Aspen trees don’t grow too well in most of Oklahoma, and you certainly won’t see them in the Winding Stair Mountains of the Southeast part of the state, the story setting for “True Grit.” No, you won’t find rocky, snow-covered peaks there, either.
But you will find a quiet, picturesque lake that my parents and IÂ frequented when I was young, as well as the Talimena Drive which meanders along the mountaintops and is a favorite destination for many wishing to see the fall colors.
Here are a few shots of Cedar Lake from 1968 in the Ouchita National Forest. This place is where some of the best memories of my youth were created.
Calm Day at Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake 1968
Cedar Lake
My mother and I walking the nature trail
Lunch at camp--Cedar Lake
Dad gave $225 for that camping trailer. The tent part was heavy, oiled canvas — much like the army tents of World War II vintage. Since this campsite was in a national park area, we had to pay a small fee. Our jon boat was mounted atop our 1968 Bel Aire Chevrolet for the trip, and Dad and I carried the 135-lb. craft down the hill from our camp to the water. The boat was powered by an Apache 6 hp two-cycle motor which took us across the lake to our fishing spots, but from there we used a small electric motor with a car battery. One day, Dad and I tied the boat up with a long painter and tried to sink it in order to test the built-in floatation. We wore our PFDs and practiced righting the boat and staying with it as it floated just under the surface of the water.
