SEARCH FOR FALL 2022
Usually, the Search for Fall is an activity that my sons and I do for some outdoor bonding and an attempt to find the line of color stretching down from the Ozarks.
Things are a little different this year, and for the good as most frequent readers know. They both have baby daughters, one 7 months and one 4 months. So, it’s kind of hard to find time to get away for a hike as they are still learning their way around, and being supportive of their spouses. Very understandable…and they are doing a great job.
TC and I had been in Springdale seeing young Emma, and I decided to make a side trip on the way home to go to Devils Den State Park to find the Moonshiner’s Cave. It’s billed has an easy .8 mile hike and an interesting formation.
This year, the Search for Fall makes its way to see where Moonshiners and Indians and Civil War deserters might hang out.
On our way up, stopped at #65 dairy bar on the ongoing search. This was Dee’s Drive In at Coal Hill off I 40 at exit 47. A real nice young couple were a little late opening the store….she told me the tornado had been through there the night before….but they fixed TC and I some real good cheeseburgers and didn’t want to charge us for it. Couldn’t have that, so I gave her $10 and both of us felt good. If you are ever in Coal Hill, stop by and get you a burger!!
The Coal Hill Wampus Cats are no more, they merged with Hartman up the road and became Johnson County Westside. The only surviving Wampus Cats in the state would be Conway……
On to Springdale….baby sat Miss Emma J so Thomas and Alanna could go to a wedding and get themselves some time out….good for them, good for us…a couple pix of us….
Mia watching Tennessee v Georgia!
After a good night, we headed back down The Hill to Devils Den….the trail head is not terribly easy to find, but All Trails has it pegged. TC started to head down with me, but after talking to a young girl that had just come up from the hike, she decided to hold off. It did prove to be 11 stories hike back up on this short .8 trail….so off I went to find me some Fall…a nice young couple also arrived at the same time as we did, so all 3 of us hiked down to Moonshiners Cave…we were hoping the waterfall was flowing after the big rain on Friday, but not to be….it’s just been so dry, the forest floor soaks up any water that comes its way. Just need more rain, that’s all….
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arkansas/moonshiners-cave-trail
Some interesting sights along the way..
Made it to the cave. Always amazing how pioneers could take rock from the area to build the face on this cave…
After the hike back up, we headed over to the visitor center where the dam is….and found some color in the trees left….Fall was still with us…
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DEVEIL’S DEN STATE PARK
Monument to the CCC workers…
My video of the waterfall…
We had found our version of Fall this year. The long drought in Arkansas played havoc with the leaf peeping ….it came earlier, and was much drier….but as usual, God gives us what we need, and we were grateful for what we did see.
We headed home through the Ouachitas, and decided to have a late lunch at Shangri-La….always a good stop….it was the last Sunday before they close for the season….fried chicken special…
Pix from Shangri-La….
TC searching for elusive quartz……
Thanks for coming along.. perhaps next year the boys can rejoin the annual search…it’s something I always look forward to. As I’ve said before, it’s not really the search that’s important, but it is the memories made. Gotta keep making memories. I’ll leave you with this from the Carlton Rec area…
But wait……the full ‘blood’ moon gets some love too…
Happy Fall Ya’ll! Until next time….
Travelin’ Arkansan
