Fort Smith, Arkansas May 26 – May 30, 2023
Eureka Springs, Arkansas June 5 – June 8, 2023
Stop number three on or Arkansas tour was Fort Smith. The main attraction was the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Fort Smith was active for 80 years (beginning in 1875) and housed the federal district court with jurisdiction over Arkansas and the Indian Territory. The Fort is famous because John Wayne (True Grit) and Clint Eastwood (Hang Em High) were based on stories that arose from this Fort. It is the home of the hanging judge (86 people were hung at Fort Smith) and last resort of law an order before heading west.
Movie posters from movies based upon the fort and characters passing through the fort.
After Fort Smith we went to Fayetteville (see previous post “Southern Nights”) So, the fifth and final stop on our Arkansas tour was Eureka Springs. The town is touted as a new age hippy town. I did not see a single hippy while I was there. The town was cute and we took a trolley tour to view the Victorian homes that are on the national historic registry. We enjoyed the rv park in Eureka Springs because of the wonderful view.
We moved pretty quickly through Arkansas. Overall, Ziva had a pretty good time, but she did not get to settle down anywhere. During our travels, she found a squirrel that she tried to catch (no luck – the squirrel was to fast) and a bird (no luck – she was inside) and she also celebrated her birthday. She turned 11.
Next stop is Memphis, Tennessee to see my good friend Sheila.
“Arkansas” by Glen Campbell. Glen Campbell grew up in Billstown, Arkansas a small town near Hope, Arkansas.