Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: LATE WINTER ROAD TRIP Just after Dave and I got on I-35 at Merchant Street, I glanced to my right to the ESU parking lot near the highway. What had once been huge mountains of snow were now molehills of black encrusted ice. Snow may …
The Trip
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: THE TRIP In a recent email conversation, my friend Ed Durall described a lengthy move that his father’s family had made in the 1920s. Ed wrote, “In family lore, that was always known as ‘The Trip.’” First, I love the term family lore. And I …
Key to the Treasure
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: THE OLD FAYETTEVILLE PLACE I hang onto books, especially my favorite ones. As a youngster I must have read “Ribsy” by Beverly Cleary and “Key to the Treasure” by Peggy Parish at least 30 times each. Last week, in my basement, I found those …
Crossing Missouri
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: CROSSING MISSOURI As we made plans to travel to Dave’s brother’s house for a Saturday version of Thanksgiving dinner, Dave used a mileage calculator to determine how early in the morning we would need to leave Emporia. I was surprised to learn that it’s only …
Art in the City
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: ART IN THE CITY “Mom! Mom!” I heard a boy’s voice yelling from the sidewalk in front of my house. I looked out the door and saw a boy who was 8 or 9 scramble to get on his bicycle. He continued to shout …
Southern States
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Rowan Oak, Oxford, Mississippi SOUTHERN STATES Interstate highways allow you make good time while traveling, but having a good time on those highways is not guaranteed. Those slabs of concrete are like run-on sentences: no periods in sight. If you want to cover miles …
What Remains
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: WHAT REMAINS When I noticed the downhill-sloping sidewalk in front of my grandparents’ former house, I remembered being 8-years-old, holding onto Grandpa’s hand, and skipping beside him on the way to the neighborhood grocery store. We each have latent memories, things that we forget …
In the Land of Curves
Today’s Flyover People column, as seen in The Emporia Gazette: IN THE LAND OF CURVES I’ll tell you what, Arkansas residents sure get their money’s worth out of steering wheels. Earlier this month while headed to my mom’s house near Hot Springs, I wound my car around dozens of tree-covered mountains. Scenic Highway 7 has …
Roadcut
Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park For us straight-road folks, there always seems like there’s a mystery around the curve.