Chicago to Rural Missouri

There’s something incredibly refreshing about exposing yourself to something new. Whether your experience is good or bad, you’re still bound to grow as a person because you tried something different. In the context of this journal, I’m talking about seeing new locales. ​

Sometimes when you tell people about your plans, they’ll try to review it based on their own experience, in a means to offer guidance. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, except it doesn’t accommodate for the fact that it’s still important to see new things even if they may be “boring” on the surface. ​

My trusty 318ti hit 93,000 miles somewhere near Springfield, IL. And yes I was looking at the road while this was taken!

So goes my drive from Chicago to St. Louis. I was warned by many that the drive would be “monotonous,” “uneventful,” and “mentally draining.” My experience couldn’t have been more opposite. It was definitely tiring, because it’s a long drive. But I must thank the wonders of cruise control for keeping me just a tad bit refreshed. 

I had never done this drive before. I had never seen these highways. These road signs. These farms. These random roadside attractions. Seeing these things for the first time is what fuels me (pun intended). 

I drove through a town called “Normal, IL” (which was pretty normal). I saw plenty of beautiful rivers and creeks. I even passed Abraham Lincoln’s Springfield home. Even though these may be considered boring by some standards, it was still fun to log these experiences because I was thrilled to see something new. 

This idea continued when I got to St. Louis, a city that I had never visited. I of course tried some of the local favorite foods - while I liked Ted Drewes a lot more than Imo’s Pizza, I’m a more complete person for trying the infamous provel cheese. 

Ted Drewes - where Frozen Custard was invented.

The Clark Street Bridge in Alton

Ferguson was not the war zone that the news made it out to be.

My adventure continued west to Columbia, MO, in the center of the state. I didn’t spend much time there; I mostly stopped there to meet with a client. From there I drove south to Lake of the Ozarks, a resort town that happens to be in the center of the US. There certainly are some beautiful vistas, but it’s easy to tell that you’re in Missouri and not some far-away exotic destination.  

Before arriving at the lake, I pulled off of highway 54 for a quick break, and decided to use the restroom at a side-of-the-road antique shop. The gentleman in the shop was nice enough to let me use his “au natural” restroom, so I perused some of the trinkets in his shop. I ended up buying a random orbital buffer he had for $10, and also got a very cool vintage tobacco tin. I’m fascinated by antiques - I find more artistry and emotion in things were designed in the past, especially ordinary objects. 

The Jefferson City Bridge. The Missouri state capitol was just south of here. I think I have a thing for bridges.

Vintage tobacco tin I picked up at a side-of-the-road antique shop

The journey continues tomorrow to Springfield, MO, and then on to Eureka Springs, AR for the annual MidAmerica BMW 2002 festival, which I’m looking forward to very much!

The Car  

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to my trusty 318ti (which I often call the TeaEye). Throughout this 400ish mile journey (so far), the car has averaged 33 miles/gallon all while keeping me comfortable and entertained through the adequate sound system. We’ll see how well it does in the backroads of Arkansas this weekend. 

Old wheels vs new wheels