Saturday morning came bright and early, or early for this hoot owl.

After getting dressed and making sure my hair looked straight, I traveled 20 miles north of town to cover the opening of Little River Forest and Claude D. Kelley Recreational Area.

Recently, the Alabama Forestry Commission announced that the recreational area, which includes a swimming hole, fishing spot, trails for hiking and plenty more, was going to reopen after more than a year of being closed.

The Iron Man group was managing the forest area, and stopped because of limited resources as it is a volunteer organization.

During the short grand opening ceremony, I learned that the recreational area is still without a manager. As I was making my notes, I thought to myself that I hoped there would be someone to take up the mantle… and soon.

As we made our way to a scrumptious lunch that was provided by the Alabama Forestry Association, I couldn’t help but overhear stories of childhood memories at the recreational area.

State Rep. Harry Shiver said he used to come to the area a lot as a teenager. County Commissioner Larry White said he would often visit Little River.

Tri-City Ledger Report Gretchen McPherson, who lives a short distance away from the recreational area, said her parents met at the dance hall that sits on the lake there.

Hearing these stories and more was pretty cool, and I look forward to going back out to Little River for a story or just to go.

The park will now be open on a daily basis on the weekends until the AFC extends its hours.