Arkansas is known as “The Natural State” and during my time here I have come to learn why. Each morning I have awakened to azure skies swept in snow white clouds, chirping birds and a gentle breeze that creates a chill (granted, a chill to me is 70).With weather this wonderful, we had to take advantage. First we had a day on the water. Hot Springs is home to Lake Ouachita – one of nation’s cleanest lakes. Unlike in Florida, here you don’t have to worry about alligators here. The only creatures in the lake are the bass and other fish. Those can be big, but at least they don’t try to eat you!
Upon slipping the boat into the water, I felt at ease. Water in any form has that power over me. Gliding across the pancake flat water, I noticed that there were no houses on the lake. Because of it’s protected status building can’t take place on the lake, leaving the shoreline untouched. We headed to an island in the middle of the lake and set up camp on the beach. The day was spent playing in the lake, grilling burgers and napping in the shade. 
My need to spot animals was sufficed when we went for a 4-mile hike in Ouachita National Park. Within the first mile, we came across a family of deer. Beautifully camouflaged and accustomed to humans, they spent 5 minutes watching us. Or were we watching them? Either way, it was a magical moment. After that our hike was only filled with spiders. Ick!
The highlight was the lookout point you reach about half way through the hike. It overlooks Lake Ouachita and all it’s islands. The serenity was overwhelming and we all had to take a moment to absorb the beauty. The rest of the hike was filled with laughter as we conquered the inclines and obstacles that we met.We only have a couple of days left here before we take-off to the next stop on our road trip. Enjoying the outdoors will definitely be on the itinerary.
