Welcome to Running: A FEVER. My name is Michael Davis. This is a podcast and YouTube channel about fitness, diet, and medicine. My goal is to live a long, healthy, happy life right up to the very end. If that’s your goal, you are in the right place.

I have just arrived at Mt. Nebo. This is my first day of my first trip to this state park in Arkansas for 2025, and possibly my last. I don’t know if I’ll be coming back this year. I will likely return at some point in the future.

I thought this time, since I haven’t done it before, I would give you a tour of what has been my favorite cabin to stay in here, because it is the most isolated. Now there is a cabin off to the left, or the north side of this cabin, but on the other side is just woods. This yard area is where, in the past, I have seen, because they usually come in the wintertime, lots of deer. As many as I think nine, maybe even twelve. I’ve seen a lot of deer at once. There you see the other cabin off on the north side. This late in the year, I’m not sure if I’ll see any deer or not. It’s the last week of April, the first week of May. The first time I came here, it was in a different cabin, in April, but I think it was earlier in the month. 2019 was my first visit to Mt. Nebo, six years ago. And I think this is my seventh time here. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve stayed in several cabins here; this is my favorite.

Of course, we have our grill for the cabin. We have our own patio with a picnic table. There is another fire pit grill that allows you to put wood in and grill over it. There is a distinct feature that you won’t see in any of the other cabins, and that is this arched window off of the back porch or back stairs. Inside the cabin, there’s a picture taken through this window, which looks out on a snowy scene. I have seen snow once at Mt. Nebo, but not at this cabin. This cabin, like most of the others, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in the 1930s as a means to employ people and construct a state park. The land was unfortunately acquired by purchasing foreclosed mortgages, as that was the prevailing practice at the time. Some areas around here have private homes within the park. So those are the areas that were not confiscated. I shouldn’t say ‘confiscated’ — they were purchased during the Great Depression, when this park was built.

The code for the door is always the last four digits of your phone number, which is usually easy to remember. So as you can see, there is a nice coffee maker provided. It’s a combination of a K-Cup and a drip coffee maker. And in these cabinets are all the things you need to prepare your food, for the most part. I usually have to bring a cookie sheet to make pizza on. Depending on the cabin, they may not have one of those. There’s a fire extinguisher, of course, and a fly swatter. How about that?

Of course, there is heat and air conditioning. In here we have the bathroom. It’s a one-bedroom, one bath, with a jacuzzi tub and a nice shower. The shower is very nice—all wood paneling, wood floors, even wood ceilings. Very much built to last and built for beauty as well as comfort. A queen bed is in the only bedroom. As I mentioned, it’s a one-bedroom unit. There is a clock with some plugs and USB ports on it, I believe. A chest of drawers for you. Plenty of light through two big windows, one on each side of the room. You can see right out into that meadow/yard I was talking about, and the front drive. And hanging space. There is plenty of room for one or two people to stay here.

Now you get into the main living area. And this is the thing that has changed since my last stay in this cabin. They have added this heater where there used to be just a wood fireplace. And I don’t know how to operate this thing. But I wish there were still a wood fireplace. Not that I would use it now, on this trip. But when I come here in the winter, I would be very disappointed not to have that wood fireplace. Of course, now I know to ask next time.

There is a TV and a satellite dish. I never use them when I’m here. Nice dining table there. Another person can also sleep on this couch, which comes with a blanket. A nice wood and leather couch. More windows and plenty of light coming in here. And I’ll show you this feature one more time; that’s Cabin Five at Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas. Remember, if you have the fever, keep it burning, and if you don’t, catch the fever, and I will see you next time on Running: A FEVER.