Sunday of the Arkansas Adventures of Labor Day Weekend 2010

I’m not delusional – I know it’s August of the year 2012 and this story is about a day during a trip to Arkansas in September of 2010. Unfortunately, this post was sitting all by its lonesome in my “draft” inbox, even though it’s one of my favorite days to think about. It’s so memorable to me, which is probably why I didn’t see the need for writing it down for posterity. I love that I can look back on it now, however, and smile. It’s written down! If you are interested in reading my weekend from the beginning, here is my Friday and Saturday. Take a look and “live” through it with me =)

On a Sunday two years ago, Cody and I went floating (that means rowing in a canoe down a river, for all my yankee friends 😉 ) down the Buffalo River a few hours north of where his parents live. At some points the water was so shallow we had to get up (er, Cody had to get up) and push us until the water was a little more manageable. I don’t think I’ve ever been more grateful for currents in my life. It was so nice when I got to stop rowing =D. I saw my first cliff that people were able to jump off of and be just fine (also something I had only seen in the movies) but I was too much of a weeny to try (and besides, I didn’t have special water shoes that would protect my toes from rocks – Cody let me have his, but they were a good 5 sizes bigger than my shoe size). It’s definitely on my bucket list, though! We saw snakes mating (they dance around each other.. like they’re on their feet, but, you know.. they don’t have any). They would entwine around each other… definitely one of the cooler things I’ve ever seen. We also saw the cutest furry animal (Still don’t know what it’s called). I want to say it was an otter, but I think otters have flat tails, and this guy was all fur, all over. Simply adorable. The float was 4-6 miles (not sure which), and it took about 6 hours to complete. Definitely one of the more adventurous times of my life. It always seems to happen in Arkansas.

After we floated the Buffalo, Cody and I went to find the cabin that we had reserved for the night. To check-in, we visited the managers (a cute old couple) who lived in a large cabin themselves. They hopped in their truck and told us to follow them. It was about 9pm at this point and it was dark. I’ve been a city girl all my life, so to see zero lights on the country road was a little scary, especially considering that we just kept driving, and driving, and driving down this road that didn’t seem to have an end. I remember telling Cody “If this were our first date, I’d have opened this door, got out, and wouldn’t have stopped running for miles.” I mean, looking out the window was like having a thick blanket wrapped over your eyes – it was pitch black and it was becoming a 15 min drive! I was getting nervous, but before it got too ridiculous, we pulled into a drive-way and saw our room for the night: a beautiful cabin wrapped by trees, and absolutely silent.

Our phones didn’t work, it was really dark, and we were letting complete strangers lead us into the woods. Sounds like the beginning of a horror film. Cody wasn’t having it – after the woman left (she had turned the lights on inside first, bless her heart), he took it upon himself to check nooks and crannies and check the premises. It was an interesting feeling – the more I sensed his nervousness, the more I felt I was okay – I felt stronger and more reassured than I ever would have in that situation. We decided to turn on some music and start cooking dinner. It was a pleasant distraction, until we realized the steak on the oven (we forgot to buy coal) was beginning to smoke a little too much. I recommended turning the fan on and thought it’d be enough. When I started coughing, however, we realized we made it worse by turning the fan on… we hadn’t even opened any windows! We were circulating the smoke around the entire cabin. We had the camp-fire smell all over the place! Long story short, dinner was delicious, the cabin was absolutely beautiful and comfy – everything we had imagined it to be, and more.

I can’t believe this happened two years ago. I’m glad I finally got to finish this post – it’s taken me long enough, and it’s a great reminder of how much fun I always have in Arkansas. I can’t wait to visit again next week and see what adventures await me next!