Got up at 0045 and pulled out of the campground by 0115 this morning to do the drive through Memphis in the middle of the night to avoid all the traffic. Even at that hour, I-40 was filled with tractor trailers, but at least there weren't millions of cars darting in and out and cutting us off. Once we got safely across the Mississippi River, it was time for breakfast! Doug happily devoured his Belgian waffle, eggs, sausage, and bacon at a truck-stop Dennys.
A few hours later, we were pulling into the campground in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the childhood home of Bill & Hillary Clinton (or so says the sign entering town). It's surprisingly pretty here, although we could do without the 80% humidity. While Doug recovered from the long painful drive, Jen brought the pups to Hot Springs National Park and hiked the trails there with them. Pretty views, well-maintained trails, and total solitude.
After the hike and showers (and rib bones for the pups) we headed into town to find the local brewery. Superior Brewing is located in an old bathhouse that had been vacant for 35 years before they took it over a few years ago (the town of Hot Springs is known for their, well, hot springs... and the main street is lined with bathhouses and spas) . Unfortunately they don't have the licenses to brew their own beer, but they had a good selection of brews on tap from around the Midwest. They also had decent real food and yummy gelato.
Eventful day. Tomorrow: mtn biking Arkansas.
