Road Bits

Today I saw one Illinois state trooper car when traveling across the entire state. Which made me remember that in Louisiana, there were state troopers just about every twenty feet. In no other state have we seen anywhere near so many state cops. I don't have an explanation, except maybe it came about in the Huey Long era, when he used the state police as his personal army and needed lots of them on the payroll. I'd be fascinated to see Louisiana's state police payroll as opposed to any other state.

We spent some time wandering through rural souther Indiana today. Lots of green grass and trees and brick houses. And this must be the ceramic yard animal capital of the world. Maybe the whole universe. Did you even know they made ceramic black and white yard pigs?

Now we're just outside St. Louis, Mo. Passing through the city on the highway at the beginning of rush hour, we didn't see much of interest or beauty, except, of course, the arch and the Mississippi. I'm sure it's there, but just not right by the freeway. And the place in the hotel's neighborhood that sells "frozen custard butterburgers" is a little scary, although the possibility remains that they are two different things. But our hotel--a Holiday Inn--is great. The pool has a pass-through between inside and outside, just like the shark pool in the James Bond movie. There are video games, foosball, a pool table, a sauna and a jacuzzi in the "holidome." And Dairy Queen is just 138 steps away.

Here's some good advice: don't step on the metal rim of your son's boot trim, cutting open your heel, and then--not knowing your heel has been sliced open--put on your own boots and walk 138 steps to Dairy Queen and back, because when you get back to your hotel room your boot and sock will be full of blood and your foot will hurt a whole whole lot.

Comments

[Matt Forbeck]

That's "Frozen Custard AND Butterburgers" from Wisconsin's version of a regional chain: Culvers. Don't knock the frozen custard until you try it. I'm partial to their concrete butterscotch malts myself. It beats DQ all hollow.

[Jeff]

Yeah, Culver's, that's the place. Glad to hear they're two separate menu items...