Miss Fancy!
We decided a couple days ago to get Sue her last three lower 48 states on the way home. Due to time and miles, that meant we had to stay somewhere in Arkansas. For those that have never traveled down south as a woman with her wife and kids, it can get a little uncomfortable at times. (I'm lookin' at you small town South Carolina, and the time four big, grown men gathered around us at a diner and asked, not playfully, "Ya'll two are sisters, right?")
Sue found Hot Springs National Park, nestled in the Ouachita Mountains. She started looking for a place to stay, finding this Airbnb that looked bizarre and quirky, with the first sentence reading "LGBTQ+ friendly." Oh thank you universe, that was easy.
The house, "Miss Fancy", was waaaay cooler than we imagined. Nestled atop a hillside, this colorful late 1800's victorian (that's on the National Register of Historic Places) has been everything from a spa to a brothel, and is currently a photo studio, but the gal who owns it airbnb's it from time to time as well.
The coolest part (beyond the obvious funky feel, props, and studio lighting that brought out some real silliness) - this is the first time we've ever had a house cat as part of our stay. As we opened the door at 10pm last night, there sat Princess Leo, staring right at us, greeting Lil and I immediately with her deep, rough, "meoooooow". We miss our furry family members so much - we immediately dropped our bags and crawled to the floor. Leo is 14 years old, and when her human moved to the house next door a couple years ago to convert the space to a studio, Leo refused to leave. So she runs the place. And she loooooooves people. She cuddled Lil to sleep and we woke up with a purring Leo snuggle. Such a special treat to have her there with us!
Where we stay is always a fun part of our trips. Over the years we've found stunning campsites secluded on the Pacific Ocean, tiny homes, tree houses, and gigantic homes we literally lose kids in lol. This last minute find was one of the coolest places we've ever stayed!
The urban adventure we had today in Hot Springs National Park a block away was also super cool, and not at all what we expected. If you're following along, that's up next!