What a way to bring in the new year. We passed through Broken Bow on our way back to Texas from our Arkansas trip and we absolutely fell in love with the area. We also trekked through the Ouachita Mountains and they were absolutely amazing. We just knew we had to see them again.
They would prove to be more amazing during this trip as we got the delights of seeing snow this trip. There are no words to describe how awesome it was to see snow in the mountains. Everyone had such a great time and pulling our new rig was a great experience even though the weather was not favorable leaving Texas.
One of the most rewarding parts of camping with our family and friends is the experiences. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do this. There are many things I am tough on myself for from my younger years regarding decisions but one of the best decisions I have ever made was making the decision to start camping. I forget everything once we get settled in our spots and get out and about. It is like soothing a call internally that has been calling for decades. Getting out makes you forget the day to day junk that fills our minds. Camping is not for everyone, but I certainly feel that it should be.
Seeing the girls enjoy Beavers Bend State Park and the glee they get when exploring trails is just beyond rewarding. Time is flying by and I hope their little memory banks are being filled with wonderful memories. I know in the future they may not be as excited to camp and get out, but for now I will gladly enjoy ever minute of it. Even the stressful parts of it, lol!
We also celebrated 2021 New Years during this trip. That made this trip even more special for us and our traveling pals.
This trip around we didn't get to bring the side by sides out for some exploring. That's okay though, we did quite a bit of driving and local exploring to satisfy our needs. Broken Bow is an amazing place. We stayed at a small RV park in Tiny Town, OK. Which its name is Tiny Town RV Park. Hilarious I know. The camp hosts were absolutely fantastic and helpful. The RV lot is a tad small but that's okay. Just know if you're pulling a large rig take your time getting in. The rates are perfect and the camp area is situated perfectly to get to most major destination points.
A highlight for myself was seeing the JFK memorial in Big Cedar, OK. This was awesome. I tried explaining to the girls why this area was so important back in 1961. Rebecca looked at me and was like, honey it is just a small area on a farm road, why are you so excited. I don't know, I guess ever since my history class for my undergrad degree I've been captivated by history something I never really appreciated before. People during this time period came from all over to celebrate this opening of HWY 259. This major construction at the time opened up the area for tourism and travel. A huge undertaking at the time. I always admire people of great accomplishment and standing at this memorial I was just in awe. You could easily pass by this small monument if you are not looking for it, but if you get a chance you should really stop by and sit on the granite and read about the small history via a Google search and try to imagine yourself there. Here's a link to see the history.
After our stop there we did some exploring via OK State HWY 1 on the Talimena Scenic Highway. I've been with Rebecca many years. There are not many instances that I can recall where she gets really excited like a kid. You know, where you lose your normal composure and just let the joy explode. I saw this trip around. It was glorious. She said, honey you think we'll see some snow. I was more than sure we would see snow. She pointed to the white caps on the tress and mountains and I said, "just you wait!".
Talimena Scenic Drive is stunning. No words really, other than stunning. It takes about 2 hours to do the trip depending on how much you stop. The views are incredible. Add snow and a small snow storm and it gets unbelievable. The pictures we took just do not do it justice to how gorgeous the views are.
I can't wait to go back. Beavers Bend State Park is an exploration in itself. I wished we could have spent more time there. As always, when it is time to go, that is the hard part of saying farewell to the wonderful places we visit. We are always wishing for more time. Such is so, I suppose.
During this visit I did a bunch of reflecting at night time. Several times I couldn't sleep. I just stayed up on the couch enjoying everyone sleeping while I stared out our small window and looked into the vast land the state park takes up.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. Here is some additional information for future campers wanting to know where we camped:
Location: Tiny Town RV Park, Broken Bow, OK
Spot: 8 & 9
Rating: Good
Hookups: 50/30/20 connections
Sewer: Easy to access
Water: Clean / Easy to connect
Cable: N/A
Notes:
Tiny Town RV Park is great where it is located. Note that pulling into the park is directly across HWY 259. So it is a bit wonky with highway traffic. Also note, they don't have many large spots and even the large spots are a bit of a challenge to get situated correctly. Make sure you study the small map they provide. The large spots are literally to your left as soon as you pull in.
Beavers Bend State Park is directly across the RV park, it is so awesome. You're a few minutes away from everything Broken Bow has to offer
Happy Travels
-Tom