Wilderness

Newton road was the home to many middle-class hard-working people. The homes were all well kept, with small front lawns, and off street parking. Plenty of old beautiful trees can be seen in most everyone’s yard, and they were exquisitely beautiful to see in the fall. Fence-line visits and children running every which way were common scenery. If you go this way, so slow and watch for the little people. The only problem with this street is that it is way too short!

This street is built on a hill that makes anything Schlitterbahn Waterparks or Six Flags over Texas has look like a kiddy ride. Of course when you get to the top of the hill, you have reached what some consider heaven itself. The road leads directly to and through the campus of Elim Bible Institute, a charismatic training school for young ministers and missionaries.
Regardless of the time of year, there is always a cross wind blowing on this street. Don’t wear a dress if you are planning on walking the street or you will end up with it over year head - personal experience speaking here.

In the winter, this street can be a nightmare to get up or down. The ice-cover on it would make even the best skating rinks blush. Thankfully the town and school are quick to make good efforts of cleaning the road. Only one other warning: You won’t get more than twenty feet on this road without someone wanting to tell you about your need to become a Christian. If this is offensive to you, you really might want to go down a different street. They take God very seriously.

I don’t know, maybe it was the rats as big as Maine Coon Cats, or the drug dealers hanging out on the street corners the prostitutes weren’t on, or perhaps I am just not cut out for city life, but for whatever reason, this street scared me. I had the unfortunate experience of being there at dusk, which is not the time for people who don’t live there to be there. I made myself a promise that if I lived through the night, or just long enough to reach a safer place, I would never purposely return there. Not a place for children, teens or vulnerable folks.

Remember the old western movies? Well, I am sure that the sets for those movies were all designed based on Main Street in Crane, MO, right down to the dust before it was paved. Everything that was anything was once on this street. When I was a child, all the business was done on this one street, from banking to blue-jeans to hog food. It was also a great meeting place, where it was not uncommon to see children running the sidewalks playing as neighbors from all over the county visited.

248 was a narrow two lane road that had more curves, twists, and hills on it than most rollercoaster - and it was free to ride on. There are few guardrails, but pleanty of deep ditches to scare you as you ride along in the passenger seat. Along the road you will see farm houses surrounded by barns and gardens. Most houses are 1/4 to 1/2 mile apart. The land is so hilly, a friend of mine accused the cows of having shorter legs on one side of their body than the other so they could walk around better. Despite all the curves, it is a beautiful road to drive. Locals will speed along at 50 and 60 mph. No one will honk at you, if you are poking along at 40 though. Just pure laid back countryside. Fill up with gas before you get on the road. Gas stations are few and far in between on some of those back roads in MO.

I spent a month visiting a friend on this road – only because the person I went with broke their leg and couldn’t be moved for a stinking month. At the time, the road leading into Phillips, NE was the only paved road. The town sported a population of 94 back then. It would have been more like 150 if family pets had been included! Phillips road, like most all the other roads in this town was nothing more than a dusty beaten down trail. I was there during the middle of the summer, which by all means, tainted my opinion of this street. For my first official act of business, I had to neutralize a snake that was as long as I am tall. At night, I spent most of my time fighting off bird size mosquitoes that were determined to drain me dry. My shoes were always full of dust and sand. Not a good street to picnic on. In fact, keep your windows rolled up or you will be chewing on dust until you leave. The street was safe, the families friendly, and the pets welcoming (for the most part).

Center Avenue was once an enjoyable downtown area where you could take a leisurely stroll. Small curiosity shops, jewelry stores and businesses suggested the quaint feelings of a small hometown. Around the 500 block is a beautiful little park. In the park is a waterfall with a metal sculpture of beautiful running horses. Occasionally, someone with a unique sense of humor will add soap to the waterfall, and a mass of bubbles will spill over the sides of the basin, and onto the exquisitely designed bricked walkways. Throughout the year, it is not uncommon to see groups of people with musical instruments sitting on the stone railings, playing and singing.

Starting in late winter, they started reworking the roads, so right now May, 2008, the Center in as mess, covered in dust, and a pitiful sight to behold. Give them about six months and then visit this wonderful little street.

North Terry Avenue had only five houses on it when we moved there. It was located a good mile off of any busy highways in a quiet, peaceful wooded area. The neighborhood was very family oriented and it seemed children felt safe there. Older couples seemed to embrace the young children and watch over them like old mother hens. Although times have drastically changed since I lived there, driving into the neighborhood, I still get that calm, peaceful feeling of home.

Honestly, it has been a good number of years since I visited Chicago and was on this street. Back then it was not the safest nor the cleanest place. There were gangs and homeless people galore, it seemed. At night, it was best to stay within the warehouse compound I was delivering food products too. Unless you have a reason to be there, unless things have changed, don’t go there.

13th street is a unique adventure. The south end of 13th is across from a University. Crossing the street around there is literally taking your life into your own hands because traffic, specifically college drivers are merciless. The NE part of 13th is residential and college house rentals.You don't have to walk far to find a party, but don't plan on getting any sleep either. Houses sit only 20 feet off of the street and passerby's are famous for sharing their music, full of base and volume at 3 AM. The far North part of 13th street is frightening. Not a place to go at night unless you are looking for an illegal substance. Below poverty housing, surrounded by unkempt wooded areas.