The exterior of the county jail turned hostel. (See blog post and picture below.) That’s also a view of the north side of the building that former inmates blew up with dynamite.
West Bend on the Map in Missouri
Representing West Bend at Al’s Place – a bicycle hostel in Farmington, MO.
Adventure of a Lifetime —
From the Panola Watchman – Texas – Read the entire article HERE:
Carthage was home for the night to a woman who tours the country, and the world, on her bike as she enjoys the adventure of exploring the world and writing about it along the way.Judy Steffes, 47 of West Bend, Wis, has been traveling the back roads of countries around the world for several years. She says she has a bike riding habit that’s constantly in need of a fix.She grew up riding bicycles. Her dad fixed a bike that carried her and her three small sisters in seats while he drove them around. When she got out of high school, she got the bike she continues to ride today and eventually began touring with organized groups. Once her independence asserted itself, she decided she knew how to map, and she struck out on her own. On her first trip on her own, she took a month’s leave from her job and from West Bend to visit her sister in Colorado Springs. The trip took her 18 days. From there, she decided she wanted to continue to tour, although her boss back in Wis. told her “I hope you got it out of your system.” But, she never has.
Farmington, Missouri
Entering Farmington, MO. Came into town on Hwy OO. Saved a HUGE snapping turtle; I didn’t know those things could jump. A lady stopped and we used her window scraper. The turtle latched on and it took me two elephant heaves to get it to the side of the road. Phew! If you need anything else rescued, just give me a call.
Mark Twain National Forest
In the middle of Mark Twain National Forest along Hwy 67 in southeast Missouri.
FAMOUS CONNECTION…
A lot of the smaller towns I bicycle through often laid claim to some famous person.
The super small community of Linden , Texas had been home to Don Henley of the Eagles.
Popular TV talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres went to high school in Atlanta, Texas.
And, of course, Hope, Arkansas is all about William Jefferson Clinton. Born in Hope in August 1946, the city has made Clinton’s birthplace on Hervey Street a presidential landmark. Clinton’s boyhood home on 13th Street is also marked and the old train depot features a timeline of President Clinton’s life on his journey from Hope to the White House.
There was an interesting thank-you letter in the collection from Hillary Clinton to Dale Drake, a cousin of Bill Clinton.
Dated March 13, 1980 the letter noted how Chelsea “was so excited to receive real money.
She put it in her bank but thinks she’ll use it to buy a baby giraffe,” wrote Hillary.
The Clinton’s weren’t the only people to turn heads in Hope. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee hailed from Hope.
There were a series of musicians that toured Hope, stopping in town via the train.
Black-and-white photos showed piano player Count Basie in Hope during 1932 and Duke Ellington and his 13-piece orchestra from 1935.
There was also a small tribute to Elvis Presley who rocked Hope in Feb. 1955. Admission to the City Hall Auditorium was one Holsum bread wrapper or one Campbell’s soup can.
Nevada County Picayune – Sharing the Love
Sharing an article from the Nevada County Picayune – and sending a shout out….
Read the article in its entirety HERE.
On May 18, Judy Steffes set out on her annual summer bike ride. Steffes, from West Bend, Wisc., has spent her summers riding all over the world for the past 15 years. She lives by the philosophy that the day a person is born and the day he dies are both dates on a headstone, but the dash in between is your life.
Steffes has taken bike tours in Germany, Spain, New Zealand and all over the United States. She often speaks to youth groups and averages 50-60 miles a day depending on the weather. Steffes said that the longest she traveled in one day with the 80 plus pound gear that she carries on her bicycle was 140 miles. The purpose? “I love it,” she said. “I love having the adventure.”Steffes said that she travels day to day and often sleeps in churches. She carries a small sleeping bag on her bike.
“I sleep hard at night, like a mini-coma,” she joked.
Enter Missouri
1,312 miles since May 18th and I’ve had only one flat, one broken spoke,
and one really bad dog chase.
Oh yeah, I’m having a good time.
State Capitol/Rock ‘n Roll Highway
Part of Rock n’ Roll Highway 67 in Arkansas
State Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas