Coffee Mill Lake

Late arrival at Coffee Mill Lake

Davy Crockett Lake camp view at 7 a.m.  6th October 2016

View at 8 a.m. Davy Crockett Lake Camp

No one else here, just peace and tranquility

So many different types of trees

Only $4  a night

Buckville Recreation Campsite next to  Lake Ouachita

Free primative camping Lake Ouachita.

Avant dispersed camping north side of Lake Ouachita

Buckville to Mount Magazine – Drive

These are typical homes in the countryside of Arkansas

On the way from Avant

Shady Lake Camp. Tricky to park up as we went 90 degrees to normal for the view!

Walks in the woods at the camp

The Interpretive Trail at Shay Lake Camp

The intrepid photographer

Our fire pit, picnic bench and Rowdy our bike at Shady Lake

Canoeing here was a bit tricky as the lauch area was further away and Alam loaded up Rowdy with it and the lifejackets.

The shade did cause a few problems for our solar panels that we had to keep moving! Electric hook up cost more.

Flat Eric had a great time at shady lake campsite

Cove Lake pitch 30 extended out 100m into the lake with picnic bench and fire pitch there.

We had a great time canoeing there direct off the end of our pitch.

Marshmellows and mozzie tent to protect

Misty morning at Cove Lake Recreation Ground

Relaxing playing guitar

Cleaning the rubberised roof

The beginning of pitch 30

From Lake Cove to Paris! Little did we know at the time Paris was the last place to buy alcohol for several counties in Arkansas!

Crossing the dam on Lake Cove

Reflections on Lake Cove

Camp fire

Morning view at 07.15 Lake Cove Recreation site

Fire wood found by going around sites after people leave 🙂

Views driving up to Mount Magazine State Park. Originally we had asked if there was camping space an dtold it was full and to go to Cove Lake Recreateion site which turned out great. When we saw the state park site later we were not impressed apart from the high cost.

View down from  a stopping place on Mount Magazine.

Walking the trail from the car park befor ethe turn off for the State Park

Inspiration Point Mount Magazine … ummm big problem like elsehwere here the tress had grown so tall there was nothing to see.

The original lodge house in the stste park had burnt down but the new one was quite grand. It also had some views from it although not at the top. The top view point had a compass set in the ground and what to look at ………….. no views as the trees were so tall and thick.

Canoe transport by motorbike. A bit tricky steering!

It is not just the people in Asia that move anything on a motorbike!

Canoeing at Long Pool Recreation area in Arkansas.

Deep in the Ozark-St Francis National Forest

Disappointment at finding no fish or river life to follow.

Crossing the Arkasas river which is a major cargo route for vessels

Walk just below Long Pool Recreation area

Flat Eric relaxing with a beer explaining what he thinks the word immature really means! “A word boring people use to describe fun people”

Rowdy our bike with the back part of the seat up.

Having been on a long walk ro see the Pedestal Rock falls on the Kings Bluff trail in Arkasas there was no water 🙁

Dinasaur! You never know what you might see on the road. On the road to Tyler Bend camp site

Overlook trail from Buffalo Point campgfround above the Buffalo River. Great place to watch people going down river in tubes and canoes.

Buffalo Point campground Arkansas. Birthday girl BBQ

Buffalo river water levels low.

Sylamore Creek Campsite. We had booked a spot but when we arrived and found it was under the trees (not good in December!) we asked to move to site F when possible. We had wanted one of the sites next to the river but they had closed them as winter due to the risk of flooding.

This is what happens when you drink Sailor Jerry!

This is a dry county which we had nor realsised so to get any alcholhol we had to drive over the county line. this we did on Rowdy our bike and set a record for the amount of booze possible to carry on a bike as it was a long way. Good job we never came off on one of the bends as we would have stank of booze that would have been smashed over the road.

The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri. Originating in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it flows northwards into southern Missouri, and then turns back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River

The river is renown for trout fishing and this is at Sylamore.

The locals claim that the White River John Boat design is nowhere else in the world. The outboard engines used have a waterjet on them which is ideal for shallow water compared to a propeller.

This was the only place we had booked and it was for a month as we thought we would need a rest having traveled for 2 months.

At the time we had not realised how much there was to see around the area.

Entrance to Sylamore Creek Campsite. Hiudden under the tree is an old MGB lkeft to rust away by the owner. The top right photo showed the pitch they had allocated us originally which is only good in the hot summer.

The netrance under the sign had a ornamental water fall which frooze when we were there.

Pitch F Sylamore campsite. Best pitch in the sunshine all day keeping the RV warm, large grass area with fire pit and river just behind our mozzie tent down a drop. We stayed here all the time in the end as the only other booking they had already for a few days was cancelled.

Campfires evening evening and after we went in the campsite cats stayed there for warmth.  In the whold month we never brought any wood as so much was left by other people when they went on (you are not allowed to move wood due to insect infestion and forest damage when moved.

We had to try the local catfish at Jojo’s Catfish Wharf.

The verdict – great

 

We decided to go on a long bike ride to Calico Rock, not realising what a jem of a place it was for history about East Calico Rock which  is also known as the Pepersauce Ghost Town. There are about 20 old building still there which although closed off have a history story board on their outsides explaining about the lives of people who lived there. Take for instance Greasy Slim who hated bathing and once ayear put on a shirt and new bib overalls over the old ones – he even became the Town Marshall at one point!

The main street with East Calico Rock just off to the side.

The White River was the main trading route into the interior until the train line came which runs alongside the river.

This is where the camp site pitch we had originally wanted to be at next to the river. The river level never came up whilst we were there.

Wow … Mountain View the music centre of the Ozarks. An absolute must for your bucket list! The locals come and play music around the court house and parks for everyone to watch and listen to. There are also so many clubs around the area.

Even the trees went a beautiful golden colour for us. To get from Sylamore campsite we used Rowdy  which was great way to get around. Just watch out for logging lorries with very long trees overhanging and no warnings. We came over  a hill top and around a bend one day to find one had changed down to its’s lowest and slowest gear for going down! Surprise!

Yes we sat on this bench listening to the music 🙂 There is also a culteral centre in Mountain View with lots of the local crafts.

The old guy singing under the umbrella to us is the spirit of the Ozark music in Mountain View.  He was not allowed outside and definitly not in the sun by his doctor, but biy was he having fun singing on the stage 🙂

We were made so welcome here and the tourist information centre gave us both T shirts of Mountain View. We heard a great story from the boss there who came from the neighbouring county that when he was young he was npota allowed to go to one of the schools because he had a motor car! This would corrupt the girls.

Cold weather in December menat the locals stopped coming out to play music.

The benches made for the park were fabulous. The one on the bottom is in the shape of a Viking ship in memory of a hippie who travelled in his RV and then settled in Mountain View later on in life. He was to be found here telling people of his travels ober the years when playing his music.

Our time sadly had come to an end and the weather was freezing including our pipes outside. We stayed on a few extra days due to the severe weather forecast before travelling back to Denton, Dallas and flying back to Malaga for Christmas.

Wonderful memories still many years later. We continued to meet Americans elsewhere who asked why go to Arkansas. Friendly people, beautiful countryside with forests, lakes and rivers.