Parks and Paths: A final farewell tour, #13 out of 16 things to see in Carthage

We headed to Central Park in Carthage this afternoon to see, according to one internet site, #13 out of 16 things to see in Carthage. What was it? A large sculpture of Marlin Perkins, who was born in Carthage in 1905. He died in 1986 in St. Louis but is buried in Park Cemetery in Carthage. For those of you who don't know, he was host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom for over 20 years. He was a zoologist and had been director of the St. Louis Zoo.

Central Park, located downtown, encompassed a large block and was spacious, pretty, and had a little bit of everything. There were four circular flower gardens that provided the four corners for an area that contained a large pool with a fountain, bandstand and fenced in wading pool with a bathhouse, or at least bathrooms, leading into it. Another side of the park contained Perkin's statue, and another side of the park had a Vietnam War Memorial, located in the same spot that the traveling Vietnam exhibit had once been. One corner had a small playground.

Carthage Central Park Bandstand

Carthage Central Park wading pool

Carthage Central Park Vietnam War Memorial

Across from the park was a Carnegie library, completed in 1905, and built of Carthage marble in the neoclassical style. After we visited, I found out there is a botanical garden and a children's Alice in Wonderland area on the grounds.☹ I tried to tell Pat that we had to go back, with no response. He had just hooked up the car to the RV in preparation for travel tomorrow.

Carthage Library

On the way to the next destination we traveled down Grand Ave. Very impressive historic homes along here.

Next stop, the recommended Peck and Jen's Frozen Custard. We each got a smoothie, raspberry/strawberry for Pat and strawberry/banana for me. YUM!! Pat ordered a kiddie vanilla cone for Krikkit, which was really just the small cone. Even after we had them take off part of the custard, I had to eat some (I assure you, being dairy intolerant, that's not a good idea) before giving it to her. She was MOST appreciative! A little late now, but I didn't check what the smoothie base was....milk??? Tomorrow or Monday will tell!!!

This morning we went to Joplin so I could go to JoAnn's Fabrics. It was an interesting, and now funny, trip. Before we left I threw away trash in the car, which included trash from the drive-in last night. We get to the mall, where JoAnn's Fabrics is located, I put on my face mask, tuck my phone in my pocket, and go to grab my credit card...IT'S NOT THERE. My mind is racing. Was the sack in the back seat the one with our Walgreen's prescriptions in it, and did I toss my credit card in that and throw it away? Pat, very patiently I add, goes back to the campground. Long story short, Pat can see the sack with the $4 in it and rescues it from the bottom of the dumpster (I would have said the heck with that). On the way back I remembered the med sack was on the bedroom vanity, which it was. but no credit card. Funny part: the credit card was indeed in my purse all along. Reminds me of when we lived in Cedar Falls, IA. back in 1979/80. I was pregnant with our oldest, Josh, and after a shopping trip we got home and I couldn't find my keys anywhere. I may have been a little irrational, but I blame it on being pregnant, and I sent him back to retrace our steps at all of the stores we had been to. When he came back empty handed, where did we find them? My back pocket! I'm still laughing remembering this, but as I just repeated that to him, laughing so hard he could hardly understand me, he said, " and you think that was funny?" Anyway we go back to JoAnn's and he and Krikkit wait in the car while I get at the end of the line to just get in the store. They only allow around 20 in at a time and I was #19 in the line outside. Anyone who has been to JoAnn's knows that I then had to wait in the fabric cutting line, followed by the line to pay. I emerged about 2 hours later happy with my purchases. We went to Sonic for a drink, although Pat might have needed a stiffer one! I had offered to leave them at home while I went to JoAnn's--both times.

I have shared a little about our our RV Park, Camp Mi Casa on the route, but I wanted to share a little more. First, if you are an RV traveler, I would strongly recommend this park. You aren't an RVer? Well, you can go glamping! This park is small, quiet and the owners are very friendly. On top of that, they have a very clean park, including restrooms. I have learned a little more history of this spot, the good and the bad. In the 50's and 60's it was home to a family-oriented Mobile Home park, with a gas station in front. The current office was the gas station, and the current laundry/shower house was the laundry for the Mobile Home Park. Most locals remember the biker-bar that was here in the 1970's, Los Amigos, when the property fell in disrepair and the environment wasn't the best. The current owners purchased the property in 2014, after it had set vacant for about 15 years, and did an amazing transformation. Farewell Carthage!