On the Road with Create Your Escape Winner Kim Price

Create Your Escape contest winner Kim Price of Illinois is currently touring Arkansas and has had a chance to visit attractions such as the Little Rock Zoo, Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Mountain Harbor Resort, Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines in Mount Ida, and Magic Springs & Crystal Falls in Hot Springs.

How did she hear about Create Your Escape?

“I had heard about Crater of Diamonds ( my 11-year old daughter has always been interested in rocks) so we had thought about maybe coming down here anyways,” said Price. “I am a couponer so I thought if I can get a dollar off an attraction here or there to try to save money it would help. So I went online to look for that and saw Create Your Escape. I am not one for contests usually but I thought it is with the state Parks and Tourism department so it can’t really hurt anything [to enter].  And it didn’t hurt anything. ( laughs)”

This is Price’s first trip to Arkansas and she said she and her family have learned a lot of interesting facts about the state like that the Ouachitas are one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. They also stretch east to west—unusual for this continent, where nearly all other ranges run north to south. “I did a lot of research before I came up,” said Price.

“One of the things that surprised me is that Little Rock is a big city with a small town feel. We were comfortable walking around downtown in the late evening and going over the river.”

While in Little Rock Price and her two daughters took a trolley ride around downtown, visited the Clinton Presidential Center and Park and fit in a trip to the zoo. “We went to the Little Rock Zoo and the kids did breakfast with the penguins there,” said Price. “So they got to talk to the penguin handlers. My youngest daughter wants to be a zoologist so that was perfect for her.”

They then ventured to Crater of Diamonds State Park to search for diamonds. “We got kind of rained out which is good because  I heard rain is good for diamond mining [hunting],” Price said. “But that mud is sticky( laughs).”

Then it was off to Wegner Quartz Crystal Mines in Mount Ida to search for crystals and then to Mountain Harbor Resort to stay the night. “That is a beautiful place,” said Price.

“We had a view of Lake Ouachita from the cabin. We had a little dock there and I enjoyed the sunrise from that.”

The trio are now in Hot Springs and have enjoyed the view from the 1,256 foot tall Hot Springs Mountain Tower and a visit to Magic Springs & Crystal Falls ( where they spent all day). “They loved Splash Island,” said Price about the new attraction at the park.  “We went there for probably 2 hours. We are all sunburned today ( laughs).”

Their adventure continues today in Hot Springs.

“My daughters have had a blast running here and there and checking everything out.” she said.  “Trying to keep them in one spot has been difficult because they are so excited.”