Spring Break 2021 is the last high school spring break for our family. With Covid-19 still a concern, we had some key criteria if we were going to go ahead with a trip: drive, isolate, stay away from college spring breakers, and cook our own meals. But, we were having a really hard time deciding between a hiking trip and a beach trip. In the end, we did both!
Lake Ouachita, Arkansas
The trip started with a camping trailer rented from Huddleston RV Rental, which they set up and had waiting at a reserved campsite (61D) at Tompkins Bend Recreation Area on Lake Ouachita. The camper was a great choice, giving us a kitchen and a lakeside sunset view. Not having to set it up ourselves or tow it from Iowa was a huge bonus! We did not bring any fishing gear along; but, camping neighbors found it easy to park their boats right at their lakeside campsites.
After a good night’s sleep to recover from the 10 1/2 hour drive the day before, our first full day was a great day of hiking the LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail). The trail passes alongside the campground, so we did not need to get back in the car at all. The trail meanders along the lakeshore through old growth forest and rolling hills, with benches for rests and lake views. The trees are a little barren in March; this would be an amazing fall color show. We even had a little wildlife sighting!
Nice rest stop with a view! 
Wildlife Sighting!
Hot Springs, Arkansas
On Day 2, we ventured into the city of Hot Springs to visit Hot Springs National Park. Our first impression was, “oh my, where are we going to park?”. There were tourists everywhere, which in hindsight should not have been a surprise. Once we found a parking place and obtained a trail map from the Park Service, we set out for more hiking. As usual, it only took a few hundred yards down a trail before the crowd thinned and we felt more at ease. This was National Park #28 out of the 63 current parks (well, actually, we visited New River Gorge before it was a Park. We’ll have to think about whether that counts or whether we need a return visit). Visiting all of the National Parks is not yet an official “quest”; we are big Park fans and love hiking, so frequently included Park visits on our “50 States by Age 50” quest. The day ended with a wonderful sunset view and campfire back at the lake.
Dauphin Island, Alabama
On Day 3, we packed our personal belongings back into our SUV, cleaned up the camper, and were back on the road. Did I mention how much we appreciated not having to set up or take down the camper! Our destination on this day was Dauphin Island on the Alabama gulf coast, which took us through Northeast Arkansas and Northwestern Mississippi. We were surprised at the flat, agricultural land of this region having expected rolling hills. No photos of this long day of driving; simply anxious to hit the beach part of our week.
We arrived on Dauphin Island in time for a nice sunset as we settled into several days of quiet beach time. Dauphin Island was exactly what we were looking forward to after our usual Iowa winter, a quiet beach community with room to spread out and simply relax. We rented a condo unit in Holiday Isles, the tallest building on this stretch of beach; but, still only six stories. Most of this beach area has family homes with a few smaller condo complexes. The MILES of beach allowed plenty of opportunities to stretch our legs and find our own little patch of sand far from others. With the condo unit, as with camping in the RV, we made most of our own meals. We did venture across the street from our complex to Island Rainbow for ice cream on the first night and for a carry-out pizza the second. After one last sunset view at the end of three full days at the beach, we repacked the SUV for an early morning departure for the home base back in Iowa.
Social distancing! 
Overall, we’d give this trip an A! It was great to do both hiking and have some relaxing beach team. We have to admit that three long days of driving time, with each being at least 8 hours in the car, was a little tiring. But, on the other hand, having rental options with a kitchen allows you to really settle into the destination and not have to rush around or wait around for meals.