Welcome to my on-line newsletter about the Buffalo National River, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Harrison, my home town. It is always under construction! Well, it is early December here in the Ozarks. Late fall through early spring is the ideal time to take advantage of the Buffalo National River Park Trail, the wilderness areas and the national forests that surround us. I hope each of you can take find the time to visit our area. The leaves are down and this affords some spectacular views of the Boston Mountain Range. Our winters are mild and there are plenty of days where the sun shines and the temperatures during the day hover around 50. Very pleasant walking!!

Ozark Bluff Dwellers Cabins

I recently had the opportunity to visit Ozark Bluff Dwellers Cabins, which is owned by Ed French and his lovely wife. It is situated high above the Buffalo National River Valley near Kyles on Hwy 74. There are three very nice cabins there. I was going to stay in the Cherokee Cabin, the newest of the three. I arrived on a foggy, wet Monday afternoon.

I scrambled to get all my stuff into the cabin without getting soaked. As I brought the last of my gear in, I wished hard for some sunshine and clear skies. This vacation cabin is located right along Raney Cove and I was hoping to get in a hike or two while staying here. Listening to the rain pelt the windows, I had my doubts. The Cherokee Cabin is beautiful, and appointed with many extras. The living room has a gas fireplace, High Definition Satallite TV, DVD and VCR. Several comfortable chairs and a very large couch surround the fireplace.

The upstairs Master Bedroom had a huge bed in it and there was a full bath off of that with a jacuzzi tub, shower and a terrific view to boot! I decided to stay in the downstairs bedroom which also had a large bed. Another bath with shower was next to it. I liked the way this cabin was laid out, much thought was given to providing more that the basics. There was a washer/dryer available for those who might stay an entire week and need laundry facilities.

It was early evening and the rain had not yet stopped. The fog had completely engulfed the mountains and I could not see very far out the windows, so I decide to make some supper and then watch a little HDTV. The kitchen at the Cherokee Cabin was deluxe. Complete with dishwaser, large fridge/freezer combo, electric range and oven, microwave and plenty of countertop. Cooking a meal in this kitchen was a pleasure. I sat down to a nice meal in the dining area, and looked out the double doors onto the deck. It was still raining.

After supper I set up my laptop in the living room, right next to the fire and watched a few movies while checking my email and chatting with friends. I made plans with my good friend Alf Carter to go for a walk if it should stop raining on Tuesday or Wednesday. I fell asleep on the couch (it's way too comfortable) and late in the evening woke up to a hard rain. The fog was still hanging heavy on the mountain top. I went to bed and slept till midmorning. Tuesday brought another day of fog and rain. I stepped out for a picture, but spent most of the day indoors as the weather turned windy and cold, and still the rain fell. Late in the evening, I took a nice jacuzzi bath and went to bed with a silent prayer for nice weather on my last day at Ozark Bluff Dwellers Cabins.