The first day was spent heading west to get us into position for planned stops to see some folks from my wife's side of the family in TX and OK that she hadn't seen in years and I hadn't met.
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=KGCY-3M5-KHOT
Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper - copyright © Karl L. Swartz
We headed out of Greeneville, TN just ahead of some rain showers, VFR to Moontown, (3M5) for a fuel stop and stretch break.
Stuffing the last few items in before leaving home. Gotta love the back doors of the Maule!
Overhead pattern into Moontown. Always wanted to go there as it sounded like a true GA airport. Nice mix of traffic with RVs, Cubs, etc in the pattern.
Rock star parking right in front of the 'control tower'. Nothing like a turf runway airport to remind you why you got into flying in the first place. Friendly follks, reasonable fuel at a great community airport.
After lunch, rain showers were perking up. I had to file IFR and picked up a clearance climbing out of Moontown. This was my first trip using Foreflight and a Stratus 2 displayed on an Ipad Mini. The system worked great for planning and filing.
Just south of Hot Springs, AR we marveled at the beauty of the hundreds of lakes. KHOT wasn't our first choice of stops, but it worked best for getting into position for the next day.
The FBO was great, very helpful and friendly. Splurged on a room at the Embassy Suites downtown, which is the only hotel that picks up at the airport. The manager's happy hour is a nice perk too, unwinding with bar snacks and something cold to drink.
Downtown Hot Springs was fun. Being a tourist town, it's very walkable and a selection of great restaurants.
