Sunday was our fun day!

It's been a fun (but different) trip to Arkansas.  For one thing we are not used to traveling alone- just the four of us.  So there has been a lot of togetherness.  And I would say that's it all good, for sure! Just different.  For another thing it's been sooooooo hot.  Today our heat index was 116.  So our plans of wake-boarding and surfing all day were changed up a little bit.  At first we all had these grandiose ideas of "getting up early" to go ride.  bahahahaha.  Not a chance.  
It has been so nice to sleep in.  And frankly I would take that any day over smooth water.  


Today is the day I figured it would be safe for me to venture off to Hot Springs.  I thought that by now we would be sunburned and sore and ready for a break.  I've waited months to get to Taco Pronto.  I was going to go get us food from there when we were here over the 4th of July... but we were having too much fun and leaving the lake wasn't in the cards.  And I was partly right... it was a great day for me to go to Hot Springs, but nobody was ready to give up boat time.  So, I went alone in the Jeep.  


My first photo is for Carrie.  She'll know why.

oh, you all want to know too?  Well.... some of you may know that Hot Springs has a very colorful past.  Maxine was a madame from the 40's to the 60's and she has a wild autobiography, which I just read.  Carrie' dad let me borrow the book.  He is from Hot Springs.  As I was snapping this picture this morning a "duck ride" went by this and the announcer said "This is Maxine's coffee shop... who knows what else Maxine is famous for?"  I was on the sidewalk jumping up and down raising my hand.  I knew!!!! 

By the time I got back from Hot Springs everyone was hot and tired and ready for an air-conditioned break.  So, we stayed in for quite a while.  The heat index absolutely SOARED during this time.  But as the afternoon went on I started thinking there was no reason why we couldn't get out and take an air-conditioned ride and tour the area.  So we did.  We found homes up on the mountain, we found lots of lots for sale. hee hee!  And we even discovered that there are ponds up on the mountain.  How in the world?  That's amazing. 

And I saw this guy.

Poor little man.  I wonder how he got that nasty gash?  Oh well... he seems no worse for the wear. 

And here's a momma and her twins in someone's front yard.  

We decided that we needed to keep on riding and head up Hickory Nut Mountain.  There's a whole other story that goes along with that mountain... but this is a family blog now and we won't be telling that story. Let's just say we spent a good amount of time in high school evading the law up there.  No wait. That sounds terrible.  We drank beer, that was pretty much it.  

It was like riding a washboard for four miles.  A dusty washboard. 

But we got to the top and were rewarded with a beautiful view!

:-)

And there was the lake too.  

It was storming to the... east? north east?  Yes, I think it was the north east.  And there was lightening.  It was really neat seeing it from that point of view.  I have to say though, I wish it had been raining on us.  We were wet anyway.  I had sweat dripping into my eyes and it was miserable.  

Can you see the islands I talked about in yesterday's blog?  

One of the things that I think is interesting is the island that's full of cypress trees out there.  They're at the 11:00 position in a dotted line.  You don't see very many cypress trees here at all and there's a little grove in the middle of the lake.  

To the bottom left is Mt. Harbor.  you can't see it but it's there.

Housely Point

When we came off the mountain we decided to stop at Gap Creek for a little bit.  I can tell you this little creek is WAY cooler than the lake and felt darn good after being up on what we now call hotter-than-hell mountain.  Amy even has a pretty little smooth quartz rock that is just "very nice" to take home.  It's not a crystal but we love it just as if it were. 

I went tip toeing up the creek barefooted to get to a better location to take a picture and about the time I stopped I noticed a crawdad that was waiting for me to get one inch closer so it could pinch my toe and then about that time a bug flew in my eye.  nice.  luckily I still had sweat pouring off my body and the sweat washed the bug out pretty quick.  I managed to get away from the crawdad too.  But then I had to show Amy the crawdad and so I had to get really close to it again to show her where it was.  :)  

I love it here.  I really do.  Why did we leave?  

This is such a special place~