Hidden treasure of Saline County

Growing up in Saline County, Arkansas in the 60's and 70's meant one thing in the summer. The Saline River and swimming. There were plenty of places to swim along it banks which snakes through the west side of town. You could swim up around Alum Fork, or may be did like we did and preferred Cecil Jones, a store on the bank of the river, since it was just down Highway 5 from my folks house. Nothing beat a day spent in the cool waters and then walking up the hill to the store and getting a coconut bar. Yes, those rainbow colored compressed coconut things. By the way, I treated myself to one from Cracker Barrel not long ago. I can say that I have outgrown them now. HA!

Other spot along the river like Lyle Park, or maybe off the backside of Trout and Seiver streets. It was private property but there was a cool spill way that you could sit under as the waters cascaded over. It was just like a water tunnel.

The most daring went to none other than the Steel Bridge as seen in the photo above and below. Easy to find as you just took River Street in Benton and followed it until you got to the river. I had heard stories of folks jumping off the bridge and of all the years I lived in Benton I never ventured there, until today. What a beautiful place and I had it to myself until just as I was walking back to the car and met a family hiking that way. As I stood there I grinned as I could hear Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" album playing in the background and classmates laughing and enjoying a time less stressful. We still had some time before we had to grow up.

As I packed up my camera I caught myself humming... "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow..." Fleetwood Mac, Rumors album, the soundtrack of the summer of 1977. Somethings like the steel bridge just never get old.