This morning we got up and finished packing our bags, then went down for our last breakfast in the Radisson's Restaurant where we said goodbye to most of our fellow Texas Peacemakers. I am so grateful for this great group for including me and making me feel like one of them. Thank you to Norma for inviting me to go along. Traveling with my sister again is very special to me.
It's been fun but I am ready to go home. Norma and I studied the map to decide on a different route for our return trip to Texas so we could see some different scenery.
We made it across the state line back into Arkansas and once we got into Harrison, Ark., we headed south on Ark. Scenic Hwy 7, a winding mountain road that took us through Marble Falls, where Norma recalled that many years ago she brought her young children here to a Dog Patch, U.S.A.! Remember those parks from the 1970's? Well, there was not much of anything remaining of what used to be an entertainment destination there along the river.
We continued on across the Buffalo National River and into the tiny town of Jasper, Ark. I guess Jasper is the jumping-off point for river trips because there were hundreds of people milling around, with all sorts of water gear laying on the ground, waiting to board one of the many busses/vans that were lined up alongside the street.
We continued on Hwy. 7 enjoying the spectacular scenery. We continue to see lots of dogwood trees shining through the thick woods of mostly leafless trees.
We soon pulled off the road at a scenic overlook.
We followed Hwy.7 until it intersected with Hwy. 16 west, another mountainous winding road with beautiful scenery, taking us through the tiny Arkansas towns of Deer, Nail, Swain, and Fallsville where we head south on Hwy. 21. We passed through Salus, Ozone, Hillcrest, and Ludwig, more tiny Arkansas towns, before we came to I-40, just east of Fort Smith, Ark. We have had enough of winding mountain roads for today so we head west on I-40. We take the I-540 bypass at the eastern edge of Fort Smith, and soon we were crossing the Arkansas River.
It wasn't long after crossing the river that we saw this sign!
We traveled on U.S. Hwy 271 and then U.S. Hwy 259 south heading toward Broken Bow, Okla. Norma wanted me to show her where Tom and I like to go kayaking near Broken Bow, Ok. on the lower Mountain Fork River. We detoured over to Ambush Adventures, located under the river bridge on U.S. Hwy. 70, just west of Broken Bow. We also drove down the gravel road to the spillway where Ambush Adventures takes us to "put in" the river with our kayaks. Tom and I love kayaking on that section of the lower Mountain Fork River and try to go at least once every Summer!
We pass by fields covered in Indian Paint Brush flowers:
Following that little detour, we finally are crossing the Red River!
Yippee!!!! We see that long-awaited sign!
I'm telling you, there is no place like it in the whole wide world!
We make a short stop in Gladewater, Texas so I can snap a couple of photos.
It was just a short drive from there to Tyler where Tom was going to meet us to pick me up. Tom brought his garden tiller over with him to Norma's daughter Carla's house, to till up the ground for Devin, Carla's son to plant his garden this year.. Devin was so excited. He had a small garden last year and loved watching vegetables grow and getting to pick and eat them.
How wonderful it is to see my Sweetie! So good to be home! Like I always say when I return from a trip, "There is no place like home"!
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