Camping in Arkansas

For Springbreak, mom flew out from Las Vegas on the $29 special to Wichita and we decided to meet Stacie, Jess and Milo and go camping! We picked someplace in the middle and ended up in Hot Spring, Arkansas. It happens to be Bill Clinton's home town we discovered in our search! Supposedly there were great camping spots there...but we knew better than to get our hopes up because it was Arkansas!! Let me tell you, we were wrong! It definately exceded our expectations! Rain hit the area a couple of days previous to our arrival so we ended up searching for an alternative to tents(much to mom's relief since she opted to sleep in the van). We found a KOA which is my kind of camping. It was a little cabin with beds in it and that's all. We still cooked outside, each cabin has a firepit and picnic table. Derek being the great dad he is, slept outside by the fire in a tent with Jaxson. It had very clean bathrooms with showers and a pool...good to remember in the summer! Here are some pictures of us making smores our first night there!




The next day we went downtown to the main strip and I fell in love with this little place! It is called Hot Springs because it actually has natural mineral water that comes out of the ground at 140 degrees. There are several places along the strip that you can fill up on the water, most places it comes out warm, but there are a few that it comes out cold and really good! We filled up many times!

We also found a great hiking trail just off the main strip. The picture with the wall and staircase is the end of the trail and in between two main buildings! Who knew Arkansas was so beautiful!!! It was a great hiking trail and took us up to the very top of the mountain to overlook the little city. We brought some snacks and sandwich fixings and I even got Jaxson to hold my hand towards the end! The kids all took turns holding Milo's leash and we ended the hike exhausted! It was a wonderful memory that will stay with us for a long time!














We were there on a Sunday but too embarrased to go to our church in smoky clothes so we drove to the closest church. We had a fun time singing along with the Christian band...even the drums! New experience!

Then our last day, we decided to pamper ourselves for being good campers! Again, Derek, the superdad, watched the kids while the rest of us went to the last open bath house left in hotsprings. The day before we actually all went on a tour through a bath house that is no longer open for business but were really popular in the 1800's and early 1900's for the water's healing effects. So we decided we wanted to try one out, they offer private baths...but we weren't ready for that yet, we chose to go to the open pool instead. There were 3 pools below and 2 above and each at a different temperature but all hot! They bring you a glass of the natural mineral water while in the pools and there are little waterfalls to sit under! It was very relaxing and the minerals in the water make your skin really soft! Here is our picture before and after.



We finished our trip up by eating at a little burger joint (everything on the strip is small business' that are clean, well kept and seem environmentally friendly). However, the poor guy didn't know spring breakers were out yet and was very understaffed. What should have been a 20 minute lunch turned into 2 hours! Jess even started bussing the tables and refilling drinks for others since Jess seemed to be the only person available!! LOL!! The trip was great, we found Oregon in the midwest, a new place that we love and hope to go back and visit more of the national forrest there where it's warm enough to be in the lake. We had great company...thanks Jess, Staice and Mom!! Fun camping food...tinfoil dinners, eggs and bacon, hotdogs, cobbler! Smelled like smoke but could shower and wash clothes! And great memories to last forever!