Lady Traveler's Road-trip to Missouri and other fine states

Japanese gardens near son's home in Springfield, Missouri 2015

Road tripping can be fun if you plan right.

I take that back.

When Rob and I rented a car in Costa Rica last year, we didn't plan.

We just drove.  And it was perfect!

We didn't have a GPS.  Just an old fashioned road map.

And it worked.

Only took three wrong turns the whole two weeks.

We should get some kind of reward for that.

Road tripping through Costa Rica 2014

But we planned this 10-day road trip to Springfield, Missouri, and it worked too.

Day 1:  Rob and I departed Lexington, SC at 6 am to
arrive at our first destination, Nashville, TN, by 2pm.  

Due to Atlanta traffic (we took the southern route: never again!) 

we were delayed by almost an hour.  

But we pulled into the retro hotel that our friends found online
(for a great price) 

in time for a fun evening in down town Nashville to eat and
listen to some real country music.

Nashville, Tennessee 2015 with friends

Day 2: Departure time 9am to arrive in Springfield by 5pm.  

Due to a major river bridge shutdown in Kentucky 

(yes, we had to detour through Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois), 

we arrived at The Hampton Inn, right off I-60 at 5:45pm.
Not bad.  

After a grand tour of their new home, we took our son and daughter-in-law to a 

steak house for dinner and lots of catch-up chatter.

Six days in Springfield including a day trip to
Branson (just 30 minutes south), 

lunch in the Ozarks at the famous Lambert's Cafe (throw the rolls!)
www.throwdrolls.com with our friend David Kreitzer,

and a rewarding photo shoot by www.thehobosphotos.com with son, Shawn Watson
we felt right at home in this lovely town.

Photo shoot in Springfield, MO with The Hobo's Photos

  

I'm sure Frances and Shawn will enjoy their new hometown and careers.  

Frances is the weekend anchor woman and journalist for ABC TV 
(she gave us a grand tour of the studio), 

and Shawn is excited to be on the photography team at the
Bass Pro headquarters. www.basspro.com/springfield
p.s.  the Bass Pro Shop ia absolutely amazing!
The Watson's treated us to brunch at their upstairs restaurant--
I didn't want to leave so we lingered over way too many cups of coffee.

Enjoying our day trip to Branson, Missouri with Shawn and Frances

Day 8: Homeward bound, we stopped at Jim Bakker's Morningside headquarters for
lunch and to pick up some special water purification bottles.

Lunch at Morningside, Branson MO 2015

We ate dinner and spent the night in a little town the gateway to the Ozarks.

Day 9: We planned for the closed river bridge so we arrived in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee around 5-ish.

We stayed in the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the
Great Smoky Mountains at the rustic
River Terrace Resort. www.riverterraceresort.com
Oh how I loved the quaint ambiance.

Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee

Day 10: Driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway and
traveling through the Smoky Mountains is like a bit of heaven on earth.
After stopping for lunch in Maggie Valley
we hit I-26 and never stopped until we reached home.

It is so true ... No matter where you roam,

there is no place like home.

Home for almost two weeks, 
I am still thanking the Lord for a safe trip and a very special time with my son.
An answer to a Mother's prayers.

"There is a real pleasure in finding oneself under one's own roof, 

in the midst of one's people, one's animals and one's furniture...

...when one comes to it...in search of solitude and repose."

George Sand

www.sharonleaf.com