Some of you who have done research in the country for those hard to find cemeteries will identify with my trip to Yadkin, so thought I'd share.. and for you locals, try not to laugh too hard at this tourist!!! I have only been to Yadkin Cemetery in Randolph Co., AR, a couple of times.. and never by myself to find the way.. My dad had been many times and always was along to tell me which way I needed to go... But, this time, I was by myself...no need to fear though, my dad had made me a map [from memory], and among his main instructions was the order to just STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD... I was excited about going with the hopes of finding the graves of my ggggrandparents on the MARIOTT side for the first time, and perhaps clean their stones, places flowers, and do all the great things we researchers love to do..... [and by the way, Rosemary and David Case have the BEST cottages for the privacy that one needs in Alton... just wonderful country cottages with all the comforts of home in Alton. They were only $35 a night!]... I woke up that morning and looked at the clock and THOUGHT it said, 6:30.. I knew that it was forecasted to get warm [uhhhhh, HOT] that day, and I wanted to get down there early to have plenty of time to hunt, clean, and really get acquainted with the cemetery.. I knew that it would take me about 40 min, so I thought 6:30 was not unreasonable for me to get up [even on vacation.. and I am NOT a morning person] to get on down to Arkansas. Got up, and after all the necessary needs taken care of, I look at the kitchen stove clock and it says 6AM... I thought, "well, they haven't reset the clock for daylight savings time".. I went back in to the bedroom and sure enough, I had misread the clock... I had gotten up at 5:30 [I don't even have a 5:30 on my clock at home!!] it was indeed 6 AM!! But, I was wide awake, and determined to get down there before 8 am, so just giggle at myself, and went out the door... It was 6:15 am. NOW, once one goes down to Myrtle, and takes the country road from Myrtle, it is suppose to be 30-40 min drive.. My dad had drawn the map [from memory] and I was buzzing [er.. bumping] right along with no trouble... UNTIL....I had already discovered that the main road is no longer looking like the main road... ALL of the roads have been widen, graded, and look like the main road!! Now, I come to a place that had 3 ways of going.. one had the sign that said RING SCHOOL with an arrow pointing to my right.. Now, Dad had told me that whatever I was to do, I was to: 1. STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD [what main road!!] 2. GO THE OPPOSITE OF RING SCHOOL.. So, I go left, the opposite of Ring School, .. got down a ways, and it wasn't looking like his map.. here was another Y section, and he didn't have that on his map.. ,hmmm, wonder if I am suppose to use the left road.. the next turn on his map says left.. so, I'll try it...... it looks like the main road..so I take it.. at least it was a good road to start with.....He had done a good job up to that point, but I decide that this turn wasn't it cause I was really going back in the woods with road that hadn't seen a road grader in years... so I turn around and go back up and take the other road... hmm, this doesn't look good either.., nothing is coming up like his map...wait.. there's a logging crew....I'll stop and ask.... "Pardon me, could you tell me where Bellah Cemetery is?"..... the confused logger goes to the worker on the machine.... 'she's looking for Bellah Cemetery.. .do you know where it is?"... "NOPE, never heard of it"...... {Okay, I won't panic.].... "How about Yadkin Cemetery?"... NOPE, never heard of it.. we're from Doniphan, [MO] and not from around here.. you'd better go up at that house up there [there's a house?????] they might know!".. OKAY, thanks so much.... [can't believe I didn't see the house as I grumble to myself....].. I drive up to the house... it is 7:30am.... I wake this poor older woman up, and after apologizing for bothering her... ask my same 2 questions.. where's Bellah, and where's Yadkin......"Well, honey, I've only been over to Yadkin one time.. .and I think it's somewhere over THATA Way....[-and she points the opposite direction of what I need to go]... and honey, whatever you do, just stay to the RIGHT.... OKAY, STAY TO THE RIGHT... I do my best to follow her instructions and well, I stay to the right, and make a giant circle around only to 'rediscover' that logging crew again.... THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! I drive a little ways... and wait, There's a gentleman working in his garden along one of the roads..... so I stop again.. tell me sir, could you tell me where Bellah or Yadkin Cemeteries are?... "Gee, I don't know... never heard of them... I don't live around here [okay, then what are you doing in these people's garden!!!!!]... ,but, there's a cemetery down by Janes Creek.. is that it?"... Yes, that's one of them...."Well, let''s see.. I don't know how to tell you... you just go up there yonder a piece, and take that road [HUH?] and it should just take you down on around and the cemetery is on the left"... "Okay, thanks so much"... [I'm muttering again in the car.. .BELLAH is NOT on the LEFT.... YADKIN is on the left, but that doesn't help me with finding BELLAH... I don't feel very confident in his directions....[should have, but the car fumes must have messed with my mind..... it is now 8:00.] SO, I decide to go back to where I first started having problems... and I find my way back up to that famous RING SCHOOL sign.... I stop and study my famous made from memory map, and see that my Dad had said to go STRAIGHT.. which meant that that middle road was IT!! [not the road going to Ring School... not the road that I just spent over an hour on.. but the middle road which of course was NOT to opposite of Ring School].. SO, I start down this one, NOW, THIS looks better!! Yep, here's that intersection, oh... that's where I would turn to go to Perry Cemetery in Sharp Co... do I dare??... NAH, might not get back for days... it is already 8:30... I come up on to BELLAH... YEAH!! I spent a total of 5 min. there to get a couple of dates on stones, and off I go.. it's starting to WARM up and YADKIN is going to take quite a bit of time!!! I drive, and drive, bump, bump, bump..... whoa, there's a deer... whoa, there's a skunk [easy, boy!!]... bump, bump, bump... there's a squirrel.... bump bump bump... I look to go DOWN... Another instruction I had was: 3. ONCE YOU GET TO BELLAH CEMETERY, FOLLOW THE CREEK DOWN UNTIL YOU COME TO YADKIN.. Back to the map I go.... okay, I'm fine here.. okay... hmmm, is this IT?? hmmm, oh mercy, you don't suppose I'm lost again.. this road is going UP, not DOWN.... bump, bump..bump....... oh brother, I don't remember this at all!! Hallelujah, there's a house.. .oh, good, there are 2 men in the truck, [Lord, please don't let them be somebody on the 10 most wanted list!].... pardon me, I'm looking for Yadkin Cem.. the man looks at me like I've lost my mind... "just STAY on that road, and go on down, and don't turn right or left'... Oh, good, I'm on the right road..."Now, don't turn right or left, just stay on that road [guess he could read this Kansas car where we don't have woods or turns!!]... STAY ON THAT ROAD YOU'RE ON!!! and looks at me in disbelief that anyone could be so dumb...I pull out thinking, well, at least I'm still alive and on the right road!! And, low and behold, I do exactly as he says, and pull in to Yadkin at 10 min after 9am.... [3 HOURS!!! for a 40 min drive]... it is getting WARM!! I find my stones, get my bucket and cleaner and brush, clean them, place the flowers, get the pictures.. all in an hour.. wanted to spend more time, but it was now HOT.. .I am constantly pouring my bottled water on my head and neck [cause I have a tendency to get heat stroke and very sick]...I'm wet, I don't care.... I'm thinking, I dare not get sick and collapse down here.. might be weeks or MONTHS before I am discovered!! Going back.. let's see can I find my way?? I go by the house to discover that the two men were not wanted killers or rapists, but a couple of MARIOTT cousins... .oh brother.. they are gone now, and I didn't have a chance to chit chat!! I find my way back fine, and sure enough, it really is 30-40 min. back.. .. but I have decided that I will spend the extra time to go by Ravenden Springs way... if I'm going to be driving for over an hour, I might as well take a highway and not collect the dust on my bumper where I have now started a garden!! I get back to Alton to take a much needed bath, and discover that I have left my bucket, brush, and family group sheet down at Yadkin... Do, I dare go down there and get them?.... NAH, I'll donate them to the cemetery for anyone else who might forget their bucket or brush... After all, anyone who stays on the main road, can find it!!! Lanita I'm always late. My ancestors arrived on the JUNE flower.