The journey continues

©2013 Lydia Hinshaw

I can remember when cars actually looked like this

 WEBSTER GROVES, MO -- We have landed in the comfortable hostelry operated by my cousin, the one who is my age (minus 17 months) and spent her youth raising six children.
 Happily, they all turned out well and now are having children of their own.  So it's fun to come here when there is a grandchild or two around.  Currently there are two adorable little boys, almost 5 and 17 months, visiting with their mother from Fort Bragg, where their daddy is young lieutenant.
 Sunday was a four-state day, from Murfreesboro, TN, through Kentucky, Illinois and finally Missouri.  The interstates got progressively bumpier and the weather got hotter with each new state.
 We stopped in Paducah, KY, to stretch our legs in the restored downtown, which is full of restaurants and art galleries.  We had hoped for a sidewalk cafe, a cup of coffee and some people-watching but found none of the above. Since it was Sunday morning, the only thing open was a biker church, with dozens of Harleys lined up outside.
 We did enjoy the river walk along the Tennessee River, which featured a whole lineup of murals depicting the history of the town and the river port.
 Once we got to St. Louis, we hit our usual big-city favorite spots -- lunch at the hot-bar at Whole Foods, a stroll through REI and then across the street to Trader Joe's.
 It's Monday now and we woke up to a thunderstorm that took down some limbs in this suburb full of mature trees. The rain stopped long enough for us to walk to downtown Webster Groves for coffee and muffins.
 We'll spend the day resting and visiting, before facing the rest of Missouri and half of Kansas on Tuesday.