Driving and Visitors

Even after my thesis last week on why not to rent a car in Europe, I am reminded of how much fun it is just to drive around and explore unfamiliar places. There's something about just cruising that can't be beat. Thinking back, I remember several instances where driving was just a fun past time. Sitting in the back seat with Uncle Mark and Mimi cruising country roads above Winnsboro, or taking the long way home after church on Sunday with Mom and Dad.

It seems like Isaac and I are continuing this tradition. Lately we've done a fair share of driving, exploring the neighborhoods and parks nearby our new place.

Our biggest find thus far is yet another green blob I noticed on a map - the Parklands of Floyds Fork. It's a beautiful collection of parks that cushion a winding river (Floyds Fork). The parks have baseball and soccer fields, access points to drop in kayaks, small meandering footpaths and one long, paved trail that runs the park's entire length. I'm not sure how long the whole park is, but there's incremental signs measuring the distance (both by foot and by boat for path and river-goers) and the part we visited was mile 60-something.

It reminds me a bit of the river parks in Columbia - Riverwalk and Riverfront Park - in that they are separate parks that flow together. But one big difference is these parks are not in the heart of a city. It feels like a polished and new park in the middle of nowhere - there's kids playing soccer, parents watching and a background of tree-covered hills.

The particular part we went to is known for its beech trees, many being between 200-300 years old. I can't wait to visit this place in the fall.

Below is the main paved trail that runs the entire length of the parks. Do you see what I mean about being in the middle of nowhere? Shiny white pavement plopped down in the country.

Something else you're bound to encounter while driving (or just being here) is storms. I'm learning that this part of the country is where tons of weather fronts meet - cool air comes down from Canada and warm, wet air comes up from the Gulf. They smack together and we get some serious storms. To me, it just feels a little more intense and frequent than what we get back home.

I took this picture when we were heading west on the interstate one evening. This storm was one that caused some tornadoes in other states and brought high winds and hail to our state too. Luckily just the edge of it tickled Louisville, but it did make the sky look pretty unreal and scary. I can't imagine what it's like living in "tornado alley", just being on the edge of all the fun is enough for me.

My parents have done their fair share of driving this past week too. They came to visit us! They were also so sweet and carried up more items for our apartment too. Most notably, they brought Cookie, our beloved and spoiled rabbit. Mom has been caring for her the entire while we lived in South Korea, and it is nice to finally have her back with us. She settled in more quickly than any of us expected.

Since my parents were in town, all four of us drove around together just to show them parts of Louisville. One place we visited that sticks out is a cute barbecue place we just happened to stumble upon. It is located in the kind of area where it's hard to find parking close by, and the only options are along cramped streets. Yet this restaurant had exactly one parking place, and it was empty and waiting on us.

One more place we drove by was the Ford Truck Factory Plant. I have to admit that this place didn't provide such beautiful scenery, but it was still neat to see what seemed like an endless gleaming sea of spanking new trucks and SUVs.

That just about sums up this past week. It was a lot of fun and zoomed by quickly. We continue to settle in, buying little things like a can opener and a different sized spatula. Now that the weather is warming up, I'm planning our next driving adventures. I've got a few green blobs on my mind.