Two in the Camper

  August 23 - 24, 2021 Second visit to Lakeview.  We like bringing the littles with us here because they have a bounce pillow, a lake with a sandy beach, and a fishing lake.   We left Friday after I picked one of the littles up from his school.  Off we set, knowing a hurricane was in the Gulf.  We headed further east than where we live, so we kept a close eye on the storm.  We grilled, watched movies, and headed to bed. Saturday morning, we took the littles to the beach where they had a blast.  They played in the sand, sat in the water, and just generally enjoyed themselves.  After lunch, we headed to the campground store where they got candy.  We then headed home a day early.  What is normally a 1-1/2 hour trip took 3 hours.  But, it was fine, and we were glad we headed in.  Hurricanes in the Gulf are nothing to sneeze at, and Ida ended up hitting early.  We were spared - unfortunately, the east of the state was not....

Part Two - July 17 - 18, 2021 We set out on our hike to Cove Lake Saturday morning. It was cool and flat and in the woods. After we crossed the road, the terrain changed. It was rocky and downhill. We slipped a few times, and as we were descending, I fell forward with my pole strap around my wrist. I came down on the handgrip on rocks and extreme pain ensued. Once I caught my breath and got up, I knew I had broken my wrist. We trekked back to our campsite where we headed for the ER. Paris, Arkansas is a small town about 18 miles from the mountain. Once there, my wrist was X-rayed and told it was broken. I would need surgery but before then, I needed a procedure to set the bone back in place. However, I’d have to go to Ft. Smith for that because conscious sedation would have to be used. Paris ER wasn’t equipped with enough nurses to take care of me. So, away we went. The procedure was completed and off we went back to the campsite. I spent a restless night, and we headed home the next m...

Part One - July 15 - 16, 2021 As I sit here, I’m typing with one hand. But, that’s a later story. This was a trip  to remember. We left early Thursday morning and arrived around 2:30. The trip was uneventful getting there although going up the mountains was harrowing. Our campsite was the first one in the camp. It’s a small campground with very clean bathrooms. It was beautiful and peaceful. Mount Magazine is the highest mountain in Arkansas. It’s wooded, and the views are amazing. That night we sat out and watched fireflies. We hiked up to the top of the mountain Friday after we arrived. Saw two deer and lots of wildflowers. We hiked to the Lodge, and the views were spectacular. We also hiked another small trail, but it was muddy and turned back. That should have been an indication of things to come. Saturday we were planning to hike the Cove Lake Trail, go out to eat, and relax. Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

July 2 - 5, 2021 This trip grandkids were with us.  This is a large park in desperate need of repairs.  We arrived to our campsite, and the hookups were down.  So, we drove back to the Ranger Station where they gave us the site next to where we were supposed to be.  It was difficult getting into the site because there were mudholes and wet ground everywhere.  We eventually settled in, set up, and headed to the pool.  The main pool area has two large pools, a baby wading pool, and a splash pad.  The kids loved the pool area.  We then ate dinner, went to bed, and got the next morning for the Global Wildlife Center.  What a wonderful place.  You take a wagon ride through the park and feed the animals.  The tour guide, Lida, told us all kinds of information about the animals.  Our driver was Sarah, and they both did a great job.  We fed deer, cows, llamas, saw camels, giraffes, bison, and emus.  It was baby season, so the...

Part Two! June 18 - 22, 2021 Once at the campground, it is a parking lot.  There were only about seven campers at the most in the campground at any time.  There were about twenty-four slots available, but the park is limiting the number of people allowed.  The showers were closed. When you entered a shop, only ten max were allowed in.  Masks were not required if you were vaccinated, but it's on the honor system.  A lot of driving is involved through the park because it is so large with points of interest very far from each other.  It was truly worth the drive, though.   The first day we went to  Boquillas Crossing, a border crossing where you can walk across and enter Mexico into the little town.  However, it was not open.  The Mexicans cross over the river and leave their wares on the ground with an honor jar.  You choose what you'd like to buy and put your money in the jar.    The next day we started with Hot Spring...

Part One! June 18 - 22, 2021 Part One! What a beautiful park!  It stretches from the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande to the Chisos Mountain Range.  It is 16,000 acres and elevations from 1800 below sea level to 8000 above sea level.  There are mountains, deserts, hiking trails, old ranches and houses to see, and a hot spring. When you are at the Rio Grande River, you can look across and see Mexico.  We saw javelinas, (cows and horses that come across from Mexico to graze), roadrunners, turkey buzzards, bats, bees, butterflies, hares, and possibly a coyote.  The desert is full of color - reds, yellows, greens, browns, pink, and orange.  There was a fossil park where it was once a volcanic area. Everywhere you looked, there was beauty.  I highly recommend everyone visit this park.  It was very hot (117 degrees on two of the days we were there), but it was worth every moment.  We arrived in the afternoon after dry camping the night before...

So, our camper is named Lallybroch. She’s tiny but just right for us. We removed the bedspread and have put in a new mattress, so it's more comfortable.  We’ve put up pictures and placed rugs. Here are pictures of some of the things we've done. It's a work in progress.  I'm in charge of the inside.  Outside belongs to my husband as far as maintenance and tools.