In the late afternoon {after Tom got off work}, we drove north, headed to McAlister, Oklahoma where we had a hotel reservation for the night, planned to get up on Sunday morning and continue on to St. Louis via I-44 thru Springfield, Missouri. We were looking forward to traveling this (new to us) route, seeing the sights along the way.
Well, unbeknownst to us (until we saw the large blinking warning sign), U.S. Hwy. 271 north of Paris, Texas was closed due to flooding on the Red River, which forms the border between Texas and Oklahoma. (We should have checked TxDOT website before leaving home concerning road conditions.....hindsight!) After stopping at the McDonalds in Paris and checking with "the locals", we discovered that three other highways leading across the Red River into Oklahoma were also closed. So our choice was to travel west (way out of our way) to I-35 north, which runs between Dallas and Oklahoma City, or travel east on U.S. Hwy. 82 toward New Boston, Tx. to intersect I-30 east toward Little Rock, Arkansas. This is the option we chose.....east on I-30 thru Little Rock, Ar. to West Memphis, Ar., then north on I-55 to O'Fallon, Mo. We saw rivers full to overflowing but even though some State and U.S. Highways were closed the Interstate Freeway systems were all clear.
It rained on us sporadically, but we did see a rainbow while traveling on I-30 just before Texarcana!
Oh yes, we also saw an awesome mural as we passed through DeKalb, Tx.!
While at the McDonalds in Paris, Tx., Tom called www.hotels.com to cancel/get a refund our hotel reservation in McAlister, Ok. We have used www.hotels.com for our hotel reservations for years and they are the best!
By the time we made to Hope, Ark. it was already 9:00 p.m. and there we secured a room for the night at Hampton Inn, one of the nicest rooms we have ever stayed in.
Sunday, May 31
On Sunday morning, we awoke refreshed, ready for our vacation, ready to get to St. Louis...actually O'Fallon, Missouri. We were excited to be going to see Tom's nephew Todd, wife Andrea, and their two boys:
4 1/2 yr. old Grant
and 2 1/2 yr. old Bryce.
We had not seen Todd and Andrea since their 2009 wedding in Georgia, and now they have two boys! What cute kids they are too!
Todd and Andrea warmly welcomed us into their gorgeous home, making us feel instantly "at home".
It was fun getting to know Grant and Bryce. They immediately were intrigued with their Uncle Tom.....really not sure about him. You see, Tom's brother Tim (Grant and Bryce's grandpa) who they call "Papa" had recently visited them. So since Tom and Tim look a lot alike, the boys were confused. They were calling Tom "Papa"! After we explained that Tom was Tim's brother and therefore their Uncle, they began calling Tom "Papa Tom". Very amusing, but TOO cute also! Regardless, both boys bonded with their Uncle Tom very quickly.
Andrea made an awesome dinner and we really enjoyed getting to spend time with her and Todd and their two boys.
Monday, June 1
This morning, Andrea had to go to work. Todd was off work so we loaded up the boys and headed to the St. Louis Museum of Transportation. It features trains, planes, and automobiles (and a boat!)...but mostly trains. We even got to ride around the park on a small train.
Tom with Bryce and Grant
Bryce with his "Uncle Papa Tom"
The boys really enjoyed being able to climb up into the trains. Here they are with their dad, Todd.
We even saw a train school bus.
Grant and Bryce really liked this small train engine because they could climb up inside and ring the bell.....over and over and over!
The auto museum featured many classic old vehicles, all meticulously restored to their former grandeur.
Boys!
Todd and Bryce exploring the old boat.
Grant is being shy.
Bryce is enjoying a "high ride" on his dad's shoulders.
Following our enjoyable day at the Museum of Transportation, Todd and Andrea decided to grill burgers so we got to enjoy their back patio, complete with a fire in the firepit!
We all enjoyed making smores!
Tuesday, June 2
This morning Todd had to go in to work for awhile but Andrea was off work so "Uncle Tom" helped Andrea get the boys ready for a fun day at Grant's Farm.
Grant's Farm was originally the home of Ulysses S. Grant, and is now owned by the Anheuser-Busch Corp. Admission is free (parking $12 per vehicle) and is great place for family fun....exploring nature, animals and history in and up-close environment.
Uncle Tom holding Bryce along with Grant and Andrea.
We first took the offered tram tour around the property.....
...saw Grant's original log cabin...........
....and Grant got a kick out of having his picture taken in front "his" farm sign!
Following right in his big brother's footsteps, Bryce tried to mimic his Uncle Tom's pose.
The kids loved feeding the animals!
The zebras were very photogenic, in contrast to all the surrounding greenery.
Of course one of the best things on a warm day was making it to the concession area for an ice-cold snowcone!
After our excursion to Grant's Farm, Todd met us for a late lunch at a popular local eatery.
In the evening, Andrea once again demonstrated her exceptional culinary skills by whipping up a delicious pizza.....making homemade pizza dough and piling it with delicious fresh toppings! I was so impressed! It was so yummee!
Andrea utilized all the veggies well that Tom had picked from our garden before we left Texas and brought to share with them. She even used some of the cucumbers to whip up a few jars of pickles!
After they put the kids to bed, we four "grown-ups" enjoyed making smores again and enjoying the ambience of their firepit.
Wednesday, June 3
Today, Tom and I are planning to drive to Nashville to meet up with Tim and Kathy (Tom's brother and wife), who are traveling from their home in Georgia to Nashville to spend a couple of days together with us.
However, this morning Todd and Andrea have a nice outing planned for our last morning with them. We pack lunch and snacks and drinks and head a few miles south to a beautiful park, which includes walking trails, picnic areas, and playground.
We first headed out for a short walk on the trails.....
By the time we made it to this meadow, we decided to walk the road back to the playground/picnic area.
Nice play area with soft cushioned rubbery surface underneath.
Even big kids like to swing!
Bryce and Grant love it that their Uncle Tom plays with them!
O.K. Bryce, one last swing and your Uncle Tom has to go.
Sad to say goodbye, but thankful for our time together. By noon we were heading east toward St. Louis, and then south toward Nashville to meet Tim and Kathy for the rest of our vacation.
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