The Long Way Home

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Splashing Around In The Buffalo River

It was Friday, September 17, the sun was out , the skies were blue with nice puffy white clouds. The last of the vacationers have left the area and school has started. It's the best time to visit the Buffalo National River Park. Weekdays!! The oppressive heat of the summer has been broken and it seems we have entered our fall. Daytime temperatures in the mid 70's to low 80's and overnight lows around 50. Perfect for camping and exploring the Ozark mountains. I had been invited by an old friend of 25 years to come out for lunch. She lives in Murray Valley about 1 1/2 hours  from my  home. Her property borders the Little Buffalo River and I have spent many a delightful day there swimming in that river. My plan was to drive out mid morning, have lunch and then take the long way home. My normal route home would be up Hwy. 7, taking about 1/2 hour, but I decided to turn down the Erbie Access road on Hwy. 7, drive the 8 miles to the river, stopping along the way to check stuff out, then cross the low water slab at Erbie. I would continue up to the church, then take the side road back down towards the river to visit cove spring. Once I was done there  I would head home.
I headed south on Hwy. 7 until I reached the North road, just shy of the bridge. I thought I could get a good picture of the new bridge but the tree foliage blocked any good views. Driving down to the canoe access I saw no one was there so when I drove out  I just parked in the middle of the road and took the pictures of the new bridge. I then crossed the road and checked out the Pruitt day use area. There were a couple wading in the river and several folks came up with their border collies. They were not on a leash but I didn't mind, the dogs were very friendly.​ It is still a widely used area for both locals and visitors, since it has a very easy access.
South to Jasper then onto Parthenon. Turning onto the Murray road, I slowed down to my usual dirt road crawl to enjoy the scenery. It is one of my all time favorite drives, especially in the fall when the colors really jump out at you. I arrived at my friends home and could already smell the lunch she was preparing. We went down to her garden to harvest some fresh veggies for a salad and some new potatoes. I have always been impressed with these gardens. They are quite large and take an immense amount of effort to keep them looking so good and producing a wide variety of foods for the table. Of course the main area is fenced in to keep the deer out, but there is plenty planted outside that area so they can share in the bounty.

The marinated, grilled salmon, fresh salad and veggies, plus a delicious desert was enjoyed on the back deck of her house. It is beautifully designed for entertaining one or ten. It is well shaded from the daily sun and also includes an outdoor shower and hot tub. We spent several hours visiting, and then it was time for me to head back home.  I always feel sad leaving this place, it is so peaceful and beautiful. My home in Harrison pales in comparison.
Heading back down the Murray road I always drive really slow. It is such a beautiful area I hate to leave. Then after leaving Jasper I turned down the Erbie Access road to the Buffalo National River. This long way home will add a couple hours to my trip but I was not yet ready to return to civilization. The first place you can stop on this drive is is the Cedar Glade Picnic Area. I didn't stop because I had recently done a update on this area. and continued down to the New Erbie campground. I toured the entire area and there was only camping spot occupied. I stopped for a short visit and they said they had been there all week and that they were heading home that night. They told me there was no one at the campground the entire week and that they enjoyed the privacy and the access to the river. 
I stopped by the canoe launch area to stretch my legs and get a few pictures. There was a couple wading the river (top picture) and poking around exploring. They had a dog with them and it was having a blast. The next stop was the Parker Hickman homestead. It is a well maintained homestead dating back to the 1840's The grounds had been mowed and it looked like the park service was still watching over this spot. I then continued over the Erbie low water slab on up to the Erbie Church. Taking the road to the left of the church I drove down to one of my all time favorite places, Cove Spring. I started visiting this spot back in 1990. Back then you needed a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get there. I have spent many a day here, alone and with friends enjoying the cool waters on a hot summer afternoon. We also used to come here after work on weekdays and swim. It has changed quite a bit over the years but still quite beautiful and very refreshing in the heat of the summer. 

I turned down the dirt road and drove out of the park and back into civilization. I wish everyone could experience the beauty of the Ozarks and the Buffalo National River, plus it's all free. No Charge to enjoy yourself. No day pass to go hiking or exploring the river on foot. Just the wonderful feeling of enjoying the outdoors in the Natural State.