By Nate

It always amazes me when I’m here, particularly when standing on the patio of the Homestead. Provided the sky is clear, no matter how long the drive in, no matter how stressful my workweek has been before arriving, once the sun goes down over the hill and the kid is tucked into bed: the stars here are incredible.

There are lots of cabin rentals in southeastern Oklahoma, but this is one thing that makes this place different—there’s almost no ambient light at all.  As I’ve always said to anyone who’ll listen: this is why they keep all the stars. Constellation after constellation. Shooting stars, too, if you keep your eyes open.

You can see some of the big ones: Orion and the Big Dipper. But also, a ton more whose names I don’t know, like, if you look closely, that tiny one that looks like a dolphin.

There are just so many: minuscule pinpricks against a truly black sky. Not the “sort of” black sky you get in the city, which is actually just a dark purple.

The dark we have here is true dark: it makes the stars shine even brighter. There’s a message of hope there, I think, written into the very fabric of nature—I like to think so, anyway!

While the winter months are generally the best bet for stargazing at River’s Edge—the Milky Way itself can be seen on certain nights—because they’re the least humid months, even warm weather can bring the stars out en masse.

Is there anything more romantic than kicking back in the hot tub with your favorite person, a cool beverage in hand, and seeing a shooting star? I’m not sure there is.