It was the first time Virginia and I had been away from home by ourselves in four or five years. We ran my Traveler newsstand route July 1-2, which gave me a chance to introduce her to some of my favorite people and places in Traveler Country.

I usually make advertising calls along the route, but to get the paper out by the holiday weekend, we skipped the sales and concentrated on newsstands with a few strategic detours. Our first day took us from Valley Park to Eminence, via Potosi, Belgrade and the scenic Arcadia Valley.

Our first cultural side trip was through Washington State Park to see the petroglyphs. The DNR has done a good job of sheltering and explaining these ancient rock carvings of snakes, thunderbirds, lightning bolts and other symbols.

In Potosi, I told her about the cemetery where the street light stays on to protect the tomb of Moses Austin from grave-robbing Texans.
On the way to Belgrade, I pointed out the sign along the county road that reads “Good Place for a Cell Phone Tower.” Perhaps someone would enjoy both better cell phone service and the income that a tower on the property would provide.

We wound through Caledonia and the beautiful Bellview Valley alongside Buford Mountain. We passed up

Virginia Styron was happy to see up close the mill and spring she had seen in so many photographs.

Elephant Rocks — we had been there five years ago and isn’t figure they had changed much — as we entered the Arcadia Valley.

After stops in the Valley, we picked up barbecue at Baylee Jo’s, where we practically filled up on the cherry-smoke fragrance, then followed Highway 21 up to Tip-Top roadside park for a picnic. The road does a hairpin turn as it crests the mountain, which really screws up my sense of direction. Traveling south on 21, you’d think that the overlook from the right side of the road would be looking west. No so. Go up there in late afternoon and and you’ll find the sunset on the other side of the road.

Then it was down the mountain and west to Lesterville on one road that is simultaneously highways 21 South, 72 West and 49 North. You can’t blame tourists for getting confused.

We made our stops and got coffee in Lesterville, then detoured up to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. It was a sweltering day, so the park was full. You could go to the visitor center without restriction, but to get to the shut-ins, you had to wait until a car left and freed up a space in the parking lot.

Our chance came soon, and we checked the license plates as we cruised the lot looking for that single space. The cars were mostly from Missouri, with a smattering of Iowa, Illinois, Tennesee and Kentucky.

As we walked the path to the shut-ins, we wished there was time to join the throng in the cold, clear water. On the way out of the park, we toured the campground to see if it would work for our next family reunion. Nope. Nice camper cabins, trailer and tent spots, but our clan needs the kind of full-facility cabins you find at Sam A. Baker and Meramec state parks.

At Ellington, we veered right to Eminence, via 106. We crept along behind a couple of cross-country bicyclists on that curvy, hilly road until we found a long enough stretch to pass. I join many Ozarkers in wishing bicyclists would stay off shoulderless, winding roads. They are a peril to themselves and everyone else.

At Eminence, we checked into the Riverside Motel, where I introduced Virginia to owner Judy Stewart, who is enjoying her retirement from school teaching. Virgina, a school guidance counselor, is looking forward to retiring in a few years, too.

We rested, then waded in the Jacks Fork at Eminence City Park before meeting Jim and Jeanie Anderson for dinner. After the meal, the Andersons took us on a search for the wild horse bands. We didn’t find the horses, but had a nice tour of the Shannon County backroads, a look at Two Rivers, where the Jacks Fork and Current join, and a visit with Anita Van Steenis, who runs the canoe livery there.

Next morning, we drove west to Alley Mill and Spring, undoubtedly one of the loveliest places in the

Thunderbirds are a common symbol carved by prehistoric Indians who inhabited the area now encompassed by Washington State Park, north of Potosi.

Ozarks. One of the Park Service personnel said she had seen us walking uptown in Eminence that morning.

“Better behave,” I told Virginia. “People are watching.”

Returning to Eminence, we followed 19 to Winona and turned east on U.S. 60, stopping at Twin Pines Conservation Education Center, where we had a quick visit with Melanie Carden-Jessen, the center manager. Melanie is generally channelling a granny woman of the hills, talking to school kids in a long dress and bonnet when I stop there, but that day she was in a crisp MDC uniform.

At Van Buren, we followed 103 south to Big Spring, and enjoyed its refreshing spray. It discharges an average of 288 million gallon of water per day, more than three times that of Alley Spring.

We had a chance to chat with Matt and Andrew Bedell at the Landing, then visited Mark and Pam Norris at Stray Dog Barbecue and had more good barbecue..

Continuing east, we serviced the newsstand at Simmons Grocery and Hardware near Ellsinore. Simmons is really an old country mercantile disguised as a giant convenience store. Business was brisk there and everywhere as folks scurried to their holiday weekend destinations.

We wound it up with stops in Piedmont and Lake Wappapello, then headed for home. Since we weren’t selling advertising this trip, we probably spent more on food, fuel and lodging than we took in, but I chalked it up in the entertainment column. How often do I get the chance to enjoy Traveler Country with my sweetheart on board? It wasn’t all business, but it was all fun — a delightful mini-vacation in Traveler Country.