Catching up

So, I have really been behind in my blogs.  I've been putting most of my travel information on Whrrl.com.  I have a widget on this page so you can keep up. Along with my Arkansas travels, I also went to Montgomery, AL where I was treated with wonderful Southern hospitality.

I spent the fall in the eastern Arkansas Ozarks, the northeastern Ozarks, the Ouacitas, the Arkansas Delta and the Timberlands.  I am still amazed by all there is to see and do in this great state.  I have now traveled from Ozark peak to Ouachita peak having spent time on Mt. Magazine (Mt. Magazine State Park) located near Paris, Arkansas and on top of Rich Mountain at Queen Wilhelmina State Park.  I have listened to the blues along the Mississippi River in Helena, AR and dined at a table set for 120 guests in Tyranza, AR.  I traveled to Camden, AR, Texarkana, AR, and Grady, AR through the vast timberlands of this state and visited pumpkin patches and historic buildings along the way.  I went to Piggott, AR where the Ernest Hemingway wrote several stories and 100 pages of A Farewell to Arms.

I visited a wildlife ranch outside of Pocahontas, AR (Warm Springs) called Buck Hollow Ranch were I listened to the eerie sounds of the bugle of a male Elk.  I was awed by the huge size of the animals and how they could still gracefully move through the grass or charge at another male who was entering their territory. I sat in the truck searching for signs of wildlife.  Just when I had given up, a deer would leap through the woods.  Having noticed movement, my eyes focused on a turkey hidden in the underbrush and a large elk resting under a tree.  I've been told that these tired elk have spent hours protecting their cows and then fighting with other males.  Many of them are so exhausted, they missed the chance to mate and don't even have the strength to eat.  That, I think, is pretty ironic.  All of that work and they missed the "opportunity" that they were working towards.

Last month, my friend Rebecca traveled all the way from Indianapolis, IN to visit.  We walked the River Market and visited the grounds of the Clinton Library. And, of course, were carried away by the sounds bands as we walked down Clinton Ave.  We stopped and listened to the tunes of Mysterious Ways, a U2 tribute band at Sticky Fingerz in downtown Little Rock. The next day, we took in all of the beautiful fall color in the Ouachita Mountains and visited the waterfalls at Lake Catherine State Park.

Last week, I visited downtown Conway where I dined on Italian food and experienced all of the wonderful downtown shopping available in that city.  There just aren't a lot of true downtown shopping locations like this anymore.  Old store fronts filled with modern wares, art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants.  They even have an Eiffel tower on display!

So, there is a brief summary of my fall travels.  I've left a lot out, but you can catch up on those by visiting whrrl.com and searching for me.  Next week, I travel to Paragould, AR, which, by the way, is the only town in the U.S. named Paragould.