Let’s get started.

Just a little background, since we had never owned a truck, nor ever towed anything other than a Uhaul when we purchased our Airstream, it was extremely important for us to pick for our first trip a short stay in a destination that was not too far from home. That way, we would have the chance to learn how everything worked, figure out if we were going to kill each in other in tight quarters, and be close to home if we needed to send out an SOS. Thus, Arkansas.

Buffalo National River

We started near the Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas which is very beautiful country. We stayed at the Buffalo Outdoor Center campground shown above and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the mountains.

Glory Hole…You said it, not me.

Hiking and seeing the outdoors was a big part of this trip. We did a number of lovely hikes through the woods including one to the Glory Hole! Near Deer, AR, you will find a wonderful, moderate, 2-mile trail featuring (sometimes) a 30 ft. waterfall. Nature has created a hole in the roof of an overhanging bluff and the creek/water (occasionally) flows through the hole to create a beautiful waterfall. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to see the waterfall but we did see the hole, and from the picture above, you can see it’s still STUNNING!

Pucker up and start walking.

The Whitaker Point trail is a scenic, pet-friendly, moderately challenging trail offering incredible views of the Buffalo River. It also happens to be one of the “Best Places in Arkansas to Get Kissed!” We didn’t really get to take advantage of this as there were a fair number of hikers on the trail that day. We did enjoy the walk through the woods, lingered a while at Hawksbill Crag, shown above, and enjoyed a nice lunch we brought with us.

Things that make you go hmmm?

HOT SPRINGS

Wait…Do I drink the water or soak in it?

Our next and final stop on this trip was Hot Springs, which is definitely the quirkiest National Park we have yet encountered. It was built around historic hot springs that have been a draw for thousands of years for people seeking relief in the mythical healing powers of the waters. Legend has it that Hernando De Soto visited the area in 1541 and refused to drink the water offered by an Indian women. He died less than two months later. Okay, we don’t know if there is any truth to that or not but what we do know is these thermal springs produce over 7,000 gallons of water a day. And, trust us when we say, that water is definitely HOT! One of our guilty pleasures was watching tourist after tourist put their hand in a local fountain (that has a warning saying saying the water is hot) only to cry out “Man, that’s hot!” Hence the name.

Highlights, lowlights, and a final wrap!

Our inaugural 4-day trip was a great trial run and no distress signals had to be sent! ;-) We got to learn the workings of Air Willy. We saw some very lovely country, had no major disasters, and both survived the experience . The highlight of the trip had to be the man with the pet panther/mountain lion/wild cat. We have no pictures to prove this, as we were too afraid he would unleash the beast to eat us and the evidence. So, you will just have to take our word on this one.

Arkansas