Welcome Home

Last weekend, Katherine and I went exploring in northern Arkansas in search of a town called Welcome Home. We found it southwest of Marhsall. We took the scenic route, mostly old country roads, and we diverted from our destination often in hopes of finding other oddly named villages (like Beverage Town, which we sadly failed to decisively locate).

We goofed off in the antique stores in Leslie, ate terrible things at the Daisy Queen in Marshall, and decided against seeing a drive-in movie at the Kenda there as we had both already seen Spider-man 3. We did descend the steep hills to find the Natural Bridge of Arkansas, a roadside attraction that I have neglected to witness for 31 years now.

We also found scads of Hendrix College dorm furniture for sale at an antique mall. $50 and you can take home a set. I have to admit I really enjoyed seeing those things again. I marvel at what they’ve seen: awkward romances, drug experimentation, late-night studying, deep conversations among new friends, and surely more. Goodbye, dorm furniture. We’ll miss you as you travel on to your new lives among the rural stepchildren you’ll support and the kindling you’ll eventually become.

3 thoughts on “Welcome Home”

  1. I suppose much could be said about a life lived with such busyness that it takes over three decades to see something like the Natural Bridge. I, too, am guilty of never taking the time to pull of US 65 to take a look at it. Thanks for the photo.

  2. well, like most roadside attractions, it’s really not that much to see. and the drive down is STEEP. makes the Pig Trail look like the Oklahoma Turnpike.

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