After stopping by an Arkansas visitor’s center, we decided not to make the extra drive up to Eureka Springs because surprise surprise, Hot Springs has a replica Thorncrown Chapel (the whole reason we were going to drive on up there). Yes, that seems a bit wrong for two architecture students to settle for a cheap remake but I wasn’t about to sit in the car 4 more hours for authenticity.

On the drive home we stopped by Horseshoe Casino… o what a mistake that was for my wallet. A windowless, loud, flashy hell. Full of fragile old people and trashy young people. I like to think Alex and I didn’t fit in.

Never will I choose to go to Las Vegas. It was like playing really boring, really expensive video games.

My lovely grandma, Eula May. This was at the reunion enjoying some good ole KFC fried chicken.

It may not look very impressive BUT it was the biggest fish caught all week, not even the experienced uncles on a boat caught anything worth keeping. I was proud… obviously.

Where the red clay soil meets the mountainous region… pretty plants, dead animals, and chubby snakes. Mom loved Mr. Moccasin.

…to grandmother’s house we go.

beautiful bridge along the way along with rundown city centers and more dollar generals than we could count.

While in a glass shop in rural Arkansas, we met this lonely woman who daily goes out and “shoots gators”. I responded with “o wow, how many alligators a week do you kill?” She smugly chuckled and said “I don’t kill them, I shoot them with my camera”.

I later practiced this skill with an escaped peacock at the over-manicured botanical garden Alex and I found ourselves wandering through. It only took 20 minutes of running in circles to shoot him goooood.