Mount Magazine

Although I lived in Arkansas for my entire childhood, I somehow never made it up to Mount Magazine - the highest point in Arkansas. This weekend, J and I joined some friends at a cabin up there, and it was beautiful. Although we were fogged in on Saturday (visibility was about 20 feet at some points), we did get out to do a 3 hour 4-wheeler tour that afternoon, which was a ton of fun. I've never really ridden a 4-wheeler before, so I was a bit nervous at first. But after about half an hour, I started to get the feel for it, and really enjoyed myself. We went up and down back trails in the mountains, while I tried not to drive into a tree as I took in the sights. The trees were definitely past peak foliage, but still quite beautiful. It was a good reminder of how beautiful some parts of this state are.

We stayed at one of the cabins up on the mountain, near the Mount Magazine lodge; the back deck looked out over this incredible vista (which we didn't really see until Sunday morning, but whatev. It was there.). We took full advantage of the hot tub out there both nights, even though the first night it was about 40 degrees and windy as hell. We also hiked to the top of Signal Hill, which is the highest point in Arkansas. It was interesting to be at a point where there was no more 'up' - you were at the top.

We ate well, drank well, played Settlers of Catan for the first time (I think J is hooked, which will not be a surprise to anyone who knows him), and generally had a very good time. I'm pretty sure we'll want to take the kiddos next time we go - I think they'd dig some of the hiking trails, and the scenery was pretty incredible in places. I'm sure I'll be setting myself up for some whining, but whatever. That's my role, right? That's what a parent does.