Missouri

The 5 days that we spent in Kansas City is a testament to how much we both enjoyed being there. However, we had a journey to resume and many many miles to conquer; so with the Beast rested and watered, we continued east along Highway 35 toward Liberty, and outlaw country.

I didn’t know it before I got here, but it appears that throughout 19th century Missouri has offered refuge to many a thief and villain. Most notably, it was the home to one Mr. Jesse James, who after fighting for the Confederacy in the American Civil War in 1866, embarked on an anti-establishment robbing spree with his 2 brothers (as part of the now infamous James Gang). In the civil war, Missouri was a border state, which meant that it had both split allegiances and strong ties with the south. Therefore, Jesse James’ defiance of the post-war Unionist state authority was, and still remains something that has been romanticised and celebrated here. However, the fact remains that Jesse James did not actually admit to any of his crimes before Robert Ford assassinated him in 1882. This means that each criminal act now linked with his name is as much the product of speculation and hearsay as anything else.

Make of this what you will.

Liberty is the place where Jesse James supposedly staged his and America’s first daylight bank robbery at 103 North Water Street. The bank where this took place still stands (albeit recently renovated) on the corner of a well-preserved central square that is ringed by a neighbourhood of small well-maintained wooden houses. Understandably, and in-keeping with the outlaw-ishness of its history, Liberty is now a centre for law enforcement, with an impressive central courthouse and nearby jail.

103 North Water Street

Inside the Vault Robbed By Jesse James

Liberty Courthouse

With our bellies full of history, it was now time for something different, something natural and something detached from urban living. This involved taking a long drive southeast on Highway 7 toward the Mark Twain National Forest, via the small and avoidable towns that surround the otherwise intensely pretty Lake Ozark. With this journey came our passage into a new season and the final termination of our long hot Indian summer. Now, as the number of trees intensified on the landscape, so did the abundance of vibrant autumnal colours. As we looked out of the Beast intense reds, yellows and rusty greens caught the still intense sunlight and dominated the view as we passed through the hamlets, villages and small-scale agriculture that clung to this long and narrow winding road.

Such a pretty place.

The Town of Tightwad (You couldn't make this up)

Mark Twain National Forrest

© All Images By Paul