Well, all good things must come to an end, right?
It’s that point in the trip where we now are heading BACK – we have to turn around at some point! Even though our fun destinations are behind us, we still try to have fun along the way home…Leonard watches a show called True South, where it highlights certain cities in the South – talking mostly about the history of each place, etc..but it also shows restaurants that are popular and the history behind those!
Hot Springs, Arkansas was one of the cities on an episode he watched, so guess what? We stopped in Hot Springs! The campground where we stayed was awesome, right on a lake, and it was fun to explore a new place!

The city is set among several natural hot springs, for which the city is named!
In the 19th century, healing baths were popular – visitors would flock to areas that were known for their warm, therapeutic waters. One of these destinations was Hot Springs!
Bathhouse Row, right in the middle of downtown Hot Springs, brought huge crowds, and even though it’s not the same now, visitors can still take a dip at one of the eight real bathhouses scattered along the street – some of them dating back to the 1800s!
We so wished we had known before we got there, in order to make a reservation, because it’s a very popular thing to do!!
Instead, we just enjoyed walking around downtown Hot Springs, checking out the bathhouses and seeing what the people in the 1800s experienced when they came here!
And of COURSE we had to find an eating place! Haha – we found TWO!
As we walked around downtown, we spotted THE PANCAKE SHOP– Leonard had seen this on the episode of True South. Needing to eat lunch, we decided to stop there – after all, pancakes aren’t JUST for breakfast!
True South also talked about DeLuca’s Pizza – a man from New York moved there to open a restaurant and the show made it look so appetizing – let me just tell you – THEY WERE RIGHT! WOW!
It was delicious and a fun dining experience! I called to see if they took reservations, and the lady told me that they do NOT take reservations for seating, but they DO take reservations for pizza dough! You could reserve pizza dough so that, when you came to have dinner, if you were going to order pizza, there would be dough for you! Haha – what an ingenious idea for them to do! So we reserved pizza dough for each couple and went for dinner! IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!
So glad to have seen a new place – and we didn’t know it, but Hot Springs is also a National Park!
ON THE WAY TO HOT SPRINGS, WE STOPPED FIRST IN ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO!
We had been before, so it was easy to know where to stay! And there was a restaurant (of course there was!) we had been to that we wanted to re-visit – knowing that Bob and Bobbi would love it also!
THE NEXT STOP WAS AMARILLO, TEXAS!
One thing I remember about stopping in Amarillo last year was that it was HOT – nothing has changed! WOW! It was about 102 degrees when we pulled in to the campground!
After cooling off, we headed back to THE BIG TEXAN – a restaurant that is famous in Amarillo – their “claim to fame” is the 72-OUNCE STEAK CHALLENGE!
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA ABOUT THE CHALLENGE, HERE IS THE DESCRIPTION OF IT!
72-ounce Steak Challenge Rules
- Entire meal must be completed in one hour. If any of the meal is not consumed (swallowed)…YOU LOSE!
- Before the time starts, you will be allowed to cut into the steak, and take one bite. If the steak tastes good and is cooked to your satisfaction, we will start the time upon your acceptable approval. The time will not stop, and the contest is on, so make SURE before you say “yes.”
- Once you have started you are not allowed to stand up, leave your table, or have anyone else TOUCH the meal.
- You will be disqualified if anyone assists you in cutting, preparing or eating of your meal. This is YOUR contest.
- You don’t have to eat the fat, but we will judge this.
- Should you become ill, the contest is over… YOU LOSE! (Please use the container provided as necessary.)
- You are required to pay the full amount up front; if you win we will refund 100%.
8.You must sit at a table that we assign.
- If you do not win the steak challenge, you are welcome to take the leftovers with you.
- No consumption or sharing of the leftovers is allowed in the restaurant once the contest is over.
- If you fail to complete the challenge, you must pay the full $72 dollars.
Last year, there was someone attempting (KEY word ATTEMPTING) the challenge – but this year, no takers! As we came out of the restaurant, we were “trapped” on the porch because a HUGE storm came up while we were finishing our dinner!
(YOU CAN SEE THE SKY HERE BEFORE DINNER – THAT’S WHAT WAS COMING!)
After about 30 minutes, we made it safely back to the campground, and then received weather alerts on our phones about BAD weather in the area – 55 mph winds, storms, etc! That is a little terrifying when you are sitting in an aluminum TUBE! Haha..but our Airstream was safe and cozy during the storms!
And then when they passed, here is what happened!
God’s amazing reminder to us that HE is there – even in the storms!
THE NEXT STOP WAS CHECOTAH, OKLAHOMA – just a quick overnight stay at the KOA there. One thing that is worth showing is an exit sign we passed when we were leaving. The campground is near a lake and the exit to it said this…
MAKES SENSE DOESN’T IT!!!!
Almost back home! After these fun overnight stops along the way, and then two days in Hot Springs, we had one more VERY SPECIAL stop before getting back to Florida…. Can you guess what it was? Here is a hint!
Until next time…..
How did Leonard do with the steak?
Great to see the boys here. Must have been so fun to be with them.
YOU ARE HILARIOUS!
Thanks for sharing your adventures! The grand finale, seeing the grandkids (and the big kids)is the best part!
Thank YOU for reading – the kids were definitely the icing on the cake!
Those adorable boys!!! Thanks for sharing your amazing adventures, your posts are so interesting, entertaining, and inspiring – I don’t want them to stop. Maybe you could add some weekly posts about life in FL!?!?!? Love you!
you are so kind with your comments!! I just finished the last post about the trip and am going to do one or two from down here in Florida – so funny you mentioned that! I decided what the heck!? LOVE YOU!
I am a newbie at the comments here but I’m reading!!! And loving every bit of it. I want to map it all out and do it myself!! Thanks for sharing all the fun.
Hi Amber!!! THank you for taking the time to read it all!!!
Great post, again! Love your adventures! Pancakes and pizza are two of my favorite foods!!!!
The grand boys look adorable!
Pancakes and pizza – right!?!?!
Yummy! So cool to visit places you’ve heard about.
THANKS!
You know Abel RV has a spot available !! …Martha & Greg
we are planning our trip back in August – if we come your way, we WILL stay at Abel RV RESORT!!!!
You were around my old stomping ground! I lived in Borger, Texas as a child and remember The Big Texan and the steak eating challenge! Glad to hear it’s still there. Also loved hearing about the bath houses in Hot Springs!
The boys are precious – great way to end your trip!
That’s so cool – we’ve now been to the BIG TEXAN twice now! haha – that challenge is crazy!
Nolan and Miles are adorable! The food and the scenery and even the views on the way are so wonderful!! Thanks for sharing it all!!
Heading home to family makes heading home a great time!
AMEN
wow what a hot day! and that steak challenge is intense!!!
We watched someone try that steak challenge last year – wow! It was rough!
haha
It’s been very fun and informative tagging along and seeing so much of this amazing country through your eyes. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Those boys! What a fun trip you’ve had. As you know, my crazy family had a family reunion over 20 years ago in…..Hot Springs! What are the odds??? I can’t for the life of me remember the campground that I stayed in with my folks in the RV but I do remember that it was very nice!