Sunday Road Trip: Where exactly are the Boondocks?

Well, if I learned anything at all today, it was how far I can drive our car before needing to put gasoline in it. Set out early again this morning with only two things in mind. First, find some interesting places nearby to take some pictures of, and two, put some gas in the car. Thinking that I wouldn’t be out too long, I decided to ignore the fuel warning lignt until I finished with objective #1. The morning started innocently enough as I headed east down Grant Line Road toward the unincorporated town of Banta. This town is pretty small, as I believe it’s main attractions are it’s General Store, hotel/restaurant and blinking red light. Anyhow, as you arrive in Banta from Tracy, on the right, you’ll see the Banta Inn. The Banta Inn is a landmark hotel/restaurant that has apparently been there forever. If you’ve actually driven past this establishment, you may understand why we have yet to find an occasion to actually try it out. Perhaps I shouldn’t knock it ‘til I’ve tried it. Following the road further east, Grant Line turned into Kasson Road. Along here, I ran across Banta-Carbona Pumping Plant No.1. Part of the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District, I assume that this plant pumps water to the farms nearby. Driving down Kasson Road a little bit further, I turned onto Airport Way. If you happen to “google” a map of this area, other than a myriad of farm parcels, cows and snaking waterways and you will notice that this area is pretty much void of town/village names, streets, people and businesses (such as, gas stations). Even on the GPS, the screen was blank. About 5 miles into my trek up Airport Way, the car’s gas warning system moved from the visual to the auditory stage. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, I took this cue, and turned the car around toward the direction of civilization. Arriving back in Tracy, I was trying to decide whether or not to go back downtown. Seeking to “get right back on the horse” after last Sunday’s debacle, I decided to go back in and try to improve on last week’s downtown pictures. I took some more pictures of the theatre, and then walked around a couple blocks to see if there were other places to check out and photograph. Oddly and ironically enough, as I turned down the corner onto 7th Street, I wandered across a downtown building that I never knew had existed until today... the historic Tracy Town Hall and Jail.