Joanna figured we should see what Arkansas has to offer since it’s relatively close and has hills. She picked Mt. Magazine because it’s relatively close (we only used 2 tanks of gasoline round-trip) and it’s the highest point in Arkansas.

This seemed as good a weekend as any to head out there (especially since we didn’t want to go in the summer), so we packed the car and set off. Packing for a weekend camping trip seems so incredibly easy compared to packing for a few months camping.

The weather was pretty good. Saturday presented us with a high overcast stratus layer which prevented us from getting any sun, but it was remarkably warm with a high around 65. We put the top down on Saturday and didn’t put it back up until we got back. That’s one of the only things I miss in the winter is top down driving. Joanna was smoking something and started directing me to I-40.

“Aren’t there good roads?”

“I don’t know…”

“Well, why should we drive Interstate?”

“You don’t want to drive on the Interstate?”

“No! When do I ever want to drive on the interstate?”

We took Highway 9 out of Norman and drove through the countryside. Interstate driving is so boring, and you don’t get to see anything. The two-laned roads really aren’t much slower in places like Oklahoma. The speed limit is 65mph, but there aren’t any cops, and the roads are pretty straight with lots of passing opportunities. Passing provides a good excuse to downshift into 3rd at 60mph and hear the engine scream— something that’s just silly on the interstate. Joanna and I discussed passing techniques– she drives me crazy by passing in 5th gear all the time. “I don’t NEED to downshift.” she says. I maintain if you’ve got the power, you might as well spend as little time in the opposite lane as necessary. I view it like using maximum available power for takeoff in an airplane, always. Why needlessly risk trouble? Joanna seemed surprised that in third gear, the rev limiter doesn’t cut in until 85mph.

We stopped in Tecumseh, OK for lunch at a little cafe full of smoke. Jonah had country fried steak; I had a burned burger that was made better by the addition of lots of pickles and grilled onions.

We didn’t get there until about 5pm. Fortunately, Joanna had called for reservations, because it’s a very strange park. There didn’t appear to be any way to pay for a campsite after the visitor center had closed. Stuck on the window was a piece of paper that said ASH #8 in letters big enough that I could read them from the car. Joanna walked up and managed to figure out that ASH is more or less our last name, and took the note to mean that we were supposed to be in #8. The nice thing about being assigned a campground is that you don’t have to pick. Given the choices available (not many), we probably would have picked #8 anyway.

Joanna scavanged for firewood while I set up the tent. The wood was pretty damp, so she made a lot of smoke before getting a fire going, though she didn’t seem to have much trouble. It was nice to be camping somewhere that gathering firewood isn’t prohibited like it is most places we’ve been lately. (In much of the west, fires weren’t allowed at all last year…)

On Sunday morning we drove the scenic loop and walked up to the highest point in Arkansas.

We took a different and probably better route home. We went through McAllister, home of the only remaining Flight Service Station in Oklahoma. I talk to someone in McAllister everytime I fly…. now I’ve been there. We also went through Holdenville, yet another no-where place I’d flown to. I remembered finding Holdenville was somewhat difficult because there’s really nothing between Norman and Holdenville. It didn’t look much different from the car.

The weather on Sunday was sunny until we got within about 60 miles of Norman. Joanna and I even got just a little bed red-faced.

A good weekend. I took a few pictures– they’re up on the photographs page.