Our next stop was another Harvest Host site outside of Pine Bluff about 120 miles from the Leroy Percy State Park.  We took the back roads across the Mississippi delta and through the fields of early planted cotton, corn, and soybeans.  The light, steady rain the night before had been perfect for these planting and I am sure the farmers were happy.

Our host for the night was called Twisted Lane Candles and was at the end of, again you guessed it, a narrow and twisty road on the outskirts of Pine Bluff.  It was a private house with two parking spaces for RVs in front of the candle shop.  We were parked on the side and a couple from New Hampshire were in the actual driveway in their big RV trailer.  This was also our first stop with no hookups or as RVers call it, dry camping.  So, we had to closely watch our batteries, water, and waste tanks for the evening.

Our first call, however, was to the closest grocery store.  We didn’t need much but had a small list of groceries and other miscellaneous items.  After that we went back for our candle craft lesson.

Our host had everything set up to make an air freshener gel that she had named the Smelly Jelly.  We both selected a fragrance, and it was simply a quick whipping of the mixture in a small jar.  Next, we also selected fragrances for our choice of candle.  Again, we whipped up the blend of wax and fragrance in a small jar with two wooden wicks hot melted to the bottom.  I did a cinnamon and Gail selected blue spruce aroma.  Later after everything was set and cooled, our host delivered the results.  Can’t wait to try them.

Next morning we were off to our last stop before joining the group at the Carpe Diem event.  Again, we had a quick 60-mile drive through the back woods of Arkansas to Hot Springs and the Lake Catherine State Park.  We arrived too early to check in, so we left the RV and drove about 10 miles to visit the Garvan Woodland Gardens botanical park.  It was one of the best laid out and manicured botanical parks we had ever visited and highly recommend if you are in the area.  We splurged and paid for a garden membership to get reciprocal entry at other gardens we may visit on the trip.  One highlight was a chapel with large windows and vaulted ceiling surrounded by majestic pines.

Back at the park, we moved into a great spot right on the water’s edge and got hooked up for the night.  Very beautiful spot and a peaceful evening.

Tomorrow, we hop over to the next stop for 5 days of the gathering.  We look forward to staying put for more than one night.  But the last 7 days have been a great start to the trip with a variety of places including 3 state parks, 2 Harvest Hosts, a luxury RV park, and a private location as well. 

More about the event in the next posting!