Fellow adventurers, there was no getting around it. The Arkansas Adventure Guide crew was beat. In addition to meeting the usual demands of life, negotiating a series of welcome and rewarding but by no means effortless changes had left us – well, as I said, beat. We were in desperate need of a rest.
Even Izzy the Adventure Dog needed a rest.
This was by no means news. Labor Day weekend was rapidly approaching and with it a golden opportunity for respite. What better time then, we reasoned, to take a break from one’s incessant labors? With the when established it was time to address the where. There was no water. Anywhere. We considered a low water multi-day trip on the Eleven Point but ultimately decided against it for various reasons, not least of which were the forecast and the work pulling it off would require (after all, the point was rest). Having ruled out the Eleven Point we turned our gaze toward the Buffalo. I suggested a short trip with a two night layover on a gravel bar, and we agreed the idea had potential, but we ultimately decided the low water level would require an inordinate amount of rowing and possibly dragging – again, work.
Negotiations continued in this manner until the Talimena Scenic Byway somehow emerged as a topic of conversation. Now, if the Talimena Scenic Drive is something you have yet to experience I will say only this for now. What are you waiting for? I digress. We quickly determined a ramble was the adventure our circumstances called for and this was the gateway.
Before long I was staring across a cup of coffee at my MacBook. Resolving to travel the Talimena Byway was simple enough, but we’d need somewhere to camp, and while we’d be enveloped in the Ouachita National Forest (Winding Stair Recreation Area to be precise) finding suitable boondocking opportunities was not a foregone conclusion. Our overlanding friends would be out adventuring too, and since we’d be on their playground leaving this to chance seemed unwise. Hence the staring at the MacBook before the gaping at the – well – everything.
Scenic Indeed
At this point I feel compelled to address a matter that even now has likely begun to trouble some of you.
But Deuce, I know where the Talimena Scenic Drive goes.
Fellow adventurers, it’s true. The Arkansas Adventure Guide crew did eventually find itself in Oklahoma Labor Day weekend. We never strayed far from the Natural State though, and I promise you want to hear about this adventure, so a little indulgence please? You’re good to me!
It’s often said the best part of the destination is the journey. I don’t subscribe to that. I mean, if it were true we’d never really go anywhere – we’d just go. I don’t know about you, but I spend enough time as it is just going without going anywhere. Instead, I believe the journey is part of the destination, a vital part of every adventure that when undertaken with the right attitude is a tonic against disappointment should the destination not prove to be quite what one expected. Now, i can’t say our destination wasn’t what we expected, because we had no idea what to expect. That’s pretty liberating actually. Jettison your expectations some time and let me know it how it goes. Seriously.
Okay Deuce, where did you go?
I’m glad you asked! My search for overnight accommodations yielded an astonishing discovery, Heavener Runestone Park. It is believed those legendary adventurers and ramblers the Vikings made it into Oklahoma around 600 to 800 AD, and while there they inscribed a few of the boulders near the Arkansas border with runes. Yes, the Vikings left graffiti behind in Oklahoma. Rascally Vikings! Don’t tell the folks at Leave No Trace. These particular runes are believed to have been intended as boundary markers and loosely translate to valley owned by Glome.
Glome wuz here.
Really Deuce? Vikings? In Oklahoma?
Scholars are confident the runes are authentic Viking artifacts, and they know more about Vikings (and for that matter Oklahoma) than I do, so I’m a believer! So is Izzy the Adventure Dog.
What’s it say, Iz?
At this point I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you a little more about the park. Once part of Oklahoma’s state parks system, Heavener Runestone is now left to shift for itself as a 501c3 run by the city of Heavener, or more to the point by Amanda, her family and a friend who cares for the grounds. Together they keep the park clean, safe and inviting on a shoestring budget, and they do it with smiles on their faces!
Amanda giving Bec the runedown – I mean rundown – of the park’s past, present and future.
In addition to offering the runestone and trails the park hosts viking-themed festivals and reenactments. Besides all that though, it’s just a splendid place to unplug and seek respite. We took full advantage. Campsites vary from fully shaded forest nooks to partially shaded bluff camps with views alternating between peak-a-boo and panoramic.
Guess which one we chose…
I see you have blueberry pancakes. My currency is cuteness. Let us barter.
Still got it!
Night View from Camp
Glome’s Stars
We ate, read and rested. Then we read some more. And probably ate, then read some more until night began to fall. Lightning irradiated Poteau and the valley below, then we watched silently as the stars nestled into the treetops above us, and I can’t be sure, but I thought I heard Glome.
See you out there!
Deuce
- Kayaks 101 - August 6, 2023
- Just the Place – Lower Buffalo River - September 20, 2022
- Sweet Release - June 23, 2022
