25 March – 2 April 2010

25 March, Thursday: Nolan and I got up and went to breakfast by 9:00, when we returned everyone was planning a return trip to the Butter Churn but we decided not to go, good time for me to go get my nails redone so Nolan dropped me off and picked me up about an hour later, got back and went to sit outside at Gregg and Lynette’s trailer talking to the gang.

26 March, Friday:  Jim called at 7:00 saying he had taken Mom to the hospital at 1:00 and they were waiting to hear from the doctor, talked to Mom a little bit later and then decided to leave for home instead of waiting until Monday, farewells to everyone and we were gone by 10:00, stopped in Victoria for gas and one other time for a snack, after making a wrong turn down into housing development….very skinny road and backing out part of the way we stopped for the night at Twin Oaks RV Park…..not much of an RV Park but it will do for the night, Mom had a pace maker put in this afternoon and seems to be doing OK, Patti will spend the night with her.

27 March, Saturday:  After talking to Patti and finding out that Mom was doing OK and would go home today, we decided to maybe stay a couple of nights at Beavers Bend State Park in OK, after we got to Broken Bow and seeing a few of the rivers up and muddy, Nolan decided he didn’t really want to stay after all and the park doesn’t have 50 amp service yet and I really needed to wash a few loads of clothes, so on down the road we traveled to Hot Springs, AR, to the National Park campground Gulpha Gorge Campground, what a great place, 50 amp service, full hook ups, paved sites and roads at the foot of the mountains on a creek, really pretty, we got set up and then it rained a little, in for the night and I made pizzas while doing the laundry.

Proof that Oscar has really, really adjusted to this travelling……a large improvement from the constant panting he used to do for the whole trip….didn’t matter if it was a mile or 1000, he panted the whole time.  NOT NOW!

Gulpha Gorge Campground, Hot Springs National Park, AR…..out RV and truck

28 March, Sunday:  Cloudy and cold, around 10:00 we went for a drive to see what the town of Hot Springs looked like, ate lunch at Arby’s, went to the Visitor’s Center and picked up Hot Springs lodging and tourist information for Carla, too cold to walk around so we went back to the RV, played on the computer and did laundry, Nolan fried chicken and potatoes for dinner.

29 March, Monday:  Sunshine and warm, decided to stay another day, went to Perkins for breakfast then downtown to walk around, toured the Hot Springs National Park visitor center and walked down Bathhouse Row and down the other side back to the truck, drove the Hot Springs Mountain Drive then went to lunch at McAlisters, back to the RV and walked the dogs down to the creek, I drove by myself (haven’t driven anywhere since we left in October) to the Post Office.

 

Hot spring fountain, downtown Hot Springs, AR

Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs, AR

Nolan walking in front of one of the bathhouses

Another bathhouse

Where the Army Navy Hospital was….some kind of rehabilitation center now, I think.

Downtown Hot Springs, AR

Tour through the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center

Nolan resting in the lobby

Drive on Mountain Drive

         

Those green boxes are hot springs that they have covered to keep this from being contaminated

30 March, Tuesday:  Left Hot Springs, AR, around 9:30, stopped in Mammoth Springs for catfish at Fred’s, arrived at Windy Curve around 4:30, just parked in the driveway waiting for the yard to get a little more solid.

31 March, Wednesday:  Around 10:00 went to Licking to fill the propane bottle, back to the trailer for the rest of the day, Nolan went to the cafe for burgers and I went to visit Patti for a while and see what we needed for Sunday’s lunch

1 April, Thursday:  Again around 10:00 went to Houston to wash the truck and pay a visit to Wal Mart, back to the RV and put everything away, visit to Walts to see Linda but she was already gone so I sat and talked to Jeanie for a while, Cain’s BB game at 5:00 in the old gym, good to see the kids again, Cain lost by a few points, went to Roby Cafe for dinner but didn’t get waited on so we left and went to Walts for pizza.

2 April, Friday:  Rain today so we were up and at it to get the trailer situated in the back yard before the rain, got all settled before 1:00 and then I cleaned carpet and washed clothes the rest of the day, Nolan was back and forth from Roby and had to work on his truck a little, rain started around 6:00 and seemed like it rained all night.