Mother's Day Weekend

This weekend was a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Saturday, after Sabbath School, Gina and I, along with our friend Deanna, traveled to Hot Springs where we spent a leisurely afternoon at Garvin Woodland Gardens. On the way to Hot Springs we went through the town of Caddo Gap. I had been wanting to stop in Caddo Gap and take some pictures of the old buildings there. Caddo Gap is in the area in which explorer Hernando de Soto and his forces clashed with the Tula Indians. The expedition described the Tula Indians as the fiercest they had faced during their inward journey into North America. After the battle De Soto then turned to the southeast and descended the Caddo and Ouachita Rivers into what is now Louisiana where he died. Caddo Gap marks the westernmost point of DeSoto's exploration of North America.



The Town of Caddo Gap was settled before 1850. The first village was located near the natural gap or narrows of the Caddo River. The coming of the Gurdon and Fort Smith Railroad in 1907 led to the construction of the present town on what was formerly the Jim Vaught plantation. For several years Caddo Gap was a popular health resort. Now just a few people live there, and the old buildings appear to be abandoned. I like the tree trunk that is used as a post to support the corner of this building.



After stopping near Glenwood for a picnic lunch we traveled on to Garvin Woodland Gardens. There were not as many flowers in bloom as there were when we last visited Garvin Woodland Gardens a little over a month ago.




Although the gardens were not a striking as they had been when the tulips were in bloom, it was a beautiful day to stroll the grounds. The weather was absolutely perfect. Sunshine and in the low 70's with just as bit of a breeze. It will soon be quite hot for outdoor activities here in Arkansas, but this day was perfect.



We spent about three hours walking through the gardens. There is so much to see, and they are constantly expanding. It looks like they are planning a large rose garden and more walking trails.



I can't remember when I have spent such a lovely day just walking and enjoying the beauty of nature.





If you are ever in the Hot Springs, Arkansas area I highly recommend a visit to Garvin Woodland Gardens.







When we returned home Saturday evening we we pleasantly surprised to learn that my Aunt Kathy and cousins Joe and Janie were in town visiting from Texas. We made arrangements to meet for Sunday morning breakfast. We had a wonderful family gathering at a local restaurant. We really enjoyed visiting with everyone, and it was nice to have breakfast with my Mom on Mother's Day.



After breakfast we headed for Fort Smith where we did some Mothers Day shopping. I must say that I really enjoyed shopping at Dillards, Dress Barn, and Lane Bryant. :)

After shopping we went to our new favorite restaurant in Fort Smith, Fuji Japanese Steakhouse. We enjoy the atmosphere, and the food is great. We I suggested to Gina that we make the trip to Fort Smith for Mother's Day and eating at Fuji, she immediately said, "let's go".





I certainly had a great Mother's Day weekend, and I hope that Gina did too.