Magdefrau
07-16-2006, 03:20 PM
Finnished the Honey Dew list in time for a four day trip with the TM to Devil Den State Park three hours west of Harrison, Arkansas. Before the trip was over I learned why the early settlers called these mountains 'Boston'. Hint it has nothing to do with one of them coming from Boston, Mass. the city.
It's all up and down west of Harrison to Oklahoma. And we never got that far.
At Fayettville home of the Arkansas Razorback College we turn South into the Heart of the little know Boston Mountains. The Grand Caravan does fine pulling the 3023 Trail Manor through the passes. The tops of the mountains are flat so the traveling is easy but for the fact that the road sways and pitches as if the ground has sunk every few feet. Also, the local deer run across this rare flat ground, so I was stopping once every ten miles to avoid an unpleasent meeting of the wildlife. And this begins the understanding of the adjetive early traveler on the Butterfield Stage Coaches used to discribe this land....Boston! We make a left turn and travel further into the Oak and Hickory woodland. Then we drop down into the Lee Creek waterway. And there in a proud CCC Camp of the 1930 stands Devil Den State Park. The TM and Dodge Minevan made it just fine. Gas milage 14.3, mountainous travel.
Years ago my wife and I had stayed here in a army pup tent. And three years ago our family stayed here in a Colman tent. This time with The Trail Manor it was real nice. Full hook ups. The Air Conditioner was great. The Hot shower was great. Having a clean bathroom at the camp site was better than before. Though the park has rebuilt all the bath houses over the last three years. Even in this deep valley we picked up one TV station. Which on the ten o'clock news that first night we learned it would rain that first night. As forcasted about one in the morning it rained..as hard as it could. For about four hours. The TM leaked very badly through the A/C and the sky vents. By morning the rugs were soaked. And the rest of the vacation a sour smell lived in our TM. And that is that. I thought that Lee Creek would had flooded but because of low rain fall this spring the ground drank up the rain so that the creek did not rise at all. Breakfast is easy to fix on the TM stove and the little girl cleaned the dishes in time for our first adventure in the park. We hiked up the mountain along a long used path. Large roots and jagged rock keep the soil from washing down the hill side. Maybe not mountain climbing but it is 'Boston' hiking. The trail ends with a cave that the visitor is welcome to enter and explore. And we did flash lights and camera in hand. Now I pointed out the bats on the ceiling and the slippery rocks on the floor. Cheryl and I had been in here twice before but this time I saw something new. On the wall were faint red marking just like the pictorgraphs of Petti Jean's State Park Indian cave. Very faint but with the flash on Cheryl's electronic camera we were able to make a good photo of these early human markings. I'm not sure if anyone knows they are there.
Well it was hot and the kids got their wish and for $3 each we went swimming in the parks pool, real up to date, well maintained. The CCC had built a dam across Lee Creek to formed a small lake. For years they swam in it. But, the pool in clear and clean. The lake now offers rental paddle boats and fishing.
Every afternoon at the camp ground they park organizes a solfball game. My kid never got into that but if we were there longer I bet they would have fun.
And then the lesson of the name sake of these Boston mountain continued. My son and daughter have brought there bikes. See the park has a bike only trail. It never dawn on me it was 'Boston'. I always though someone from Boston, Mass. had named these mountains. My wife and I walked behind the kids as they road the bike trail. My son is all boy and he really wanted to bike trail. My daughter is more girl and soon found the Boston charater of the trail more than she could handle. Forgive me Load, I ask Cheryl if she would like to bike a bit on the flater section of the trail. She quickly sucomed to the boston trail. She fell off the bike. At this point I caught on to the true meaning of the Boston Mountains. I wrapped her knee with my Tee Shirt and tied it with my shoe lasses. She was able to walk to the van and it was only a four hour event to the Fayettville hospital. We were back by one AM. And she was happy to relax at camp the next few days. Yes, this is called the Boston Mountains because it is rough and near impassible. Be very carefull if you try to cross these mountains. And if you stop wear knee pads and gloves.
We ending by staying an extra day as Cheryl plans at the house changed. We enjoied the park very much. There was another TM at the camp ground from Texas. It was fun to talk with them. A box turtle kept coming to our camp site and asked for a hand out. Some strawberry stems did drop on the ground. We do not believe in feeding wild animals. But turtles eat wild strawberries. It rained a bit another night and the TM didnot leak. I have to look at this closly, the TM will not last getting this wet on the inside. I will remember the meaning of Boston from now on.
It's all up and down west of Harrison to Oklahoma. And we never got that far.
At Fayettville home of the Arkansas Razorback College we turn South into the Heart of the little know Boston Mountains. The Grand Caravan does fine pulling the 3023 Trail Manor through the passes. The tops of the mountains are flat so the traveling is easy but for the fact that the road sways and pitches as if the ground has sunk every few feet. Also, the local deer run across this rare flat ground, so I was stopping once every ten miles to avoid an unpleasent meeting of the wildlife. And this begins the understanding of the adjetive early traveler on the Butterfield Stage Coaches used to discribe this land....Boston! We make a left turn and travel further into the Oak and Hickory woodland. Then we drop down into the Lee Creek waterway. And there in a proud CCC Camp of the 1930 stands Devil Den State Park. The TM and Dodge Minevan made it just fine. Gas milage 14.3, mountainous travel.
Years ago my wife and I had stayed here in a army pup tent. And three years ago our family stayed here in a Colman tent. This time with The Trail Manor it was real nice. Full hook ups. The Air Conditioner was great. The Hot shower was great. Having a clean bathroom at the camp site was better than before. Though the park has rebuilt all the bath houses over the last three years. Even in this deep valley we picked up one TV station. Which on the ten o'clock news that first night we learned it would rain that first night. As forcasted about one in the morning it rained..as hard as it could. For about four hours. The TM leaked very badly through the A/C and the sky vents. By morning the rugs were soaked. And the rest of the vacation a sour smell lived in our TM. And that is that. I thought that Lee Creek would had flooded but because of low rain fall this spring the ground drank up the rain so that the creek did not rise at all. Breakfast is easy to fix on the TM stove and the little girl cleaned the dishes in time for our first adventure in the park. We hiked up the mountain along a long used path. Large roots and jagged rock keep the soil from washing down the hill side. Maybe not mountain climbing but it is 'Boston' hiking. The trail ends with a cave that the visitor is welcome to enter and explore. And we did flash lights and camera in hand. Now I pointed out the bats on the ceiling and the slippery rocks on the floor. Cheryl and I had been in here twice before but this time I saw something new. On the wall were faint red marking just like the pictorgraphs of Petti Jean's State Park Indian cave. Very faint but with the flash on Cheryl's electronic camera we were able to make a good photo of these early human markings. I'm not sure if anyone knows they are there.
Well it was hot and the kids got their wish and for $3 each we went swimming in the parks pool, real up to date, well maintained. The CCC had built a dam across Lee Creek to formed a small lake. For years they swam in it. But, the pool in clear and clean. The lake now offers rental paddle boats and fishing.
Every afternoon at the camp ground they park organizes a solfball game. My kid never got into that but if we were there longer I bet they would have fun.
And then the lesson of the name sake of these Boston mountain continued. My son and daughter have brought there bikes. See the park has a bike only trail. It never dawn on me it was 'Boston'. I always though someone from Boston, Mass. had named these mountains. My wife and I walked behind the kids as they road the bike trail. My son is all boy and he really wanted to bike trail. My daughter is more girl and soon found the Boston charater of the trail more than she could handle. Forgive me Load, I ask Cheryl if she would like to bike a bit on the flater section of the trail. She quickly sucomed to the boston trail. She fell off the bike. At this point I caught on to the true meaning of the Boston Mountains. I wrapped her knee with my Tee Shirt and tied it with my shoe lasses. She was able to walk to the van and it was only a four hour event to the Fayettville hospital. We were back by one AM. And she was happy to relax at camp the next few days. Yes, this is called the Boston Mountains because it is rough and near impassible. Be very carefull if you try to cross these mountains. And if you stop wear knee pads and gloves.
We ending by staying an extra day as Cheryl plans at the house changed. We enjoied the park very much. There was another TM at the camp ground from Texas. It was fun to talk with them. A box turtle kept coming to our camp site and asked for a hand out. Some strawberry stems did drop on the ground. We do not believe in feeding wild animals. But turtles eat wild strawberries. It rained a bit another night and the TM didnot leak. I have to look at this closly, the TM will not last getting this wet on the inside. I will remember the meaning of Boston from now on.