。
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
before. We hadn't eaten out yet and thought waffles would be a nice treat, plus the restaurant fit into the rule of eating places we've never heard of before. Unfortunately, some smaller restaurants haven't bought into the novel idea of debit cards, so Jason and I had to scrape together cash, literally pulling crumpled up bills out of our pockets — we ate on $15.
It was a good thing we were well fed because for the next hour we were stuck in miles of Branson traffic. I haven't seen roads so congested since I was driving back from Texas on the
day of a big Nascar race. Driving down highway 76, Branson's main drag, we passed signs for Kirby the Magical Unicorn and a rendition of Mount Rushmore but with Elvis's face on it.The line of cars inched forward, and we started playing Christmas Carols from my iPod, just because we had listened to everything else. Outside of Jason's window we could hear duck calls from a tour guide that drives around in what looks like a boat.Everyone had noisemakers that looked like yellow duckbills and was quacking with them.Crowds of people walked along the
"There are lines just everywhere," Jason said. "People are just lovin' it. C'mon, if you were a kid, you'd love Branson."
sidewalks, probably headed to one of the cheesy shows or the Branson Mall.
"Hey, I'm 22, and I do love Branson,"I said.
I loved Branson even more as we were slowly driving forward and spotted another — yes, another — giant bovine statue. This one was up on pillars, and its marquee advertised Rudy the Roll Tosser. I made Jason get out of the traffic for a moment so we could pull over and take
some more pictures of this giant cow wonder. It took us a while for anyone to let us back onto Highway 76, but it was worth it for another snapshot of the huge helper to add to our collection.
Mount Zion, Mo.
We made it out of Branson and headed straight toward Mount Zion, Mo. We started to get anxious about the town, wondering what it would look like and what there was to do. "We should stop and get something to eat or maybe a root beer," I said. Jason pointed out that the town may be just a
cluster of houses and not have any restaurants or places to stop and that's exactly what Mount Zion was.
At about 2:30 p.m., we pulled into Mount Zion. The town was along a two-lane highway with no shoulder, so we just stopped in the right-hand lane. We got out and snapped pictures, talking to a brown horse that neighed loudly as we disturbed the town's silence. We walked around for about 20 minutes, remaining parked in the middle of the road. No one drove by. We didn't see a soul except for a lazy cat lounging on a maroon
minivan.
Mount Zion might not have been the flashiest place to visit for our three-day weekend — it's surely no Las Vegas or New York City. But even though we slept on the ground instead of a five star hotel, the trip gave us a chance to see new places and spend some time together. I now know that Jason was voted "best hair" in high school. All in all, we spent about $100 between the two of us, including gas. And what about getting chance to see three giant heifer statues in two days? That's priceless.
PLAN A ROAD TRIP OF YOUR OWN CHECK OUT THESE PLACES NEAR LAWRENCE.
GARDEN OF EDEN,
305 E. SECOND ST., LUCAS
Some may call him crazy, but Samuel Perry Dinsmoor began building his house in 1907, when he was 64. For 22 years he used more than 113 tons of cement and limestone to model his house like a log cabin, surrounded by sculptures of Adam and Eve, children playing and animals. Visit www.gardenof-eden-lucas-kansas.com for more information driving directions.
MOON MARBLE COMPANY,
600 E. FRONT ST., BONNER
SPRINGS
Learn about how to make the marbles you used to play with as a kid. See demonstrations of marble making and learn about glass blowing. Browse the displays of antique marble toys. Visit moonmarble.com for directions to the store.
WORLD'S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE,
WISCONSIN STREET, CAWKER CITY
GLORE PSYCHIATRIC MUSEUM,
3408 FREDERICK AVE., SAINT
JOSEPH, MO.
In 1953, Frank Stoeber was just a man with some twine and a dream, but now his original ball has amounted to more than 7,049,191 feet of twine. Visit this giant masterpiece and get a souvenir T-shirt, showcasing your journey through western Kansas. Search roadsideamerica.com for driving directions.
Once the "Lunatic Asylum," er... psychiatric ward of St. Joseph State Hospital, the museum is now outside what used to be the hospital (now a prison). Dioramas depict the history of treatment of mental illness — everything from the "Tranquilizer Chair" to the "Bath of Surprise" to a giant treadmill, resembling a gerbil's wheel. Search it at roadsideamerica.com for hours and driving directions.
OZ MUSEUM, 511 LINCOLN,
WAMEGO
This new museum houses one of the largest private collections of memorabilia from both the 1939 movie and Frank L. Baum's classic, The Wizard of Oz. The museums has everything from antique toys to a sequin from the original pair of ruby slippers the Judy Garland dons in the film. Check out http://www.wamego.org/oz_museum.htm for more information.
212> JAYP LAY301282006