep her out of trouble. So all that was to say a great big thank you to her for just being her and making my day there quite enjoyable. Keep up all your good work girl!

Not too long later we entered Montana, and boy was that an amazing state! We traveled across the state in a day and a half (the distance was 700 miles) and only once we were across the state line into North Dakota did we get a swap call from James’ Driver Manager. The load took us back through Montana, this time on a different route, giving us the perfect opportunity to partake of the various lands the state has to offer. For instance, did you know ¼ of the Lewis and Clark Expedition took place in Montana? I didn’t. It is also the 4^th largest state in the US, behind Texas, Alaska and California. It has more square mileage than residents, so if you like huge, wide open spaces, this place is for you!

Spending hours watching the scenery makes it apparent to me the appeal of the west. Think about it, at the time of the great migration west, industry was beginning to take over in the larger cities, places were getting cramped on the east coast and people who were looking for a new start on life saw this place as the land of opportunity for any man, woman or child worth their salt. Even today this is true because the very landscape will challenge you with constant wind (some states have signs warning of areas of wind gusts), ice and snow (last year Colorado got snow flurries in June!).  This may leave you asking, “why would anyone want to move there?” Well, some states have oil mining (80% of oil being consumed in the U.S. is produced domestically), farms as far as the eye can see (all ranging from apples to corn, wheat, and grapes), livestock (cows, horses, sheep, buffalo and the occasional llamas or alpacas) and any outdoor activity you can think of. Not to mention that if you want to observe wildlife, it is here (many states have signs warning of deer, antelope or wildlife crossings). So far I’ve managed to see wild turkeys, antelope, deer and coyote (it’s just an extra added bonus to my day, like an Easter Egg in a video game).

Anyways, our trip through Montana led us to another load and swap but this time the load took us to HERSHEY’S! As we discovered, the really cool thing about delivering to Hershey is you get to have not one but TWO choices of any of their candy product! Mmm… Reese’s. 

All of this swapping has had a purpose: we learned about a week ago my oldest friend in the world Jenny just found out her husband has cancer so we have put in a request to get back to Georgia as soon as possible. News such as this has managed to make this trip even more important to me, as I feel the need to live with even more gusto than before. Also, just to let you know, her husband is my age and no one should have to hear that they have cancer at 30. Personally, I find it interesting how things you didn’t expect to come along can give you motivation you didn’t know you needed or were without. So with all of that said, we have a load taking us to Mississippi which will hopefully hop us over to Georgia soon.

Before you may be thinking the trip is over, it isn’t, not by a long shot. The truth is, the trip doesn’t end because you make a pit stop on the road, instead the trip is about life and how you choose to live it. This journey has shown me the more I see and discover about this country, the more I want to know about it all. I have been making notes as we go state by state for places and things I want to see and read about. Our culture and history is built into the land and for me it’s been so exciting that I wonder how we could bring this excitement to the classroom and the next generation. As a country, knowing your roots, your past, is just as vital as knowing where you are going. Learning not only from your triumphs and mistakes but those of others keeps you from hitting major pitfalls that can keep you from the great things in life. Equally as important, the more I see of the country the more I discover about myself and what I want out of life. It would seem just as much as you shape and make things, those very things in turn also shape you.

For now, I’m still taking pictures, oohing over cute animals and singing badly to songs I enjoy. The upside, this trip will take us through Colorado, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and be assured I will keep you posted every step of the way! 

Soaking Wet in Washington

Washington turned out to be quite a strange place. From the Columbia there were mountains and cliffs leading to the water just like the in Oregon, but as soon as we made it up the steep incline through the mountains, I did not expect what I saw. It was a complete plateau of flat land, almost as flat as any land in Nebraska. It was also kept impeccably clean as noted by the “If you litter, it will hurt” sign. We wondered what that meant. The rest of the day was spent driving through endless vineyards and orchards, with no signs of large civilization anywhere. What did surprise me was the prevalent Latin America presence. I shouldn’t be surprised, what with all the orchards around.

The real fun came the next day, when we got a load taking us to a city south of Seattle. That morning I awoke to find that we were stuck on a mountain. Snoqualmie pass, to be exact.

It seems that they were doing something called avalanche prevention, where they blow excess snow off the mountain. Now you have to understand, being from Georgia this has been quite an education in snow for me and boy this pass has been the largest lesson of all. Stuck in back to back trucker traffic, everyone was out in the snow putting on chains. It’s a nasty business, crawling around under your truck in this brownish icy sludge to lock freezing cold chains on wet tires. I watched bleary eyed as men hunched down in everything from boots to slippers attempting to get the job done as soon as possible. Its truly in these moments where you see good things in people, as truckers helped others with their chains. We had a very nice FedEx man behind us who apparently does this route often and even gave James a few tips to help him along.

After almost two hours things eased up and we tip toed our way through the pass onto Seattle. The rest of the day went downhill from there as the infamous Seattle drizzle came down.

Our stop ended up being a load of beer to a distribution center for Anheuser Busch that looked like beer mecca. It was one of the cleanest places I’ve seen with scrubbed shiny floors and neatly wall to wall wrapped boxes awaiting delivery. Think of walking into a Home Depot but instead of tools its beer. They even had a complete room just for kegs. James found out the place had quite a variety of drink, most of it on its way to Alaska.

From our little trek in the snow to our emergency stop that afternoon, most of our clothes got soaked leaving us the only option of putting up make shift clotheslines in the truck to attempt and dry out things. Our emergency stop basically meant that once the delivery was made we had run out of time to make it to a truck stop and had to make due with the back of a Kmart parking lot surrounded by shops. The upside to all this was we got to walk to this little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant, cold, wet and hungry enough to eat a horse. It was some of the best chicken fried rice I’ve ever had, second only to Cathy Ho’s in Carrollton. After a good long nap I woke up feeling a litter warmer and a little more alive and made my way to a McDonald’s nearby which has turned out to be a haven to me on these trips. Open at all hours, sweet tea reminiscent of the south and free Wifi make it the best thing on the road. I asked the workers how they dealt with the rain and their response was simply, “it’s Washington,” as if that explained it all. I ended up staying up all night at that McDonald’s nursing a good hot chocolate and catching up with messages online.

It took us the better part of two days and a laundry visit to get all our clothes dried and back to normal.

You better believe I was excited to hear the next load was to take us to Massachusetts. But more on that next time. 

Oregon!

Oregon by far has been one of the most beautiful states I have ever seen. From the state line the highway is weaving and winding through mountains, parallel to streams and revealing many mysteries around the next bend. Home of the Oregon Trail, many of the highways follow the original route taken by settlers all of those years ago and its apparent by abandoned homesteads where many tried and failed to make a life out here.

The signs of attempted industry are out here as well, as we turned a bend and found this factory. Everytime I see these structures I think, “There’s a story there.”

Being on the road, you get to see many strange and interesting things. One day I saw a lone calf in a field and feeling for his situation, began telling the tale of how this poor calf came to be so alone and lonesome. By the time I finished, James looked at me and said, “You just told that calf’s story.” As a result, we’ve developed a little game we call Story Time. At any time one of us will point at something we see and spontaneously tell a story about whatever we see. We’ve had a few interesting results out of this game so far.

But back to the industry. Along the road there are a number of gas stations, odd ball road side stops that have all together been left to the weather, a result of developing traveling technology and the busy traveler not needing to stop as much as they used to. It’s quite sad, actually because I’m endlessly fascinated in the mom and pop roadside stand. What they don’t have in variety, they make up for in character. (a perfect example of this was in my Idaho post)

Having made our way to the north end of the state, the view breaks out into tree-filled mountains with the breathtaking Columbia River. There’s more life this way, with a resort, camp ground or cabin every few miles and I don’t blame them with such an incredible view. While you drive by, if you look, you’ll notice a tiny waterfall every few miles coming off the mountain; Just one of many small and beautiful things to add to the grandeur of the place.

This part of the country seems to get so much rain that there is green everywhere. This electric green moss grows on all the trees and old walls they can find, and open land becomes home to the largest ferns I’ve ever seen, next to the ones my Grandmommy keeps on her back porch on the farm.

Part of the way through the trip, we came down a steep mountain and I got a glimpse of what God must see as He looks down on us.

Then we make it to Portland, mecca of civilization in all this wilderness. Stopping for a bite to eat, we decide to test the local fare by visiting a pie place called Shari’s. Best. Food. Ever. (James’ words). The waitress was incredible, the food delectable, and the pie was heavenly (I had the smore galore. SO decadent!) They had strawberry lemonade with chunks of strawberry floating in it that was so delicious AND they offered free refills. The soup and sandwich were hearty and melted away any chill the weather provided. Don’t take our word for it, just check out their website.

www.sharis.com

Our views of Oregon were far from over as we got a new load taking us to Washington. We got to back track a little bit the way we came, getting a real second chance at more beautiful shots of the Columbia.

Next time, Soaking Wet in Washington! 

Utah to Idaho

This is what greeted me this morning:

Welcome to Salt Lake City. Quite possibly one of the largest and most spread out cities I have ever seen with a 360 degree view of mountains. I warn you now that no matter what I have tried, my camera is inconsistent to nearly capture the vastness and grandeur of the land. However, you will get to see my best attempts.

One thing I did not know was that Salt Lake City is based in what was once an ocean bed, the last remnants of that ancient past is now the famed Salt Lake, where the water is swimmable but far too salty for much of anything else. Everything is here; huge industrial areas, residential, shopping, anything you can do in the mountains, and farming. The land is as flat as any in the Midwest but with much more ranching than growing done.  I can’t stop gaping at the mountains and wonder how it is there are neighborhoods built at the bottom. Don’t they ever worry about avalanches? It’s strange and interesting to see the untamed wilderness next to modern civilization. The further north we travel, the more farmland opens up and I notice more and more RV’s than ever before.

As we drive, farmland even begins to get sparse with just the land and the road. No billboards, no grazing animals, no farms. The only thing I see in these mountains, other than how you can forever wax poetic about them is the ravens. They are floating by the wayside looking for a meal, larger than I have ever seen before with wings so black they have a blue tint to them when they glimmer in the sun. Staring at their movements makes me wonder what their view of the land is like.

Next thing I know, we are in Idaho, land of potato. We quickly realize that in the vast expanses there might not be many opportunities for a rest break, so we find the first stop that pops up. It was this tiny truck stop with nothing around it for at least ten miles. It has been the best stop we have made on this entire trip thus far. Why? Because they had two ALPACAS sitting in a small fenced in space in front.

I have to hand it to the guy who owns the place because every square inch of this was campy, slightly touristy and he had a stern policy that in order to use the bathroom, you had to buy something. Everything from the alpacas to the bathroom door painted like an outhouse was adorable. Here’s the pictures just so you can see for yourself.  

I did get to feed them and they were so gentle. The darker one was not shy at all, taking every opportunity to make eye contact with you and almost try to nuzzle you for food. My favorite was the lighter one. She was shy but her chin and fur was sooo soft when I got to feed and pet her. The owner took full advantage of having them by also selling products made of their wool.

The sign says "Authentic Idaho tumbleweed." My first and definitely not the last time I have seen one. 

The sign said, "Beware, baby rattlers." 

This was one of many signs in the bathroom. I always love a good place with  "reading material!"

The rest of the state was pure nature. So much land, so few people. I'm noticing more and more as I cross the country that most states have lots and lots of farmland with a few sprawling metropoli scattered about. When in search of more information on the state, what I found was a "beware of hitch hikers" sign talking about harmful plants and animals that are apparent. What I did find interesting was the fences covered in tumbleweed that had gotten caught up on the wires.

Idaho, you leave me scratching my head. I still wait to find out more about what you have to offer.
For now, we ride to Oregon!

Nebraska to Wyoming

So on our way to prepare for the big Oregon trip, we got a message that another England driver needed a ride to Salt Lake City. Sometimes, depending on the situation a fellow trucker may need a lift so the message is passed through the proper channels to get it arranged (much better than Greyhound or a taxi!). In this case the guy turned out to be still in his phase two of training and needed to make a stop at home to take care of things before heading back on the road.

The driver in question turned out to be Kevin, a quiet man from Memphis who got into this business, because in his words “there was nothing else to get.” The benefits of having Kevin on the truck with us made it possible for us to stay on the road continuously instead of making stops. So with another pair of hands at the wheel, we set off. James took the first shift, getting us from Tennessee to the regularly traveled I-80. Soon Kevin was at the wheel and next thing I know, we are in Nebraska.

Freshly showered and with a hot breakfast in my belly (believe me, a hot meal is such a treasured thing on the road) we set off to cross the rest of Nebraska. The first thing I always think about when referring to the state was Lady Gaga’s song “You and I” where she mentions Nebraska. While I don’t know the reference, once again a pop tune has become an ear worm. What I discovered with the sunrise was quite possibly the flattest land I have ever laid eyes on, to the point that the horizon gets hazy only because it is miles away from you (a phenomenon that continues as you head west).

Sprawling fields where recently cut hay was grown now reside a herd of cattle to eat the rest. There are so many little calves around that you can’t help but make AWW noises. There are SOO many birds it’s mindboggling. Watching their snakelike patterns spiral in the air continues to keep my attentions.

We discovered that Nebraska is not only farmland, but the home of some of the larger cattle companies. The view was about as impressive as the smell.  

Seeing all these fields reminds me of the scenes of Clark Kent’s upbringing or of the unassuming personality leaving this land in pursuit of their dreams in the big city. For me these views give my mind so much room to roam over my past, my friends and family and wonder in all the blessings life has to offer. Soon the western side of the state becomes more hilly, preparing us for the great state of Wyoming.

From the moment we crossed the state line, it definitely made an impression. We stopped at the first welcome center and it turned out to be one of the nicest places. It was run by this cute little old lady who had lived in the state her whole life. When asked what her favorite thing about Wyoming was, her reply was: “I’ve always loved the wide open spaces of it all. So much room and I’ve noticed that people tend to hate that.” I had never really thought about it like that where some would prefer the closeness of a large city while with other people if they can see their neighbor’s house, even from miles away, it is still too close for their liking.

That was definitely the precedent in Wyoming.

Then I saw the Rockies, or the baby Rockies.

There is truly no way to tell you how far away those mountains really are. 

The temps today have been in the 70’s but there is solid snow scattered about, generous drifts of it lying about in the cracks and crevices of the hills, ditches, and creeks.

It was strange feeling the warm sun on my face while staring at mostly frozen lakes and streams. The state continues to surprise as I see my first oil refineries ever and yet, more cattle country. The farther west we go, the more we see this strange union of industry and nature. I still can't tell if it is a wholly working relationship or not. To me while the man made structures are impressive, it has no contest in the God made majesty of it all. 

Wyoming boasts three different types of mountains, from my eyes. There's the snow capped peaks in the distance, with strange piles of smooth boulders and then the rolling babies that have such wind blown grass it appears like velvet draped over a sleeping person. This place is truly a nature lover's playground between the hiking, camping, climbing, rafting and skiing available. 

I feel I have to mention that the further west you travel, the less occurring civilization is out here. By the time we get to the western end of the state, it had been almost 100 miles since we had seen any signs of a town, truck stop, or even a mom and pop type place. So needless to say the day ended on a high note when we got to Little America. 

http://wyoming.littleamerica.com/

This oasis of a stop started back in the 1800's when a man who was shepherding his flock got trapped in a storm. While taking shelter the man thought of how wonderful it would be to have a hot meal, a warm bed and some company to ease him from his situation. So ten years later that man came back and found the spot he was trapped in and said, "I will build it here!" And so he did. 

Today Little America is this HUGE complex of buildings, sporting a hotel, truck stop, repair services, and even a playground for little Susie and Johnnie. The billboards for this place begin popping up 200 MILES away and becoming a frequent occurrence on the landscape. Whoever did the advertising sure knew what they were up to, claiming to have 50 cent ice cream cones and enticing parents by saying that their kids could stay for free. Believe me, after sitting in a seat all day it was surely a welcome sight (and the ice cream cone was fabulous!) 

More to come shortly, next up, UTAH!  

Mayhem in Memphis

Written Monday, 3/5

Today was exciting. With a tinge of anticipation in the air, the farmers were out in full force today while driving through the upper southeast. In their wake came billowing clouds of dust and the smells of freshly turned dirt, fertilizer and the crisp hint of someone burning the scraps of the previous crop off. Birds took full advantage of this buzz of activity to haunt the trail of the tractors, turning up vital good eats for them. Watching them undulate in waves to make way for the farmer was fascinating. Even the wind chimed in, kicking up whirling ballerina-like wisps of dirt, joining in the fun of it all. We all could feel it, spring is approaching.

The road twisted and turned, making my job as navigator only slightly challenging. This time the customer was in Jonesboro, Arkansas and the lucky recipient of tortellini apparently. Thank you, Stouffer’s. The peak of the day hit when James’ Qualcomm kept beeping in, recognizing a message was received. The number of beeps (or messages) in succession will tell you what kind of message it is. One, it could be anything, usually a safety message. Four means you got a new load and boy had I been eyeing the comm today! You see, ever since I got on the rig, James has had a crack in his windshield. Problem has been that he could never schedule an appointment with the SafeLite people to coincide with his current load. And believe me, in this industry if you aren’t driving, you aren’t making money. Yesterday, he put in a request to be routed through Salt Lake City, Utah (one of their main yards) for maintenance. Hence, my anticipation of the next order. Well, the comm went off it’s customary four times and I yipped, but then, it just kept going. We got TWO loads at once. The first one was short, just under 200 miles, but the second… WE’RE HEADED TO OREGON! 2,200 miles in 5 days. This is going to be so exciting. Just have to make the first load first. So where were we headed next? Memphis, Tennessee! Home of Sun Records, Elvis and honestly God knows what else. As we cross over one of the main bridges into the city, I realize that we have crossed the Mississippi THREE times in the past two days! I’ve also crossed the Missouri and the Illinois Rivers in the past four days. But back to Memphis…

I’ve learned in my short time riding that you can judge a city by it’s bridges, mainly the ones you have to pass under. Typically, the older the city, the lower the bridges. This recent interest in bridges has prompted me to begin taking pictures of them for show and tell (mainly because I have one friend in particular who is scared to death of crossing them!).

Found this one in Kentucky. How tall do you think it is? 

This one surprised me. It turned out to be nearly a mile long!

I thought this one was the most interesting shape of its type.

Taken on the bridge going into Memphis. Beautiful.

Compared to St. Louis, Louisville and Cincinnati, Memphis seems just as crowded, but the drivers here are just about the craziest I’ve seen yet! (Still not as crazy as Atlanta however, because other than hearing the usual stories of drivers getting in accidents because they were angry at other drivers, James heard that a man actually ran into another man for cutting him off in traffic, then got out and SHOT him! Since this is not my story, ask James for more details.) They are rude even when they are not in the right of way (one trucker cussed us out because HE came in the wrong way and was bickering because we wouldn’t move for him!) and people making near suicide pulls out in FRONT of the rig! I don’t know about you, but I tend to wait for a lull in traffic to pull out, not when I see a tractor/trailer coming at me. What little I saw of the skyline left me bewildered because I swear I saw a pyramid in the distance and tried to take a photo of it to no avail. Keeping a close eye on the map made me realize I came within a couple of miles of Graceland, home of the King himself and a place of pilgrimage for many an Elvis fan, including my father. You may not know this, but Elvis died in August of 1977 and according to my parents, three days before their wedding. My mother has always commented that my dad was still mourning over him while saying their vows. Knowing my dad’s affection for the man, I can believe it. So in the long run, anytime I think of one, I automatically think of the other.

My parents on their wedding day. 

For the night we are bunked out in the edge of Memphis and believe me, its not a place you want to go alone, at least from the looks of it. To round out the day, we were thinking about it and we realized that we have crossed state lines 7 times today. From Kentucky to Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, then to Tennessee, Mississippi and ending in Tennessee again. Amazing, don’t you think? 

Ohio & Kentucky

First off, allow me to apologize for not being able to keep the blog fully updated due to the nature of life on the road. Thankfully here they are for you now, in the following posts. I hope you enjoy!

Written Sunday, 3/4

Ohio & Kentucky

Ohio seems to be a nice place, except for the 3-4 inches of snow and ice patches. I know, amongst the locals its your average Monday, but not for this Georgia girl. Decked in beanie, gloves, scarf and peacoat, I steeled myself everytime I made the walk from the truck to a stop. The high was 32, in the sun. Fortunately, this morning I woke to 24 degree weather and am now currently riding through Kentucky with 68 degree, beautiful, sunny weather! Boy does this state look gorgeous! J

Sprawling green hills as far as the eye can see with small farms and towns scattered in between. On our lunch stop I got my very first taste of Skyline Chili! Home of the 5-way chili, I had one of their regular coneys and a 3-way. To explain to those unfamiliar with Skyline: Their chili is more of a sauce with this spicy (not hot!) yet slightly sweet taste and you can choose to have it in a 3-way (poured over spaghetti and topped with a HUGE mound of cheese), 4 or 5-way (add red beans or diced onion). May sound unusual but boy was it tasty! Check out their website!

http://skylinechili.com/ 

And this place certainly LOVES their cheese! While we were there we overheard someone actually order a SIDE of cheese!

This time our load is taking us to Arkansas (Thanks to the lovely Nestlé plant in Ohio).

Thankfully, we made a stop at a rest area with tourist info and I picked up “The Complete 2012 Kentucky Guide”. Full of detailed maps, listings and attractions, I learned just how interesting this state really is. Kentucky is the home of Lincoln, Bluegrass and Bourbon/ Whiskey. They even have a complete whiskey trail outlined for you to travel from one distillery to another. They also have the Kentucky derby and offer a range of activities from camping, hiking, and canoeing. In one of their parks, the geographically fascinating place called “the land between the lakes”, they have a wildlife reserve where they have reintroduced Elk and Bison back to the land. Definitely a place I want to visit. Here's their website.

http://www.lbl.org/ 

 The Louisville Slugger Museum and factory is also here, along with the largest cavern around, so big in fact that they call it the MEGA Cavern, which boasts the ONLY underground zipline tour in existence (I thought my sister would be interested to know that one). Since the cavern is so vast and deep, the temperature stays at a cool 58 degrees while you take one of their riding tours. Fun for the whole family!

http://www.louisvillemegacavern.com/ 

Last, but certainly not least, the state is steeped in history, with multiple sites available for retracing the steps of the Civil War as well as performing reenactments of the same battles that occurred on that very ground. The South is still alive and well in this hilly landscape, case in point made by the large Confederate flag being flown at the top of a hill, seen while we were riding down the highway.

My personal highlight of the day? Passing by Elizabethtown herself. (Not only because of my name but also for the movie of the same title :P) http://www.elizabethtown.com/home.html

Oh, and if you would like to know more about the Whiskey/ Bourbon Trail, here's a link! http://www.kentuckytourism.com/things_to_do/bourbon.aspx

Pictures/Odds n' Ends

So, for those of you who enjoy pictures or the odd comment, this one is for you. What follows are the in between stop photos I thought worth sharing.

 Taken at Freedom Veterans Parkway in Ohio. All the pylons were decorated like this.

Seeing all of these farms makes me think of my extended family in south Georgia. I know they would be enjoying the scenery.

Arch on the way out of Ohio. Probably the best good bye sign I’ve seen of a state yet.

Ginormous crosses that defy reason. One in Illinois, one in Indiana. Not that it matters but the one in Illinois was bigger, the bottom part only covered  by the passing semi!

I have no idea what this is, perhaps you could enlighten me? They were scatted across the Midwest.

The candle house. Building actually shaped like a candle. Indiana

I apologize for the bad angle, but I caught it on the fly. It Is a giant bunny in someone’s yard. Why?

Busch Stadium, St. Louis; just notice how cluttered the city looks around it.

Six Flags, Missouri, shut down at this time of year and set in the hills

Jellystone Park, home of Yogi Bear!

Again, apologies for the bad shot, but at the center of that spiral is the silhouette of a body. I have no idea what this is advertising or where it leads…

Hope you've enjoyed it! I'm already working on another round of odds and ends shots. Stay tuned!