We made our way home to New Mexico from Indiana again. We will only be home a few weeks, then will return to Indiana for some more events. 

Last night, for a while

On our last night in Shipshewana, for this trip anyway, we joined our friends Cheryl & Terry and Sky & Coby and enjoyed the buffet at the Blue Gate Restaurant. Shipshewana spent this week decorating for fall! There were pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, and stuffy men, or scarecrows, everywhere. It was all very festive. And the temperatures weren’t arguing too much - the oppressive heat and humidity from June was fortunately absent on this trip. 

In the morning, we dropped the Mini Lite at Rockwood. When they replaced the wall, there were a couple of minor details they missed, which we also didn’t notice until the FROG rally was over. We had planned to store the trailer with Rockwood anyway, since we will be back in a few weeks, so it didn’t change any plans for us really. 

Stop and Go

Our first destination of this trip was Altanta, Illinois. But our first stop was Wally’s. We stopped at another Wally’s store on our last trip. We think they are out to give BucEes a run for their money. They have huge stores, lots of gas pumps, and super-clean bathrooms. Rather than beaver nuggets, Wally’s has popcorn. We bought a bag of cheddar corn. The brisket, fudge, jerky, and coffee stations are pretty much equal. Now to watch them spread; there are only two Wally’s locations - so far. 

Giant Pie

A while back we visited the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois. Among the wondrous things we learned was that the Country Aire Restaurant in town was about to acquire a giant of their own. So naturally we had to stop and meet Lumi, the Country Aire waitress. 

Lumi is named for the owner, who is the magician behind the pies that the restaurant is so famous for. Therefore, giant Lumi is holding a pie in one hand. In the pocket of her apron is her order ticket - cheeseburger (hold the onions), fries and sweet tea. Followed by a slice of pie, it’s a can’t-lose combination. 

We didn’t have cheeseburgers and fries but we did have a delicious lunch. Tony got a club sandwich and I had chicken salad on a croissant. 

What do you mean, “did we have pie”? Of Course we did! I had peach, and Tony tried the cheesecake with strawberry topping. He said though it was a bit different it was as good as his mom’s secret recipe. 

We chatted with the owner for a little bit, and then it was time to put miles behind us. We had a destination of Springfield, Missouri for the night. 

Don’t worry, we made our destination. We checked into the Best Western Coach House and had a comfortable night and a good breakfast in the morning. The motel was really cutely designed, and well-kept. We overheard someone say they were returning because the breakfast was good.

Giant Axe

After waking up and having breakfast in Springfield Missouri, we set out for our next giant visit. We missed the actual installation of Meadow Gold Mack, the Friendly Lumberjack by a few days. However, our timing was great for attending the “welcome party” that Mary Beth threw for Mack.

We got an early start so we would arrive in plenty of time to join the party. We did have to make one pit stop and fill with gas. Doing that on the Oklahoma turnpike is a little frustrating. We had paid our $5 toll. Then when we needed to exit, we got a refund of $2.25 since we had not driven the entire length covered by the toll. However, after we stopped at Love’s we had to re-enter the toll road, and pay another $2.50. So the exit and re-entry cost us an extra quarter. Hey, travel laundry makes quarters a precious commodity!

We made it to Tulsa, Oklahoma in plenty of time. We wandered through Meadow Gold Mack’s shops, admiring the vintage furniture, vinyl records, and artisan offerings. We chatted with Mary Beth and met a few other players in the Meadow Gold and Route 55 revitalization movement. We got ice cream sandwiches from Big Dipper Creamery. We posed with Mack and made oohs and ahhs as appropriate for his grandness. Then we got back on the road. 

As much as we wanted to visit these new giants, we also were eager to make it home and out of the cab of the truck. 

Amarillo by — dinner

A favorite stop on our trips east is always the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo Texas. This trip was no exception. We arrived at dinner time. We have never been there on a Saturday evening, and it was far more busy than we were accustomed to. They were taking names and handing out pagers for tables in the restaurant. We saw a sing that open seating was available in the bar, so we went there instead. That was nearly a mistake, as all the tables were occupied! Fortunately, one table had only a man waiting for a drink and he shortly left so we were able to sit down. The server there was super nice and we promised her that if she was on shift next time we visit, we will eat in the bar again. 

We checked into the Big Texan hotel - they have a nifty check-in method of texting the room number and door code so there is no office visit required. One of my favorite parts of this room was the window shutters - they were really effective at keeping light out and the room actually was dark! What a concept!

Beeline

We made quick work of gettin home the next day. As much as we love to travel, we also love to arrive, and be, home. Soon we will be heading back out again!