During a chilly weekend in November (while I was in my secretive first trimester of pregnancy), we met extended family in northern Alabama for a camping trip at Desoto State Park, located about 8 miles northeast of Fort Payne, Alabama.
Excerpts from a mother’s journal…
How about a fall camping trip? (Like typical Ferrells, we’ll just ignore the weather forecast, which called for temperatures in the 30s this weekend.)
Levi hiked 4 miles today without being carried a single step of the way! (I did, too!)
Within 1 hour, Levi has smeared jelly on his jeans and then subsequently sat in the ashes by the firepit. And as Gary builds the fire, David sighs heavily. “At least I’ve got a good view of the SMOKE from where I’m sitting…”
Ahhhh… camping trips. Aren’t they fun?!?
As far as other things were concerned, it was so tough to keep our pregnancy a secret around my husband’s brother and sister! And… camping out when feeling a bit nauseous and needing to use the restroom at least every hour = somewhat illogical. In fact, due to some strange sciatic nerve pain, I ended up sleeping in a sleeping bag in the car at night. I’m sure our family was thinking I was out of my mind (at least until we later spilled the beans about our expectant state)! Actually, they probably think I’m out of my mind under normal circumstances, so maybe they’ve come to expect abnormality when I’m around?
Try as we might, somehow we were never able to locate the Lost Falls of Desoto, but we did enjoy hiking the trails as we joked about the appropriateness of the name. The trails and boardwalks were well-maintained, and the rather large boulders provided some extra adventure for the children (and adults!). We even visited a small nature center to learn a bit about the flora and fauna of the area.
To see some waterfalls that were not lost, we headed to nearby Little River Canyon National Preserve. It was much easier to find this 45-foot waterfall (especially because it was right beside the road).
Little River Canyon National Preserve is located off Highway 35 next to a bridge near Fort Payne. The Little River Falls Boardwalk Overlook is the first stop along a scenic, 11-mile driving tour on the western side of the canyon along Highway 176. This 45-foot waterfall forms the beginning of the Little River Canyon. The scenic drive and overlooks on this scenic drive are free, though it is only open during daylight hours. Each overlook has a parking area, and very little walking is required. For information about the overlooks along the scenic drive, click here.
What a beautiful place!
The best part of our trip? Getting to share this memory with cousins, aunts and uncles! We love you guys!