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Southern Arkansas RV Camping- From A- Alligators to D- Diamonds! by Bob and Pam Stephens From Alligators to Diamonds…I know which one I’d prefer! Southern Arkansas is more of an agricultural farming area, with fields of cotton, soy and rice. There are Cypress trees growing out of the water and many dead tree stumps sticking out of the water, reminiscent of Louisiana's swamps. The lakes are not for waterskiing in some cases or swimming. Some of the lakes have dangerous residents: alligators, snakes. Whatever you choose to do in or around the water make sure you check with the local officials for safety precautions. The South Eastern area of Arkansas, adjacent to the Mississippi river, is a great area The Community of Lake Village was very nice. There were several Campgrounds in close in: Lake Chicot State Park and Chicot County Park. There were no trees standing in the water so it appears to be ok for swimming and waterskiing, but always double check with local officials at the park. The downtown area has a great feel; historic sites. Do you love steaks and grillin’? The town of El Dorado has the best steak cook off once a year. Enter your own, or pay a fee to purchase steaks to eat for dinner that have been entered in the cook-off contest. Many people come to this, and it is known far and wide, so have your reservations make early as RV Parks fill up fast! Magnolia is close by for campers and is very nice, with some RV parks available. Along the Arkansas River in the Southern part of the state are several Corps of Eng. Parks. One area that is nice is the Pendleton Bend area. Park your RV adjacent to the river and have fun. A very nice lake in the South West area is Millwood Lake. It is about 45 minutes North of Texarkana. It's a big lake great for fishing. I've been told, but not confirmed, the lake has some alligators in it. The lake also has many trees in it. Around this lake are several nice Corps of Eng. Parks and a State Park. It's a nice area, so go visit. If the wife is asking for diamonds this year, try your luck at the Crater of Diamonds! You may find a diamond and you will pay for your whole trip! Or not! See their website: http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com “In 1906, John Huddleston, the local farmer who owned this property then, found the first diamonds near Murfreesboro, Arkansas, and started the diamond mining rush. According to the history of Crater of Diamonds State Park, after a series of ill-fated mining ventures, followed by tourist attractions, the site became an Arkansas state park in 1972†(from the Crater of Diamonds website). Contact us at Bob@campgroundimages.com

Send Your Kids or Grandkids to Arkansas Summer Camp! By Bob and Pam Stephens Do you have your grandkids for a part of the Summer? When you are traveling through, stop awhile and let your kids go to camp. They will have a great time, traveling with you and attending a great camp! Why not think about this: Summer camp is a right of passage for many kids. It gives them a chance to have tons of fun away from their parents, but it also gives them a chance to learn new skills, make new friends, and become a little bit more independent - all in a safe environment. While summer camps for kids have been around for quite some time, in recent years there has been an explosion in the different camping options out there. No matter if your child dreams of being a professional chef, a movie star or just wants to spend some days on the lake in a canoe, there is a camp out there to cater to them. In Arkansas, summer camps are especially popular, thanks to all of the beautiful countryside in which to have them. If you're thinking of an Arkansas summer camp for your child or grandchild, consider these options: • Camp Ozark is one of the best known camps in Arkansas and is visited by around 500 campers from all over the country every summer. This nondenominational Christian camp is a traditional kind of camp that simply gets the kids away from the video games and outside, moving around and playing games in the great outdoors. Camp Ozark is located in Mt. Ida. • For your little golfer, the B. Williams Golf School Camp in Bella Vista makes a great choice. This overnight camp invites golfers of all skill levels and gives them a chance to train with professional golfers and college golf coaches. • Camp Subiaco, located in Subiaco, offers go-cart racing, archery, and more. This one is for boys only. The choices for summer camps in Arkansas are almost endless. Keep an eye on your local paper in the spring when ads for summer camps start popping up so you don't miss out on any. Or do a “google†search for camps in the state of Arkansas! Park your RV for a week or so, enjoy the surroundings and let the kids have a “camping†experience like no other! Contact us at Bob@campgroundimages.com

by Bob and Pam Stephens Looking to Find Your Arkansas Home Away From Home? When you plan an RV trip to Arkansas, the problem won't be finding a decent place to pull up your RV - the problem will be deciding which RV Park you want to call home during your stay. Arkansas RV parks are dotted all over the state, and many of them offer world-class amenities and activities for everyone in the family. The easiest way to narrow down all of your options is probably to figure out what kind of vacation you want. Are you looking for a quiet escape-- some place far away from emails and TV? Do you want to experience old southern charm and heritage? Are you dreaming of reeling in the fish of a lifetime? Arkansas RV Parks are ideal for all of these vacations - you just have to choose which one: • Tom Sawyers' RV Park http://www.tomsawyersrvpark.com in West Memphis, Arkansas, is the perfect place for escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Relax by the Mississippi River or wander the nature trails without a care in mind - and don't even think about firing up the Blackberry. • KOA is well known name in camping, and the KOA Hot Springs RV Park http://www.koa.com/where/ar/04106 provides a great camping spot within a stone’s throw of the historical district of the town of Hot Springs. You'll be able to take in the museums, the shopping, and the fun and then head back for a round of miniature golf on the campsite. • If fishing is your bag, then the White Buffalo RV Park http://www.whitebuffaloresort.com is your place. This RV park is situated where the White River and the Buffalo River meet, and the fishing is legendary. For those less than enthusiastic fisher-people in your group, there are plenty of other activities in the area. Because Arkansas RV parks are so desirable, they do tend to book up quickly. Advance reservations are always recommended to avoid disappointment. We’d love to help you find just the right spot! bob@campgroundimages.com

By Pamela Stephens Have you ever noticed that road signs are a lot like life? We’ve gone down the road in our motorhome and sometimes I get bored, just sitting! Big surprise! Sometimes I am reading, sometimes I am crocheting, but sometimes I am lost in a daydream. At other times, I am “observing†the signs of life! • “Wrong Way†or “Do not enter†are important signs when driving a 38-foot motorhome! You really could end up where you don’t belong! A one-way road is definitely hazardous! • “Watch for Falling Rocks!†— And what will you do if you see them falling … hey, good one ... I’d give that a 7.5! Yes, these could really damage our traveling home! • “Dangerous Curves Ahead†— They are not talking about mine! Curves are tricky in a stretch limo and most certainly in a 38-foot motorhome! • “Yield Right of Way†— To whom? Oh, that 53-foot semi truck barreling down the lane we are trying to enter! Yes that is a good thing to do! • “Turn Lights on Next 5 miles†— Is it dark for the next 5 miles? Are there drivers ahead that are worse than the ones we’ve dealt with so far? Well, then, what about the rest of our trip? • “Run Away Ramp†— Is this a ramp that is rebellious? Just how does a ramp run away? And why? Is this the ramp I take when I want to run away? It put me in mind of a book I had read quite some time ago, Milo and the Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Perhaps you’ve read it too! It was a fun read, and tongue-in-cheek humor absolutely, but it had so many real truths about life! For instance, there were some destinations on this road where the tollbooth was: A sign along the road said, “Welcome to Expectations!†We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Expectations is the place you must always go to before you get to where you are going. Of course, some people never go beyond expectations! “The Doldrums†was another area along this highway. “The Doldrums are where nothing ever happens and nothing ever changes … where it’s unlawful to think, think of thinking, surmise, presume, reason, meditate or speculate; where the daily schedule consists of daydreaming, napping, dawdling, delaying, lingering, loitering, putting-off-until-tomorrows, loafing, lounging, dillydallying with almost no time left for brooding, lagging, plodding or procrastinating! Perhaps “Dictionopolis†would be more to your liking? “A happy kingdom advantageously located in the Foothills of Confusion; caressed by gentle breezes from the Sea of knowledge, where the ‘word market’ does business and the Minister's Cabinet consists of the Duke of Definition, the Minister of Meaning, the Earl of Essence, the Count of Connotation, and the Undersecretary of Understanding. In Dictionopolis you can pick fresh if’s, and’s, and but’s and get ripe when’s and where’s — juicy words for sale!†What about a visit to the “City of Realityâ€? Or to the “City of Illusions?†In the latter, there are “mirages- things that aren’t really there that you can see very clearly — often easier to see than things that are!†Or then there is the “Island of Confusion†… so “how did we get here? You jumped, of course! — that’s the way most people get here … every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like It or not. It’s such an easy trip, I’ve been here hundreds of times, but getting back isn’t so easy.†I sense the quietness I haven’t heard for awhile, and realize we have stopped for a break. My husband asks why I’ve been so silent and where I’ve been: â€Oh, first the Doldrums," I repllied, "and then the City of Illusions, from where I jumped to the Island of Conclusions … while I’ve been right here all the time!†He looked at me pretty funny, but then dismissed it. He knows me!

Written by Pamela Stephens I was just thinking…I’ve posted a lot of our RV photos taken throughout Canada here on the FMCA website, (see Album “Oh Canadaâ€) and it really made me feel like I had just taken the trip all over again! And it put me in a very nostalgic mood remembering some of the things that we spoke about in the days before it took place! During the planning of our trip, all of us got together to consider what we wanted to do “as a group†to make it a terrific experience! It’s always good to do this when traveling in a caravan or shall we say RV-avan! We would have two fifth wheels and one 38’ motorhome and you just don’t turn these things around on a dime, you know! But yes, you DO know if you’ve been doing this longer than one time! We had not gone on a RV trip together any of us, however, that is not to say that we were strangers! You see, there were three siblings: two brothers and a sister and their spouses! Now, I want you to know these are not wishy-washy siblings. These people are decisive, forthright, not shy, and certainly no one need ever wonder what they are thinking! So to sit down and talk about where we were going and what we wanted to do, the only ones who were pretty laissez faire, were the three spouses of the three siblings! The Siblings-- all had an OPINION about everything! But in the end, we knew generally, where we wanted to go: the Jasper-Banff area, because “Lake Louise is wonderful we hear,†and Glacier Park, (after which we would all head for our separate home states) and anywhere in between! Now, one of these brothers (he is the oldest-therefore out of respect for him and his dear sweet wife, he shall remain nameless) has often regaled the others with his stories of adventures on vacations. Well, adventures might not be the right word! Think Perils of Pauline here! Not necessarily “Oh boy, we had a great time†stories, but the “OH my Gosh we were nearly killed stories!†This brother could have taken Robin Williams’ place in the movie “RVâ€..if you’ve seen it, you understand! In fact, it’s possible the movie was based on his life! If we were writing about his escapades, some of the chapter titles might be: “December’s Festival of Lights in Newportâ€â€”or better known to us as, “Jumping in the ocean NAKED to push the boat off the sandbar in December;†or “How to avoid shipping lanes, while fishing in the Pacific†known to us as “I told him not to fall asleep while on watch for large ships!â€; or even ‘Whose Dingy Is It, Anyway?†known affectionately as “How not to lose the only dingy while on an island;†or “How I almost personally eliminated a son-in-law, a daughter and a fifth wheel on one day while attempting to park!†I digress! (But stay tuned for further adventures in upcoming blog entries!) The two other couples (ourselves and Sister and husband) made a pact that we would have E.B. (Elder Brother) go into all “campsites†first, get parked and then WE would come in! Also, if E.B. said “I’ll fix it,†“trust me!†we would all RUN!! Well, we had a great time on that trip, but we made E.B. sit down and watch the movie “RV†with us at our first opportunity! Needless to say we all laughed over it..and I am still not sure E.B. sees the “connection.†Do you have similar stories?