Oak Mountain (Alabama Part II)

Our second home away from home during our year in Alabama was Oak Mountain State Park.  From first impressions I wasn’t initially sure we would love it there. With no extended reservations available in the traditional campground, we were placed in the equestrian camping area, which was basically one big gravel parking lot with sites very close together. I may not complain much about the 200 square feet we share indoors as a family, but I do appreciate my outdoor space. As we settled in and watched the horses grazing the pasture behind the lot, and took our near daily walks to the petting farm, it seemed life here wouldn’t be so bad after all. Eventually the tight quarters outdoors even became useful, when we made friends with another traveling family and the kids were running back and forth between our spaces- it was pretty easy to keep track of them!

 

Our gravel lot home

 

Another bonus of the equestrian campground- free horse rides from friendly neighbors

 

 

 

The one and only scorpion we saw in AL, on our first day in Oak Mountain

We forged a lot of very special friendships in this park. Taylor the donkey was probably the first. His sweet gentle nature in following us around the farm, nudging us, even when we didn’t have anything to feed  him. His never ending patience for hug after hug and plenty of selfies. There’s still a debate going on about whether or not we’ll have a donkey at the cabin when our travels cease. The vote is 4 to 1 for a Taylor of our own.  Of course there was also princess the pony, and Momma goat that was inseparable with her baby Lulu…we might need a few more acres.

 

 

We did also befriend a human or two along the way. As mentioned above we got to know a lovely family who had recently started traveling and had three kids close in age to ours.  The kids became instant friends and spent many hours rolling down the hill in their cart and splashing in the mud. I also got some much needed mom time comparing notes on schooling and the woes unique to parenting in tiny moving homes. Our time together ended too soon, but the beauty of friendships on the road is you never know when our paths may cross again!

Our true love of the Heart of Dixie came in a tiny beautifully feathered package. We met Arthur the Merlin on our first visit to the Alabama Wildlife Center housed inside of Oak Mountain State Park. He was out for stroll (with some assistance from his lovely handmaiden Ms. Lauren) and captured our hearts at first sight. Ok, maybe our infatuation had something to do with how engaging and dynamic the amazing staff was. Everyone we saw was quick to draw us in and teach us something about their wards. Their passion and love for those birds was automatically contagious. I’m first to admit I wasn’t much of a ‘bird person’ before. They were ok, but when we went to the zoo I always voted to bypass the bird house in favor of a more ‘interesting’ mammal enclosure. My conversion after befriending Arthur was swift and complete. I can’t get enough of these amazing creatures now! I’m forever indebted to the AWC for opening my eyes to the beauty of these animals that have been sitting in front of me my whole life.

 

We made visit after visit to engage with our new friends. We followed the amazing Ms. Lauren around like groupies enthralled with her fascinating work (does your dream job entail chopping up dead rodents and chicks??).  Our feathered network grew to include Legacy the Kestrel, Princess the albino Turkey Vulture, and Coosa the Barred Owl.  I will never forget the cries of Arthur seeping out through his hidden enclosure in the woods when Lauren would so graciously fetch him for our visits, immediately followed by the excited squeals from my children who couldn’t wait to tell Arthur and Ms. Lauren about their week. We still love to tell our favorite Merlin our stories, but somehow spilling out our adventures and discoveries to a postcard just isn’t the same as doing so in the presence of his sweet eyes and always well timed wing flaps.

 

 

 

 

They can’t take their eyes off Legacy

 

 

When we managed to tear ourselves away from the wildlife center we found the rest of Oak Mountain to be equally engaging and awe inspiring. Beautiful views, refreshing hikes, and fun in the water and sand. This park remains one of the most dynamic and beloved of those we’ve visited.

 

 

 

 

Peavine Falls was probably our favorite trail

 

\\

Sometimes I get a little jealous of other traveling families. You know the ones who get to choose where they’re going, planning their adventures in advance, filling in that USA map sticker on the back of their RV. But then I look back on trips like this and realize there’s a unique beauty in our slow exploration of those small places. Connections made, relationships built, histories uncovered over weeks. Over months. Opportunities that allow me to look back on our destinations as a bit of ‘home,’ instead of just a place we passed through. Sweet home Alabama, those three words now hold new meaning in my heart <3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *