Penny and I were restless today and decided to get out and take a road trip over to the Harrison area , about an hour west from our home in Lakeview. Penny loves to go prowling through the flea market called "The Junkshun" .... which is located at the junction of
Hwy 62 and Hwy 65 near Harrison. I suggested since we were going that far west , we should drive on down to the Buffalo River area , and tour through Boxley Valley and see how the river was flowing after the rain we have had. It has been exceptionally cool the last week or so , and we have had some nice rains to boot.
We packed a lunch and an ice chest, gathered maps cameras and stuff and were off . We made it over to the flea market and spent an hour or so finding some "bargains" , then I plotted a backcountry route on the map to get us down to the river area . It is really beautiful country over there . Penny and I were torn when we considered moving to Arkansas , trying to decide whether to move to Harrison or Mountain Home . Harrison is closer to the Buffalo River but is also much more heavily used by tourists in the area . Mountain Home is farther off the beaten path (the nearest interstate is 135 miles away) , but is right in between Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals , with the White River connecting them . Ultimately we chose the Mountain Home area , and although we miss our family being nearby to visit , we very much love our new home .... especially the wildlife. Just before I sat down to write this blog entry , Penny and I were quietly sitting on our front porch watching the bats come out for the evening to feed on bugs. Just then , a deer came wandering down the street , crossed over my neighbors driveway , then ambled over into a meadow to graze. Penny and I just sat and watched , and enjoyed our wildlife show and thought to ourselves how fortunate we are to live in this area .
I downloaded some pictures off the internet of the Boxley Valley area and also added a few pictures of my daughters Ashley and Candice from a camping trip we took to Lost Valley which is right in the same area . That was a good time . We look forward to seeing our children and grandchildren soon , as they can get a chance to come and visit our new home !
A map of the Boxley Valley area . My very first trip to the Ozarks when I was a teenager , was to Lost Valley Campground and the trail and cave at the end ... I was HOOKED !!
Early morning always finds fog along the Buffalo River area ....
Boxley Valley is known for the Elk herds that have multiplied in recent years ....
There are lots of old cabins and structures still standing from a bygone era ....
Candice & Ashley on the trail going up to Eden Falls Cave ... Lost Valley area
The mouth of the cave ... They were so excited to explore it !
Nothing like a wet muddy cave to bring on a smile ...
A view looking out of the mouth of the cave , down the valley which forms Clark Creek and flows thru Lost Valley Camp.
In the wet months the cave has a nice fall flowing from the mouth . Ashley was quite the explorer !
