http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Arkansas en-us Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:13:05 BST Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:13:05 BST So the last thing I put on here after deciding it would now be about Sam I was a link to the wedding pictures. I am not doing very well with being uptodate.First I'm going to again point out that for those of you original subscribers from my France trip you have my complete permission to unsubscribe if you don't care to have updates on Sam and I for however long I keep this up. Also upd http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-319998.html In the morning we dug for diamonds. It was very hot outside We didnrsquot find any diamonds but lots of other rocks like Jasper Mica Calcite and Quartz. When we were done we drove to Hot Springs. We Went to the summit of the mountain there and we could see the whole city from up there We saw the bathhouses from over 100 years ago and there were showers tubs and cooling rooms. There w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Hot-Springs/blog-317431.html First we drove out of Texas and then we went to president Clintonrsquos first house and school. Then we Spent the night at Crater of Diamond State Park in Arkansas but got there too late to dig. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/blog-317430.html This week has been a lot of studying mixed with cleaning and packing. The GMAT is this saturday and I would like to be out of the apartment in a week.A new skill I learned this week is to ship luggage. I sent a large 55lb piece of luggage out with LuggageFree. It was full of bedding and ski clothes. They will drop it off at my dorm. Let's just say I'm paying to not have to lug that thing arou http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-317032.html 82008 Dad and Vern were in Pine Bluff Arkansas last night they figure they've travelled about 1500 miles so far.82108 Reporting in from Mena Arkansas the Magic Scooter team is at about 3000 ft above sea level. An armadillo walked by Dad as he was on the phone with me. He says they've hit alot of rain but only his hands are getting wet because of the great rain gear they have. This is a ph http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-314810.html This week has been a full week. I got 2 cavities filled which of course is always fun. But before I go away for a year I'd like to make sure my teeth a healthy. I can check that off my list. My VISA came in the mail today. No not a credit card. My little piece of paper that says I'm allowed to be in Italy for the 330 days. Which is kinda neat. It's a sticker inside my passport and some http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-310484.html Had a fine flight to Little Rock Arkansas otherwise known as the DEVIL'S OVEN It was over 100 degrees and it sure wasn't a dry heat. We had about a 4 hour drive to our destination in Reeds Springs MO. Drove by or close to colorful little areas like Pickles Gap and Toad Suck Park home of the Toad Suck Catfish Inn. After looking for over an hour for a 'local' restaurant along the way they we http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-308447.html I have 5 weeks to go and the frustration with everthing and everyone has reached its peak. I have a massive todo list and have purchased hundreds of dollars in things i need for the trip. Things live voltage adapters financial calculator easytravel clothing slashproof purse and so on. I'm going to break make sure it's not on youAnd all the red tape from school is getting ridiculou http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-308431.html Sam and I got up early and headed over the Buckstaff Bath House. There we each got a traditional bath package including a mineral bath steam and massage. It was a unique experience for each of us we both came out glowing in the words of the guys. It was a nice relaxing way to start of the day before our next long drive. We had decided to extend the drive on this day to almost 500 miles t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Hot-Springs/blog-303892.html Hey everyoneI came home from camp on Saturday July 19 2008. A very emotional thing to do. I love Dwight Mission with every fiber of my being but everyone has to leave at some point. I know I'll be back to visit some to alumni retreats and family camps but it will never quite be the same.I came home 2 weeks early so I could spend time with my family and take care of paperwork for school. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-303827.html We just spent about 6 days with my Ashley dad Nancy stepmom and Hunter halfbrother in Arkansas. It was a great time. We got to go boating swimming tubing and fishing on Bull Shoals Lake. The lake was about 4050 feet above it's normal water level kind of a shock since California is on the verge of a drought. Staying in Mountain Home was a great way to pause our trip for a little while http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Hot-Springs/blog-303820.html I got up early and did some laundry before we hit the road. Since we got out late after a quick breakfast in the hotel we set with a goal to get to our next destination Memphis early enough to visit Graceland. We got there about 300 and after checking into the Heartbreak Hotel we walked over to see The King's estate. We got the audio self tour and it was quite well done. As none of us a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Conway/blog-303463.html Our annual road trip begins...and miraculously we actually leave our driveway by 930AM This is quite a feat for us as we are not known to rush to get going. Brenda and I always appreciate the fact that our kids are getting a whole different road trip experience than we had with our families. I know it's because our dads only had a limited time off for vacation and had to get to where we were http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/blog-293549.html We decided to go west then north instead of heading north first. With all the flooding in Iowa and vicinity we figured dealing with itinerant campers is the last thing those poor folks need. So yesterday we crossed the Mississippi River at Memphis on I40. The river was high up into the trees along the shore and the current was moving right along. The big flooding is still to the north. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/blog-289585.html While the weather was good enough for Dan Scott and Bill David to escape eastward in Scott's 182 it was not good enough to permit us to head west. After another diner breakfast the waitresses pretty much knew us by name and Donna by biscuits by this time Bruce once more picked up the remaining crew from the motel in Lakeview and kindly prevented cabin fever. Despite the intermittent rain http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/blog-278069.html Dawn broke...and the weather looked iffy right away 100 solid overcast with occasional drizzle. The forecast suggested maybe a break in the afternoon but the entourage advised the proprietess ...we may be staying... and confirmed that after breakfast and more weather reports.Watching the weather became an allmorning eventually allday pursuit via a combination of phone to Flight Service http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Conway/blog-278065.html New starter finally installed in 624 the group departed Covington TN around 5 pm for a couple hours' flight to Mountain Home AR. Not everyone was night current it was getting late in the day...and most important someone willing to facilitate accommodation. Bob Hawkins' friend Bruce a Civil Air Patrol buddy met us at the airport with transportation ample to hold everyone and took us to a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/blog-278059.html There was an earthquake in Chengdu. 7.9. 8500 people killed. Schools collapsing. I wonder if these were some of the schools we were supposed to visit. I wonder if these are friends of Martha. It's horrible. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-275628.html First the news via Anne Culver...THEN KEEP READING FOR HOW THIS DAY REALLY ENDED....The C2C crew filed for 1 pm CT departure from Mountain Home after a funfilled threeday visit. Wrote Anne Culver relayed from Bob Hawkins As far as I can tell the townspeople will have a parade today led of course by the Blues Brothersrsquo Chevy but I have no information if the parade is before they lea http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-274755.html In response to Joe Stubberfield's email which read Maybe they should have traded the planes for that RV they were looking at. I have driven from MD to LA in two separate legs in a total of 41 hours. They could have split that up among drivers and spent and extra day or two in Grand Canyon Monument Park etc. Wouldn't have to worry about bathroom breaks cause they would have one http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Fayetteville/blog-274338.html Martha Morton called said I owed her some things. It seems I never turned in my Culture III assignment I did that... DIDN'T I and I didn't turn in my signed waiver form think I just spaced on that walked out with it I have to give her some dissemination plan. Dang I don't know how I'm going to disseminate information about China right now. Right now I'm not completely sure how I http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-272597.html I feel so overwhelmed at the thought of trying to have everything done before we leave on June 6th. June 5th is our last day of semester exams so I won't even have a work day between classes and leaving much less a day for organizing and packing.I keep thinking of things I need to do but I'm so scattered. LikeI need to call the credit card company tell them I'm going to China so pretty ple http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-272273.html I got a notice on my forum query about Ryokan Rikiya. This was encouraging. Ryokan Rikiya review http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-271914.html I've been working on getting donations for our gifts to the Chinese schools. So far I've contacted the state house the Hot Springs Department of Tourism The Arkansas Heritage Society a couple of places in D.C. Disney what could be more American an my senator. The smaller the place is the more willing they seem to be to donate. Today I got a sack of pens and arkansas shaped notepads from http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-271708.html I have been trying for a month to find a place for Susie and me to stay while we're in Kyoto Japan. I really wanted traditional Japanese for our stay. At first I researched researched for the perfect place and I finally came up with this place the Heianbo . Unfortunately they were booked. Then I tried another place... and another... and another. I was getting desperate. Fortunately s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-271702.html Day two of the workshop started at a much more reasonable time 900 a.m. with some Tai Chi. I don't know if I would like it. Mostly I felt awkward but everyone else did too. I think I'll stick with Yoga. The nice thing about Yoga is that you can feel when you get it right and the time in the positions is much longer allowing for selfadjustments meditation. But I can see the appeal of http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-271699.html We had our first day of the twoday workshop beginning at the crack of dawn. We had to be at the UALR campus at the obscene time of 715 for a 730 three mile hike. I was a little trepidatious about this part of the test. I have lost 22 lbs since January but honestly I haven't ever gotten into an exercise habit. Still I'm a tough girl. I didn't know that the leader of this thing was goin http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-271697.html Obfuscator writes The night of storms in Texarkana continued through the morning. We drove into town to check out some of the sights. Of course since it was basically pouring on us we didn't feel it necessary to look too closely. We did stop at the Post Office which straddles the state line and is quite lovely. In front of it is a little statue to the Confederacy of course which was als http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-262161.html