Tire Step

Dear Hubby & I are both vertically challenged.  We are hardly able to reach the latch of the toolbox in the bed of the truck.  I bought this tire step from Ebay for $34.00. We used it every day on our trip. 

300LBS TRUCK SUV TIRE WHEEL STEP UP ADJUSTABLE LADDER NON-SLIP PLATFORM

Tire step

Just a little tip if you need a step.

Until next time...................

Bonnie

Day Fourteen: The End of Our Trip

We left early from Tupelo, MS heading to Lumpkin, GA.  Planning on three states today.  We were up pretty early since our tent neighbors next door haven't learned how to use their key fob and their truck horn blew 7 different time before 7am!  I could have throat punched someone!  Besides them we had no problems with neighbors or fellow campers.  Everyone was nice, waved, said hello.  It was great.

The scenery is starting to look more and more like home.

This is until  we got to Birmingham, AL.  Part of Interstate was closed, we had to detour through downtown Birmingham with our camper in tow.  Bumper to bumper traffic for over an hour and "us" girls had to pee!

Birmingham, AL Skyline

 Just when we thought we were done with the downtown traffic we had to go through a million traffic lights (all stopping downhill!).  I think everyone of them caught us!

P.S. We still have to pee!

5000 traffic lights!

 Finally Dear Hubby was able to pull over on the shoulder of the road so that Girl M and I could waddle to the camper to use the bathroom.  We were dying!


Years ago we hunted in Opelika, AL and we had to drive through Columbus, GA.  There is a huge ship in front of the National Civil War Naval Museum along the road and the kids were tired of riding in the truck so we allowed them to say "ship" sentences.  Like:  It smells like "ship" in here,  Whose "ship" is this?, and I'm not taking your "ship".  The kids laughed so hard and every time we pass the Ship we repeat all the "ship" sentences.

Columbus, GA

 We're finally back in our own time zone! 

We arrived at Hunt Camp about 3pm and all is looking good here.  Our new roof on the camper is still there after we had to replace it from the March tornado.  The picture makes our camper look a little leaning but it's not, it's probably from all the traveling, I'm crooked!

Lumpkin, GA

We did a few things around the camp, cooked some wings on the grill and took a ride to our hunting lease.  Dear Hubby got a burst of energy and talked us into driving home tonight.  It's 8:30pm and we are packing up to drive home.  We've already drove 6-1/2 hours today and it's still another 5-1/2 hours home.  OMG what has he talked me into?

We made it home about 4am.  Lulu missed her living room rug!

Lulu missed her rug

Happy Dog

I can't believe our trip is over.  Now I have fourteen days worth of laundry to do, unload & clean out the camper.  I'll be needing another vacation soon!

Until next time....................

Bonnie

Day Thirteen: Tombigbee State Park, MS

Arkansas was a beautiful state and we really enjoyed all the State Parks.  I know we didn't even touch the beginning of what ALL Arkansas has to offer so I think we will need to come back again!

Our drive from Hot Springs, AR to Tupelo, MS was nice.  The roads a more flat now and we did see a little of the Arkansas River flooding south of Little Rock, AR.

Arkansas River Flooding

Arkansas River Flooding

More River Flooding

We're starting to get back into more farmland.  These cornfields are huge and go on for miles and miles.

Cornfields

Mississippi River flooding started about a mile before we crossed.

Mississippi River flooding

I get so excited when were starting to cross the Mississippi River.  I want to take pictures, but I also just want to gawk.  The bridge in Memphis, TN across the Mississippi River was massive.  We got stuck is some traffic so I was able to look around and take pictures.

Memphis TN bridge

Mississippi River

Bridges

Welcome to Tennessee

We passed this container yard in Memphis, TN.  It pretty neat to think that these containers came in on the River then are being moved onto big trucks to be delivered.

Container Yard

Container movers

Our GPS routed us through a more industrial side of Memphis, TN and I do hope to not have to go through there again.  It was very dirty.  I need to see more farmland.


We arrived at Tombigbee State Park in Tupelo, MS and the view at the office was beautiful!

Tombigbee State Park, Tupelo, MS

Girl M. had to try to fish some more.

Girl M.

Us

Bojangles does not care for water but he enjoyed walking/wading around at the boat launch.  He spend about 15 minutes walking around in the water.  So not like him!

Bojangles in the water

View from a shelter

Our campsite was nice and clean.  Paved, level site with a picnic table and a fire ring.  Dear Hubby is out of road flares so he'll have to Boy Scout the fire tonight!

Fire Ring

Old Gal set up

Girl M fished for a while that evening with no luck.

Girl M. fishing

Dear Hubby finally got the pole away from Girl M.  For a few minutes at least.

Dear Hubby fishing

Evening on the Lake

He did it!  He started us a fire! My caveman!

Fire Good!

These too are too cute sometimes!

Lulu & Bobo

Tomorrow we're heading South.  We going to stay at our Hunt Camp in Lumpkin, GA for the night then head home.  We've had a wonderful trip and I look forward to Dear Hubby's retirement so that we can travel more.

Until next time.............

Bonnie

Day Twelve: Hot Springs, Arkansas & Catfish Lunch

We left to sight see early in the morning hoping that it would not be too hot.  The day turned out beautiful with the temperature about 80 degrees and sunny skies.  Hot Springs was very pretty and we spent them morning taking the tour of the Fordyce Bath house.

Hot Springs, AR

Girl M. wanted us to put a bath tub like this in our home............that's huge!

Fordyce Bathhouse

Bathtub

Beautiful stained glass

Statues

The Visitors Center & museum was very interesting and Free is a good thing too. 

Outside the Fordyce Bathhouse

We took a walking tour of the Grand Promenade.  They just don't make gardens like they used to.

Girl M & a fountain

It's amazing all these hot spring fountains and poosl just flowing out of the earth.  We really enjoyed looking at them and being able to feel just how warm the water was.

Hot Springs pool

Girl M took our picture

Touristy shot?

We found a park bench to decide what to do next.  We still had 1-/2 hours on our parking meter so we wanted to look around for a little while more.  We visited the Hot Springs Aquarium.  For $20 it wasn't bad, it had some pretty interesting creatures and wasted a little more time.  Dear Hubby saw the Beef Jerky Outlet and spent a little time sampling their goods.

Resting

We found another spring in a little park and it was probably the prettiest of all so far.  So relaxing.

Hot Spring waterfall & pond

Girl M

We decided to see another glass chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens.  It was a short drive from downtown.

Anthony Family Carillion

The Anthony Chapel did not disappoint.  It was much larger than the chapel in Eureka Springs.  It's such an amazing work of art.

Anthony Chapel

Selfie

Beautiful

Getting close to Lunch time we looked for someplace that had Catfish.  Lately that's what I've been craving.....I've never really cared for catfish but it's either catfish or Barbeque.  Who know?

Bubba's Catfish & Seafood, Hot Springs, AR

We ordered the family meal because Girl M. doesn't like fish.  There was plenty of food and it was all delicious!  We even had enough leftovers for dinner that night.

Catfish/Chicken tenders/Fries/Hushpuppies & Coleslaw

Getting back to our campsite, Girl M. wanted to loose at some mini-golf.  The KOA didn't advertise it much but Girl M asked at the office and it was only $2.00 per person.  The area had been recently mowed but could have used a little blowing off the grass clippings.  It's sad to think that they let something like this go.  But for $6 we had a good time and wasted a few hours.

Girl M & mini-golf

Girl M. keeps us active and after allowing us to rest a few minutes she was ready to go swimming.

The pool was nice but I didn't swim since it was only 80 degrees and the pool was in the shade.  I like it hot!

KOA Pool

Tomorrow we'll be packing up and heading to Mississippi.

Until next time...............

Bonnie