Mammoth Spring, AR and Little Grand Canyon in Thayer, Mo

Today is my baby boys birthday! Happy Birthday Gabe, we love you. He is 23! Wow how time has flown.

It is one hot day! We decided to take another day trip of looking over Arkansas campgrounds. It’s too hot to do anything else. Heat index predicted to be in the 100’s!

We decided to go to Mammoth Spring State Park. We had driven by several times and it looked beautiful.

First we headed toward the hatchery. We went inside to the aquarium. My pictures are not the best with the lightening my camera doesn’t do well.

Then we went outside to the hatchery. once again my camera didn’t do well, even though i turned the flash off. All i could get pictures of were the coy fish.

Then we headed over the museum, we learned some history. Did you know that Mammoth Spring, Arkansas was the inspiration of the Ole Grand Opry? I didn’t!

The museum is where the old train depot was.

You couldn’t go inside the train but you could see inside and snapped a picture.

Then we headed to the visitor center and the part i wanted to see ….

Yessssss … the dam! Oh it was so hot out walking but when you got below the dam, it was so nice and cool. The water made the breeze nice and cool. I could of stayed here all day long .. this type of stuff, dams, water falls .. basically water memorizes me.

This is the view when you walk across the dam.

What a day to go swimming and yes people were swimming.

Here is the museum from the dam side

This picture is taken from the top of the dam looking down .. beautiful!!

After you walk across the dam the old electric building is open to tour. It was pretty neat as this is where the electric came from to run the dam years ago ..

Wow … look at this huge machine …

This picture if walking back from the electric building.

Little Grand Canyon??

On our way back we say a sign that said Grand Gulf State Park, which is located near Thayer, MO. So since were on an adventure we followed the sign. We were beginning to wonder if we would ever find it. finally a sign that said turn here and then we came to the end of the black top and there it was. The sign that said Grand Gulf State Park. I was thinking it was a campground type park .. wrong ……..

We went inside the park and parked in the only parking lot there was. all we could see was trees and a trail. We got and started down a trail that was rocked and had hand rails .. should of been our first hint ….

Hmmm we never dreamed we’d find this …

The sign above says this …

Grand Gulf State Park preserves one of the state’s most significant geologic wonders – a major collapsed cave system often called the “Little Grand Canyon” When a portion of the cave roof collapsed, it created a three-fourths mile long canyon and one of the largest natural bridges in Missouri.

We walked around the other side and down about 20 steps and there was a nice rail patio and this is what you saw when you looked over the side .. sorry the last photo turned out bad but i got very light headed and we had to get me out of there before i ended up on the ground!!! I don’t do heights very well and looking at this really got me!!

Hubby got me safely in the truck and he walked around another side of the canyon and said that it was 1/8 mile long, 119 steps down and and the canyon on that side was 70’ deep! I have always wanted to see the grand canyon and hope that someday i do get there but not sure that i can actually see it without fainting .. hmmm if i almost fainted seeing Little Grand Canyon what will i do seeing the big one ??

On our way home we stopped at Wal-mart and picked up a few things we needed. I also got me a new memory card for my camera as my camera doesn’t hold many photo’s. I purchased a 4 GB disc .. it was a great day although it is very hot outside and the rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in our nice and cool home.

Norfork Lake, Arkansas

We got up a bit on the late side today, but we played cards late last night with our friends Doris and Lynn. I’m proud to say the ladies won both games!

Around 2 pm we decided to take a drive to Arkansas to check out some campgrounds over there. We stopped and toured around several COE campgrounds. A couple of them we could get our rig in but the roads are very narrow. Gamaliel COE had a couple spots long enough for our 38’ home but the roads are very narrow for backing into. Bidwell Point, i wouldn’t recommend anyone with a large rig trying to get into that campground .. spots are very small there was one other but i forgot the name and large rigs could get into some spots but the roads are all on hillsides.

Here is a picture that i took crossing the bridge going over Norfork Lake. It’s one huge beautiful lake!

On the way home we stopped and toured a small town called Bakersfield, MO. A very small old town. We found this old neat bridge that we crossed and it takes you to the park and ball field.

Here is the entrance to the ranch. I hadn’t taken a picture of the entrance and decided to do so yesterday.

The road leading into our private paradise is almost 3 1/2 miles of winding and hilly road. It’s a beautiful drive.

This snapping turtle was crossing the road

Here is the gate house, you have to be a member to enter or if your a guest, your member has to be there for you to enter the gate.

There are 5 campgrounds, this is the one we are currently parked in.

Here sits our home, yes we are road to road. That is a down fall at C9, the pads were made years ago and it’s hard to find pads to accommodate the larger rigs, but if you look carefully you find one you can park on.

We had a wonderful time out venturing and we went for a nightly ride and then retired to just relax from a fun day.

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my birthday! No I am not posting my age .. just know that i am still one red hot young mama … ROFL

Hubby tried to take me on ride to the stream to get my feet wet but every time we started out, the rain would start .. so no feet wetting today.

We have had rain for the past couple of days .. we had 5” in just today!

My front door is a lake!

Since it has rained and rained, we went to the club house to play cards with our friends, Doris, Lynn, Kevin and Jeanette. Unfortunately the guys didn’t let us ladies win .. but we had fun anyways and yes it stormed while we were playing. Around 10.30 pm we headed back to the camper where the dogs were very happy to see us!!

New Frown!

Hubby isn’t happy that i snapped this picture but he wouldn’t smile so this is all i could get. His new teeth look nice if he would just leave them in!! He was curling his nose at me when i wanted him to smile .. lol Yes i know he is never smiling when he gets his picture taken.

It has rained and rained since we arrived back at the ranch. So i have basically stayed inside and played on the computer and read my book. We have a huge mud hole in front of the door. Hubby has been fishing off and on in the rain.

We have a friend arriving to visit for a few days tomorrow .. Yeppie looking forward to seeing Richard!!

back home

It rained off and on our entire trip back to the ranch. We made it back home safe and sound and it was nice not to see any wrecks. Traffic wasn’t bad either .. But .. there is never any place like home. Through last several years i have found that the saying is true .. Home is where ever the heart lies.

Hubby got his temporary plate. We are not sure when his next appt will be. We basically have to see how he does and call when he needs to have an adjustment made.

The dogs where so happy to be home as well. They love the beginning of our road trip but by the end they are ready to cuddle up at home.

Road trip

We are packing for another over the night road trip. Hubby has a dr appointment tomorrow and hopefully he will finally get his teeth. He has lost 16 lbs! Wish i could say the same .. i have put on 16 lbs!

Still no internet .. it’s a dreary looking day. Once again i didn’t get much sleep because of my back and it’s still giving me fits today. I am packing the heating pad so i can use it as we travel down the road.

down in the back and no internet!!

After the kids left on Sunday we spent the evening just relaxing with friends.

Monday i did a bit of picking things up around the camper, and playing online .. that evening we spent it sitting outside visiting with friends.

Monday night i was up with my back all night long … grrrr Tuesday was spent all day just laying around trying to get my back to stop hurting. I spent the entire day & night in my pj’s! We have had some thunder and bit of rain if that is what you call it .. not even enough to settle all the dust that has my allergies in a frizzy. Another thing the internet has been down all day long .. grrr .. nothing worse then being able to get out and then not being able to get online .. double stinks! I imagine my crops have withered :(((

On a good note the dogs are happy to be settling back into having our home to themselves. They love company but their always thrilled to see them leave .

Sure hope the internet starts working soon and i esp hope my back gets better soon although it’s not looking good as they are predicting chances of rain all week and when the humidity level get high .. so does my pain level from my back.

Hubby spent his day fishing … he would come check on me and then head back out … he finally has caught his limit since we have returned!