Made a couple of stops in Arkansas as we were heading back to Florida for the winter. First up was a stop near Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The original Fort Smith was established in late 1817. It’s purpose was to maintain order between the local Osage Indians and a band of Cherokee who migrated west. The original fort was abandoned in 1824 for a fort further west. A second fort was built in the same area in 1838 due to increased tensions with Indians following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. In 1875, the fort became the first US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas with the appointment of Isaac C Parker as the first federal district judge.
While in the Fort Smith area we also decided to try our hands at panning for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park. No luck here, just a few small pieces of volcanic minerals found.
The final thing we saw while in the area was Cherokee National Museum. Aside from a museum they also have a village there that takes you back to how the Cherokee lived in the late 1800s.
After Fort Smith we stopped in Hot Springs for a couple of days. Hot springs is known for their Bath Houses and their role during prohibition. We did some hiking here, though we did not find the source of the springs for the bath houses but we enjoyed the mountain view. Below are couple pictures of the site we stayed at. It was quite the challenge to back into the spot and especially if we pushed too far back, we would have gone down the side of the mountain.
Next up – Memphis, TN
Fran and Jeff’s Retirement Adventures 