This one started late Feb./early Mar. 2002. We'll pick this one up in Branson MO. We had spent two nights there due to some intestinal "distress" and we saw a show while we were there. Branson is a nice place. I had been there several years earlier on family vacation. Silver Dollar City, which is nearby, is nice also. Another nice city that is within about an hour or so of Branson (and I would love to get back there and wander around) is Eureka Springs AR. Jump on 65S into Arkansas and head west on 62. Pretty country as well as a pretty little city. Now, I'm not much into country music or any of the other types that are available in Branson, but it is a very pretty city. Beautiful views of the surrounding countryside as well. I would recommend to anyone that you go at least once, if for no other reason than to say you've been there. It's a bit tourist trappy though. Branson was also the first time we did something we would mirror for a couple trips to come. We went to a Wal Mart. I know, I know, kind of stupid, but it became tradition for the next couple trips. Had to stop at Wal Mart. Whether it was to buy something or just use the terlet or both. Another tradition started on this trip that continues unless we end up in WI is eating at Cracker Barrel. Good food, decent price, great candy and knick knacks. What's not to love. I guess I need a couple small things to, I don't know, just have something to expect.
After leaving Branson, we headed west and stopped in Oklahoma, in I want to say Norman, which is a bit southe of OK City, just off I35. One of the few nights we didn't full service it. We didn't in Branson on this trip either.
We ended up the next night in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Beautiful twin city area. Don't remember which Holiday Inn we were at (there's like 2 dozen or so in the area), but it was gorgeous. Part of the reason I do like the full serve hotels with a bar is you aren't just stuck in your room. You can hang at the bar, even if you aren't really a drinker, and just have a good time talking with other people. Most of the memorable events on roadtrip for me happened in a hotel bar.
While I am not a huge Interstate fan, the I35 corridor from OK City to San Antonio is pretty, especially after you get into TX. You get through just enough of like Waco and Austin to make the ride enjoyable. San Antonio is pretty as well. Did a little ride around when we were there, saw the Alamo. My problem is at this point I hadn't thought to bring a camera to take pictures. I didn''t for the first 3 or 4 that we did. That's the main reason I recommended bringing a camera, as obvious as it sounded.
So, after San Antonio it was back to I35 North, something I don't usually do on RT. I usually take us a way we haven't seen, but the uncle wasn't up for Louisiana, so back the way we came. As we hit the D/FW area we got on I30 into AR. Went through Little Rock, a city I returned to in 2009 on road trip. More on that later. Don't remember how we got there, but we ended up in Owenboro KY, on the border with IN. The greatest part of that hotel, and unfortunately it's not in operation anymore, or at least not a Holiday Inn, is they had this networked video game thing. You had a wireless keyboard that interfaced with a TV that was hooked up nationwide to other hotels and whatever and you competed in a trivia game against them. One couple was playing it when my uncle and I entered the bar and we ended up having a few and playing with them.
And then headed home the next day. Unless specified, all stays were for one night. As I said, I'm mainly trying to give the general route we took as best as I remember. This is the only one I don't remember the whole route. On to the next one.
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