Arkansas/Louisiana
After Paris, Arkansas, I drove a bit to a town called Dardanelle. I knew there was a state park nearby, and I figured I would see how much it would cost to camp there. It’s called Mount Nebo State Park, and the road up is windy and incredibly steep. My little car was on the verge of overheating, but I made it up safely. From the peak, you can look out over the entire towns of Dardanelle and Russellville. Also within view is Lake Dardanelle with an adjacent nuclear power plant (reminiscent of the Simpsons’ Springfield). It was somewhat disconcerting to see signs around town denoting the nuclear evacuation route, but, in any event you’d be safe on Mount Nebo. Unfortunately, though, the Visitor’s Center was closed, and the posted regulations were confusing. You were supposed to register with them or something, but since they were closed you’d have to complete registration in the morning. I didn’t want to do that, so I went down the steep, windy hill back to town. I drove around in the dark through the empty downtown full of worn-down buildings, and then made my way to the Walmart, where I slept well.
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