Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.
Izaak Walton
We officially leave Texas today and cross the state line into Arkansas. There is a little town right on the border called Texarkana. I mean literally on the border. The state line goes right down the middle of town. The iconic courthouse and post office building straddles the state line. Half of the building is in Texas and the other half in Arkansas. As is Stateline Avenue which runs through town and has half of the businesses in one state and the other half in the other state.
I know this did not seem like much but it sure made for some fun videos and pictures. We did manage to find a brewery on the Texas side, Pecan Point Brewery. Here we enjoyed our last Texas craft beer and a plate of duck fries. (Potatoes fried in duck fat – interesting flavour!)
Our first stop in Arkansas (okay the second) is the Coulter Farmstead in Washington, Arkansas. While driving through the town we found a Jonquil Festival held in Historic Washington State Park. What is a Jonquil you ask; well, it is a small yellow flower from the daffodil family. Looks exactly like a daffodil only a lot smaller. The small county fair was a lot of fun with food trucks, various venders, and live music. The other bonus is that we had a chance to explore the historic park that offers insight into nineteenth century living and the Civil War.
Unfortunately for us the 1832 Williams Tavern had closed for the day. Not all is lost, as there were carnival vendors & food trucks. Did you know they deep fry almost everything in the south? I mean everything. After some convincing from the locals, we tried deep-fried Oreos. Have to say they were like a stuffed donut; they were actually not bad.
The Coulter Farmstead (1861) and Wolff Mercantile (1871), is located on the edge of the state park. The site offered beautiful renovated historic cabins as bed and breakfast type lodging. For us in the RV it offered electric hook up and access to the grounds. It was a treat to meet and feed the goats and Theodore their miniature highland type cow.
The shopping at the Wolff Mercantile was a unique experience. To top it off, the owners, Justice and Katie, were an absolutely lovely couple. I think they are the friendliest people we have meet so far this trip. This peaceful and beautiful spot was the perfect place to spend the night. I would have to say that this hidden gem is definitely a place I could come back too.