Small Towns Charm Us Off the Interstate

Big Jim and I both come from fairly small towns and are always drawn to them. We have been through some that definitely meet the criteria . One town in Arizona, years ago, had a hand made sign that read

Population 4
Until Jody’s Baby
Is Born Next Month”

Some of what we’ve learned about small towns in the past three years is worth sharing with those who have spent their lives in the cities and feel that the Interstate highway system is the best road to travel.


1) The first gas station off the Interstate is more expensive than the one three blocks down on the right.

2) Small towns have big hearts.

3) The smaller the town the more waves you’ll get as you drive by.

4) There’s usually a place to buy propane on the outskirts of town.

5) Stay for coffee after church services. Those folk know where to go next.

6) Old people in parks love to talk to you. Ask them about their secret places and about local legends.

7) If you see several police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck in front of a restaurant with no emergency lights-go have lunch!

8) Try the dish that sounds the strangest. In Sonora ,Texas ~ Blackened Alligator bites -so good!

9) Pie Town Café’s Apple Jalapeno pie is fantastic! In Northwest corner of New Mexico.

10) Boiled peanuts? Try ‘em you’ll like ‘em! We had them in Arkansas.

11) Explore the small stores on the town square. Buy jars of local preserves or relish to enjoy later-consumable souvenirs.

12) Shop the oldest store in town and chat with the owner.

13) Staying for a few days? Check the library for local history sites.

14) Read the bulletin boards to spot local festivals and spaghetti feeds.

15) Get out and walk! Smell the roses or the fall leaves.

16) A cute dog on a leash is a great letter of introduction.

17) Miss the grand kids? Sit on a bench on the square, blow some bubbles, and see how many children show up.

18) Search out the city park. You may be able to stay overnight for free.

19) Drop a donation in the jar at the local museum.

20) Remember, God grew up in a small town! Look! His house is right down the street!


See Ya Down The Road,

Yarntangler

Life’s Little Circles

As we drove West again in late February, 2005, we watched with some trepidation as streams of motor homes, 5th wheels, and trailers hightailed it East on I -10. What did they know that we didn’t? The only thing that had never worked in the Winnebago was the radio and given Big Jim’s disenchantment with that world, we’ve never gotten around to doing anything about it.
We finally got to Quartzite, AZ, a place I’d always longed to go, about a month late for the biggest flea market in the world but right on time for a rain of biblical proportions. We camped on the famous free BLM land one night, woke up in a lake and headed out. Every single booth along the road was buttoned up tightly against the torrential rains and we missed out on the whole shebang! As we traveled farther into the West, the stream of RVs became almost bumper to bumper as hundreds of Snow Birds fled the wildfires in Southern California.

: >{ : > { : > { : > {

Northern California, a lovely campground, lovely town, not so lovely job as it turned out to be nothing like we’d been promised. (We had not taken Jaimie Hall’s advice to ALWAYS get it in writing!)

We left amicably after 3 months and ended up right back where we started from - at Moaning Cavern in Vallecito, (off of Highway 49) the place we’d spent our last few days before hitting the road a year before. I went back to work in the same gift shop I’d left on June 14th, 2004! We became the first Workampers the company employed and hopefully, there will be more in the future.

But what a difference! Big Jim, who was well known there as my hubby and #2 son’s Dad became a knowledgeable and respected guide and discovered a passion for caving hitherto unsuspected. Moaning Cavern is the deepest chamber,open to the public, in California. RVers are welcome to dry camp overnight for a small fee. Jim took hundreds of people into the cave by the famous spiral staircase while hundreds of others entered via a 165 foot rappel. Jim also served as night security and even took off on ten minutes notice to lead tours in another of the company’s caves, Black Chasm, near Volcano. Interestingly, he’d only been in that cave once before! He occasionally made deliveries to the other locations and soaked up all the cave lore he could.

There we sat, parked in the employee parking lot, able to “go home” in less than a minute from work. I was able to perform the merchandising job I had advanced into right there, at a picnic table, in the shade. Clancy sat with me near the picnic area and began her career as comforter to children who became frightened going into the cave and having her picture taken hundreds of times with school groups.

The staff loved taking their breaks and chatting with me under our canopy, away from the store. Since I also worked occasionally in the office we all got to know each other better. I was called on to host cookouts, and pot lucks and then wonderfully, an engagement party for #2 son, Jugglesorcerer and #3 DIL, Buttercup.

Ahhh, Buttercup...now there’s a story… The woman who finally stole the heart of our confirmed bachelor and showed him the way to HIS new life!

Are you ready for this?

She was my BOSS!

She was also HIS boss!

But she’s an intelligent woman; she was well aware of the rules. She told me what to do until 5:00. At 5:01 I was the MOTHER-IN-LAW!!!

Also a writer, someday Buttercup will tell her own story but in another Ramblings I’ll share the story of their beautiful wedding - 155 feet below the earth at Black Chasm Cavern!

But now we are almost caught up to the present so I’ll tell you about what we’ve done in the past six months and where we’ll be starting in June when next we meet.

See ya down the road,

Yarntangler