Chapter One-Hundred-and-Nine: S'More Summer Adventures

What we surround ourselves with has a surprising effect on us. Our mood and perspective can be swayed like the trees in the wind just with a change in lighting, scenery, people, music... I could go on. When I'm in a coffee shop that has low lighting and soft, acoustic music, I am inspired to watercolor or blog; however, when I'm in a clearing of a forest I have bursts of ideas for novels I haven't thought about writing in years.

I think it's really important for us to test ourselves in ways that help us discover who we are, where we fit in, and maybe even find parts of us we didn't even know were there. 

This past weekend, I decided to challenge myself and go on a camping adventure with my boyfriend and some friends. I say "challenge myself" because the last time I went camping was when I was in girl scouts (over 7 years ago), and that was camping in cabins with bug nets and people who cooked for me. Luckily, Luke (and Domingo) were boy scouts who weren't pampered in the camping world, and know a little bit more about the tips and tricks of the forest. 

So, Luke and I, along with Luzy and Domingo, headed Northeast to Arkansas for a weekend of fun! It all started on Friday, with a 5 hour cramped road trip in my little car, lame CDs for music and small conversation about our upcoming plans.

We started off our weekend by searching for a decent camping site in the Hot Springs area. We first visited Lake Catherine. As an excuse to stretch our legs and take a break from the car, we all got a good look at our first Arkansas lake...and boy were we impressed! The mesh of the lush, green trees on the clear, still lake was a sight to behold! 

Lake Catherine

After gazing in awe for awhile, we took our first group selfie of the trip! 

Official Tourists!

We then headed to our next potential campsite: Blakely Mountain. We first visited the dam located on the Ouachita River, which runs right through the area we were investigating.

The very clear water just begged us to swim, but we decided to just dip our feet in. Of course, with the water temperature averaging in the 40s and 50s, swimming would not be as enjoyable as it looked. These hot Texans did spend awhile soaking our toes in the cold water, though. 

Real reaction to water

We skipped rocks, enjoyed the cool breeze off the lake, and watched a thick mist creep over the waters. It was graceful and amazing, and a little ominous as well. 

It's a party!

We finally settled on a campsite located in Ouachita National Forest. It was cheap, secluded, and included hot showers. We set up our tents at dusk and made shelter just in time for some rain! Unfortunately, Luzy's and Domingo's tent did not make the cut. Their poor tent was flooded with rain, which included their belongings. Luckily the damage wasn't too great, but it did dampen the spirits quite a bit. Luckily, Luke had brought an extra tent! Yay! All hope was not lost.

The next morning, Luzy and Domingo slept in and hiked around the camp, while Luke and I drove a little ways to go horseback riding! Luke had never rode a horse before, so this was especially exciting for him! Our horses took us on a guided trail and explored some wooded areas near Lake DeGray. 

Good morning, horseys! 

Horseback riding in the woods was a very interesting and different way to experience nature. We even saw a deer peeking out of the woods! It was a great experience for the two of us, and the horses were entertaining all on their own (Luke's horse did not get along with my horse it seemed). Either way, it was a lot of fun!

Smile, horseys!

Luke and I ate lunch at the lake and then headed back to our campsite. While Luzy and Domingo were telling us about their morning hike, the sky darkened and thunder echoed across the forest. Rain drizzled down and we suddenly found ourselves trapped in our tents to avoid a cold shower. 

Rain Rain Go Away

While rain was not ideal, having some quiet time was nice in our tent. Luzy and I colored while Domingo and Luke played various card games. This was fun while it lasted, until I noticed our tent was letting water in on the side.... Luke quickly worked to fix our potential disaster, all the while Luzy and Domingo discovered their spare tent had flooded. Our afternoon plans were slightly altered at this point. Luzy and Domingo took a detour to the nearest laundry mat to dry their belongings, while Luke and I went shopping for emergency supplies. A little stressful at the time, but it worked out after hard work quick thinking! 

Sunday morning rolled around and we headed out to Caddo River for a canoeing adventure! I did not want to risk getting my phone wet while canoeing, so I have absolutely no pictures of all the beautiful sights we saw... I'll do my best to describe it though: clear water; running streams; distant, hazy mountains; lush trees; bends and breaks in the river... Alright here's a picture I didn't take:

It was fun for the most part, but I tired easily with the vigorous arm work out of paddling the canoe. I hate to admit it, but I complained quite a bit because of the heat, the work out, etc...but Luke really kept me positive throughout the experience! We made jokes about how miserable I was acting, and laughed about how long it took us to complete the canoe trip (roughly 4.5 hours).  In the long run, I made really good memories of our time on the river. We got a little too close to nature when our canoe tipped literally 70 feet from the end, but it all worked out! 

We drove to Hot Springs to explore the little town that flourished off of the natural springs in the area. These springs are naturally 134 degrees Fahrenheit, and were (still) used for bathhouses and luxurious massages. It's incredible what Mother Earth holds for us! 

It really is hot

Hot Springs selfie!

We explored a little area behind the closed bathhouses and enjoyed the scenic view of the little town.

Nice

Luke + Rail = This

Good Night, Hot Springs

As the sun set, we said good night to Hot Springs and headed back to our campsite. Thankfully, Sunday was rain-free! This means our tents didn't flood, and the ground wasn't wet. Which means....

FIRE!!

...Campfire!! The staple to every camping trip is having a warm fire to sit around and listen to nature and maybe even strum on a guitar. Ok, well we didn't have a guitar, but we had s'mores, which is possibly better. It was a nice relaxing evening after a long, hot day!

C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E

The next morning we spent hiking a small trail near our campsite, learning about the various woods that populate Arkansas forests. It was interesting, but we stopped reading the plaques mid-hike. We had more important things to do like maintain our breathing or laugh at our poor stamina (it was very up-hill, so give us some slack!). 

Butterfly!

~We Are the Champions~

After our hike we decided to take a dip in the nearby swimming hole. The water was very cool, very clear, and a perfect conclusion to our Arkansas adventure. 

Look how clear that water is!!

All in all, we had a great trip! We got to know each other better, as well as get to know nature better. While we liked Arkansas, we all missed Texas dearly and rejoiced once we crossed the border... There is just no where like Texas, y'all. 

During this trip, I felt very adventurous and almost a little wild. We hardly planned anything and rejoiced in doing activities on a whim. We laughed off bad situations and made the sun shine, even when the clouds were covering the sky. This trip taught me that camping isn't about getting anywhere on time, or always having a working GPS...it's about making the most out of everything, laughing and smiling more often than not, and being at peace with the moment at hand. 

Summer is almost over, but the lessons learned will never be forgotten. Thanks for reading about all of my adventures this summer! I am looking forward to this next school year, and what new experiences it holds for us.