Another long day of driving.
Today I found the elusive Toad Suck, Arkansas.
It is little more than a wide place in the road, but ever since I heard
the name ten years ago it was on my bucket list to visit, just because it’s
strange. Here’s what the internet has to
say about it:
Long ago,
steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when
the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew
tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While
they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay
of the folks living nearby, who said: "They
suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads."
Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend lives on.
Here are the
highlights of Toad Suck:
Really. Those are the highlights. Buck's is the local watering hole. It doesn't open until 2 in the afternoon.
I don’t like
heights. Just ask my family. There are a lot of bridges in this country,
and a lot of them are really high. I
have to resort to my Lamaze breathing to get across them. And when they are not only high but over
water like the Mighty Mississippi, well, just let it be said I turn a little
pale. There were many bridges on today's route, and my shoulders were up around my ears every time.
This is Magellan:
He is my copilot on
this trip and may appear in future photos if he is not too shy.
After visiting
Beautiful Downtown Toad Suck, Magellan and I continued on to Memphis
to visit Graceland. We got there late in the afternoon, so all
sightseeing will be done tomorrow and the next day. Until then, it’s time for a shower and some
vegan junk food for dinner.
Nitey-night!
The mystery of Toad Suck is solved and one more item checked off of your bucket list. I laughed out loud about how it got its name.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the bridges. That is what makes the small highways fun. You never know shat is around the bend. We were on one in Utah that we should not have been on with the tyoe of rig we had. At the elevation and the steepness of the grade on this two lane highway with no shoulders we were very concerned the truck would stall out and then we were in trouble. We made it and then a few miles later we were on a narrow ridge with sheer dropoffs on each side. Makes you wonder how they ever built a road there. It was steeper going down but hen it was smooth sailing following the twists and turns along the river. It was beautiful scenery that Jess never saw as he could not take his eyes off the road or his hands off the wheel.
Look forward to tomorrow's blog.
Norma