My absolute favorite thing to do when I am home in Arkansas is go river floating with my friends. I have been river floating on the White, Kings, and Buffalo Rivers, usually riding in a two person canoe or a one person kayak. One time me and six of my friends went on a three day, two night float/camping trip on the Buffalo river.
My three girl friends and I packed up all of our equipment the night before and prepared pre-made foil dinners that had delicious veggies, garlic, and seasonings. We all helped tie down the canoes and kayaks to the top of our cars, which is always a funny adventure in and of its self, and headed down the road to the put-in spot an hour away from our houses.
We have so much fun on the river, sometimes paddling through rough rapids, maneuvering through tight spots or under trees, or just allowing the current to easily take us down stream. We stop, eat, swim, climb, and above all take in the beautiful nature around us. At one point in the trip, my friend Abbie and I were leading the pack in a canoe and discovered a mountain lion running across a leveled area in a rock formation, ducking away into a slit in the rocks. We found out later that our friends did not see the mountain lion but saw its little cubs that were hidden in the rocks. On that trip we also say dozens of snakes, turtles, and even one large elk with huge horns.
When it started to get dark, we would pitch our tents, organize our camp site, and have fun on the sandy river bed. We would stay up and eat our dinner, have a late night swim, and lay out under the stars.
Every time I think about home in Arkansas, I reminisce on the many memories I made with my friends on the river.
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