GGT - Day 3

Day three we had planned a trip to a cavern. Top of a mountain one day, underground the next. So we got up and headed to Bull Shoals. This was Friday during Lent, so I couldn't eat meat.

It was a beautiful, hilly, drive on the craziest road o have ever been on. It had so many hairpin turns and there were more curves than straight patches. We saw some beautiful view of the mountains ... and lots of tornado shelters and rebel flags.

So after 2 1/2-3 hour drive up here and based on our hunger issue the day before I asked to eat before we went to the cavern. There were only 2 places in town to choose from, and the one we picked, had a bunch of mounted fish in a case at the front of the restaurant. Xman loves fish! In fact, he loved this fish so much that we couldn't get him in the restaurant without tears. Thankfully there was a fishing net with lures in it about our table and we convinced him they were fish. He wouldn't eat, but I had catfish, and we headed to the cavern.

The cavern was cool, but not what I expected. We got to see a few bats really close up, they were oblivious to the fact that we were there. We saw really cool formations, Xman wanted to touch everything. The caverns were small and dead-ended, but we saw so much on the way back. There was a waterfall, and shield stalagtites, and a box formation, and cool columns. Our guide was good. In fact I dropped Xman's jacket and he mailed it back to us!

Then back to Grandma's town. I was taking pictures of a few of the crazy things we saw and scouting several things I wanted to plant in the yard. And asked Robert, "how many rebel flags have we seen today?". "At least 5" he said. Then I asked, "How many people have we seen that were not white?" "none.". I find this a little more than creepy.

We were wanting to go the fish hatchery, but we're too late. Then we stopped and talked to Robert's friend from high school. That was cut short by his brother's call that he was at Grandma's.

Everyone was wanting to eat at Grandma's. We didn't want to eat at Grandma's. We were not hungry and we made some of them mad. They are food pushers like i have never seen before! We had a great time catching up with brother, then when we were leaving the drama began. His uncle was mad that we weren't stopping by to see an aunt tomorrow on our way home. And apparently we spent too much time talking to Robert's brother. So uncle made a snide comment about "Y'all only came to visit with one another."

Apparently he felt left out, even though the night before we talked with him for a couple of hours. And they were made because we wouldnt come over for breakfast - we needed sleep and didn't want trade sleep for food. Food pushers I tell you!!! Did I mention every time we went there we left with at least one grocery bag of food that they wouldn't let us leave without. As for not stopping on the way home, we had spent more time in the car than out of it for the last three days, and we were ready to be home. And we were on a tighter schedule, because we had to get home in time for Robert to go to work. We were in two towns with my aunts and uncles and didn't have time to see them. Sorry! I digress. The next morning it was time to head home. We had long but uneventful trip home, and made it home in time for Robert to go to work. About an hour before we got home Xman had said Mommy, for about 30 minutes straight, until I finally gave in and gave him his paci, then he tools second nap.

GGT- Day 2

Day 2, we got up and packed thecar and checked out the new Arkansas Travelers Stadium ... through the fence. The after talking to Robert's sister, we decided to climb Pinnacle Mountain then head to see his sister.

Yes, I said climb a mountain ... yes, with a two-year old ... where was your advice before we did this? Robert had climbed this in high school, and did not think it would be too bad. The map showed it was a 1.2 mile hike up the mountain. That did not sound really far to me, and in the beginning the path was dirt, with a few rocks and roots and relatively flat.

The path changed to a steep gravel road, the a rock staircase, then rocks. We saw a snake, a great view of the river, had several discussions of how far we should go. At one point I could see to top, and Robert said it would bea shame not to get pictures, so I told him to stay with the boy and I would go take pictures. He asked if I could make it. My response, "if I am not carrying Xman? Definitely." so up the three of us went. Did I bring up my concerns about having to go back down? Definitely!

What did we see at the top. A great view of a field and a road ...and a baby crying at the top because he needed a nap, a drink, a diaper change, and goldfish! Can you believe that poor d's parents? Oh wait, that was my kid. Poor Xman!

So my legs were already so fatigued from climbing up that I kept thinking they were going to stop working all together. By this point, what had started out as a very cool morning,has become a very warm, sunny day. I stopped to cry 3 times, and Xman fell 2 times before we got back to the car. Oh, and Xman did fall asleep on the last part of the walk. But we climbed a mountain.

We went to Robert's sister's house and met our niece. Our Niece and Xman played for a while, then it was back in the car to forage for food. That did go as planned. We were all cranky and hungry and passed up food, then got stuck in traffic behind a wreck, finally grabbed some fast food and headed to our next GGT stop.

We went to Robert's Grandma's and visited with he and his uncle & his uncle's family that live with Grandma. Finally we head to get food and to the hotel for a much needed shower and rest. Did I mention we didn't think of sunscreen either?

The Great Grandmother Tour - Day 1

So at the end of Spring Break the family embarked on the Great Grandmother Tour 2012. This is an insane trip to see Xman's Great Grandmothers that live in Arkansas. Now keep in mind this was also our family vacation for the year, and not just a trip to visit all of our relatives that live in Arkansas, which I am pretty sure would take us at least a month!

So we left our cozy home, and headed to Camden and spent about an hour with my Meme and Granny. I just missed one cousin at Granny's, and forgot to take a picture, but I am hoping she is coming here for a visit before tis summer, and we can correct my mistake at that time. He was very good at finding toys at both houses. I caught the sweetest moment with Xman and MeMe while she was showing him videos of himself on our flip camera. (I will attach the picture and try to move it later when I can get to a real computer.)

Then back in the car, and we stopped to see Snotty & Cheesy at college, and Xman picked flowers and cheesy blew them in his face, and taught him to blow them.

Then back in the car. We were trying to see Robert's sister before her baby went to bed, but missed our opportunity, so we headed to dinner in LR. It took us a while to find Juanita's, since it moved, but Robert really wanted their amazing queso, and so we found it and the queso was amazing! But the fajitas and margaritas were probably the grossest I have had. It's between 88 & 9 pm at this point so we found our hotel for the night (Wyndham - very nice), and watched a movie with the boy.

The boy was good in the car, and travelled better than I did (this is a trend that will continue most of the trip).