Dollywood For Another Day

After a leisurely day in Lawrence, we were left with a short drive ahead of us to St. Louis.  Here are some pictures from one of our favorite truck stop along the way.

A few hours later, we checked into a very comfy hotel in St. Louis.  The desk informed us that we had missed milk and cookie hour, but told us that we could graze the remaining sweets and fresh fruit.  A few of our friends told us not to miss out on the barbecue between Kansas and Missouri, so we asked the desk for recommendations nearby.  The clerk called ahead to a few spots and could find none open past 11pm.  So instead, we followed advice to dinner at an American chain restaurant.  The name of the establishment now eludes us, either because it was a generic and forgettable “pieces of flair” restaurant, or because it was happy hour.  A Long Island iced tea, potato soup, wheat bread dripping with honey, and deep-fried stuffed mushrooms made for a hearty, carb-driven calorie fest – a proper foundation for a good night’s sleep.

Weary traveler, instantly rejuvenated at the sight of happy hour offerings!

Long Island Iced Tea, grease nuggets, and obligatory ranch dip.

A long day in the car requires a good stretch aided by pieces of flair.

We headed next to Schnucks for rations, and to burn off a little bit of grease by wandering the aisles. First, some delightful displays:

Go big or go home! USA! USA!

These wine labels remind us that we are leaving the West behind.

We encountered our first “Beer Cave,” a walk-in refrigerator within a market filled with beer.  It appeared to be a retail phenomenon west of the Mississippi. 

We hit the jackpot at Schnucks – gummi cola bottles galore!  Lest we be thought of as uncultured junk food monsters, we also bought a head of broccoli to microwave later in our room.

Newlyweds get two beds!

Back at our hotel room, we munched on our midnight snack of fresh veggies and planned for our route and accommodations ahead in Kentucky.  We were not comfortable with the timing of our projected arrival in WV, so we decided to postpone our honeymoon plans to see Dollywood... some other time. 

Time for a good night's rest before exploring St. Louis!