Toasting marshmallows in Branson's park for breakfast [story]: Storytime: There was a lady who took walks each evening and morning at this park. She apparently realized that we spent the night in the park, and after talking to Todd and Luke became determined to give us $10, which she even had to drive out to an ATM to get. We tried to stop her, but she absolutely insisted, so we had no recourse but to thank her profusely and accept her gift so she wouldn't feel bad. She then gave us directions to the local Salvation Army and ordered us to get help. No lie.
![The first night [overview]: We drove down into Missouri the first day and spent the night at a National Park campground a bit north of Kansas City. The money we spent on this campground would end up being the only time we ever paid for shelter the entire trip. Total cost per person: $2. We would end up each spending only around $150 each for the whole trip (which lasted a full week) and that includes gas (well over half our costs as we drove over 3500 miles) and food (which we cooked much of ourselves).](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/New-Orleans-Spring-Break-2005/i-kNRcqC7/0/afcfa574/S/003-S.jpg)
![Toasting marshmallows in Branson's park for breakfast [story]: Storytime: There was a lady who took walks each evening and morning at this park. She apparently realized that we spent the night in the park, and after talking to Todd and Luke became determined to give us $10, which she even had to drive out to an ATM to get. We tried to stop her, but she absolutely insisted, so we had no recourse but to thank her profusely and accept her gift so she wouldn't feel bad. She then gave us directions to the local Salvation Army and ordered us to get help. No lie.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/New-Orleans-Spring-Break-2005/i-ShKH4m6/0/5bdb76cd/S/013-S.jpg)
![One picture just can't do this big guy justice...[addendum]: ...so Todd takes another picture of it as Luke and I pose and look stylin'. Stylin' with the banjo, yeeeah! (Notice Luke's fly is wide open. Apparently it broke during the trip and became a recurring problem. We are sorry.)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/New-Orleans-Spring-Break-2005/i-mMp5Mdv/0/4b62aa05/S/017-S.jpg)
![Todd duct-taping hotdogs to the top of the station wagon [story]: So, we are driving through Arkansas and we see a great deal at a grocery store: packages of hotdogs for $1!! So we get 2 of 'em for the road. Except we have no refrigeration...or do we? Heheheh. Man, you should have seen the locals stare. And getting locals to stare at you in redneck rural Arkansas means you are looking pretty darn stupid.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/New-Orleans-Spring-Break-2005/i-5NnmXvV/0/c7219ae9/S/019-S.jpg)
![Luke: "Yeaaah, this is how I roll baaybee" [addendum]: Notice the large lady from inside the grocery store peering at us. Don't see her? She's just a bit to the left of the "beef" sign. There were actually several others staring at us also, but they began to scamper once I pulled out the camera and began snapping photos. I guess they wanted to preserve their dignity or something. What a quaint concept!](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/New-Orleans-Spring-Break-2005/i-QrBbBpw/0/140bb56d/S/022-S.jpg)
