June 14, Arkansas Mountains

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

We take a walk this morning.  Some of the structures here were built by the CCC between 1935 and 1941, including a dam, bathhouse, picnic pavilion and rock guard rails on the road into the lake.  Foggy, humid and 77 degrees already at 7:15.

We head out on 246W to 71N (Arkansas Scenic Byway), passing more chicken ranches and some large logging businesses (this one was called Travis).

  Only 2 other cars in the next 50 miles.  We have seen a few deer the past two days and saw one in the campground this morning.  Rabbits, squirrels, a turtle and a turkey too.

We stop at a NAPA store in a small town called Hatfield where we end up buying a new coach battery.  We accidentally drained the old one (long story, live and learn) and it was weakened and not holding a charge well. Nice folks installed it for us.

We are headed to Fort Smith and our first stop there is the Chaffee Barbershop Museum.  It is on old Fort Chaffee (which is now National Guard) and is where Elvis and hundreds of other GI’s got their haircuts. The fort had 1200 buildings that were built in 1941.

A Vietnam Vet named Charles gives us the tour, which includes a museum on Fort Chaffee.  It has had an interesting history, being first an Army Base, then housing German POW’s,  Vietnam Refugees, then Cuban Refugees and folks displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  It is home to a Navy Seal training center now and the Arkansas National Guard.  Charles is an enthusiastic guide and throws in little stories and personal stories as well.

He tells us tails of how helmets were used when he served (bowls, bathtubs, etc.) while Beth tries one on - heavy!

  One display shows hundreds of patches of different units, branches of service, companies etc.  and Charles identifies quite a few of them.

 Greg got a kick out of the restroom sign (but I didn't see the women's).

Next we head into town to the Fort Smith National Historic Site. 

  Fort Smith was founded in 1817 by the US Army to help contain fighting between the Cherokee and Osage Indians.  Famous “hanging judge” Parker’s courthouse was here, as well as the gallows and jail - we had a tour of all three.  It was used to supply other military outposts, and then controlled first by the Confederates, then Union troops during the Civil War.

Judge Parker's Courtroom

gallows

Judge Parker was actually against the death penalty but had to enforce laws to try to tame this wild area.

We find the Trolley Museum, which is just a few trolleys, one of which runs on weekends.

Not a trolley, but on the grounds

We cross into Oklahoma briefly then head onto I40 and 23N – the Pig Trail Scenic Byway (judging from the windy road it should have been Pig Tail!  We head to Redding Campground in the Ozark National Forest.  It is a nice campground on the Mulberry River - would be great for kayaks and canoes. 

Lightning bugs again, and we sit outside till dark and the temperature is bearable.