Devil's Den

As has been previously mentioned, my family spent the weekend at Devil's Den State Park - http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/. This park has cabins, tent sites, and camper sites. Since I am old and like a bed and a shower, we rented a cabin. It was very nice and the rates were incredibly reasonable. We arrived Friday evening and immediately unloaded and got settled in. Friends joined us for dinner that night. We grilled burgers. Once it got dark, we settled the kids inside with a movie and the adults sat around outside and enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was very nice.

Saturday morning, after a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, we went hiking. One trail begins right at the Visitor's Center. This trail contains 2 caves and is 1.5 miles long. My husband took the kids into the caves. I went to the opening and peered in - that was as close as I got. I considered them more holes in the ground than caves. I have attached a picture of Devil's Ice Box. Yes, people actually crawl down into that hole. The kids loved it and neither had a problem with the hike. At times I was a little concerned about the 5 year old but he did very well.

That afternoon we took the kids to the pool. Devil's Den has a very nice swimming pool with 2 small slides. There is also a play area for small children. That night we roasted hot dogs and made smores. For my international readers, smores are an American camping tradition. You roast a marshmallow over the fire and then place it on a graham cracker that has a piece of Hershey's chocolate on it. It's a sticky, gooey, wonderful mess.

On Sunday we had to pack up and head home. This is not my favorite part of a weekend away. After we checked out, we took the kids fishing before we left the Park. Here is a picture of my adorable family and one of my daughter catching a monster fish. She caught several this size and had a great time. Unfortunately my son had no luck so he was not a very happy camper. Right near where they were fishing, there are canoes and paddle boats available to rent. Devil's Den is a great place to go to just spend an afternoon paddling around, fishing, swimming, hiking, or caving. It's also a very good place to camp (or if you are like me, to get a cabin). We are planning to go back in October after the leaves have begun to change colors. My kids are already looking forward to it. Jack wants to get a paddle boat this time. He is also determined to catch some fish.