Road Trip USA: Arkansas

PLEASE PLAY THE SONG :) It is a happy song!

After hours and hours of driving, we decided to spice up our trip by staying in a haunted hotel. We googled haunted hotels in Oklahoma, and we found a pretty famous one, but it honestly looked boring. I also asked some friends on facebook and they said skip it. The crazy world of cyber space led us to Eureka Springs, AK. One and a half hours north of where we were we decided to take a detour and visit the little town on the border of Missouri. We made the reservation at around 11pm for that night and told them we wanted the most haunted room they had, they weren't enthused. The 1886 Crescent Hotel  was orginally a cancer hospital. This con artists/doctor Norman Baker, told people he had a cure for cancer. He would have all these people come and stay at the 'treatment spa' and they would just die because he didn't really have a cure. So all these people lost their lives, this man took all their money, as well as hopes and dreams. It was feature on Ghost Hunters! and the back story was pretty interesting. So I read all the ghost stories to Monique as she drove, and then we switched off when we realized we were in the middle of nowhere.  Norman Baker's story was very interesting, you can find it here if you are interested in the details, Pure Hoax.

By the time we got there, it was pitch black and the ride was probably the creepiest/funnest we had thus far (Virgina got sketchy too). It felt like we were going to go off a cliff, the roads were so curvy and dark. When we finally rolled into the town, it was like a blast from the past, except for the fact that every small cottage had a driveway with a corvette or two. We couldn't help but think it was a small town, and someone struck it rich and brought everyone corvettes (like mr. deeds!). We got to the hotel and were amazed at how beautiful it was. It was a lot more than I imagined.

this is the entrance to the Crescent Hotel

check in.

 

Room Keys!

our room!!

the haunted hallways, supposedly ghosts haunt them and the stairs

the hotel lobby!

these are the people that haunt the hotel

all of our shopping at 4am.

too much luggage to bring down for a couple hours of sleep

me enjoying Arkansas!!!

Going through the town during the day was a complete shock, because we imagined it so differently. We had some trouble leaving, but it worked out because we ended up at this festvial in the town. People from all over (mostly the midwest) come for that corvette weekend.  So we found ourselves walking around this great town, antiquing and shopping. I really did enjoy it, it was a great discovery!

my dream home :/

at this point of the trip, my camera broke

we did a lot of shopping in this town, but didn't eat. i ate a terrible piece of quiche from a woman's tent. eek. not good.

back on the road to drive to find a walmart, another 2 hours from where we were.

the drive was beautiful. we passed a town that had a population of 92. I wish I got a picture of it, but I was too busy laughing at it. Because we had to go to the walmart, we took a route that was instate, so it wasn't on a highway, more of a state road for hours. We passed a sonic and stopped in for some food. I had to use the restroom so when I went in all the people looked at me like i had a million heads. The girl that was serving us was as sweet as pie, but she had no teeth!!!!!!!  She was so intrigued that we were passing through from California! And she kept going on and on about how she loved my shoes and my outfit blah blah. Super nice girl, so we gave her a 20 dollar tip, and she was so appreciative about it. Looking around where we were, it didn't look like a town with a lot going on, so I am sure she was glad that we passed through......we also blasted Edward Sharpe the entire time.


NEXT STOP: Memphis, Tennessee. Graceland

Road Trip USA

Los Angeles, CA -> Grand Canyon Village, AZ -> Albuquerque, NM -> pit stop in Amarillo, TX -> Eureka Springs, AK -> Memphis, TN -> pit stop in Nashville, TN -> Roanoke, VA -> NYC!!!!

After seeing how amazing the grand canyon was, I really couldn't wait to get back on the road to see what else America had to offer.

"travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." Miriam Beard

As I go through all these photos and videos, I can't help but feel happy and lucky for being able to have the opportunity to drive cross country. I don't think that one can realize how amazing it truly is until you experience it first hand. It was greater than I ever imagined. When we reached NY, I wanted to keep going. I felt like I could have explored forever, so I need to somehow figure out a way where I can do it again.

So after our drive to Albuquerque, we drove to Amarillo, Texas.Our next stop was Cadillac Ranch, an amazing art installation by an art group called Ant Farm. It was installed in 1974, a line of vertically standing junk Caddies, angled in a perfect line. There was a lot of tourists there, and it actually took us a bit to find. We finally stopped at a Loves, and the gas station attendant reluctantly told us where to go. He did not tell us where to buy spray paint though, so we just borrowed some from some fellow visitors.

When we first pulled up, we actually said "This is it?". It was not what we were expecting, until we got closer. After a rainy day in Albuquerque, Texas was a bit warmer. We couldn't help but make jokes that it smelled everywhere we went. And, we didn't know there would be children around, so the  'Fuck You' T shirt, may have been a bit inappropriate, but only parents noticed, and they actually commented that they liked it!

we were there for about 30 mins, Monique left her phone, and the nice man in the Osh Kosh overalls was smart enough to figure out how to get the phone back to her, and nice enough to actually give it back. 

 We had to stop at the biggest cross on the Western Hemisphere, I mean why not!?

 And once again, the 'Fuck You' shirt stuck out....

Honking at truckers was a highlight, especially when we got to scream, "HAY!!!"

 I was hungry, we were on the hunt for some Texas BBQ, all we found was Big Verns. So we pulled over in Shamrock, Texas and got ourselves a quick bite to eat.

 in a fairly desolate town. The waitress told me she grew up a town over, where the population was a lot less that the 2,000 population of Shamrock (which was a more city/town).

U-Drop Inn, a place we passed was featured in Cars the movie! As well as Cadillac Ranch!!!

 Beer Muffins!

Pulled BBQ Pork!!!


We were en route to Oklahoma City, OK, and decided we wanted to stay in the haunted hotel there. After doing some Iphone research, we found an even cooler haunted hotel.....

In Eureka Springs, Arkansas.