Magnus to Mass., with Jamestown Jaunt, Day 27

Monday, September 1

Why do these little fuzzy guys love hanging out on our jack stands? 

We were ready to be leaving Tennessee, even though our route was on secondary roads at first. It soon got better. 

I’d chosen a Love’s in Memphis, and Ed had it programmed onto the app. But he somehow managed to exit the highway one ramp too soon—I noticed it but not after it was too later to revert. There was no way to get back on, so we rerouted; waited on a train to cross; and then when the turn into Loves finally appeared, Ed wouldn’t take it—it looked like the turn was a little further down but it wasn’t. So we ended back up on the highway.

No matter; there is always another Love’s. We went on to Palestine, AR or some such burg like that.

Ed is tired and I’m tired. Having to walk the dog many times a day is one factor in that--I have to be responsible for every bit of exercise she gets anytime we don’t stay in a park with a dog park. Which is pretty much every time. We had two dog parks this trip, if I remember correctly.

And I’m also tired of the constant contact with Ed’s television, and the near-constant contact with other people and dogs in the campgrounds. It’s tiresome—to me—to have to listen to other people’s chatter and to always have to keep an eye out for dogs off leash.  Also I’m a little disappointed that it’s been a trip of so few birds other than the marvelous few hours at the Wildlife Refuge. 

For our last night, we ended up on the Arkansas River near Little Rock. Again.  We’ve stayed at three different locations with that same description—cool, huh?  First was the COE park on the northern suburbs of Little Rock. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s a very nice park with sites right on the river.  My main issues with it are driving, because it’s on the north loop and we don’t typically need to go there. Plus you have to circle around through a couple of neighborhoods and business areas to get there.

That was a couple of years ago. Then this time, on the way up we stayed right in the heart of Little Rock at the Downtown Riverside RV Park. Cool place, with that big bridge you can walk over. I’d definitely do that again, and if my toe ever quits hurting I can jog all the way across and down around the little parks on the other side.

Here at the end of the trip we stayed at Willow Beach Campground, a COE park south of Little Rock off the I-440 loop. And it’s my favorite so far. Nothing much to do or see, but the sites are well spaced apart, they’re right by the riverbank and have great views, and there is a big marsh over toward the day use area. With a grassy walking path and benches.

The only drawback to this place is a purely seasonal thing happens to be occurring right at the season we were there—every time Molly and I walked close to the river, we were swarmed by thousands of little flying bugs. Damselfly nymphs, maybe?  I’ve seem them before but never in such profusion. They didn’t bite or scratch or anything, but they clung. Hideous!  I probably swallowed some.

For Molly’s long walk we went to the end of the day use area and back, which was pretty boring, but we came back by the great big swamp you can walk around. (We didn’t—I was tired). The swamp was mostly dry but was bordered by these gorgeous flowers—

Strange signage in the park. I had no idea that one of the many branches of the trail went through here.

 Actually one other drawback is that I had to listen to someone’s loud music as I sat outside to write notes. So inconsiderate! It wasn’t all that loud but still almost as annoying as the constant television in the Magnus motorhome.

 

REVIEW: Willow Beach Recreation Area Scott AR

Easy fishing along the Arkansas River

Although this place was really close to the I-440 loop around Little Rock, it was so quiet and tranquil you could imagine you were out in the boonies. The only noise was a very occasional siren in the distance and our neighbor’s radio across the drive.

Large sites, well spaced. Ours backed up to the Arkansas, not too close or low down so that we would be swarmed by mosquitoes, but very pretty for sunsets. It was back-in with an asphalt pad; 50-amp electricity and water; dump station on the way out. The dump station hose did not have threaded ends and you couldn’t disconnect it, so we couldn’t do a tank cleanout.

The road into and out of the park was very nice for a COE campground—narrow, but newly paved. No one was at the gate, so we headed to our site and met a host in a 4-wheeler on the way. He checked our reservation and told us how to get there, including the information that there was a circle turn-around drive at the end of the loop. Easy and hassle free—my favorite.

Since it was a weekday in September, there were no big parties going on.  Just a handful of people fishing or picnicing here and there. We walked the dog to the day use area and back; not very exciting. But there’s a swamp along the road coming in that has a mowed walking path all around it.  It would have made for a pleasant dog walk.