{Gritins Frum Arkansaw}

Where exactly do I begin? The past few days have been quite the whirl wind but also absolutely amazing!!!


Before Jason left, we agreed to save for a family vacation. Our original plan was to make our way back to California for a visit. Our hope was to enjoy some time with our family and visit a few of our favorite places that we have missed since moving. However, things change and unfortunately because of the deployment schedule, we weren’t able to make our plans.


For the past 4 months I researched places around our area. Time was not on my side when planning things out which actually made the process a bit on the rough side. I had to keep us relatively close to home and I had to try to plan around upcoming school and extracurricular activities as well as follow Air Force guidelines.


After a few bumps in the road, I was able to pull together a spur of the moment family vacation. Needless to say, 4 months of research didn’t do me any good.


On Sunday morning, we packed our car with luggage, an ice chest full of drinks and snacks, and 3 kids of course. We made our way north to the great state of Arkansaw...also known as Arkansas.

 

I know exactly what you are all thinking...


Y’all are thinkin’


“Why in the world would you want to visit the capital of Hillbilly country? There ain’t nothin’ there but folks that cheer for them razorback fellers who I reckon can’t even spell their name right.”


Just kidding! My accent isn't nearly as good as Trav's but it was worth a shot =)

According to our tour guide, most people assume that the citizens of Arkansas are all a bunch of dumb hillbillies but truth be told, Arkansas is home to some of the most welcoming people I have ever met and they must be doing something right for themselves because they sure do live in a beautiful part of the country that is rich with history, art, and culture.


Besides, we can’t exactly live in Northern Louisiana (also referred to as the Arklatex) and not become familiar with the 3 states that make up our hometown...right?


So off we ventured. We crossed state lines and drove into the unknown. After a quick 4 hour drive, we arrived at our destination...

Hot Springs, Arkansas

If you don’t know much about this beautiful place, you can read about it here. I didn’t know a whole lot, only bits and pieces that I had heard from friends. When I planned our family vacation, I decided that it would be fun to try something new and also to explore our surroundings. There is a lot we want to see (probably me more that Jason) but nonetheless we want our kids to be able to see and experience the world around them. Our country is full of history waiting to be found.


You will have to forgive me because if you caught my post on Thursday then you know that I managed to take about 400 pictures. I wish I could share them all. We got to see some pretty significant landmarks and we also learned a few things too! I was a little camera happy to say the least so...you might want to find a comfy seat and grab yourself a nice cup of coffee in order to enjoy this ride =)  

Road Trip

A Little Pool Time

Day 1: Magic Springs

(A theme park and a water park all wrapped into one package)
BIG SURPRISE!! The kids had no idea this place existed. Can you 

guess how loud it got inside the car when we pulled into the parking lot?

 

  

Day 2: Exploring The Hot Springs

~We couldn't begin our tour without a few feathers in our hair~

~Lake Hamilton~

 

~Downtown~ 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of our trip was being able to explore Bathhouse Row. It was pretty incredible to see the row of houses that were once used as healing waters. We were able to take a tour inside one of the houses. It was neat to listen to and read about the history and all of the travelers that came to the area in hopes of being cured by the thermal waters.  Discovered by Indians, the waters would later serve Civil War troops, early baseball players from teams like the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox as well as famous gangsters such as Al Capone. One of the biggest hotels on the street was taken over by the military during World War II. The thermal waters were so effective that the government decided to convert the hotel into a military hospital in order to treat wounded soldiers.  The kids were amazed by the water fountains that were found all over the town. The thermal water the flows through the town, comes out of the ground at 147 degrees. It was quite the shock the first time they each decided to stick their hands in the water fountain hoping to find a little relief from the outside summer temperatures.     

 

 

  

~The Mountain Tower~

Day 3:

A Little More Exploring
&

A Little Spontaneity

We couldn’t leave the Hot Springs and not take a little piece with us. Before we left, we each filled up on some of the thermal water the flows through the pretty little town nestled in the hills of Arkansas. 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we crossed back into Louisiana territory, we decided to take a short detour. What better way to end our fabulous family vacation than to Zip Line our way through the beautiful Arkansas countryside!


We opted to take the short tour with it being our first time. We didn’t get pictures of the first line (someone forgot that they had their phone with a camera in their pocket...names will not be mentioned but it wasn’t me [=). Kind of a bummer because the view from the top was gorgeous and of course the faces of 3 cute kids who had no idea what to expect was priceless however, we did get pictures of the smaller line. The kids were able to go by themselves which made their adventure extremely fun and extra special for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quoting the famous words of Rowdy the Dummy,

“Life is short...Have fun!”


This family vacation definitely

sits at the top of our list of 

BEST VACATIONS EVER!!!!