GOOD-BYE OKLAHOMA, HELLO ARKANSAS.
Day 174 – At 7:30 this morning it was 41 degrees and sunny. The fishermen were already out in their boats. The River flows by so fast, they have some trouble fighting the current with their boats. NOT a good River for kayaking unless you are an Olympic-quality athlete!
131 miles
Gore Landing Campground, Gore Landing Road, Gore, OK 74435, (918) 489-2636, http://www.townofgore.org/parks.html. This was a wonderful campground right on the Illinois River, 20-25 minutes from Sequoyah NWR. Mostly used by fishermen, it was quiet and peaceful. There were tent sites and RV sites, some with hook-ups and some without. There was a dump station, but no water hook-up at the station. We picked site #10, water & electric hook-ups, private & on the River. It was a great campsite. The campground wasn’t very busy – just 4 campers using it on a Saturday morning. There are 22 sites total. We paid $7.50 per night; normal price for the hook-ups is $15 but with the senior discount, it was 50% off. We would definitely stay here again. (Note: If the campground happened to be full, there are also COE campgrounds in the area.)
We departed at 10:50 a.m. after dumping tanks. It was 57 degrees and sunny, a little wind. We drove most of the trip on I-40E and made good time, arriving at our destination at 1:50 p.m. after a lunch break and getting gas in the RV. We passed the Arkansas border fairly soon after leaving. It was 57 degrees, sunny, and breezy when we arrived. Our route was I-40E to exit 81, then 7S through Russellville, AR, then follow signs to the campground: Old Post Road Park on guess what? Old Post Road.
Still heading East on I-40.
This was a COE (Corps of Engineers) campground; we’ve had excellent experiences at COE campgrounds in the past. Nearby are several State Parks with campgrounds & two independent campgrounds, so we knew we’d have no problem finding something. We were in luck with Old Post Road Park; they had vacancies and it was a really nice Park. We chose site #8 and set up camp. This Park DOES take reservations, something to remember in the future. By evening it was almost full. Our site was partially shaded and private and offered electric & water hook-ups. There was a dump station. The sites are large and nicely spaced from each other, something we’ve appreciated at COE campgrounds in the past. $10 per night with the senior discount of 50% off.
We sat outside for awhile. There were lots of birds. It was a good day. The girls like it here because they can’t see or hear a bunch of people and they’re enjoying the birds. Also, they will find out tonight that they’ll have their heated pads again for a couple of days. Tomorrow we’ll explore Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge and hopefully, Dardanelle State Park, if we have time. We need to run a couple of errands in town, too.
American Robin, Old Post Road Park, Russelville, AR