Oklahoma, Arkansas & Louisiana

I spent Day 44 driving to Hot Springs, Arkansas - approximately 800 miles from my campsite. I left my campsite about 8 a.m. It was no doubt a long day, but it was okay to be in the car all day after having three relatively short days in a row.

Of course, I needed to get to Oklahoma somehow. But who in their right mind would want to stay in Oklahoma. So I drove to the border, took a picture of the state sign, walked into the state, said, out loud, "Hmmm, okay," looked around and left.

I was so excited to leave the desert, although I was very sad to leave The West. Of course, when I entered Arkansas and exited the motor vehicle, the humidity smacked me in the face like a hot rag of old chloroform that isn't working as it was meant.

This reminds me I have some state numbers to catch up upon. If you remember, Nebraska was State 21, while Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California were not new states on Leg 2. Therefore Arizona was 22, New Mexico 23 and Texas 24. This makes Arkansas 25, Oklahoma 26 and Louisiana 27. And for five of the six previous states (not including Louisiana), it was the first time I've ever visited. Joining Nebraska, Oregon and Utah as 8 new states this summer.

Hot Springs National Park
Did you know there was a national park in Arkansas? Neither did I. And there probably should not be.

I spent Day 45 (August 29) visiting Hot Springs National Park. It's very small. And although it's focused upon a natural feature (hot springs), it's main attraction is really the bathhouses which came about because of the springs. This was fascinating to learn about, but it was somewhat weird, too.

It was weird because the park tried really hard to pull the beautiful landscape into play with the hot springs and bathhouses. The problem is the landscape isn't so great. Cincinnati Metroparks are more beautiful than these hills. And with electric lights throughout the campground, it felt as though I was in a Northern Ohio metropark.

Furthermore, you would expect a city like Hot Springs to be over-touristy. It wasn't nearly as much so as I had expected. It was mostly just nice, old bathhouses and the rest of the city was dirty.

I only visited a refurbished bathhouse museum and then headed back to camp to relax for the evening. I could explain to you some of the things I've learned, but that's what Google is for. And seriously, leave it to Google; don't visit this place.

Arkansas Album

Louisiana
The next morning, Day 46, I visited Louisiana. I have previously visited the wonderful city of New Orleans to see my dearly beloved Bearcats get trampled by cry-baby Tim Tebow. I revisited my map to plan my route for the next few weeks. I knew I had to miss a big chunk of the Southeast somehow. Based on what I have visited in the past as well as the ease to get to certain places, I chose to skip the Gulf Coast and Southern Florida. The best way to do this meant I could drive most of Natchez Trace Parkway and later make a pit-stop to see friends and family in Ohio.

Therefore, I was going to knock Louisiana off the list by hitting the northeast corner and visiting what my map said was Poverty Point National Monument. When I got there, I find out it isn't a national monument but a state historic park, which meant I would have had to pay. It looked dumb anyways. So I moved on to pick up Natchez Trace Parkway just west of Jackson, Mississippi.

Next Post: Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee