Not did you know

I really thought I knew what I was going to write today, but here I am going a different route. 

The original plan was to be titled, “Did you know?”, and I would list all the things that we do here that are different than when I arrived 10 years ago.  Not a bad topic, but it seemed derogatory to what was done previously at the library and that is not cool.  Libraries always change, libraries always struggle as they find the right fit, and based on all the lovely librarians I have met in my 10 years here, they do what they think is best for their community. 

This idea of change was made vividly clear to me this week as we welcomed back Lauren Wood to our little library squad.  She is replacing Kelly’s position and honestly that could be a whole bookworm on its own; titled “She left it better than she found it”, “We wouldn’t be where we are now without her”.  You get the idea, we hated to see her go, in the simplest of terms.

Lauren worked at the library in 2019 until the first week of June.  So, do the math, it has been 3 years since she worked here.  She is a pretty smart cookie and remembers all of the responsibilities, tasks, duties that she did 3 years ago, seriously, she only struggled with our staff password.  Yes, we have the same one, don’t tell anyone.  She reminded me of all the things we used to do, and thus, back to that “Did you know?” idea. 

Instead, a whole bookworm later, this is what I really wanted to write about, small getaways to enjoy close to home.  Remember, if I could have my dream job it would be as a travel writer.  It would be awesome to write about far away exotic places, but as I get older I really enjoy my own bed(recliner).

Close to home and just a night or two equals perfection.  It is cheaper, supports fellow Missourians, doesn’t rob me too much of quality sleep, yep, perfection.  We have recently gone on two Spyder rides with only a one-night stay.  At the end of September, we took a ride with a restaurant as our chosen destination.  Last weekend, I used a last minute Airbnb search to find our destination.  Ride one:  We visited Sybil’s in St. James.  It was a beautiful ride and the food was best we have had, which says a lot, we love trying new restaurants.  Ride two: We visited Steelville.  A ride that topped our visit last year to Tennessee to see the fall foliage, and a town rich in history, my favorite of things. 

My first recommendation for these short trips: no interstates, only numbered and lettered roads.  Be careful though, sometimes you might end up on gravel, not preferred on our Spyder.  I also stay away from the first hits that come on google searches.  I don’t want Yelp or Travel Advisor to tell me what is good.  I prefer articles like the ones from Missouri Life, Rural Missouri, etc., you know, information from the locals.  Another little tip, if they only have a Dollar General, you probably have a better chance of seeing some historical areas. 

I will leave you with some realities to balance the recommendations and the positive.  Realities, not complaints, because they sometimes make for the best stories.  When a restaurant is your destination, sometimes the hotel can disappoint, or catch fire for that matter.  Yes, road trip one involved an early morning evacuation, and yes, when the alarm goes off you should react instead of lying in bed assuming it is false (me).  Even if you want a drink with your meal, it might not be worth visiting the only restaurant with a liquor license.  Road trip two didn’t have any bad food, but one might say, we enjoyed some unique service at one location. 

So, there you go, no what do you know about the library, but what I know about some small towns off of Route44.

Upcoming Events: 11/2 Lap Time Story Time at 9:45, followed by Story Time at 10am, 11/2 Book Club at 6:30pm and Bookopoly Reading Challenge continues.