Arkansas' Finest

Nature Journal #3

            Over Fall Break, several people and I went to a friend’s lake house in Arkansas to spend time relaxing away from school. Being from the Kansas, lakes were a favorite destination to spend time out on the water; however, my experience at lakes in the central part of the country was that they were crowded with tourists, boats everywhere, and lake houses packed next to each other. Not exactly the ideal way to spend a weekend. With that being said, I was excited about spending the weekend away from school but had no idea what to expect from a lake in Arkansas.

            We arrived late Friday night, and woke up early the next morning to get on the lake before other boats did. Due to the darkness the night before, I did not see any of the lake or scenery surrounding it. As we drove the golf cart down to the boat dock, I was immediately blown away. The water was absolutely a gorgeous and calm, and there were no other houses or boats in sight.

            As we drove away on our inboard, I was continually impressed by the nature that surrounded us. Particularly, there was a sense of vastness to this lake but also intimacy. The lake was incredibly wide and the hills stretched forever, yet you felt this intimacy derived from this idea that you felt like this lake was a well-kept secret that only a select few knew about. The numerous coves and offshoots of water gave you a sense of intimidation as if the lake could easily swallow you whole if you forgot your path (thankfully that was not us). I especially enjoyed seeing the lake from a variety of angles. I spent one-night walking around the neighborhood and was able to catch a glimpse from an elevated view. Both gave you a sense of awe of creation at its finest: an untouched, organic beauty.

            Moving forward, I will certainly hold Arkansas and its lakes in higher regard. This three-day excursion left me wondering how many other hidden treasures are out there in what seem like the ordinary such as a state like Arkansas. I felt this new desire to explore the normal in hopes of finding the spectacular.  What will be my next discovery?