Bar Fifty Ranch, Bismarck, Arkansas - May 25, 2008
OUR TRAVELS CONTINUED ON TO ARKANSAS. WE DECIDED TO CAMP AT THE BAR FIFTY RANCH IN BISMARCK, AR. THE BAR FIFTY RANCH WAS A FEATURED RIDE ON BEST OF AMERICA BY HORSEBACK.AS WE PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, WE KNEW WE WERE ON A RANCH WITH ITS HORSES AND WEATHERED WOODEN BARNS AND SHEDS. RANCH HANDS WERE BUSY WITH THE MANY CHORES TO BE DONE ON A RANCH.
THE FIRST BUILDING WAS THE LODGE TO CHECK IN. HERE IN THE LODGE A FULL BREAKFAST BUFFET WAS SERVED EVERY MORNING TO START YOUR DAY.
CAMPSITES WERE AVAILABLE WITH FULL HOOKSUPS AND CORRALS OR PADDOCKS PENS FOR YOUR HORSES. INSIDE STABLING WAS ALSO AVAILABLE. MOST CAMP SITES WERE WOODED. THE BATHHOUSES WERE NICE AND CLEAN WITH HOT SHOWERS.
AFTER A GOOD BREAKFAST ONE MORNING, WE HEADED OUT ON THE TRAILS. THE RANCH SITS ON 200 ACRES OF LAND WITH ACCESS TO 20,000 ACRES OF PRIVATELY OWNED LAND WITH MANY MILES OF EASY TO DIFFICULT TRAILS.
SOME OF THE TRAILS WERE ROCKY AND STEEP. MOST OF THE TRAILS WERE SHADED WITH A FOREST OF OAK, HICKORY AND MAPLE TREES. LOTS OF BLACKBERRY BUSHES ALONG THE TRAIL WERE BLOOMING, AND THOUGHTS OF BLACKBERRIES READY TO BE PICKED FOR A COBBLER JUST IN TIME FOR A FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC RAN THRU MY MIND. BEAR RABBIT WAS HOPPING ACROSS THE TRAIL SCURRYING TO HIS HATCH IN THE BLACKBERRY BUSHES.
THE RANCH SITS AT THE FOOTHILLS OF THE OUACHITA MOUNTAINS. AS WE TOPPED A STEEP HILL, THE VIEW BEFORE US WAS BREATHTAKING. THE VALLEY BELOW WAS LUSH AND GREEN WITH MOUNTAINS REACHING SKYWARD. YOU COULD SEE FOR MILES ACROSS THE VALLEY. THERE WERE PLENTY OF STREAMS FOR THE HORSES TO TAKE A COOL DRINK OF WATER. SOME OF THE STREAMS HAD LARGE SHALLOW POOLS FED BY WATER RUSHING DOWN A CASCADE OF ROCKS.
ON DOWN THE TRAIL, WE PASSED A BEAUTIFUL FOREST GARDEN OF WILDFLOWERS OF YUCCA PLANTS, WILD CORNFLOWERS, BLUE BONNETS AND OTHERS OF WHICH I DON’T THEIR NAMES. ALL THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW WERE HERE, REDS, PINKS, BLUE, PURPLE, AND WHITE. A FEAST FOR THE EYES.
THE BAR FIFTY RANCH IS A VACATION DESTINATION WITH LOG CABINS AVAILABLE. GUIDED TRAIL RIDES WITH GENTLE MOUNTS WAS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS TO DO. WE ENJOYED OUR STAY HERE.
SO LONG UNTIL THE NEXT TRAIL RIDE.
BOBBIE AND LARRY GREENE
May 25, 2008
