Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park is somewhat different that you expect from a national park.  The visitor's center is a former bathhouse for the Hot Springs. The springs themselves are amazing; 140 degree water coming out of the ground.  So hot that you can only put your fingers in it for a split second.  Really "cool" place to see.

needle shower

Some of the tanks and such in the basement

Buckstaff bathhouse where you can "take the waters" like they did 100 years ago

There are also hiking trails and a winding road that you can drive up the an observation tower. 

Shreveport, LA

Made several stops while we were in Shreveport, LA

First stop was the 8th Air Force Museum located on Barksdale Air Force Base.  An indoor museum with many historical artifacts and an outdoor space with lots of vintage military planes.

Next stop was at the Shreveport Water Works Museum.  This is a water works that ran on steam power and was in operation until 1980.  The museum is fantastic; well preserved; very well documented.  The guide who showed us around really knew his stuff. 

Our last stop was the Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum in Oil City, LA.  The first oil well was drilled in northern Louisiana in 1904.  From there, the industry boomed in the area.  This museum chronicles the boom on the oil industry in the area and eventually the bust of the industry leaving the area in the 1980s. 

Meridian, MS

We spent a day in the town of Meridian, MS.  A town rich in history.

This is known as a Sherman bow tie from Sherman's march during the Civil War. They would take the rail from the rail road and heat them and bend them around a tree so that they could not be reused. 

We also visited a park in Meridian that had a carousel from 1904.  It is still in operation, however, only on the weekends, so we didn't get to ride it.  The pictures below are of the carousel and the park.

Lastly, we visited a waterfall and an old mill that is outside of town a little ways.  The mill was put in to operation in the mid 1800s.  The water wheel no longer turns, but you can tour the mill and the falls.  Quite spectacular.

Barber Motorsports Park, AL

Barber Motorsports park is a test track and motorcycle museum near Birmingham, AL