And We're Back!

I'm back! I know you missed me, no seriously, I am glad to be home and back in my normal routine. This was a much needed vacation and it went great! My previous post discussed how our normal family vacations go...jam packed itineraries and exhaustion only to return to work the following day. Not this time, this time we took it easy...let the road take us where ever it may and well I liked it!
Our only planned destination was Eureka Springs, AR where we met up with friends. Monica was my college roommate and well I love her to pieces, she's basically my sister. In March of this year she added Jackson "Jack" to her family and well this was our first meeting! I love him, he is gorgeously handsome, such a heart breaker in training. Collier loved "Baby Jack" as he likes to say, he just petted him and hugged him! It was super cute! After exchanging hugs, gifts, and ogling over the baby we all set out for shopping around town, it was so hot but we had a great time and after about an hour or so we headed back to the hotel to let the kids rest. We then had a wonderful dinner and of course more baby ogling and well then ole Jack was off to bed, while my children swam and snacked and then finally crashed out for the night!
The next day, I had more bonding time with Jack and then it was time to say goodbye, they had a family reunion farther South and so it was off they went.
That day our family was off to see whatever we wanted since we had no real direction...our first stop Razorback Tower! Well let me back up…we went to a gift shop we had seen on our way into town which advertised rocks for sale...my children love rocks for some strange reason and so the ridiculous parent in me let my children buy rocks instead of digging them out of the ground beside the shop! But as we are leaving the shop we see this huge tower sitting at the back of the parking lot...we are curious so we walk over. It's the Razorback Tower, 100 feet in the air and it boasts a "Spectacular view of Eureka Springs". So my Dear Husband (D.H) gives in to Cortlyn’s pleadings and they start the trek to the top! Let me tell you....I almost threw up watching as Cortlyn races to the top only to lean over the railing waving at me! And I'm yelling at her to stop even though I know she can't hear a word I am saying. D.H was not as enthusiastic about the journey up and was oh so happy to be back on the ground! I took pics I will HAVE to post them.
After a quick lunch we decided to check out a train station that gave rides in old style train cars…sounds interesting, plus my son is really into trains right now. Oh Collier was in heaven…we rode on a train with an old style conductor who told stories of the “rail” for nearly 45 minutes, we got to exit the train at one point and have the engine smash coins on the tracks as souvenirs…the kids had fun and it was fairly educational. A good buy definitely! By this time it was the hottest part of the day, so we went back to the hotel to swim and rest. That night we found a neat little pizzeria to eat dinner in…very cool place, quiet, quaint, you can watch them throw your pizza in the air! It was fun! After dinner we traveled to Inspirational Point with the kids, which is a truly amazing place perched way up top of the city of Eureka Springs with a huge statue of Christ and a garden…it was fabulous! With the sun setting and just peacefulness it really was a great way to end the evening, so back to the hotel…more swimming because well my children are fish out of water, and then bed!
The next day was Friday and we were happy to learn that Branson is literally 30 minutes from Eureka Springs…who knew! So we headed that way and did some shopping, went to The Landing, which is my new favorite place in Branson and then we heading home. We had a great time, my children were fairly well behaved travelers and D.H. and I even had fun! So all in all a good trip, a great experience, and I’ve learned that it doesn’t take a schedule to make a great vacation!