On the Road No More

I told you there was going to be a dog party.

Trip home took 12 hours. Dogs were still saintly. Kids deserve awards for such acts of endurance. We drove the state of Missouri in my father’s scenic by-way style and only added about 40 minutes to our total time. It was certainly picturesque.

We’ve done bridges. Now we can say we have also floated across. Operating since 1844, the Canton Ferry Service is the longest continually operating ferry service on the Mississippi River. Early Canton Ferries were operated by two horses walking on treadmills connected to paddlewheels. Today the Canton Ferry is powered by two 195 horsepower, V-6 diesel engines. It was a quick crossing. Much faster than I expected. In 1853 it cost a team and wagon 50 cents to cross on the ferry. Yesterday, we paid $5 for our car.
We were only able to cross the covered bridge on foot. This one is located about 8 miles south of Paris, Missouri. So now the kids can claim they’ve been to Paris.
And this final photo op is proof that my dad’s method of travel has some merit. We’d have never found the world’s largest pecan if traveling on the interstate. 12,000 pounds. That’s a mighty big nut!