Petit Jean SP - March 2005

Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16, 2005:
      We have been invited to join Nita, Bob, Nathan and Jenna on a short trip to Petit Jean SP and Hot Springs in Arkansas. They have rented a large houseboat for 4 nights on a lake near Hot Springs and we are invited. We will meet them at Petit Jean SP. They have reserved a cabin and we'll be in the motorhome. We got a late start Wednesday and didn't arrive until after 8PM. The gas prices are ridiculous! We filled up in Carthage and again in Arkansas (over $200 for 2 fillups).
Thursday, March 17, 2005:
      We finished setting up camp and Joe rode his cripple cart around the campground picking up firewood in vacant campsites and Sue started a fire. Bob, Nita and the kids arrived in the early afternoon. They went on a hike to the bottom of the canyon to see a 90' waterfall. The trail was much too tough for us old folks, but they made lots of pictures.   They came over and sat around the campfire for awhile last night, until it got too chilly. Joe lost the pictures of the campsite.
Friday, March 18, 2005:
      Bob, Nita, Nathan and Jenna came by as we were getting up this morning. They re-started the fire and sat with us for awhile. Joe helped Nita work on her house plans for the house she is building soon and worked on her laptop computer most of the day. They went on a couple more hikes in the afternoon, then came back and sat around the fire some more. They told us about an overlook, where we can see the waterfall, and we'll try to get there before we leave. Joe called our friends Tom and Pauline Elder, who we met in Washington State in 2001. They are building a fixed house on the Arkansas River, a short distance from here. We'll go there for a visit tomorrow.
Saturday, March 19, 2005:
      Bob, Nita and the kids came by this morning as they were leaving for Branson, MO, for 2 nights. We'll stay here until Monday, then meet them at the houseboat at Hot Springs. We plan to leave the motorhome at the Elders while on the boat.
      We went by the overlook and got some pictures of the canyon and waterfall. We walked in to the overlook and got our exercise for the day. After we saw the place, we realized we had seen it before a few years back. Then we drove to the Elders.   They have a really nice 3 acre lot over looking the Arkansas River. Fantastic view!! They have built a large workshop and are living in their 5th wheel inside while they are building a house. They have the foundations done but will be a while finishing the house as they are building it themselves.   We had a great visit and didn't get back to camp until after dark.
Sunday, March 20, 2005:
      We started packing the car for Hot Springs and the boat and getting the motorhome ready leave with the Elders. The weather was OK today, but is forecast to be stormy tomorrow.

Joe & Nancy Sue, On the Road, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas