How many Memorial Days have we picnicked at Tyler Bend?

How many years have we picnicked at Tyler Bend on Memorial Day?
Five years?
Ten years?
Fifteen years?
Twenty years?
Or more ...?

We didn't have a red-checkered tablecloth this May, so Megan brought Dwain's Grandma's old cotton tablecloth to cover the picnic table at Tyler Bend. The character of this image reflects memories of picnics from our childhoods ... except with lots more kinfolk 50 years ago.

Tyler Bend campground is relatively new, built after the Buffalo National River was established more than 40 years ago. As children, both of us picnicked with our families at Buffalo Point (called Buffalo River State Park at the time). It is still magnificent and a great place to swim, hike, camp or just lazily float on an air mattress or inner tube. The river is a place to forget worries and relax.

Now, Tyler Bend has been our go-to-park for the past 25 years since we started seeing each other in 1989 ... even before we were married. 
The park is within 30 minutes of our driveway and has all the amenities we enjoy.

Hot dogs are on the grill, and we're hiding behind the smoke and getting high on the aroma of blackening hot dogs. We're in a secluded picnic area, hidden by curtains of wild river cane and trees. We've been lucky every year and get the same picnic table and grill. It is close to flush toilets and running water and is a great place to watch people in the pavilion and parking lot. We've hidden in the darkness watching the chaos of weddings, family reunions, and a young boy getting sprayed in a cloud of bug spray.

Fresh-faced and refreshed after our recent picnic, we leave the visitors center and start up the 1-1/3 mile trail to the Collier Homestead. The trail is narrow and most of it is shaded. Bring your Deep Woods Off for nasty little hitchhikers.

 

Megan was surprised to find this tiny snail crawling up a leaf. When she first saw it, the snail was curled up inside its shell. It must have come out to entertain us. It wasn't camera shy.

You have to stop along the way, catch your breath, take in the scenery and pose for a selfie. What the heck is that growing in Dwain's beard ... leftover lemon pie?

Megan found it more than interesting what you see when the camera is set on macro. She was taking a picture of a bumblebee on this very fragrant flower. The bumblebee wasn't the least interested in people. Thank God! We didn't notice the little worm curled up underneath the top flower, until we pulled up the image ... a gift for us.

Look at all the pretty wildflowers we're walking through. The Park Service says we can't dig up wildflowers and plants or move rocks or kill snakes, but we're encouraged to carry out as many ticks as possible.

What a bummer, weak eyes and reading glasses in the wild, especially when the temperature is in the mid-80s and the humidity hits 100 percent.

Here are more of those pretty wildflowers and pair of busy butterflies. We wish we had some of those butterfly-friendly flowers in our yard. The Park Service won't share with neighbors, but deer can browse on plants and butterflies and bees can drink.

Time for a drink of water, empty the rocks and tighten the straps on our sandals, and head up the hill. And we get to walk down the steps and cross that intriguing little bridge.

The safe and easy part of the trail is over. Let's be careful and not act stupid. Those bluffs are steep and slickery. They're not kidding on that sign. There are no rails and nothing but a few cedar trees to keep you from falling ....

Here's an example of views along the trail. Wow, the river's a long ways below. No one sunning on the sandbar or floating past in canoes and kayaks knew we were atop this bluff, back in the scraggly cedars.

Break time at the half-way point on the trail.

Here's where we've been ...

... And here's where we are going, back in the deep, dark forest higher and higher above the river. We heard owls. Will we see a bear?

We're always fascinated at how trees can live where there doesn't appear to be any soil whatsoever and the wind blows constantly.

Time to point our shoes up the hill and continue climbing toward the overlook, then an easy stroll to Collier Homestead.

This is one of the rewards. Anyone who has walked the Collier Homestead Trail knows exactly where we're standing ... including Elvis, whose name is carved into the guardrail between our arms. In all the times we've stopped to admire the view, our names have never been carved in a tree or guardrail or rock. The Park Service frowns on personalizing the Buffalo National River. We don't normally see trash of any kind. Let's wait a little longer and take in the view.

Time for another break as the hot Memorial Day sun bears down on us through the thin canopy of leaves. Dwain's sweating profusely by now; Megan is merely glistening. Nice girls don't sweat. But she did have to ask for Dwain's handkerchief to wipe the humidity off her face.

Finally! We made it to the ol' homestead (Collier Homestead) and evidently company's coming. No surprise. This is a very popular destination that can be easily reached by anyone.  It's even handicapped accessible. You don't necessarily have to take the long road and hike there like we did. Megan is wearing a new t-shirt that she says she gets to wear at least three times this summer -- Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.

Front Porch Tales anyone while we eat some Pistachios and drink a little water?

Here is a fish-eye view of Collier Homestead.  The National Park Service preserved the old cabin, smoke house, rock well, and a few other outbuildings so that younger generations could see up close and personal what life might have been like back in the "olden days" for hill folk.  The Old Oak Tree that probably had its share of wooden swings could tell us so many fascinating stories.

And back to the Visitors Center we go.  This time, the hike is mostly downhill.

Dwain wonders where in the world the big ol' water blotch on his t-shirt came from. Megan was just glad she thought to pack more water before we left home.  It was cold, too. So were the mini Snickers bars. Life is good! 

Thank you for the brave ones who made this freedom of life possible.