Arkansas Trip

Recently, my mom, my service dog Arlo, and I made the eight-hour drive from Mobile, Alabama to Arkadelphia, Arkansas for a long weekend exploring DeGray Lake and Crater of Diamonds State Parks. This trip was planned for us with the promise that it would be fully accessible—the whole purpose was for us to highlight and showcase the accessibility of the parks. Unfortunately, that wasn’t our experience at all. I wanted to share what really happened, both the highlights and the barriers, to be fully transparent for others thinking about going to Arkansas State Parks.

We started the morning with our traditional stop at Sugar Rush in Mobile for coffee and donuts. With snacks in hand, we hit the road for what would be a long, eight-hour drive. About halfway through, we stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch, then powered through the last leg, heading right into a terrible storm.

When we finally arrived at the DeGray Lake State Park Lodge, we were exhausted and ready to relax. We checked in and had dinner at the in-lodge restaurant. I ordered shrimp alfredo, and my mom had chicken nachos. Both were delicious and just what we needed.

Once we got settled into our room, we checked out the accessibility features. The doors were easy to open, and the bathroom was fully accessible with a flip-down shower chair, which was great. The only issue? With the bathroom door open, I couldn’t fit my chair into the far side of the room. This wasn't that big of a deal for us, but if you were traveling alone or unable to ambulate, it would be a bigger issue.

The lodge is dog-friendly, which made traveling with Arlo, my service dog in training, much easier. The only places dogs weren’t allowed were the lobby and the restaurant, but the staff was fantastic and super respectful of Arlo’s role. He was not questioned when he entered the restaurant or the lobby with his vest on. When he did not have his vest on (and wasn't working) the staff made sure to ask me if they could pet him and called him cute.

We started the second day with breakfast and a photo session with Kirk Jordan (@full_of_eyes on Instagram), an incredible photographer who captured some beautiful moments of Arlo and me throughout the trip.

Next, we headed to Caddo Bend Beach. It was peaceful and Arlo loved playing in the sand. There was a Mobi Mat designed for beach accessibility, but it was completely covered in debris from recent flooding—rendering it unusable. This could easily had been remedied by a ranger spending 10-20 minutes cleaning off the mat, but it was apparent this was not a priority of the park.

Kirk then took us on a car tour of the lake. Half of it is Army Corps-owned land, including a hydroelectric dam. The scenery was beautiful and calming. This drive was a nice way to relax and I was able to snack while we looked around.

We stopped by the visitor center to stamp our Arkansas State Parks passport and check out frisbees. While the center itself was accessible and staffed with friendly folks, the frisbee golf course was not. I had to walk over uneven grass, sticks, and roots to participate.

For lunch, we tried The Flying Burger, a small local diner recommended by Kirk. My mom had a burger, and I had fish tacos. Both were great, and the vibe was super welcoming.

After a quick rest back at the lodge, we met Kirk again to try kayaking. I love kayaking and was excited to experience “accessible” kayaking… but that wasn’t the reality. The launch was on an inaccessible stretch of beach, and I couldn’t get the kayak in or out by myself. Kirk helped me get into the water so I could paddle a bit. Afterward, Arlo got to splash around, which helped end the experience on a lighter note.

We had pizza at the lodge and then headed to the marina for a sunset cruise. The marina technically had ramps, but they were very steep. To board the boat, I had to pop a wheelie over two different two-inch steps while over water. It was nerve-wracking and definitely not what I’d call accessible. Despite the challenge, the cruise itself was beautiful. My mom says this was her favorite part of the whole trip.

We kicked off day 3 with a few more pictures around the lodge, focusing on the actual accessible features, before stopping at Java Primo for coffee.

We then drove 1.5 hours to Crater of Diamonds State Park—hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In reality, it was an accessibility nightmare. The “digging area” is just a massive field of dirt and rocks. There were no solid paths or accessible areas. Even with Arlo’s help, I struggled to get around. My mom did most of the sifting while I tried to stay upright in the heat, sweating, and feeling all the effects of my POTS symptoms. It was tough.

On the way back, we stopped in the tiny town of Delight at a restaurant called The Sweet and Salty. The food was amazing, but what stuck with me most was a conversation with the owner. She shared that her friend has cerebral palsy and talked candidly about how frustrating it is that accessibility is often treated as an afterthought. Her empathy and awareness were such a refreshing change.

Back at the lodge, I took a long nap while my mom got some work done. That evening, we had dinner in our room and called it a night.

The next morning, we packed the car, took a few final pictures, and spent some time reflecting on the trip. While we had fun, we also felt frustrated and misled. What was marketed as an accessible experience often wasn’t. And while we found moments of joy—especially with Arlo and the incredible people we met—the reality didn’t match the promise.

Accessibility shouldn’t be optional. It shouldn’t come down to a person having to “make it work” or rely on others to experience nature. It should be built in from the start.

We made the long drive home to Mobile grateful for the memories, but also hopeful that by sharing our story, it might help others—and maybe even push for change.