As you probably know by now, we are on a pretty strict budget saving for the arrival of Bun and for our first house. We still like to have fun and manage to do so quite often. When we were in my home state of Arkansas recently we took a little day trip that was almost free. If you aren’t from “The Natural State” you may not know that Arkansas is blessed with many great state parks and beautiful scenery. This was December, so the scenery was not at its peak, but it was still a lovely getaway. We drove up to Petit Jean State Park with my parents, and packed snacks and drinks for the road. The park was empty even though it was a lovely day (note Jed’s outfit) and we had plenty of space to explore without being disturbed.
Aren’t my parents the cutest? They did a great job instilling a love of the outdoors into all 4 of us kids with camping, canoeing, and hiking throughout our childhoods. I asked them about it, and they said it was just the most practical type of getaway with 4 kids, because the lodging is cheap and the entertainment is free.
It was so good for my soul to get away from concrete and enjoy the woods for a day. I love Dallas, but I miss nature.
Jed gets to have little adventures climbing everything in site and looking over the edge. I don’t think the little boy inside ever leaves the man.
Frugal Friday – Cheap Getaways
We haven’t yet found any favorite state parks to explore in Texas.
Does anyone have a good recommendation close to the DFW area?
What is your favorite cheap getaway?
We love Petit Jean State Park. My husband and I also love the outdoors- camping, hiking, etc. Having lived in Little Rock, Petit Jean was a great find- what was amazing to me- that when I met my husband from Baton Rouge, LA, he had also visited and grown to love Petit Jean. Now we always try to stop anytime we are up there. We did find a state park near Lafayette Louisiana (Lake Fausse Point) that is pretty good, but there aren’t many to rival Petit Jean or Roaring River State Park (Missouri)that we’ve found!
What gorgeous scenery and photos! We have the vineyards by us so it’s nice drive and super affordable! Hope you’re feeling great. You look spectacular.