Texarkana

After adding a day to our stay so that Steve could get his crown just right and so the rain could clear out, we packed up and took off, knowing this time that we'll probably be gone for another six months.  On the one hand, it felt just right to be going back on the road again in earnest, because that is what is normal now, and on the other hand, it was a little sobering, too, because again, we don't know what the future holds.  We don't know what our end game will look like, so spending time with family & friends felt a bit bittersweet, not knowing whether this is where we'll be back to settle down or not.

Alyssa's Birthday Tulips were blooming beautifully while here

We took off for Texarkana.  We stayed in a beautiful COE park on the Texas side, called Clear Spring Park on the shores of Wright Patman Lake.  What a great park!  It cost just $20/night for full hook-ups, and there were hot showers, a playground, a beach area, and spacious sites.  Lots of tall pine trees!  It was beautiful, it was peaceful, and the fellow campers were friendly.  It just doesn't get any better than that!  We spent two nights here, but we could definitely have spent longer, just enjoying the surroundings.

Loved our campsite here...though the kids didn't love the plethora of caterpillars

You may not think this is beautiful...but our campsite had its very own trashcan, and that is a beautiful thing!  Poopy diapers, anyone??

We did go into Texarkana and take the obligatory pictures of the Texas/Arkansas Texarkana sign.  Then, the big girls and I went and toured the Ace of Clubs House while Steve took the littles to the children's Discovery Museum.  While I'm pretty sure we could've managed the tour with the little ones in tow, they advise against bringing little ones because of all the antiques and the "no touch" rule.  I know for sure that they definitely had more fun at the children's museum!

It was interesting to see this magnificent, opulent house built just 100 years after the American Revolutionary War.  The Ace of Clubs House is part of the East Texas Historical Assocation, and while on the one hand, I understand why, on the other hand, it seems odd that an example of how only the most incredibly wealthy, most elite makes it on the historical registry.  In other words, this house, though magnificent and interesting to tour, is not an example of how most people lived back then.  It cost around $10,000 to build in the 1880s, a huge quantity of money in those days!  Its basement with a dry moat, in addition to double hung windows, and a cupola, helped cool the house in those days before air conditioning.  The last "lady of the house" left over 500 pairs of shoes which are displayed in the house, and it was said by her children that they never saw her cook!  Did I mention that this was an example of how only the wealthiest lived??  Fascinating...but it would also be interesting to see how the middle class lived back then!