November 12, 2017
Hot Springs, Arkansas
When I was about 10 my parents took us to Hot Springs Arkansas for a short vacation. I remembered seeing the white bath houses all in a row down the Main Street of the downtown As we drove into town the white bath houses were still there. Main Street was lined with magnolia trees dropping their granade-like seeds this time of year. Mark and I took a bath at the Quapaw Bath House. The water in the area we went was just under a hundred degrees.. The warmest pool was 104. A bit too hot for us. The last time I took a public bath in mineral water was in Bepu, Japan. I remember being told that no clothes were allowed in the Japanese baths. It was embarrassing as I am tall and I felt like the giant in the land of Lilliput. Hot Springs was not like that. Everyone had bathing suits on. It was a very relaxing time. We met a couple from New York. In fact, the man grew up in Elmira, NY, the hometown of Bobbi Gordon. What a coincidence! When we got back to the car, I called Bobbi to let her know. She was going to call her aunt to see if she would remember the name.
I had a good conversation with Mike tonight. He gave us some tips on living in a small van. The one tip that I will remember is take time in between places to notice the small things. He warned against focusing on the next stop and not appreciating what is right in front of us in the moment. He also suggested to be sure to talk to people along the way as everyone has a story and there is much to learn from everyone. Thanks Mike. I will try to take your advice all along the way.
We are in Tupelo, Mississippi tonight. Tomorrow we will begin our drive on the Natchez Trace.
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