Hello from Arkansas! Never in my life would I have expected to write those words. Not that there is a thing wrong with Arkansas. It is absolutely beautiful. As Florida natives, who currently call Atlanta home, we never had much cause to make Arkansas a destination. Now that we are here, we are certainly glad we have come. It is easy to see why they call Arkansas The Natural State and easier to see why we wanted to live as a Full Time RV family
Begin Adventure.
We’ve pulled Big Red 615 miles and you read that title right, are getting an epic 8.3 miles per gallon. Our trip has already produced some great new experiences, including our first sunrise of the trip on the banks of The Mighty Mississippi.
Visiting Hot Springs Arkansas
This morning we are encamped at Catherine’s Landing, on the banks of the Ouachita River. Just 18 miles north of us, is Hot Springs National Park. You all may already know this, but we were surprised to find out that Hot Springs is the oldest national park managed by the park service but not the first national park. It was set aside for public use in 1880 but wasn’t made part of the park system until 1921. We are still a bit fuzzy on how it is older than Yellowstone, which was established in 1872. We will have to ask a ranger when we visit the park.
Hot Springs National Park Itinerary
Speaking of our visit, here is what we plan to do.
- Tour the historic Fordyce Bathhouse.
- See, taste, and feel the hot springs.
- Watch the park movie, Valley of Vapors, and the bathing video.
- Take a guided tour.
- Visit the park store, Bathhouse Row Emporium, in the Lamar Bathhouse.
- Stroll through the Bathhouse Row National Historic Landmark District which includes the Grand Promenade.
- Hike to the Mountain Tower.
- Drive the park’s scenic mountain roads.
This great itinerary is curtesy of The National Park Service. We can’t wait to see if we are able to do all of these things. This is exactly why we wanted to try living full time in our RV!