Tuesday, September 10, 2013

08/02/13

     We awoke, still tired from the day before. Thankfully it would be an easy day. Chris decided it was high time we had a proper camp breakfast and proceeded to make pan biscuits and gravy and it really hit the spot. His camp cooking is head and shoulders above the food heating that I do. It was simple ingredients but prepared well and we ate every bit.
      Our first stop was at the local Harley dealership. Wyatt has a huge collection of dealer shirts, by his count around 170. He wanted to grab one and the rest of us drank free coffee. We got some good advice on a place to eat and hit it before moving on.
     It had been an easy ride from the KOA in Alma to Fort Smith proper. As the last frontier before the Indian wilderness, it prides itself on its history and most of the old buildings remain mixed in with the new. The museums were interesting and full of artifacts and we hit the big ones.
     Judge Parker, known as the hanging judge, was a town favorite and seeing his courtroom and a replica of the gallows was pretty slick. He was not a fan of that brand of sentencing but was strict to the law. The jail below the court house was also amazing to see. The tiny room held around 100 men at some times, crowded by any standard. With a lack of facilities and the extreme climate conditions, it earned the nickname "Hell on the Border." We also saw the old "sporting house" but it was closed when we arrived so we missed the chance to sample the goods.
      Walking downtown, we looked in a few shops and drank more coffee. Though it was an easy riding day, it was full of the history of the area. It was pretty amazing, being in the jail and seeing the courtroom. We decided to return to the camp site and plan for the next day.
     I ate soup and crackers, a far cry from the breakfast we had earlier. I looked over the map. Tomorrow we leave for home and back to reality. At close to 700 miles to home, I needed the rest.

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