So we finally made it to “Hot Springs” National Park. I put that into quotations because it deserves the ambiguity. It turns out that entire town of Hot Springs is actually a National Park and the entrance is located downtown in front of a foreboding stone castle which houses the local rehabilitation center. We arrived around 1:00 am after our GPS took us into the middle of no where looking for THE hot spring, which had no real entrance.
So when we get to town we drive around looking for where the park actually is and for somewhere to camp. There a lot of colorful characters wandering around town including a man sitting in a wheel chair wearing a hospital gown, tube socks complete with a pair of flip-flops. This man had a most bizarre stare on his face which seemed to be aimed no where besides the cross walk that he thinking about crossing. We finally found a spot to pull over near what appears to be an entrance to some sort of trail and there is a wash station which supplies water from one of the hot springs through four spigots around a central column made of pebbles. We wash up, fill up the water bottles and continue on down the road.

We finally find a trail head where we can park the car. We are in the Ouicha National Forest. After Rio’s stomach got done revolting the Taco Bell we ate earlier in the evening we fall asleep in the front seats of the car which was aimed in a manner that would allow for a quick escape.
The park rangers around the area were very helpful and lead us to a nice trail that was "going to show us what the Ozarks had to offer". We get on the trail after much confusion as to where the entrance was or if we were even on the right trail. We did not buy a map. For future reference, buy a map. It did’nt look like it was going to rain when we got there and the environment looked really similar to the Appalachian Mountain area. There were more spiders on the trail than I have ever experienced and it was hot, we were sweaty and hiking up hill only to find that the trail ends with two options; neither we wanted or were expecting. We chose the shorter of the options and went towards the natural bridge which was only two miles away downhill. We never did find the natural bridge but we did find a water source and a camping spot, which was good because we were very tired and running low on water.
We set up camp on the only spot possible which was on top of the sand next to the water. It was beautiful here and we got to eat and wash off a bit. Right as we got done eating and Rio was done setting up his tent, the rain began. We scrambled to get everything possible out of the rain and cover the food so later when the rain stopped we could hang it in a tree. But the rain didn’t stop. In fact, the rain did’nt stop till we got out of the all you can eat pizza buffet we went to the next day to recover. Needless to say, but I will say it anyway, everything we took onto the trail came outabsolutly drenched and sandy. It was not he ideal camping situation for anyone involved. Prana was a trooper though and stayed by our side the whole way out to the car. She kept giving me a "seriously guys" look and sitting down next to me.
We got to hang out at Rio’s aunt Joann’s house on the border of Oklahoma and Arkansas. She owns 800 acres of undeveloped land in the mountains over looking two cities and a river. This was an amazing place and they were very hospitable towards our needs which were to clean and dry all of our gear and to get some food in our bellies. We spent the day riding around on ATV’s and relaxing in a non-rainy environment.
After dinner we went to town and drank at a bar named after a judge who in his prime really enjoyed hanging people for any crime he saw fit back during the times when you did that kind of thing. We then went to another bar and played some pool and listened to a blue-grass band named The Crumbs who actually covered a song by Old Crow Medicine Show. Small world Eh?
I am now riding on I-40 going 75 miles an hour towards Santa Fe New Mexico to camp in the Santa Fe national forest…… hopefully. There are a lot of serious wind farms out here. I have never seen anything like this before but am sure I will see something like it again. It feels really good to actually be making progress across the country. Gas has not been to expensive yet, we average about $2.30 per gallon with a low of $2.18 and a high of $2.40. We have driven 1,544 miles so far and we are just outside of Oklahoma city.
Update! We actually fell asleep in a small border town in New Mexico. Texas was very bright and flashy when we drove though. We did'nt really get off of I-40 because we were scared. When we got to New Mexico we found a Hampton Inn and slept in the parking lot. It was nice because they had a free hot breakfast and clean restrooms waiting for us in the morning. We drove around the town that I forgot the name of and explored a little bit. It was nice to see one of those delapidated towns that is off of Route 66. Once I-40 was built it appears as if everyone forgot about this town. It reminded me of that Disney movie Cars. Well we ended up finding a local library in Las vegas New Mexico and did some internet things that we much needed. I am writing this from HWY 518 whicch is much greener than the rest of New Mexico we have seen thus far. This place is absolutly beautiful.

Ok New Update!!!

We just got into Taos and it is an amazing little mountain town with great beer and good people. I will write more when I get time, the library is closing that I posting this at.