Blogs from Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States, North America

Geo: 35.3846, -94.4213We headed to Little Rock, Arkansas largely because the various storm systems, tornados, and flood warnings didn't give us too many options. But when we found out that the Government of Arkansas is the only state in the Union that is legally mandated to show the contents of the State Safe to anyone who demands it, we pointed Billy Thunder in the direction of Bill Clinton's former home. And speaking of corrupt, Arkansas has a turbulent history of corrupt politicians and officials, and as a result the state constitution, written in part just after the Civil War, specifies that all tax money must be kept in the vault at the Treasurer's Office. Any time that a citizen wants to verify that the tax money is still there and hasn't been stolen, they can stop ... read more

Our exodus from Hot Springs AR on May 25, 2010 found us heading west on scenic US 270. Logically, the further we traveled from Hot Springs the more remote became the landscape. The highway traversed rolling hills with sporadic vistas and intermittent pockets of civilization. The roadside businesses catered to the vacationer, adventurer and outdoorsman - lodges, fishing tackle shops, convenience stores, boat repair shops, restaurants and kayak rentals. Occasionally, a scenic pullout would provide a respite for the legs and a feast for the eyes. Scarce patches of wildflowers dotted the route but usually were limited to 2 or 3 varieties in any location. This type of floral display is more of what I remember of my days in the Midwest and reveals why the spectacular exhibits we saw in east Texas had such a ... read more