Eastern Texas Trip – Day 3

April 9, 2025 - Elephant Rocks and the Clinton Library

We are not where we’re supposed to be tonight – Hot Springs National Park. We are parked between two warehouse buildings, across the street from the Moix RV dealer in Conway, Arkansas.

 It all started this morning when Andy stepped out of the camper to turn on the gas so he could make coffee. It hadn’t rain overnight so he was surprised to see a large puddle under the camper tire. From the greenish hue of the puddle, he knew right away something was wrong. The camper has an Alde heating system. It uses glycol to warm the camper and heat the water. A quick check of the glycol tank revealed that it was nearly empty, the glycol was all on the ground. We looked under the bed and found a spot where some glycol had soaked into wood, but we couldn’t find the leak. We decided to continue with our day and consider if we could complete the trip without heat or hot water, i.e. no hot water for showers. (I’m a hard no on using a campground shower). On the road to the first stop of the day we discussed options that ranged from going home to staying in hotels every few days.

We delayed a decision so we could enjoy our first stop of the day, the Elephant Rocks in the Ozarks. They were beautiful. We hiked and explored the large rocks.

Back in the car I started worrying about whether vapor from the glycol is a health hazard.  I decided to call Nucamp the manufacturer of the camper. They assured me that the glycol was only dangerous if I drank it. While on the phone the very helpful Nucamp person discussed where the leak might be. We ask if there was a dealer around Little Rock, and there is, in Conway. I called the dealer and they agreed to look at the camper tomorrow morning. They offered to let us stay on their property tonight. So here we are.

That settled, we forged ahead to Little Rock and the Clinton Library. We drove past flooded fields that looked like lakes, white caps and all.

We arrived about 4:00 so we had an hour to tour the museum before it closed at 5:00. It is a wonderful, although a little depressing in contrast to what is happening now. It is fascinating to see what a government can do when its goal is to work for the people. I’ve included a few pictures of some of the accomplishments of the Clinton years.

After the museum closed, we got on our bikes and headed out to explore Little Rock. We road both sides of the river. An old railroad bridge has been converted to a pedestrian/bike bridge over the Arkansas River. The north side passes river side houses and traverses through woods next to the river. The south side winds through the downtown riverfront passed parks, through a sculpture garden and passed an amphitheater where a live concert was in progress. Great ride!!!