For me, it was something of a childhood dream come true, to imagine I was traipsing the trails of Billy, Little Ann, and Old Dan from Where the Red Fern Grows. For my husband and friends, it was another chance to explore the great outdoors and breathe in the crisp air of rural Arkansas. For our visitors from Texas, I hope, it was an adventure unlike one they have been on before, and the first of many with their oldest sister in her crazy new world.
Camping was far more beautiful, and more wonderful than I could have hoped. It was my first official “vacation” as an adult responsible for little ones, and to see my two worlds collide was an incredible thrill. The road to the park was lit with color and rolling hills, and we saw two red-tailed hawks on the way, listening on the radio to the football teams of University of Arkansas and Auburn duke it out to quadruple overtime. The overcast weather made me fear rain too much to bring what I refer to as my “nice” camera. However, that didn’t stop me from recording every memory that I could.
After arriving at the drive-in campsite, the older members of our group were a little bit disappointed to discover that it was more modern than expected. A water line, fire pit, and gravel place for tents was supplied at our campsite, and a public restroom with toilets and sinks was only fifty yards away. The men donned their giant hiking backpacks full of supplies primarily for fun, disappointed that the backpacking excursion they prepared for unfortunately wasn't coming to reality. Before splitting up to collect firewood and set up tents, the five Texas kiddos posed for a photo. Two more friends came to join the eight of us after a while, and once our campsites were set snugly up for the evening, we headed out on our hiking adventure.
We discovered a few fascinating home-sites along the trail, including an old well (left) and the stony remains of a tiny house (right). This really fascinated everyone, though we were eager to discover more as the evening wore on.
We trekked along a mostly dried up riverbed, finding a cave and traveling for miles, exploring the terrain. The kids were troopers, and we all had a ton of fun. The photo below I took from a boulder in front of a shallow bank-side cave, which the men clambered into, only to find that it was less than five feet deep. Here they are playing with a Frisbee and skipping stones over other stones. The expanse of the riverbed made me believe that it had been dammed or diverted, but regardless, it was incredibly fun to explore.
Fall colors were everywhere, and leaves covered the trail in a gorgeous mosaic. Some were as big as our heads! Here are the girls, illustrating that fact.
When the sun went down, the evening was spent making food, eating it, and (for the boys) poking at the fire with anything that would burn. Everyone was thoroughly exhausted, but we enjoyed s’mores and the warmth of the campfire in the chilly air, after having worked so hard to get so much wood to burn! The campsite clearing was dark, and the glow of the full moon could be seen behind a haze of cloud cover.
While hiking and camping in the Ozarks was unlike any other camping experience I’ve had, it was definitely a time spent with family and friends that I won't be forgetting any time soon!