I do not want to hijack the thread. But I will tell ya the condensed version of my last trip thru that there state.
It was May of early 2000's. On my Harley. Arrived, during Tornado season. Electrical storm almost pushed me into a ditch. I drove like ~8k miles that Summer - all stupid.
SOFTBALL sized hail. Electrical storms. (This is the START of my trip)
I pull into tiny town (Bent Elbow, Crooked Knee, sumpthin'...) on said Harley with beer strapped to the back end of the bike. Me in leather, covered in tattoos, oil/road grime, and very sun burned (I'm pasty white enough to shame Casper)...
Preachers start to form wanting to banish me... LOL.
Big haired lady at hotel desk gives me "free beers" card next door while they turn on AC in my room.
I walk into said bar to grab a couple beers... shit stops like a scratched record. Dawn of the dead old folks all gaze at me. Eek.
They start askin' questions, tell 'em I'm Army and there to train some unit before they deploy to middle East or wherever the fuck (don't recall zactly). Turns out, they are ALL WWII vets from Normandy, D-Day, XVIII ABN Corp folks, and sheeeeeet, I'm in like Flynn. They extol the virtues of living there and I get crocked. Seriously crocked.
13 tornadoes touched down within a mile of my hotel from said storms thru the night. My scoot wound up in room w/me that night (garbage bag under the drive case-thankfully 1st floor!). Next morning the cleaning ladies found me hugging the motorchoppa from the bed. Look at the garbage bags and said "thanks." LMAO!
I LOVE ME SOME OK! Just sayin'.
I'm in. Met some hard as woodpecker lip muthafuckers all who jumped into WWII, they truly are the greatest generation. We will miss them boys sorely.
Truth.