Day 4: Looking for gas in the Ozarks

August 3, 2005
Memphis, TN to Joplin, MO

I crossed the Mississippi today and hit my first big change in scenery, the Mississippi Delta. It was flat, with seemingly endless green stretching out in all directions.

I took a detour off I-40 into what has become ivory-billed woodpecker country. In particular, I was interested in Brinkley, AR, which was profiled on NPR as looking to profit from the sighting. And were they! There was the Ivory-Billed Inn, the Ivory-Billed Burger, and a multitude of Ivory-Billed t-shirts.

But its downtown still bore the signs of a town that had seen better days. Nice old gas station, though.

My kind host Steve, waiting for me in Joplin, MO, said it wouldn't take that much longer to go through the Ozarks on my way there. Yeah, right. I almost ran out of gas and had to buy some at a gas station like the one below. (Yes, there's really gas in there!)

Once I (finally) arrived in Joplin, Steve took me on a tour. Being a fellow geographer, Steve was particularly interested in such oddities as nearby Webb City's praying hands and its sign welcoming you to a parking lot.

We stopped by a beautiful bridge preserved as part of a trail system. But don't try to jog on it -- that's not allowed! Perhaps they're afraid it will collapse?

Onward to Day 5>>>

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