Heading North To Missouri

Leaving Choctaw Park, we're heading N on Hwy 65. We made a quick stop in Harrison to return an iron and buy a better one, as much as I hate to iron I'm afraid the new washer makes it necessary to touch up.

As I have said before, this Arkansas scenery is just beautiful and as we crossed into Missouri it stayed that way. We headed to Table Rock Lake, just south of Branson, a town we had always by-passed before now. As we pulled into the Long Creek COE Park it looked just terrific but as we found our site, I was disappointed at how short it was. We had to back up into our site and our 36 feet just wouldn't fit so we had to extend the jacks until the front tires were off the ground AGAIN. If our brakes and jacks had broken loose we would have plummeted down the driveway and into our car and probably into the lake across the street as there was no RV parked in that site yet. That's a very uneasy feeling to say the least. Aside from that it was a very nice CG.

We took a couple of jaunts into Branson to see what was there and it was just like I-drive, tourist traps galore BUT the scenery was gorgeous. We made a lot of side trips just to see more fabulous scenery.

Our 2nd or 3rd morning there we were taking the dogs for their morning stroll and Magic saw either a squirrel or rabbit behind me and took off. Luckily I had a tight hold on the leash because the sudden and unexpected yank pulled me back, I tried to get my footing but failed and down I went on the asphalt, tailbone hitting first, ouch!! Just a couple of scratches on my right palm and I was good to go- for a few minutes as my poor old body started to react. Thank heavens I had some left over pain pulls from my last back episode but that was over 2 weeks ago and I'm still taking Aleve. This was the 2nd CG we've seen rabbits and they drive Magic crazy. Hmm? Could it be that it's because she is a Greyhound? My guess is yes. For the remainder of the time there, she wore a Gentle Leader. On coming back from an outing we found a chewed up disk that had photos of Longcreek Park on it, the little brat! Snoopy never gets into mischief, he's so good.

One of our side trips took us to Ozark, MO where we just had to revisit Lambert's Cafe - home of the throwed rolls. I know it sounds funny but that's right, throwed rolls. There are 3 of these restaurants in Missouri and we just happened to stumble upon this one on our way west in 2005 as our RV park was just behind it. Anyway, we arrived on a Saturday (big mistake) and had to wait for 1 1/2 hours. We went garage saleing around the corner and into a couple of shops and the time flew by. When we went back we only had to wait about 10 minutes. Once seated, these young college kids who work there walk around with big pots of what they call "pass outs", the best fried okra you ever ate, fried onions and potatoes, black eye peas and macaroni and tomatoes. Then another kid comes out of the kitchen with a cart of fresh hot yeast rolls and yells "hot rolls!" Hands start going in the air and believe it or not he actually starts throwing them. It's the funniest thing I ever saw in a restaurant and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a great meal.

We left Long Creek two days early and moved a little West, still on Table Rock Lake, to another COE Park named Big M. Now this was really really in the boonies. Across hwy 89 with lots of hills and curves on a two lane road to E road to M road until it dead ended. Hooray, a nice long level site with full hookups. I washed clothes almost the whole time there except when we took a side trip as we did to Eureka Springs.

Now I remember why we never roamed Eureka Springs before. I simply WILL NOT pay $5. to walk up and down a hot sunny streets going into shops with overpriced tourist stuff. Call me stingy, tight - anything you want, but I'd rather flush it down a one armed bandit any day. So we did!

Trying To Catch Up

Time just keeps on flying by and I've become very behind in posting, sorry. I'm going to quickly highlight when, where and what but I probably will forget a lot that's happened and it'll be out of order at times.

We were ready to leave Crystal Springs 2 days early after enjoying our visit to Hot Springs and seeing all there was that we wanted to see but we decided to take one more side trip when we were surprised to find a field of Llamas and an adorable donkey about to take a dip in an algae covered pond. We headed north to another Arkansas lake, Greers Ferry Lake, at the Choctaw Campground in no other than Choctaw, AR. We were traveling one of the back roads that went up and down and had lots of curves when it started to get very dark outside and we could see we were in for a drencher. We pulled off the highway to let it pass and outside were several children running around the yard with cats everywhere. We opened the window to let them know we were just waiting out the storm and they ran to tell their Dad who said it was fine with him. Before the storm approached we caught a photo of one boy, deep in thought, holding one of his cats.

Choctaw was a small park nestled in tall pine trees but there wasn't much to see around there. We did take a ride into town that afternoon and into the next town, Clinton, as well. While riding around we noticed one particular area where trees were uprooted and many very large trees had been demolished, branches just twisted off like giant toothpicks. We stopped in front of a house so Boyd could take a sunset photo and the people were outside cooking out. They told him of a terrible tornado that had come through the area a few months ago, luckily they made it through without any damage.

Also on our short ride we came across a farm/antique store. There were some nice murals painted on a couple of their buildings and statues of all kind of farm animals, as well as a small coral in front with two miniature horses and a donkey inside. The best surprise of all was that up on the covered porch of the "farm/antique" bldg. was a cage with a small goat and the tiniest little fawn I've ever seen. Now you talk about cute, they were the cutest little critters I've seen in a long time.

More Hot Springs

The sign hangs over a little store close to our campground where we stopped and asked for directions.

Lake Hamilton is a very large lake with lots of developments around it and is very popular with water enthusiasts. I think I've finally found where I'd like to live, Arkansas.

We visited Dryden Pottery where we saw these two little figures, I thought they were a good likeness to Boyd and me.

The mountain scene is typical of most anywhere around here, just lovely.

This Mountain Tower is part of the Hot Springs National Park. We drove up and enjoyed the scenery.

Crystal Springs CG and Lake Ouachita, AR

Crystal Springs CG, I'm sorry to say, is disappointing for a COE (Corps of Engineers)campground. The sites are mostly very unlevel due to (according to the camp host) being lakeside. Our passenger side rear wheel is almost 4 inches off the ground. There is no privacy between sites either. They have tall grass which is full of chiggers and the restroom, forget it! I won't go in there, I'll wash my hair under the hose first.

It's on an absolutely beautiful lake though which makes up for a lot of undesirable features. I'm so thankful to be in a self contained vehicle. There is a lot of traffic, as one leaves, another pulls in and it's been fun watching the fifth wheels struggle to back in tight unlevel sites.

We haven't seen deer yet but Snoopy and I heard them snorting in the woods on a late evening walk.

We've taken pictures of the lake from several different areas but it is very hazy this week, I hope you enjoy them anyway.

A Bath House and Downtown Hot Springs

When reservations were made many months ago I didn't realize how close to the Hot Springs National Park we would be, I just wanted to visit another of their fabulous lakes. What a great surprise this turned out to be. The last time we were here was just to drive by since we were tent camping with two Doberman Pinchers and it was just too hot for them. Well it's hot, 95-99 but since the humidity isn't like Florida, it's quite bearable plus there is a breeze.

We drove through town and got our bearings, stocked up on supplies and took care of business the first day. Then one morning we drove into town and walked all over like the other 5,000 tourists. We happened to step into one of the bath houses, The Fordyce, just as the Nat'l Park Service guide was starting a tour and it was very interesting. The photos are not the Quapaw except for the outside shots. Some of the rooms looked like torture chambers, tons of valves and faucets to control flow and temp, one room was even equipped with what looked like fire hoses that they used on "clients" backsides. The Quapaw has reopened to the public just this week though.

A row of Bath Houses were built for the "elite"and were extremely elegant. Walls of veined Italian marble, beautiful mosaiced tile floors and staircases of pink marble. Lots of stained glass, bathroom fixtures of solid nickel and mahogany stained birch dressing rooms were common. There were cage like showers that gave "needle showers". I don't even want to imagine that! There was even one bath that you could relax in while electric currents were added, I guess you wouldn't need a perm after that! A table next to the electric bath was porcelain and was used to wash off crystals from the "salt glow treatment". This table was actually what an embalmer would have used. Thanks, but no thanks.

After 30 minutes in a sun-ray cabinet, which was a cabinet lined with light bulbs, they stuck you in the frigid cabinet which had a block of ice under the seat. Shrinkage anyone?

Up on the second floor was the "Chiropody" room where your bunions, corns, ingrown toenails etc. were all taken care of. Of unique interest to most weirdos and masochists was the mechano-therapy department, a chamber of scientific wonders and horrors, exhibiting all kinds of mechanical devices. Now for the good part, the massage room, full of different electrical massage devices with various rubber attachments. I wonder if that's what you find in today's "massage parlors." The last room contained the electric "shock" massager which caused muscles to contract or relax. I guess if the electric bath didn't put enough curl in your hair this would do it. I guess you get the idea by now and can hardly wait to book your stay at The Quapaw. Have a good time, I'm chicken. Oh, by the way, the clients stayed for a full three weeks of this pampering.

Welcome to Beautiful Arkansas

We're moving right along as we come now to the Natural State of Arkansas. I really enjoyed all the Crepe Myrtles in full bloom all over Alabama and Mississippi. Since mid-Mississippi and into Arkansas the sides of the roads are covered in pretty pink Mimosa flowers, just growing wild everywhere. Also rather quickly the terrain changed from the low, flat Mississippi Delta region into rolling hills and into small mountains.

Since we stayed up late in Tunica, we didn't get too much sleep so by the time we reached Brinkley, AR I had to stop for a catnap which gave Boyd a while to walk around town and take pictures. He met a wonderful family, who took him in and gave him the grand tour of their approx. 107 year old house. They also gave him a dozen freshly laid eggs from their own chicken flock and freshly picked squash and cucumbers. We cooked the squash that night and what a treat! We are finding that the people in Arkansas are most friendly and courteous.

We drove past Little Rock and it looked bigger than I remembered it to be. Too bad we didn't have time to stop for a while but maybe next time. Hills are getting larger now as we get closer to Hot Springs, we have reservations at Crystal Springs, about 16 miles west and on the largest man made lake in the state, Lake Ouachita.