3,477 miles from Las Vegas.
Last night, I stayed at the Super 8 Motel where the local bikers—Micah and the others—took me. One night was $54.80, with free breakfast and a coin laundry. This is the town of Harrison, and the center of town looks pretty stylish.
I wanted to stroll around the town slowly today, but earlier I heard something that made me want to hurry ahead.
My next destination: Branson, Missouri.
After quickly eating the motel’s breakfast— bread, coffee, donuts— I packed my luggage fast and loaded it onto my partner. I don’t know why, but I felt restless. There’s no need to rush… but if someone tells me there’s a neon-lit town in the middle of America— a Vegas lover like me can’t sit still.
I rode along Route 65 toward Springfield. I passed Route 265… then Route 165… Eventually, I saw a bridge over a large river called Lake Taneycomo. Once I crossed it, there should be a sign for Route 76.
…There it is. I turned left.
And then suddenly, a town called Silver Dollar City appeared before me.
I realized I was missing Las Vegas a little. It’s been a month since I left that city. Now I’m in the American Midwest, riding through beautiful green scenery and charming small towns every day. It’s incredibly healing.
But sometimes… I miss the flashy, chaotic cityscapes too. Humans really are greedy.
So now I’m heading toward Branson.
Earlier, I stopped by a shop I passed and bought two new pairs of jeans and a sturdy black western shirt. Total: $122.40. The fabric was tough— well, they’re work clothes. For farm work, rodeo, falling off horses, and all kinds of rough use, they can’t tear easily.
The store was cool with air conditioning and felt great.
Nearby, I found a building that looked like a rodeo arena. I took some photos. During events, it must be packed with real cowboys.
After wandering and shopping, I finally reached the entrance to Branson’s main street—Route 76. My partner and I entered the attraction-filled town known as Silver Dollar City.
The roadside was lined with theaters and neon signs. At first glance, it looked like a tiny countryside version of Las Vegas. (Though maybe I shouldn’t say that too loudly.)
Once I arrived, I suddenly felt hungry. I looked around for a place to eat and a certain restaurant caught my eye:
“Gwin’s Home Cannery.”
The exterior was stylish. The menu suggested home-style American cooking— though “home-style” here still meant steak, mashed potatoes, and plenty of gravy, haha.
The reviews were good, so I went in without hesitation.
I ordered a hot steak with gravy and a lemonade. The lemonade came first—huge size— then the steaming steak arrived.
I cut the meat carefully and took a bite.
…Amazing. Truly delicious.
I’ve eaten many steaks and BBQ in Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, but this place was on another level.
Completely satisfied, I took my bill to the register— this restaurant uses a pay-at-counter system.
And there she was.
A tall, beautiful girl with freckles on her face— the very image of a small-town American beauty. I couldn’t help staring for a moment. She was exactly my type.
I pulled myself together and handed her the bill. I paid with a credit card. When I signed my name in Japanese, she suddenly said:
“Wow!! Is this… Japanese? It is Japanese, right? It’s beautiful! I’ve never seen it before! Can you write something else?”
At first I was confused— “Eh!?” I didn’t understand what was happening. But once I realized, I immediately started writing various Japanese words on paper.
Each time I wrote something, she reacted with delight:
“What does this one mean? Wow, such beautiful characters…”
A beautiful girl smiling brightly and enjoying my writing— I couldn’t have been happier.
Completely floating on air, I left the restaurant and began looking for a motel. My partner and I cruised along Route 76. Soon I saw a sign:
“Dutch Kountry Inn — $29~ per night.”
It looked interesting— the theme seemed to be Dutch-style. I went to the reception. The staff were all friendly and cheerful.
I decided to stay in this town for a while and booked 4 nights, 5 days. Total: $102.24. As cheap as Las Vegas.
A neon town, right here in the Midwest— I never imagined such a place existed.
Tonight, I’ll take a long, warm shower and go to bed early.
To be continue・・・
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