Thursday June 5-Monday June 9, 2025 Most Recent Posts:
H & G RV Park, Hazen Arkansas Sequoyah Cabin Museum
Parkers Crossroads RV Park Yuma TN Spiro Mounds Archeological Center
Spacious Skies Campground Monterey TN
I’m actually sorry to leave Sallisaw. I’ve learned so much here that I did not know about the incredible ancient peoples at Spiro and the amazing polymath and neographer Sequoyah. SO glad I stopped and I would love to return. But now I have to push on. This post covers 4 days so I can get caught up. Beware that it is long but I hope interesting.
June 5 Thursday
I left from Sallisaw Oklahoma and drove 218 miles further along route 40 to H&G RV Park in Hazen, Arkansas. I had a terrible time finding a place that wasn’t too few or too many miles for a day. All I can say for this place is Never Again. I did not put a link to this park because I really cannot recommend it.
Located behind a business on the main road this park, if you can call it that, has 2 pull through totally unlevel sites with scary looking water connection and no sewer. The rigs backed in on the side are all permanent it appears. There is a mailbox to put your cash payment of $40 a night. I never saw anyone but the other overnighter who pulled in. I had my pick of the two sites and took what looked like the most level but it was still too unlevel for me to feel OK about putting my slides out without my jacks which would have also jacked the tow hitch up too far with the car on it. So I slept with the slides in. Luckily everything necessary is accessible in Winnona without the slides out. The problem with unlevel is that it’s hard I understand on the AC compressors and refrigerator if it’s on LP which it is when I travel. If you know whether that’s true or not, could you let me know. Boy did I need the AC. I had to run it.
I looked up their website and the reviews were stellar saying they had a dozen sites - true, breathtaking scenery, part of a beautiful farm – not that I could see, easy access from I40 and quiet – true. The reviews were not recent.
Back ins have sewer but there were none available when I was here. Pull through no sewer. The water hook up is beneath that board.
Here’s the water connection. Yes that’s a mud filled hole. No way was I going to hook my water filters up to this. So I was able to use the toilet and sinks and drink the water already in my water filtered pitcher. I cleaned my hose nozzle with bleach when I left.
Boy did the temperature change on this leg. I arrived at 2:30pm High was 92 (feels like 104). By 7:45pm it was 86 (feels like 97) and it definitely did both times. SO HOT! But even given all this, I was comfortable in my AC and SO glad to have an electric hook up.
No going outside in this so I relaxed,hoping I’m not damaging my AC or refrigerator and finished this second best biography of Georgia O’Keeffe (IMO), Portrait of an Artist (bad choice of title also IMO).
June 6 Friday
Up and out for a 206 mile drive to Parker’s Crossroads RV Park and Campground in Yuma, Tennessee. Horrible I 40 drive through Memphis. I don’t know how the rig doesn’t fall apart with all the bouncing and banging even at 45 and 50 mph. What a horrible stretch of road.
I have another seriously unlevel spot with the passenger and back sides so low I’m afraid the tires will be off the ground to get it level. So I level it up as best I can without the tires being totally off the ground. Look in the pic below and see the driver’s side tire. Barely touching.
Nice and roomy. Compare this shot with the one below at the end of the day.
Other than the leveling concern, this is a cute park. Love their office. Wonder what it was Once Upon a Time? Looks like the 50’s or 60’s doesn’t it?
The park comes with a small koi pond and ducks.
Most of the ducks were hanging out at the larger possibly fishing pond. Not big enough to kayak unfortunately.
But a nice reading spot.
When I walked around the pond I found most of the ducks were over here on the back side.
Continuing my Georgia O’Keeffe obsession, I’m currently reading Alfred Stieglitz: An American Seer about the famous photographer who launched O’Keeffe’s career and became her husband. The book is written by Dorothy Norman who idolized him and with whom he had some sort of relationship when Georgia went to New Mexico for extended stays. That’s a whole story in itself but not in this book.
The other one I’ve finished but since it’s in this picture I’ll talk about it. I bought Georgia O’Keeffe’s Wartime Texas Letters for far too high a price at the Palo Duro Canyon visitor center. It’s a book of her letters from 1912-1918 while she was teaching in Texas. There are letters to friends back east, family and other beaus as well as the beginning of her life long correspondence with Alfred Stieglitz.
In addition to the letters there is the author’s (Norman) commentary and analysis. I’m pretty sure the author’s presumptuous explaining of O’Keeffe’s art at this time would make O’Keeffe furious.
Back to the park….
Clearly the park is a popular spot on a Friday night. At $55 tax included a night and halfway between Memphis and Nashville, I suspect these folks are mostly one or two nighters like me. The difference between earlier in the day is striking.
June 7 Saturday
If you have traveled through the south you know that every single battle or skirmish of the Civil War is honored and maintained. The closest place nearby to hike was Battle of Parker’s Crossroads Trail. It is totally paved and with information signs. There is also drive that covers a wider area.
Despite being from Virginia, I’m not a Civil War Fan so I walked around until I got 3 miles and tired of it. I did learn that Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest fought the forces of Union Col. Cyrus L. Dunham here on December 31, 1862. Apparently the Union came at the Confederates from both sides but Forrest was able to combat both and escape over the Tennessee River so both sides claimed Victory. SIGH…sounds like Forrest escaped what should have been a perfect trap. So there you have my summery. I did not check out the Visitor’s Center.
From there I stopped off on my way back to Winnona for the $10 breakfast at Patty’s
I checked out the dessert case and found mostly meringue and it’s piled high.
Not a meringue lover myself but this is the place to be if you are.
Patty’s is the perfect southern diner.
Southern breakfast with biscuits and gravy, bacon and eggs but hash browns rather than grits. I know, how can I be from Virginia if I don’t care for grits.
Other things for sale at this delightful southern diner in addition to Possum Meat were jars of spicy pickled quail eggs, Jalapeno quail eggs, Chow chow Molasses and pumpkin butter. I was not even tempted by the possum meat.
June 9 Monday
This was probably the worst day of my entire trip. Although it’s a toss up between this and the roof coming loose in San Marcos Texas.
I was traveling 195 miles to Spacious Skies RV Park in Monterey, Tennessee on the east side of Nashville. The first hour was wonderful and then the rain started. It turned into a very harrowing day. TORRENTS of rain, high winds. At one
point a semi zoomed past me going at least 70-75 mph, blasting my windshield with water and almost clipping my front as he moved into my lane in front of me. This caused me to slam on my brakes, swerve and nearly lose control of the rig. We’re talking fishtailing while towing.
Scariest thing since I’ve been traveling alone.
Then the rains picked up even more and fog rolled in. No where to pull over, no rest areas, 4 and 6 lanes of traffic through Nashville . I slowed to 35 mph. Lots of cars and trucks with their flashers on including me. I couldn’t see the vehicle in front of me, only the solid white line on the right side of the far right lane which I am always in.
It stopped about 20 minutes before arriving at the campground and while I was checking in but was pouring again when I pulled into my site.
It was 3 hours before I could do anything but disconnect the brake controller and hook up the electric and even then I was soaked. And to top it off, when I opened the cupboards my favorite Happy Camper cup (picture above) which I’ve had since we first started out (thank you Pam) had gotten chipped, cracked and ruined. Won’t hold my hot chocolate any more. I’m sure it was the fishtailing incident. It’s an understatement to say I was glad to arrive here. My white knuckles could relax. I could unclench my teeth.
My worst driving in the rain nightmare was thankfully over and everything but my cup was safe. Seriously grateful!
Sitting inside reading but not set up or car disconnected.
June 10 Tuesday
This would have been my 47th wedding anniversary. How I miss the most wonderful traveling companion ever. Too sad to think about. Onward….
I actually didn’t set anything up but the electric until the next day when the skies turned blue with puffy white clouds and I was able to do the water, level up and put out the slides.
Another sloping site. Can campgrounds really not do better than this?
This park is a bit like a state park in that it has 589 acres and trails, one to a waterfall. So I set out to see if I can find it. My route took me by the cute cabins they have for rent.
and into the woods – hooray!
I pass by what looks like a natural swimming pond. I didn’t remember to ask if it was but the family is enjoying it.
A very nice overlook along the trail.
One of the things I love about the eastern forests are the giant rocks. I don’t actually understand where they came from since they aren’t glacial erratics. Something to research.
I headed down
And down and more down and when I got to the bottom it was blocked off as the piece that goes to the path further down had broken off. So back up I went looking for another way. I’ll spare you the details but I found it.
The rocks along the path once I got there were huge. The lighting was not great.
There were cool caves.
The trail was narrow nearly the entire way.
Talking about amazing rocks.
The rocks naturally curved around at some points. When I saw the markings to the left I wondered if those were manmade or nature made.
What do you think?
These were eye catching too and I wondered about them as well.
The boulders were huge and tall. The path narrow and narrower.
and rooty.
My first sight barely of the falls
Zoomed in, it was better.
I forgot to mention that when I started out, I naively thought this was going to be a walk and didn’t wear my hiking boots or bring my hiking pole. Here’s what I had. So there was no climbing down to the falls for me today.
Another reason to return.
I tried from my vantage point to get a picture of the full falls and not just the side.
Looks like you “could” climb up the little side trail to the second layer of falls and get yourself wet.
This was the best shot I could get and I’m happy with it given my footware. The sounds of the water were magnificent. It reminds me of the summer I spent in Transylvania County North Carolina where I literally saw a different waterfall every time I went hiking.
Headed back along that same narrow rocky path with my stick hiking pole and my inappropriate shoes. At least they aren’t flip flops! HA!
Looks like the path to nowhere doesn’t it?
Fantastic hiking day!!
June 11 Wednesday
Today was errands day, packing to leave tomorrow and relaxing while readying my latest Booker Nomination. On the Calculation of Volume Book I. A very interesting book that is the first in a planned Septology. The first 5 have been published in Danish and at least two translated into English. It was short listed for the International Booker Prize, longlisted for the International National Book Award and on and on. Highly praised and I sure wish I had a book group or just a reading buddy to discuss it with. Anyone want to volunteer?
I did walk back over to the pond.
And later to the sweet gazebo to catch the sunset that sadly really wasn’t.
But still, the view and the pink sky was lovely. Another reason to return, I could check the sunsets from here every night.
Spacious Skies Campground in Monterey Tennessee is East of Nashville and West of the Great Smoky Mountains on the Cumberland Plateau. It’s a place I might consider staying for a month in the summer. Looks like there is a great deal of hiking to be enjoyed in the area.
I make it to Virginia tomorrow. Thanks for making it all the way to the end.
