We woke up along the stream in Gulpha Springs National Park Campsite. The campground is small, but a beautiful location. Below you can see our current camping setup. It's cozy, but serves us just right. As you can see, there is Lindy still snoozing somewhere in that pile of blankets.
We headed back into downtown Hot Springs, grabbed a parking spot and took the pup out for a walk along the main street, Bath House row, and the Grand Promenade. The city has come and gone in several stages. We took the opportunity to not only enjoy the warm water flowing from the springs, but also to snap some pictures of the various buildings that are in the area.
We also took the opportunity to take in some local cuisine... and by that we mean another locol donut shop. Spa City Donuts.... perhaps not as good as the ones at the Rebel Barn, but still delectable.
Out of the city and into the woods we went. Once we entered Winona Wildlife Management Area we gave up the pavement for some forest roads. Spring gobbler season is in full swing and we saw several hunters taking advantage of the area. We even stopped to chat with one who wanted details on the road we had just come down. It was a dead end, but seemed to be exactly what he was looking for to keep chasing the tom he was after.
We have noticed several turkeys on the move during our trip; however, they seem to move a bit too fast for our camera.
We finally found pavement again outside of the small town of Danville. It was time for lunch and we decided to treat ourselves to a local eatery. Gazing around, our options were scarce, but we did come across the "Main Street Cafe." There were plenty of locals there, so we decided to give it a try. The meal was nothing spectacular, but dessert was a must have. Possum Pie!! YUM!!!
After lunch we wandered back into the forest and came across some interesting sites. Like this dam at Spring Lake:
and the old Liberty school house....
We are both baffled as to the purpose of the dish rack, any and all ideas are welcome!
After several steep climbs, we finally began to see the treeline fade, and feel the air thin. Before we knew it, we were treated to scenic vistas of the natural state.
Mount Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas, and rumored highest point between the Appalachians and Rockies, but that last part isn't entirely accurate, as there are points higher in Kansas and Oklahoma. Still, it's a nice climb and a nice vista, the top is marked by a sign and geological survey marker, and the nearby lodge has recently been reconstructed and features an amazing view of the valley.
We also took the time to enjoy the flowers in spring bloom, enjoy:
We called it quits for the night at Cove Lake National Park Camp Site. The sites are laid out nicely along the lake and include a sturdy tent pad, picnic table and plenty of parking. Although it is still primitive camping (no running water, electricity, etc.) we still greatly enjoyed it and marked on the map as a possible return in the future. The lakeside accommodations were beautiful and we even tried to snap some pictures over the water at sunset and will again at sunrise.
The camp is laid out in two loops. We opted for the unconventional loop B and found we had the whole area to ourselves. We spent the evening enjoying the entire run of the loop, invading other campsites to romp with the dog. Of course, we also occasionally gazed across the cove at loop A to speculate about what the loop a-ers were doing.
Today was our third day in Arkansas, which seems odd at first, but this state really lives up to it's title as the 'Natural State', as it really does have a lot to offer. It's easy to see how you could easily spend three weeks here instead of three days.
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