Tag Archives: Ghost Towns

The Way Back from Breck

There are ways home from the well-known ski resorts that do not involve traveling 85 miles per hour on I-25. It takes longer, and involves long stretches of minimal civilization, but it’s worth the detour.

In 2022, it was time to head home from our bi-annual family ski trip to Breckenridge. Instead of taking the main thoroughfare with all the other travelers, we headed north out of Breck, toward Dillon Lake and Frisco, areas that aren’t unique and similar to Breckenridge. Large SUVs fill the roads with traffic, carrying families dressed in their winter gear, ready for expensive outdoor or indoor entertainment. The snow on the roads is slushy and sloppy, as cars spin their wheels on top of it. Scattered through Frisco are businesses that cater to tourists: gift shops, bars, ski gear, all sitting behind fancy retail entry ways.

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Ten Years Gone – Solo to the Buffalo

The Longest Drive

Mid-week arrived during our planned sojourn across Oklahoma and Arkansas. After an exciting start, it was time for our yearly visit to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. Bit of background before we get to 2021 …

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Bugs, Dolls, and No Good Food

When we first started traveling together, our time was extremely limited. There were kids at home, work obligations and school schedules. Free weekends were few and far between, and on the rare occasion there was one, we had a tendency to simply zone out and recover from life. Planning trips was a challenge. Not just because there was so much going on at home, but accounting for the travel time, the trip expenses, the reliability of vehicles – it was a monumental task.

One year prior, we had explored east Texas, which included several ghost towns, abandoned buildings, and some creepy graveyards. It was fun, educational and as required, allowed minds to unplug from life obligations. When we were planning our trip to Oklahoma a year later, we were hoping for a similar getaway. Instead of southeast, we looked our neighbor state to the north. We stumbled on an isolated farmhouse about an hour south of Oklahoma City. This would allow for time to decompress away from home while exploring an otherwise unknown area. A remote destination; we thought surely it would be similar to the east Texas trip – full of off-the-beaten-path exploration items.

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The First (Accidental) Tripping on a River

Arkansas was more of an accident than an organized adventure. Mid-2011, we found ourselves with an unexpectedly obligation-free holiday weekend (this is normally how the trips start) and debated our options.  We had taken a few short road trips, mainly in Texas, and one quick trip to Santa Fe, NM, which involved air travel.  Up until now, free time was limited with two school-aged kids in one house, full-time, chaotic work, school and sports schedules, and life. 

The goal was to do something different, go somewhere new but within driving distance.  A cabin in the woods sounded appealing, but … Texas.  “Cabin in the woods” options are limited.  We considered Oklahoma again, but since we had some extra time, one state further out seemed manageable.  Neither one of us had ever explored Arkansas (or even been there), so the Ozarks it was.  Searching the ever-expanding Internet, we found a tiny cabin on VRBO (exciting newness in the ancient year of 2011) which fit the requirements. Located in a town called Snowball, smack in the middle of the rolling hills of Arkansas, it looked like a promising fit for a weekend escape.

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