Springfield MO to Home — The 21st Century Matriarch

I said goodbye to my daughter in Springfield MO and headed out at dawn. Her street was full of fall color – more on the ground than in the trees.

I had decided to take a different route east from Springfield to avoid the traffic on I44 toward St. Louis. I drove on US 60 toward Poplar Bluff MO. There were a few stop lights, but the traffic was light and it was a sunny day. I made stops at a grocery store, a fast-food place and then gas station. None were very photogenic although the Dino Mart name caught my attention.

While I was driving there was lots of beautiful scenery. There were signs for Missouri state parks and trails all along way. As I continued toward Paducah KY the road became two lanes (one in each direction) with no shoulders (often on the top of a levee) and there were two long bridges over the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. It was the type of road that begs for scenic overlooks…but it didn’t have them!

In Kentucky I travelled the Western Kentucky and Blue Grass Parkways to Lexington KY. There was one rest stop with some fall foliage along the way and I managed a picture of some fall color across the road.

I was relieved that my route from Lexington the next morning was on an interstate with frequent rest stops – and I started out with a full tank of gas so I would only need to stop once for gas during the day. The foliage along the route in eastern Kentucky was probably the best of trip even though many trees had already lost their leaves.

I set my destination to the New River Gorge National Park visitor center just off I64 in West Virginia. It was a very scenic drive, but I realized when part of the route was toll road that I was off the route I had used previously through West Virginia. I walked around the outside of the visitor center enjoying the fall foliage; I didn’t have time to stay very long since I wanted to be home before dark.

At first, I thought my route would still take me up to I70 eventually…but it didn’t. I was on the heavily travelled I81 before I knew it and then was locked into taking I66 (lots of construction) toward Washington DC. Traffic was a little better on the Washington Beltway. And I made it home before dark even though I was exhausted from driving in heavy traffic at high speeds.

My husband claims our maple tree lost its leaves while I was driving…there were still a few at the base of the tree the next morning.