Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas.. oh, my!

Some trip statistics:


Time we woke up this morning: 5:30 AM

Local time: 2 pm (central)

Number of states driven through today: 4

Number of "PANTS" and "Plane" pictures: 3 (we missed TN but will catch it on the way home)

Number of times Wendy has driven: 1 (so far)

Number of times Emma has asked for something else to do: more than I can count!

Day number two is going pretty good. Despite our early wake up, we've had a great day on the road. We had an early morning visit to Wal-Mart in search of alternative bedding. When we pulled out the sleeper sofa last night (mine & Michael's bed for the trip), we discovered the frame is completely bent out of shape. We had a few options: sleep in a "V" shape for the next 19 nights (nope!), wait all day for the delivery of a new RV from Georgia & be a day behind schedule (double nope!), or look for alternative bedding (ding, ding, ding-- we have a winner!) We found a super high twin size air mattress to put on the floor for Michael and I'll take the sofa (unfolded). Hopefully this will be a reasonably workable solution (I'll report tomorrow if we slept better than last night!)

Our campground in Tuscumbia was nothing special but they had electricity and water and an open space for us. We apparently missed some HUGE rainstorms because the parking lots had massive puddles everywhere and the local creeks and rivers that we drove over seemed to be in some level of flood stage. Alabama is not suffering from a drought! Thankfully, by the time we arrived, the rain had passed and we were able to unload the RV and repack/rearrange everything to my satisfaction (not that Michael & his dad didn't do a great job getting everything loaded-- but most of you know how I am about having everything 'just so'-- see, I know I am that way, too!!!)

After waking up the Wal-mart employees this morning, we visited Helen Keller's birthplace and childhood home, Ivy Green, here in Tuscumbia. We were the only visitors and stayed for about an hour. It was a tiny looking place on the outside but bigger than it appeared on the inside. The girls have read about Helen and seen "Miracle Worker" and so it was super neat for them to experience some of that history firsthand.

The weather today started out overcast and cool. We drove over the 'mighty Mississippi' around lunchtime and into Arkansas where it is sunny and HOT. The landscape is beginning to change...much flatter and still trees but they seem shorter and further apart.

Our destination tonight is Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville, Arkansas. I may post more later depending on our arrival time.. if not, see you tomorrow!