A Few More Nights at Mount Magazine

At Camron Bluff Campground, Mount Magazine State Park, AR

After Saturday’s downpour, we have had three pretty good days at Mount Magazine…with Monday being one of the best weather days.  I just happened to look out my window Monday at sunset and this is what I see.  Figure by the time I gather up the camera, get my shoes and shirt on, and out the door and drive to the overlook…the sun would be gone.  Promised myself that Tuesday would not slip away like this one did …

…and it didn’t…but it also was not as good of a sunset as Monday was.

The thing about sunsets is that they are never the same.  Perhaps Wednesday’s sunset will be better than Tuesday’s…then again, they are expecting storms again for Wednesday night, and Thursday will be our last night here.

Sunday Marcia and I traveled over to Fort Smith to meet her cousin Jim and his wife Pat at Cheddar’s Restaurant.  After a 2+ hour meal and great conversation, we headed over to a grocery store and then hurried back to the motorhome so the doggies could be let out.  That was it for Sunday…on Monday I decided to groom both of the dogs (pictures will follow in another blog), then I drove around to get a few more pictures of the state park.  Above and below is the Visitor Center.

The visitor center is the first building in the park, and you have to drive by it to enter the park.  This is where you check-in if you have a camping site.  Let me tell you, the folks working here are super nice.  I had paid for our entire week online.  When I checked in, they first tried to give me the ADA rate, but when I said that Marcia was not 100% disabled, they said, “How about the senior citizen rate?”  That rate is 25% off the normal campground site price…and “I” qualified for it, so I did not have to use Marcia’s ID to get it...and they made a credit to my card which they had in the computer system.  Went back on Sunday after our trip to Fort Smith, and paid for one more night, so we will be here until Friday morning, and we have three days to get up to Blue Springs Lake Campground near Lee’s Summit Missouri where we will be for Ryan’s graduation on the 26th.  Still not sure where we will stay on our way up that way…but doing laundry will be one thing on our list.

I then headed over to the lodge, (I showed an outside picture of it a few blogs ago).  Above is the main entrance to the lodge…my back to the door.  That is a rock waterfall, three flags, and the wood canopy where you can drive your car under to drop or pick someone up.

  

I have been in a few of the state park lodges, and they are all very comfortable, with a large window and lounge area to look out the window from.

Above is the panoramic view of what you see out that window is a view of the Petit Jean Valley below.  If you get one of their cabins, each has a hot tub which also has a nice view of the valley, and the hot tub is on a back enclosed patio except for the opening to the valley below...so you truly have some privacy to go with it.

The lodge also has a nice restaurant, which also has a view of the Petit Jean Valley below.  When we were in a cabin back in February 2011, we ate at the lodge a few times.  This time, I think we will stick with our motorhome kitchen, although we found the food to be fairly good back then.

They also have a bar lounge right by the restaurant.  Due to Arkansas law, it is a “member’s only” lounge, which means you have show your ID, and then fill out a membership form…there is not cost for membership, just for your drinks.

There is no price to enter the park, there are picnic areas, a tent only area, 18 camping sites which are all full hookup, and just about everyone of them can handle a 40’ motorhome along with a tow car.  The bathrooms have showers which are not bad, but the water pressure ‘could’ be a bit better.  The lodge does have 2 washers and 2 driers, but we would rather wait for a laundry mat somewhere down the road this weekend.

Tale of Two Days – Mount Magazine, AR

At Camron Bluff Campground, Mount Magazine State Park, AR

WOW!  What a day Friday was.  Compared to the pictures I got Thursday, today the sky was as blue as could be, with a few faint clouds, and it was 70 degree weather.

  

SPRING was certainly in the air…

Here is the newly redone Amphitheater.  The original Amphitheater was made in the 1939 as part of the WPA program.  It had 24 tiers of seating made from native stone (seat and back) held together by mortar.  However, by 1970’s the mortar had fallen apart, the stones loosened, and it was too dangerous to use any more.  The new Amphitheater seats 300, with ADA sites from where this picture was taken.  Everyone takes the ramp down to the ADA level, then stairs down to the rest of the Amphitheater.  The views from here are amazing, and it is used for interpretive programs, concerts, weddings and just about anything one could think of in this setting.  Yes, it is for rent for much of these activities.  Back when the original Amphitheater opened, it was used for Sunrise Easter Services.

This Air Force C-130 passed right overhead…giving me the inspiration to climb to new heights.

 

Real close to the campground is the Signal Hill Trail, with a nice hike up to Highpoint, the highest point in Arkansas.

      

So the trail starts out at the 2,600 foot level, goes .4 of a mile, and ends at the top, climbing to 2,753 feet.  Now THAT is my type of hike...short and not too much climbing!

At the very top they laid out an image of the state of Arkansas with these native rocks. From this vantage point, you are looking at the State as you would a map with the north at the top.

   

Embedded in the map is this official Geo Survey showing the highest point (2,753 feet), and the ‘STAR’ representing Little Rock, the capitol.  Above the star running at an angle you can see a wide swath of mortar…that runs through the map which represents the Arkansas River.

On the way up I met these four gentlemen, and as we do in Arkansas, got to talking a bit.  Found out that the oldest guy was celebrating his birthday today by going to the top of Arkansas.  Heck, what better way to celebrate your 90th, yes 90th, birthday with his two sons and his son-in-law (who knew his brother-in-laws before he was dating their sister).  Asked where they were from…the father said he was from Hot Springs, the others were from Iowa.  I made the comment that they (state park) should have a few benches along the way.  The father said, “Yep, in Hot Springs they have benches along all the trails, all in memory of someone.”  A son speaks up and says, “Well pop, if you don’t make it to the top, we will be sure to put a bench along this trail just for you!”  I went on ahead, looked back and took this picture, and I just had to call Marcia and share that joke with her.  After I got back to the motorhome, it was such a nice day we both sat outside for awhile, and we took  a drive around the park.  And that is the tale of one day…

…and then there was today.  WINTER came back with a fury.  Rain, Cold, Wind, more Rain with occasional lightening and thunder.

This is what the weather was like at 5 pm….it is now 8 pm, and other than the sun going down and the temps dropping 2-3 degrees, nothing has changed.  Other than when I let the dogs out, and emptied the garbage, we have been inside, heat pump on, oil-filled radiator heater going, just staying warm.

They say Sunday will be a better day…hope so because we are meeting Marcia’s cousin over in Fort Smith for lunch.  Our hearts and thoughts, however, will be with Aunt Vera's family as they lay my sweet aunt to rest.  Our thoughts and prayers to all of my good cousins...