We went camping this weekend to celebrate the well-known North Little Rock Schools Take Two Days Off In Early November holiday. It’s one of our favorites.
We went to Tyler Bend Campground near Marshall, on part of the Buffalo River. It was lovely – lots of open space, really nice bathrooms, little square tent sites that are flat and drain easily and have no large rocks to wedge into your back.
There were many children riding around in the back of a certain 15 passenger van.
And one who was maybe a teensy little bit upset that he wasn’t back there, too.
Favorite quote I heard while riding in a 15 passenger van which was holding 17 people at the time: “This isn’t even a record. We’ve had 24 people in one of these before.”
It was a little cold while we were there. Luckily my husband looks extra cute in his new hat.
We drank countless cups of coffee, snacked on energy bars, huddled around the fire, fried up leftover cheese grits in bacon grease, hiked a beautiful trail, put the smackdown on some beef bourguinon and mashed potatoes, became junior park rangers (well, 8 of us did, anyway…), made s’mores, sat in the best camp chairs ever, grilled some asparagus, lost and found a certain beautiful but absent-minded eleven year old’s cell phone deep in the forest, breakfasted on chocolate chip pancakes, played some killer tag and football and ghosts-in-the-graveyard, made some more s’mores, and watched a late night movie in the giant Jones’ tent.
Did I mention that it sleeted for about 5 minutes? Obviously we needed to eat to stay warm.
All in all, a beautiful way to wave fall goodbye…
poor sweet simon… it won’t be long little friend, until you’re running circles around them…
i don’t know how to light a camp lantern either- wait, i don’t camp…
so much FUN! i’m so glad we did it even if it was a weensy bit chilly. i was picturing that river snaking through the valley in my head at yoga this morning.