Carole and I had discussed camping earlier in the week.  Carole was a bit discouraged at my method of participating in the discernment of a location.  Most of the time I try to defer to Carole's judgment in these (an many other) matters.  She's been around the spots much more than I.   However, poor Carole had really been pain'n for an excursion to the "woods and she really wanted some input.  My apparent wishy-washy suggestions almost caused her to despair as to my willingness to take the trip.

When I picked up the phone I was delighted, as I always am, when I discovered it was my darling wife. . .   Carole is most tactful and most efficient in her wording and after a brief intro., "Mena, AR" was suggested.  Almost cutting her off, I happily responded, "YES!"   "Wait a minute", she said, "I haven't even had a chance to give you my 'spiel. . . ."

We had traveled and camped in the area before and it's most pleasant.  I had thought of the area in our earlier discussions.   I think I hinted at it by indicating somewhere "north."

Anyway. . .  Her "spiel" involved having been presented with the opportunity from her one time employer, Dallas Drapery, to deliver some drapery to "Sun Country Inn" in Mena.  The offer included two comped nights at the Inn, plus $100,00 for the effort. . .  What a deal!  Our camping trip was paid for. . . We (Carole) must be living right :) 

It was decided to leave that evening  (I had previously asked for that Saturday off from work).  I couldn't wait.  I left work right at closing and took the most direct route home.  Upon arrival, Carole and I quickly did a little last minute sprucing up and packing.  Carole's an old pro at it so I was sort of embarrassed at the load of stuff I lugged out to the car.  I'm sort of the one-can-never-tell-if-we'll-need-this personality.  I'm sure if I'd have had more time I'd have taken more. . .

With the drapery and the gear, the car was packed and we were off around 8 PM.

Down the Tollway (on Carole's 50 cents), 635 east to I-30 the west northwest on I-30 for a while.  It's always so pleasant. The leisurely chat with Carole as we drive.  At Sulfur Springs (near Lake Cooper - another camping spot) we pulled off to eat dinner before everything closed up.  That night "Jack-n-the-Box."  I was disappointed that they were out of the little Jack heads. . .

After a while we turned onto 259 heading north.   I think we were the only car on the road that night.  We were making pretty decent time.  Carole was kind enough to pour me coffee. (I had trained myself to do it on-the-fly.  I was pretty good at it, too.  Now I'm spoiled. . .

Somewhere, near where the all the trees along the west side of the road are painted white about half way up the trunk, were some construction warning signs.  Pretty common fare for highway driving.   "Loose Gravel."  Then a bit further 30 mph.  Thinking to myself, as we road on, "seems pretty okay to me", I kept up my pace.   "Geez, the gravel's looser in Dallas", I thought.  Then,  ROARR RUMMBLE GERRR WHIRRR. . .   "@#$%"  (I think I said that. . .) I was doing 70 mph on a muddy dirt road. . .  It looked as if Hwy 259 had turned into a logging road.  The car sort of squiggled a little and I slowed rather professionally to a more sane 40 mph.  Carole had been laughing her head off the whole time.  I had just return to my surroundings to notice her. . .  No need for coffee now.   That adrenaline will keep me awake at least till Mena. . .

The first part of 259 is real straight.   As one crosses into Oklahoma - and the Ouachitas - it begins to wind this-a-way as mush as that-a-way.  Kinda neat watching the reflective arrows in the curves.  I think it was State Hwy 70 where we cut west into Arkansas.  It was at Idabel, anyway.   Towards DeQueen.  At Dequeen, north on State Hwy 71 through Polk county on to Mena.

Further testimony as to the "living rightly" was the billboard we happened upon as we approached Mena: "Sun Country Inn,  just after the fifth light."  Speaking of "lights". . .   Dallas must have some mongo traffic lights as all the stop lights we came across in Oklahoma and Arkansas seemed so puny to me.  I wouldn't have noticed them if there were any traffic.  Anyway,  1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  "There it is!"   Carole spotted the sign first.  "Sun Country Inn."  It was almost 2 AM Saturday morning.  We pulled up, flopped out of the car, stretching.   Entering the Inn,  we were greeted by a pleasant lady and given the key to our comped room, number 210.  And it wasn't long before we were fast asleep.

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The next morning we awoke a little later than usual.  Carole emerged to scout up the recipients of the drapery.   Apparently he gets an early start and we missed his first arrival.  Sun Country had an expansion project very nearly completed behind the main lodge.  They were anxious to get the drapes up before Grand Opening so it wasn't long before we handed our payload off and were off ourselves.

We headed south on the same Hwy 71 back into town then West on the Talamena Parkway.  Spring was fairly well under way.   Displays of dogwood blossoms met us, gleaming through the morning woods, as we approached rising grades.  Carole and I both recalled that it was the "Dogwood Room" at Mountain Thyme B & B where we spent our first night on out honeymoon trip through Arkansas.  Shortly we were touring along the ridge enjoying all the wonderful "vistas."  We pulled over for most of the first ones we met along the way, snapping digital pictures of some of the spring flora.  As you can see, the trees and undergrowth were not in full swing.

It was late morning by now and Carole and I were starting to get a little hungry.  We decided to sample the Fare at the Queen Wilhelmina Inn, which is perched about half way along the Parkway.  (The sign to the left is a relief of carved and painted wood.  A very nice testament to local craftsmen).  We arrived a bit ahead of the noon crowd.  In fact, we had the place virtually to ourselves.  We were greeted quite hospitably by very friendly folk.  We picked out a table situated next to one of the large plate windows so we could view the overlook as we ate.  The buffet looked wonderful.  Both of us raved over their famous Squash Casserole and so noted the same to the waitress.   Shortly we were presented with a copy of the recipe. . .  which has since been posted by Carole for all the world to enjoy!   Needless to say, the dining and atmosphere was wonderful and we'd certainly visit again the next time we out for a drive.

We continued to pause at many of the overlooks and historical markers.   The wildflowers were so lovely.  Too many pictures to post here.  Carole has posted a couple on her journal pages.  The unknown-to-me flower to the right we first spotted in an old settler cemetery, however the blossoms were not open.  This one was amid a patch growing near a survey marker which located the 1877 boundary between Arkansas and Choctaw territory.  (The background for this page is a washed out close-up of the nearby 1935 marker). 

Thoroughly enjoying the drive, we some how missed the exit for our destination, Cedar Lake.  We did get a look at it to the north, though, from the "Cedar Lake Overlook."  Oh well.  We were in no hurry.  And, we were able to enjoy the scenery for the entire length of the Talamena.  Descending on the Oklahoma side of the Talamena, we bore north for a few miles and approached Cedar Lake from the west, a route new to Carole who had been there many times.  I assume the road was on Park land because it wasn't in such hot shape.   Large patches of asphalt had eroded through to the basement about every half mile or so.  I speculated, in view of the charred trunks of the trees that perhaps a forest fire had blown through a few years back seriously weakening the pavement in places?

We arrive at camp about mid-afternoon.  Setting up camp was a snap and after relaxing a while, soaking up the tranquility, we decided it would be nice if we had a few groceries on hand.  A little town called Hicks, a few miles up the road, had a decent convenience store.  Milk, bread, maybe paper towels.  Carole picked out some boxed chicken diners from the deli.  Those are so good.  Included were some largish wedges of fried potatoes and fish.  Umm!    A few bottles of bottled water for making coffee and we were off.  It was approaching dusk by the time we got back.  So we loaded up the trunk of the civic with fire wood at a spot along the road.  There, of course, is never much in the way of fire wood in the campsites.  We must have looked a little odd, though.  We had several long pieces hanging out the back, trunk lid waving.  We had plenty of wood and a nice little fire for the evening.  Not that we really needed it for the warmth, as it had been a relatively warm day just coming out of winter.  I think we were sweating at 70 degrees.  But.  A fire has decided curative properties, as any camper can tell you.  And so, we bathed in that rejuvenative glow.

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The next morning I rose early.   Well.  At least before any of the other nearby campers .  I had been surprised how many campers there were.  I guess it was lucky we arrived as early as we did.  And it was Saturday already when we arrived.  We didn't make in time to get our usual camping spots but the one adjacent instead.  If I had really known I could have pulled into the "usual" but there would have been a camp full of kids right next door.  So I pulled into the next over.  Oh well.   I   puttered around, still a bit kinked from dressing in the tent.  'Poked the fire back to life.  I had bought a little propane stove (the kind were the burner attaches directly to a fuel bottle) and was so proud to be boiling water.  Coffee wasn't long in coming.  Umm.  Now I was limber, and awake, enough to scout up some camp local fire wood.  Soon Carole was stirring and we enjoyed coffee together in a peaceful morning woods.  Carole journalized some in her "hard journal."   Carole's been a "Journaler" for years and only recently taken up the On-line Journalizing thing.   She, being a wonderful writer, has already developed a readership who nag her when she's remiss with the latest issue.  (She's also a wonderful page designer :)    Hard Journalizing is special though.  One can open to a page from years back and find a leaf or some other souvenir, magic with the hidden sense of the occasion.   Her pages aflame with a rainbow of different pens and inks.  Every camping trip, if not every occasion, get a mention in Carole's special way.  It's so much fun to listen to her recite from it when were out like this.

We were supposed to be out of camp by 10AM.  So we really didn't get to spend a lot of time there.  I suppose it was enough to tide us over till the next.  Loading the car wasn't quite the trick it was before we left.  We were minus 5 boxes of drapes.  We partly made up for it with a couple of boulders for our baby Stone Hinge.

Instead of retracing our route along Talamena Parkway we traveled along a lower route, being able to peer up in places to see where we had traveled the day before.  This lower route still had its vistas.  We stopped at one, a memorial of some sort,  called "3" something.  There were three pillars reaching out of a stone, star shaped garden thing.  I should have taken a picture of it rather than the one to the left.  Here we ate the balance of our delicious deli boxed chicken diners while admiring the view.

We were making our way to Oklahoma Hwy 259, which runs north/south along the eastern state line.  We knew we were going to drive right by Wilderness Lakefront, our last stop on our honeymoon trip.  Peggy and David, the owners, made such an impression on us that we just had to drop in on them to say hello - even if it meant 8 miles up a dirt road that most certainly meant microscopic dust would cover everything in the trunk. . . . :)   Unfortunately those hard working folks were out on a remodeling job in Dallas.   We did run into a neighbor lady that house-sits for them.  We had a nice chat with her, took a few pictures and were on our way once more.  The picture at right is the view from their back porch.  Wilderness Lakefront abuts the McCurtain County Wilderness Area just northeast of Broken Bow Lake.  It, likewise, was quite beautiful in the Spring.  We happened to witness a shower of leaves which had hung on through the winter but waited for us to display themselves.

There rest of return trip was pleasant.  I never did find a spot to pull over for more flower pictures.   Carole wanted to get some nice large patches of bluebonnets with a sprinkling of other types of wild flowers mixed in.  It must have been either too late or too early for the fullness of bluebonnets.  We passed a few patches that would have done okay, I guess.  Well, that'll be something for next year.