Ok, no secret, there are a lot of untapped treasures in our country as placed to go and things to do. One of the things we have highlighted here before, and we want to share another one, is our state park system. We had the good fortune to experience one of Arkansas’ gems not too long ago at the Mount Nebo State Park. The second oldest state park in the state, Nebo was a resort community that was rebuilt with the help of veterans in the Civilian Conservation Corp under FDR.
It was wild to think that we traveling the same trails, and in the same woods that many Arkansans had taken advantage of over a century ago. We choose to “cook in” which is very much an option in the cabins they have available. We found that to be a good cost saver, and honestly, but the time we go done on any one give day, the kids were so whipped out eating in the cabin was what we could muster! Two words for you too. The views, the views, the views..Plus or minus, we were about four to four and a half miles up, so one of the coolest things (for me anyway) was to watch the sunrise and sun set from the cabin. So a quick rundown of some things you can do.
Geo-Caching
If you have never been involved with geo-caching, a quick run down. Through GPS positioning, you are tracking/looking for “caches” of trinkets, mementos, goodies of different sorts. Around 2015 it really hit its stride as an activity and has not trailed off. Nebo was no exception. There were easily 20-25 caches hidden around the park for us to take advantage of.
Proximity
One of the beauties of Mt. Nebo was its proximity to other activities and options for us to take advantage of. From food options (fast food, casual eating, more substantive dining) to activities (golf, swimming, paddle board, kayaking, etc) there is a great deal of flexibility for you in what you might engage in.
Cost Management
If vacationing on a budget is a thing for you, this may be a great option. The cabins have great sleeping arrangements, kitchen capabilities and most importantly, air conditioning. We found the park staff to be uberly helpful along the way and did not end up paying much more than we we would have for a hotel room. Mentioning the kitchen, you can bring your own food for the vacation and cook if you’d like. Between outdoor grills and the kitchen capability, there wasn’t much we couldn’t do from a food prep standpoint.
Privacy
In this Covid-19 era, our interactions with others really was minimal. A handful of staff, and support people and that really was about it. You have the capability to get away, detach, and enjoy a wide variety of experiences and not interact with very many people at all if you choose not too.
From West Virginia to Arkansas, we have had nothing but good experiences with state parks (particularly the ones that had lodging) and have been able to engage in a wide variety of activities and outcomes that kept us and our kid stimulated during the vacations. These are great opportunities too especially if you are on a budget, you can have that relaxation feel and not invest your retirement account 🙂 .
Hi and thank you for your feedback!
Yes, it likely is a bit vanilla I certainly acknowledge and own that. While length of time wise, I have been up and running for six-ish months now I am still a bit “young” in the context of writing blogs so any good feedback I am absolutely open to receiving. I recently added a I’ll call, a headline writing tool to my editor to help me in this regard. Stay tuned and let me know what you think.
I had added some pictures to this post so I was a bit surprised about your feedback there. I agree that pictures and video (something I am working on now) do 100% help. If you are thinking specific types of pictures, please let me know.
Thank you again for your feedback and stay tuned, I am continually working to improve what I am offering here.