Vacation Side Trip

On the day that it his 106 - that's raw temperature, not some heat index nonsense - we decided to boogie on over to Ozark Forest National Park.  We stopped in the little hamlet of Calico Rock on the way because you can't drive by a huge rocking chair without making a stop.

We learned that there is an old ghost town in the middle of Calico Rock called Peppersauce Alley.  It's name came from all the swashbucklers that sold and drank the local hooch referred to as Peppersauce.  According to the informative signs, fistfights and knife fights were common and often resulted in a stay in the old city jail:
 

Phoebe doing hard time:

Further down the road we found a nice little lunch spot on the White River that had a salad bar in a canoe that made a big impression on Frankie.
 

We finally made it to the park, which is the home of Blanchard Springs Cavern.  This is the real reason we came - it was 58 degrees down there!  We weren't the only ones looking to cool off in nature's basement - the place was packed.

After the cave tour, we checked out the spring.  This is where the cave empties ice cold water into a little river. 

Phoebe having a moment of solitude...

Until mom and baby bruddah came on the scene.