Marshall, Illinois
Bobbie's Cousin, Jack and his wife Susan, opened their beautiful home to us during our stay in Marshall, Illinois. Nestled in 80 acres of farmland with daily visitors of deer and wild turkey among other critters native in this wonderful part of the country. They let us stay in the full basement apartment which had everything one could imagine including a sauna and fully stocked bar!
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What fun we had reminiscing our childhood from days gone by. Swimming in that old muddy Wabash River and eating watermelons right in the patch.
We promised to come back next April to go mushroom hunting...I love those Morels!
We promised to come back next April to go mushroom hunting...I love those Morels!
A wide spot in the road in the SW corner of Clark County, Moonshine is the "In" spot for the elite to meet. You'll need a compass, plat map and a little luck to find it, but she's worth the trip! Roy Lee and Helen Tuttle bought the old-time (circa 1912) country store in 1982 and promptly made it the best eating house in town - heck, it's the only building in town, unless you count the outhouse - and you had better count it..,The store guest-book has visitors from all 50 states and around the world. The visitors get a chance to enjoy hospitality and ambience from days gone by, no fancy menus or dinner tabs here, just give your name when you order over the deli counter and pay as you leave. You can sit down on the inside benches or enjoy the picnic tables right next to the kerosene pump. We had one of the best burgers here!
The grill opens at 10:00 Am and closes at exactly at 1:30 Pm. No more orders are taken for that day. |
Jack and I standing on the old Darwin ferry which is the only means of getting across the Wabash River for almost 40 miles. This section of the Wabash river is where there is an infestation of "jumping" Carp. If you cruise through this section of the river, at just the right speed, the Carp get stimulated by the vibrations and start jumping out of the water. You are very likely to get hit by an 8-10 lb Carp as they will jump into your boat.Then we drove past the old homeplace where the farm use to be...I grew up on a poor farm with my grandparents that never new luxury. It was a time of hard work, plowing the fields with wheat and corn. But with all that said, we never went hungry nor did I ever no poverty. Since I was so young when Mom brought my brother and I to live there, nothing seemed odd or different. Most all of our friends and family lived in the same conditions. The outhouse, pumping our water, having our weekly bath on Saturdays was just a way of life. Funny, I think back to those times and it was the best memories! I grew up there until I was a teenager. Then moved to Chicago...what a life change that was! Country tom-boy to city slicker, but that's another story!