This was our final week on the road for this part of our adventures and for 2024! Can you believe it? We certainly can’t. In a race to get back in time for Christmas—and to escape the freezing temperatures (which came with its own set of challenges)—we powered through a week of relentless travel days, making our way from Tennessee, through Arkansas, and beyond, all the way to Austin. It’s been a week of endless open roads, towering trucks, frozen propane tanks, condensation, random stops, and the frustrating travel day.
Lets start with Arkansas. The roads were back to being more big rig friendly, but were deeply grooved from the constant flow of heavy truck (lorry) traffic, and we spent most of the drive on flat, straight stretches. One of our more unusual stops was at a small-town museum that was also a Harvest Host. It was located next to a very busy rice factory, (yes, rice in Arkansas, who knew?) , where trucks lined up in a continuous flow to load and unload while trains came in and out every hour. Surprisingly, amidst all this farmland, we drove past something unexpected: a fish farm, with no obvious ponds or lakes in sight…
My accent caused a bit of confusion whilst I tried to order some BBQ, so I gave up and let Will do all our talking.
Next up was was Hot Springs National Park, which was a different kind of experience than we expected. Unlike the natural, steamy pools we’ve encountered elsewhere, Hot Springs is centered around historic bathhouses. The natural springs are tapped and redirected to provide fresh drinking water at fountains or private baths in vintage buildings. We didn’t have time to fully explore but we learnt that you could enjoy the waters only by booking an hour-long private “bath” where they fill a tub with fresh, mineral-rich water.
As we continued on, we stayed at 5 different Harvest Hosts en-route: museum, a winery, a church, a bar, and even an off-roading park. Each stop offered a much-needed break, space to run and play, opportunities to meet new people, hear their stories, and learn about their businesses. (The whole purpose of Harvest Host).
Travel weeks like this one remind us of why we have certain travel rules in place. The driving is actually not that bad. It is the the monotony of the routine—waking up, working, driving, parenting, eating, and collapsing into bed—can really wear on you. Keeping the girls entertained during these stretches is the toughest part. By the last few days, we were all feeling the strain, with tantrums, frustrations, and boundless toddler energy to manage. We burned it off as best we could with plenty of dancing to music, introducing Christmas tunes, cheap Christmas crafts, playing tag, and rounds of hide-and-seek at every new stop and Tilly trying out baseball for the first time. A much-needed $18 shower at a truck stop was a game-changer—clean hair and refreshed moral gave us the boost to power through the next few days.
Whilst we are on the subject of traveling, I’ll pause for a moment to explain some of the logistical considerations we have to take into account when planning our drive days:
- We’re 60 feet in length.
Some roads have length restrictions. - We’re 12 feet tall.
Certain roads and bridges have height restrictions. - We weigh 9 tons.
Some roads and bridges have weight restrictions. - We have four axles.
On toll roads, more axles = higher costs. - Our max speed is 60 mph.
This preserves our tires and optimizes gas mileage. - We have two toddlers and a dog.
Enough said. - Alice works full-time.
Balancing work and travel is a constant juggle.
All these factors mean that our drive time is typically capped at about three hours per day. Realistically, with bathroom breaks, leg stretches, and toddler antics, that often translates to four hours on the road.
Now, with that in mind, our final drive day was predicted at 4.5 hours—longer than we prefer. Driving through eastern Texas, which (to put it nicely) doesn’t have much going on, we braced ourselves for a long haul. We started early and planned a halfway stop at a quirky roadside attraction: the World’s Largest Dime.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t as amazing as it sounds. In fact, the dime had a big crack down one side. So, after a quick photo and a few jumps in big puddles, we powered on to Bastrop, home of the Painted Porch Bookshop—one of Will’s favourite bookshops. If you’ve been following our journey, you might remember this detail from way back at the start of our trip.. .Yes, that slight inclining of memory your feeeling is right…we’ve come full circle and are starting to repeat places!
While Will browsed through all the books at the Painted Porch, the girls and I explored the nearby Christmas Market. We met Santa, played on Christmas-themed bouncy castles, and soaked up the festive atmosphere before hopping back in the car. It was nap time for the girls and the final hour of driving for us.
And now, here we are, all caught up. You’ll have to wait in suspense to see if we’ll make it these last 24 miles because, as I write this, I’m sitting in the truck, sweating from the return to Texas heat and humidity. Both girls are sound asleep, readyto jump and play as soon as we arrive. Will and I, on the other hand, are bracing ourselves to get the trailer set up for a few months of stationary life. Keep your fingers crossed for us… 23 miles to go, and we’re counting down!
P.s: I forgot to add in the part where we visited Shiloh Military park, walking the battle fields and chatting to the friendly park rangers. I remembered that I had missed this after I had written the post. 18 miles to go.
Our Adventures in Frames 
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