15 October 2014 - Across three states

Like yesterday, today dawned rainy and gray, but without the thunder and lightning and the rain was light and gentle.   We started the day in Clarksville, TN and soon after hitting the road, crossed into Kentucky.  The rain and overcast skies continued almost the whole day, giving way to sunshine only during the last hour of our drive.  Nevertheless, this was a fun day and pleasant. The temperatures hovered in the mid 50's and we both broke out our jackets to keep warm for the first time on the trip.
We wanted to find a place to take a picture of Freddy, but we only traveled through the western end of Kentucky.  As we looked at the map, we noted a little tiny spot of a town near the Illinois border that caught our attention.  We pulled off the freeway for a short loop drive to see the town and the area.  We were surprised to find a number of chemical plants located between the freeway and the Tennessee River.  Then we found the town.  Nearby was a little lane and we took it to see the woods and foliage.  The lane was called Vaughn Chapel Road and at the end was a lovely little church, the Vaughn Chapel, complete with a bell tower playing chimes and tolling the hour.  The road was wonderful, even in the rain.

It was quiet, serene and so green.  Rain dripped off the leaves and as the bells rang at the little church, it was almost reverent. We were able to get a picture of Freddy here to represent Kentucky.


Little side paths led off the road, littered with leaves and nuts fallen from the surrounding trees.  We could not really identify the tree.  The nut looked a lot like an acorn but the cap was covered with scraggly, soft spines and the leaves of the tree were not oak leaves.  We asked some locals if they could tell us what it was and they were stumped.  The nuts and the trees were all over the  place so it is a mystery yet to be solved.

I loved this lane and it seemed so inviting, like a path to a peaceful place.  We loved this little area.




The town we sought was just up the road and around the corner.









In fact, the town sign was at the end of the road.

What a fun name for a town, Possum Trot.  We asked at the local Quick Mart about the nuts and they were so nice. The lady at the counter could not give us an answer so she called her dad to ask him.  He thought it was a chestnut but decided to come to the store and show us his example of a chestnut to see if they matched. While he drove over, we bought a piece of local made pecan pie to share.  It was absolutely delicious.  Another great find!  When the man came, it was obvious that it was not a chestnut, but even he did not know its type.  So we went on. 

They were so nice at this location that we took a photo of the sign over the door so that if you find yourself in this location you can also enjoy a wonderful piece of pecan pie.  We were also delighted to find a ward of the Church just down the road from the store.  We think it is the Possum Trot Ward.  I wish we had a name like that for our Ward.

We loved seeing the local decorations for Halloween.  Some were a bit elaborate and some were just plain fun such as this painted hay bale.

This was a well appointed entryway for children to brave to get some candy on the special eve.

All over the south and central part of this great nation we have seen churches large and small.  Some of them are quite creative in what they post on their signs.  We really liked this one, it made us laugh and also think about the things going on in this country, especially with our government.



We moved into our third state, Illinois, crossing the Tennessee River.  Just over the river, we found the city of Metropolis.   They have adopted the "Man of Steel" for their town, justifiably based on the name of the city.  In the main downtown area, you can find a great statue of Superman, staring down the street, prepared to fight crime and defend "Truth, Justice and the American Way".

I made it a point to stand near him in the hope that something might rub off. 


We also left the freeway in the middle of our transit across Illinois to take some back roads and see the heartland.  We passed fields of soybeans and corn, little towns and lovely fields and pastures with cattle and even goats.  We took a Freddy picture with a field of corn, dry and ready to harvest.  We also saw the farm homes, well cared for and many of them proudly displayed flags and showed a sense of pride in this great country.

We continued on I-64 heading toward the border with Missouri.  Traffic got heavier and heavier as we neared St. Louis.  Some areas of construction slowed us, but we did just fine.






 

When we went from Kentucky into Illinois, we crossed the mighty Ohio River. It was essentially as wide as the Mississippi and another major waterway for commerce. 

We also later crossed the Mississippi and moved right through St. Louis, just ahead of the rush hour and made it to Columbia, MO where we will spend the night.  It was a good drive and especially nice to leave the freeway a couple of times and feel of the fun and greatness of our wonderful land.