It’s been a loooooonnnnngggg time since we’ve been to Arkansas.  We went to a family reunion in Hot Springs in 2004 but prior to that it must have been 2000 or 2001.  So we loaded up the Durango, plugged in the tv/dvd player and drove about 7 hours to spend the holiday weekend with Ken’s sister Julie and her family. Don’t get me wrong; we HAVE seen them in the meantime, we just haven’t seen them in their own home!

We had a great time starting with a cookout and a walk on the “big dam bridge”.  The following day it was lunch at The Crooked Hook for Ken’s beloved catfish then a hike up Pinnacle Mountain.  That evening we went to Tasia’s (Julie’s stepdaughter) to shoot some fireworks.  Too bad the mosquitoes ate us alive.  On the 4th we had a picnic lunch at the Old Mill, followed by swimming at the rec center, then firework viewing from the high school parking lot to avoid the crowds.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!  Check out Ken’s blog for more pictures!

By the sign of the “big dam bridge”. l to r: Doug, Wesley, Jocelyn, and Taylor.  Right: the bridge lights were red, white, and blue for the holiday!

What a great hike but wow were we H-O-T afterwards! Nothing a happy hour at Sonic couldn’t fix!

The Old Mill was more beautiful than we remembered it from years ago.  We had a lovely picnic lunch then explored the grounds before heading to go swimming and for fireworks later that night.  l to r: Nicole (Lauren’s friend), Jocelyn, Lauren, Julie, Doug, and Ken.