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Experience the fascination of a tourist; Feel the comfort of the local

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  • Travel the U.S.A.
    • The Midwest
      • Illinois
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Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

Two Lane Gems

Excerpts from author Theresa L. Goodrich’s Two Lane Gems book series.

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 7 – Half a Billion Years in the Making

This beautiful, magical place is located in southwestern Oklahoma and is home to bison, Texas long horns, and other wildlife.

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 7 – Half a Billion Years in the MakingRead More

Sign for Thomas Ranch in Oklahoma

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 6 – Remembering to Breathe

Previous: Chapter 5 – Perseverance and Silver Linings You know how you feel when you’ve been going non-stop, pushing yourself and getting no sleep and eating everything you’re not supposed to and just feeling generally exhausted, and then suddenly your full day becomes empty and you realize you’ve been holding your breath and now you …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 6 – Remembering to BreatheRead More

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 5 – Perseverance and Silver Linings

Previous: Chapter 4: Big Cats and Bigger Hearts As we left Bentonville I was a touch trepidatious about the next leg of our journey. It was Sunday. We left Friday. We were already getting a little loopy and taking bets on when I’d forget what day it was, and now we were headed to the …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 5 – Perseverance and Silver LiningsRead More

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 4 – Big Cats and Bigger Hearts

This should go without saying: tigers don’t make good pets. Nor do leopards, or lions, or bobcats. Basically any species of cat that is not a domesticated feline has no place in the care of someone who is not trained. I get the desire. When they’re kittens, they’re adorable. When they’re mature, they’re beautiful. But …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 4 – Big Cats and Bigger HeartsRead More

Waiting for the Eureka Springs Parade to begin

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 3 – Eureka! Springs, That Is

Previous: Chapter 2 – History & Hospitality We piled back into Mae, and as we picked up I-44 we marveled at everything we’d done in the last 24 hours. We’d seen more than any two people had a right to in such a short amount of time. It was overwhelming, the sheer volume of information …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 3 – Eureka! Springs, That IsRead More

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 2 – History & Hospitality

Previous: Chapter 1 – And, They’re Off! As we left Cahokia, I called Laura from the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau to let her know we’d be a little late. She was at the store picking up a balloon so she could mark the turn we needed to take to find our accommodations for the night. …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 2 – History & HospitalityRead More

View from the top of one of the terraces on Monks Mound

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 1 – And, They’re Off!

Previous: Prologue It was a crisp February morning when we left our home in Elgin, Illinois. The sun was shining, the traffic around Chicago was uncharacteristically light, and we were a mere 37 minutes behind schedule. Considering we were packed up for a month, I was pleased that was the extent of our delay. For …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Chapter 1 – And, They’re Off!Read More

Red truck on an open road

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: Prologue

There once was a little girl, who had a little curl… That girl was me, and for as long as I can remember, I had a dream that I would travel the country and tell its stories. The dream began before the internet existed, so I took notes with my pen and paper and recorded …

Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1: PrologueRead More

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