Oklahoma stop and an Arkansas National Park!

We got our car back on Monday evening, and had one last night with cousins. So grateful for their family! And then we were on our way, heading on. We skipped Dallas, for now, because of the little delay. But we did go up through the southeast corner of Oklahoma, just for the sake of going to Oklahoma! We don't really do that much, but it wasn't a big detour--and how often do you go to Oklahoma? :)

We made a little stop out of it and visited the Museum of the Red River, in Idabel, Oklahoma--

It was a nice stop.

Everyone making their best dinosaur face--

Daxton helping Sierra read all the different dinosaur names--

Sierra appreciating the Native American art--

Colton and Janson making some music with the drums--

Daxton, fascinated with the cat sculpture, imagining it's 18 foot counterpart in Colorado!

Afterwards, we stopped at the fanciest gas station we've seen...and we've been to quite a few across the country! Check out these cars!

Big fans!

We drove on and got to Hot Springs, Arkansas that night.

The next day, the kids and I headed over to check out Hot Springs National Park!

Colton researched it beforehand and shared what he learned. One of the things he shared was that the Hot Springs is the smallest national park in the country. It's quaint.

We first visited Bathhouse Row.

We quickly learned that there is a whole lot of history here that we really didn't know about! It is a beautiful area, but also has a ton of history, that was very interesting! It was also intriguing to have this national park set right in the middle of this quaint, little town!

We walked along the outside of the 9 different bathhouses.

Some are now used as restaurants, one is a gift shop, one is still in "bathhouse" business, and the Fordyce Bathhouse is the visitor center, and it's where you can take a self-guided tour and learn ALL about the bathhouses and the hot springs. Very cool!

Our "park rangers"--Sierra and Colton:

There were 3 floors to explore in the Fordyce Bathhouse tour!

A "room", for a guest there--

A number of "rooms", and then a "steamer" to sit in (which Sierra is looking in)--

Hydrotherapy shower--

More steamers--

In the basement, where the source of the springs was accessed--

Learning about the science of the hot springs--

The old-fashioned elevator!

Special design, to allow disabled people to attend! Pretty cool...

The rail on the ceiling that carries the board that the disabled would lay on, to take them from room to room.

The massage room--

The gymnasium!

A model of Bathhouse Row--

It was very interesting to learn how many people came here, for the bathhouses! There were a number of people who came to relax, to socialize...it was quite the vacation event, patterned after European bathhouses. But, there were also many people who came looking for solutions to their ailments, rheumatism being a common one. Many of their doctors had suggested the hot springs for treatment. Some had tried everything else, and this was their last hope...

It was really interesting to learn this part of history.

The Christmas tree up in the visitor center, which invited people to write down their favorite national park--

Oh, our kids were all over that!! They had lots to say...

Grand Tetons; White Sands; Arches and Redwoods; Acadia;....and one of my kids even wrote "all of the national parks!" Ha ha, it's too hard to choose at this point! Colton even told me that he wrote "Hot Springs" on one of them, because that's where we were and he wanted to be nice!

Fun idea!

We ventured down to find the springs themselves, where they come above ground, so that you can touch them--

It was HOT!! Yes, it's in the name...but we were surprised at just HOW hot! This was the first spot--Display Springs

We were also surprised at how clear and clean it is! (I've only before experienced the hot springs that are murky and smell like sulphur....). This was a new experience!

And this was the second spot to touch the springs--Hot Water Cascade

We checked out a bit more of the quaint town, too--

We loved the Christmas decorations!

Sierra exclaimed, "We get to sit on Santa's lap!"--she was quite satisfied just with the statue!

Best ornament I've ever had! :) Filled with my kids--

And a nice man offered to take a picture, so I could join them--

"Merry Christmas from Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas"!

So, this is pretty cool....around town they have these 'fountains', that people can just come and fill water jugs, for FREE! It's thermal water, from the springs...and everyone is welcome to it!

So, we filled a couple of jugs. It comes out hot/warm, of course, and the novelty of it was pretty fun.

Thanks, Arkansas!

It was a beautiful area, with all the trees and the fall colors!

We had learned a lot about the science and history of the Hot Springs, but we decided to try out one of the hikes, too. We went to Hot Springs Mountain Trail and enjoyed more of the beautiful fall colors!

The view--

These relaxed, quiet walks in nature with my kids are the BEST. Just walking and talking together, sharing thoughts or stories or commentating on what we've learned...it's so great.

And I often get a chance to end up having an impromptu "connection talk" with one of my kids. A one on one, where they open up and we are able to really discuss some things and connect and it just fills me up!

I love it. And I love them.

Hiking buddies.

See? Love these guys. Being together, out in nature...it's the best.

And Daxton finding a leaf as big as his face! That's the best, too!

It was a great, fun day, with lots to learn and report to Jonnie.

And that night, we had some dinner and started to decorate our RV for Christmas.

I bought some cheap for-this-year-only stockings, and we are making a lot of our own decorations! It's fun. We are excited about holding to some traditions and also making it a special Christmas, as it will be quite different!