Many places are beautiful, but some places are epic! The Faroe Islands are certainly in the epic category, and the first island to greet most visitors is the MOST epic of them all (in my humble opinion). Introducing Vágar, gateway to extraordinary vistas, troll fingers and a mythological shapeshifter.
There have been places that I’ve visited in the past that truly called to me. Places where time seemed to stop, where I felt compelled to stay still so that I could absorb the essence of that place. I have felt that compulsion in Ireland, the Pacific Northwest of America, the northern coast of California, and in Sifnos Greece. And now I can add another place to that list: the Faroe Islands.
If you live in Louisiana (especially in the north or west), keep reading because these state parks are a perfect weekend getaway for you!
Now that Eric and I have three-day weekends twice a month, we can explore hiking options a little further out. The ideal driving distance is no more than 6hrs, something we can do on a Thursday night after work. This gives us two full days of adventure and enough time to leisurely return on Sunday. We already have at least one favorite (see Texas Hiking Weekend Getaway), but recently we added a new state to our list: OKLAHOMA!
We stumbled over this rock while hiking in Oklahoma. Perfect shape, don’t you think?
I’ll confess, I had some preconceived notions about the state. After all, I grew up memorizing the lyrics to the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. I visualized flat, dry land with cowboys and Indians. I did NOT expect pristine mountain waterways, lush forests, and a town called Hochatown packed full of women driving BMWs touring wineries and distilleries. My personal favorite was the hot pink Girls Gone Wine shuttle bus…
Hochatown is just a short stretch of rural highway on the Southeastern border of Oklahoma. It’s just a blip on the map, but it packs in some great eating options and activities in just a few miles of road. What draws the tourists here isn’t the food & beverage scene, however, it’s Beaver’s Bend State Park. This park has EVERYTHING, including plenty of hiking along diverse terrain. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…
IF YOU GO…
Stay @ Cabins 36-39 in Beaver’s Bend State Park (beautifully situated directly on the river) OR choose from the many options available on AirBnB (we found a cozy cottage in Hochatown).
I’ll conclude this post with photos from Cossatot, along the Harris Creek Trail & a portion between Cossatot Falls & Sandbar Bridge. The Harris Creek Trail is now one of my favorite hikes in Arkansas. Hope you enjoy…
