Turds dot the roads like a giant linear checkers game. Up the road, a hundred buggies parked outside the local produce market. A giant four-horse draft team passed me, its wagoneer headed to plow a field. We waved at one … Read More
207 years ago today, the Earth shook New Madrid.
In the History of Southeast Missouri, eyewitness Godfrey LeSieur gives this account of the New Madrid Earthquake: “The first shock was about 2 o’clock a. m., on the night of December 16, 1811, and was very hard, shaking down log … Read More
My Favorite Road
“What’s your favorite road?” I get that question a lot. It’s natural, since folks know I’ve driven every mile on the map. They’re curious. What’s my favorite restaurant? Favorite bed and breakfast? Favorite state park? At a chamber banquet in … Read More
Searching for The World’s Greatest Taco Stand
In a world where big chains employ clowns and kings to spice up the sameness, the rugged individuality of the Mexican culinary art form engages all five senses. It’s rewarding to find a truly authentic Mexican restaurant, one that offers … Read More
Dancing on the Edge of the Storm
First night, Tropical Storm Gordon formed over our heads. Next day, Gordon’s outer bands lashed us as we danced on the edge of the storm. This passage reminded me of a race against time ten years ago: We awoke at … Read More
Souls Along the Road
My newest book–Souls Along the Road–is hot off the press! More “on the road” adventures blending local characters and mom-and-pop food into an archipelago of tasty stories, diving deep into America’s cultural fabric, finding badass good Samaritans and traces of … Read More
A Dickens of a Heist
Boarding a railroad car at Gads Hill, Missouri, Frank James quoted Shakespeare, announcing to startled passengers his gang’s intent to rob them. Just the rich, mind you. Not the working poor, with calloused hands. No women. No children. The Bard … Read More
Where the Carny Sleeps
They were hiding back among some barns and sheds. I’d uncovered a spot where a traveling carnival sleeps in the off-season. Only partially visible from the road, the unique shapes and garish colors jump out from the octopus, with light … Read More
Mom’s Cafe
Hartville.Welcomed by the café’s official dress code–jeans and ball caps–I felt right at home on Rolla Street right next to Bullfrogs Pawn, bathed in the aroma of bean soup and the promise of frog legs. Betty always dreamed of owning … Read More
New Book in 2018!
She handles through turns like a dancer with the spirit of a sports car and the mileage of a miser. Her flanks show dings from parking lot encounters, and her roof is a quilt of dents from hail and scratches … Read More