Day 11 - Marceline, MO - Part Four

I was running out of time.

It is a six hour drive back to Sikeston and it is already after noon.

This has been a fun diversion but this was not the reason for The Bucket Trip.

I need to get back to my Mom and Jack.

But before I do that, I have one last stop.

The childhood home of Walt Disney.

The volunteer at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum gave me a map of the city. Looking at it, I realize that I drove right past the house on my way in.

I get back in the Jeep and downtown Marceline quickly fades from my focus.

I need to find the house.

It seems to take forever to find the house but it really is only four or five minutes.

And then I'm there.

I pull over to the side of the road and hop out with my iPad to take pictures.

There's a sign out from designating this as Walt's childhood home. I start taking pictures and walk around to the east side of the property. There seems to be a barn there but it doesn't look like the one that I've seen on line.

I retreat back to the car.

I look a little further down the road and I can see signs pointing to the barn.

It isn't the actual barn that was on the property when Walt was here. That is long gone.

But it will do today.

I follow the signs and you first see Walt's Dreaming Tree.

Unfortunately, the Dreaming Tree was struck by lightening and it is dying.

But it is still there and they have harvested over a million seeds from this tree.

Someday, a Dreaming Tree will be back and healthy there.

And then you see the barn.

It's smaller than you think.

Looks newer than it should.

I walk up to the barn.

There's nobody else around.

When you enter the barn, you can't help but see all of the notes that have been left for Walt.

They are everywhere.

I walk around a look for an open spot.

I need to search out a spot higher than what most people can get to.

I find a beam that is about 9 feet off of the ground.

There's nothing on it. It's going to be mine.

I pull out the Sharpie and write my note of thanks and sign my name.

I place the Sharpie in a place that will be easy to find for the next person to come in and I leave the barn.

Walking out, there is a family on their way in.

I smile and say "Howdy" as I pass them.

I get back into the Jeep and start my six and a half hour drive back to Sikeston.