My wife and I took a classic Sunday drive last weekend.
It was one of those fall days in the Ozarks when the weather was pretty much perfect, with temperatures in the low 80s, little to no humidity and just a slightly cool edge to any breeze that came along.
We took Wendy’s 2001 Jaguar S Type sedan, which hugs the road like a race car and is long and low so that it almost feels like being in a land kayak.
Scotty (the Scottie) of course came with us, because he loves going places with his “pack.”
We were headed to St. Robert, so Wendy could purchase an item of bedding from a woman who lives up that way. When we reached the Roby area, we noticed a large sign that said, “Highway 17 bridge detour” and pointed us toward Route 32 through Plato. We assumed that the bridge at Roubidoux Creek was being worked on, but it was interesting, because you don’t know how far you’ll be “detoured,” and you just have to trust the situation and move on.
We eventually were directed by another sign onto Highway U, which took us back to Route 17 about two miles north of the bridge.
We had never been on that piece of roadway, and it turned out to be situated in a beautiful stretch of real estate, winding through the hills and forests of eastern Laclede County. Now, the portion of Route 17 in Laclede County and in Pulaski County just past the northwest Texas County border is a very pretty roadway in its own right, but we were both delighted by the fact that we still wouldn’t have been familiar with the piece of Highway U if not for the detour.
Funny how those things can sometimes work.
Once we were done with our “business” in St. Robert, we headed back south toward Doolittle and wandered through one of our favorite flea markets. Scotty loved that, because the public loves him and he loves the public. Scotty is always so well-behaved when he’s in a store, and I’d say no fewer than six people got down to his level and petted him (including a couple of young ones).
For the record, this Scottish terrier’s favorite stores are Lowe’s and TJ Maxx.
Anyway, we took Highway T south out of Doolittle. But first, we stopped for gas at the Stuckey’s next to I-44.
That turned out to be another bonus, as we met this wonderfully nice young woman from India who was working behind the counter at the deli, and she introduced us to their homemade “Butter Chicken Soup.” We had it for dinner after we got home, along with rice and a bunch of vegetables Wendy prepared.
It was absolutely scrumptious.
The young lady also gave us a couple of “complimentary” containers of sauce, both of which were unbelievably delicious. One was a hot and spicy version, and the other was something we couldn’t identify but had an amazingly pleasant flavor.
When we got back on the road, we went through Newburg after a few miles. If you’ve never been through that little town, it’s a quaint and interesting place that began as a railroad stop in 1883, and there are still several old buildings in the downtown section that no doubt carry a lot of history. It’s surrounded by hills and forest, and really has its own unique atmosphere.
There are some pretty rugged areas in that portion of western Phelps County, with lots and lots of wilderness and trees. As Highway T passes through the region, it’s a winding, up-and-down roadway that provided the Jag some great space to maneuver on.
We enjoyed every moment as we took in the scenery, passing by many horse or cattle spreads nestled in the undulating topography.
Eventually, Highway T met with Highway M, which took us back to good old U.S. 63 at Edgar Springs, and we were back in Houston in short order.
It’s hard to beat a nice fall day in the south central Missouri Ozarks, but adding a nice drive through such attractive and picturesque territory makes it even better.