Rachel Darras

On my way to Oklahoma, I had forgotten to set my change a setting on my GPS to avoid toll roads going into southern Missouri/NW Arkansas….A.K.A. The Ozarks.  I thought about turning around, and heading back for the highway when I saw a sign that read, “NOEL Pop. 1402.”  I thought to myself, “Self, I wonder what a town of 1400 in the Ozarks looks like.”  So, I headed into town….or what I think you could call a town.  Looking around, it appeared that the only freshly painted thing in town was……oh yeah…that’s right nothing.  Nothing was new, or even new-ish.  In fact, everything looked like it should have been abandon many years ago. 

First, I drove past a motorcycle inpection point that had the most hilarious “motorcycle” parked out front.  (Notice the light post is in the way?  I wasn’t ABOUT to get out of my car to get a better picture.)  At that point, I decided that going “off-road” was totally worth it.  HiLARious! 

So, I headed down the road a ways, and looked at all the ramshackle remnants of buildings with their broken windows and doors that hung broken and crooked.  Not many cars were on the road, but there were plenty broken and seemingly abandon everywhere.  If the buildings and houses were any indication, these vehicles may in fact be functional…..barely. 

And then it happened….  on my right, I saw the biggest, tallest, reddest shack in all creation.  I thought to myself, ” That looks like some sort of old motel,” and in the same moment realized that there were people sitting outside in lawn chairs!  I read the sign, and laughed out loud when I saw that they had a sign saying, “Hispanics Welcome” hanging below the super fancy Holiday Motel sign.  I guess there was some sort of question??  Anyway, I pulled in to take the picture, and I wanted to get out of my car to do it, but then I noticed that a man was walking toward my car wearing a halo.  And I don’t mean the angel kind.  I mean the – I broke my neck and now I’m wearing a huge Halo- halo.  He was shirtless, wearing cut-off shorts and barefoot…. and so I snapped a quick picture and got the hell out of there.

It was awesome…  I think next time, I’ll go again.