Good-byes never feel good but leaving Milwaukee and those fun days with Erik and his friends behind was especially hard. Luckily, we had a couple more stops waiting for us on our road trip. And thinking about spending two days all by ourselves in a remote cabin in the Ozark National Forest, with the next gas stop being an hour away, did get us a little excited to move on.
MISSOURI , MEMPHIS & THE OZARK NATIONAL FOREST
But first, we had a little time-travelling to do. Visiting my mom’s host-mom from her exchange back in 1982 was easily incorporated into our route, as we had to drive through the state of Missouri anyway to make our way down south. Ann and Jack were surprisingly fit for their age and showed us around in the little town of East Prairie. Walking down the streets my mom had walked down as a 17-year old teenager, seeing the school she had visited and standing in the room she had slept in, did feel like a proper jump back in time.
After this pitstop in the middle of nowhere, we paid Elvis a visit and spent a night in Memphis. Dancing the night away at Silky O’Sullivan’s but skipping Graceland, his over-prized tourist magnet mansion, and instead enjoying the view from the 18th floor of our airbnb apartment – 24 hours actually seemed enough to get a feel for the place. The next morning, we had a 5-hour drive ahead of us and some grocery shopping to do, as we knew that our cabin in the Ozarks would be far off the beaten tracks and there wouldn’t be a 7/11 around to quickly grab a snack. After about four hours of highway, we left the concrete road, having passed the last gas stop 40 minutes ago, and started driving down a narrow dirt road. Some lonesome houses showed up every now and then behind old trees and run-down sheds. The ride was bumpy from the deep holes in the ground and the remoteness started creeping up on us. We weren’t even sure if we’d make it up the oddly steep “driveway” at the end of which we assumed our airbnb cabin to be. But we did and the welcome was as warm as it could’ve been. Three little dogs were excited to see new strangers out here where they probably only got to see new faces every other week. And so the adventure in the Ozarks began. If you ever feel like enjoying quiet nature without touristy tracks, simple home-made meals with a view over misty tree tops, cozy nights with almost forgotten DVDs, and simply taking a break from the busy life as we know it, this cabin in the Ozark National Forest is the perfect spot to start.
SOME PUMPKINS & WEDDING VIBES IN TEXAS
After being on the road for almost two weeks, we said goodbye to our rental car and indulged in some sweet family time in Texas. Dallas had us visiting the Texas State Fair to try some corndogs and fried Oreos, and the Arboretum to take the obligatory pumpkin pictures. In Andrews, I finally got to introduce Max to many of my friends and family from my high school exchange year in 2011/2012. We hiked through McKittrick Canyon in the Guadalupe National Park, which was well worth the 3-hour drive, had countless breakfast burritos, strolled along the River Walk in San Antonio and indulged in a 3 pound cinnamon role at Lulu’s (which, by the way, we only finished 3 days later). To top it all off, we finished our vacation in Austin, by attending the wedding of my best friend from high school. Morgan had made me one of her bridesmaids and besides being extremely relieved that I fit into my dress, which I had ordered to the States prior to our trip, I was incredibly thankful for being able to stand by her side on this special day. A marvellous ceremony, sunshine and blue skies, wonderful people, beautiful vows, and all this love in the air brought us all an unforgettable day. And to Max and me, the perfect ending to our trip.
TRAVEL TIMES AND STOPS ALONG THE WAY
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (3 nights) – St. Louis 6h
St. Louis, Missouri (1 night) – Memphis 4,5h
Memphis, Tennessee (1 night) – Ozark National Forest 5h
Ozark National Forest, Arkansas (2 nights) – Dallas, Texas 6-7h (3 nights)
San Antonio, Texas (2 nights) – Dripping Springs, Austin, Texas (2 nights) 1,5h
MY TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS
- Our Airbnb in St. Louis was only €33,37 per night & we had a wonderful host as well
- For some drinks, live music & dancing in Memphis, make sure to spend some time at the Silky O’Sullivan’s
- Breakfast at Blue Plate Cafe will get you ready for the day after a night out in Memphis
- Our Airbnb in the Ozark National Forest aka our cabin in the woods was an absolute hidden gem. Very remotely located an hour away from the next gas station in the middle of the Ozarks, you really get to take a break from all the hustle around you. A bit pricier, we paid €80 per night but the experience & atmosphere was well worth it.
- Don’t miss out on the wonderful pies at Oark General Store in the middle of the Ozark National Forest. Also, it might just be the only place around there to get any food at all.
- Our Airbnb in Dripping Springs was such a lovely place that we would’ve loved to stay longer than just 2 nights. €104 per night was actually quite a good price compared to all the hotels in the surroundings.
lenacatherine 