Coming back to the Campground where we waited out Covid

 Seven months ago, we had reservations at Prairie Creek Campground on Beaver Lake. Near Rogers, Arkansas, it is a beautiful area with hikes filled with tall rock ledges.

Our campground seven months ago overlooked Beaver Lake, and we really wanted to get our kayak on that clear water during our visit last October.

These rolling hills of Arkansas have some nice hiking trails that we had planned on being on last fall. But we started showing symptoms of Covid on the drive to Prairie Creek Campground last October. It was in Rogers, Arkansas, that we went to the urgent care office and got our positive Covid test. 

So even though we spent eight days at this campground seven months ago, we didn't get to experience any of it. We were stuck in the motor home, watching the leaves turn to their fall glory, but unable to hike or kayak or sight-see. That's why we decided to come back to the same campground this spring

We even reserved the very same camp site where we started our stay here last time. It was so nice to get to be outside this time, enjoying the rocks and spring wildflowers!

A few miles down Scenic Highway 12 is the War Eagle Mill. We visited the big red barn, where they sell flour and various mixes that contain their milled ingredients.

Powered by the moving water of the War Eagle River, that big wooden water wheel (or one of its three predecessors that were destroyed at this location) has been spinning around at the edge of this waterfall  since 1832.

The top floor in the mill has been converted to a restaurant, where they cook up tasty dishes from those mixes. We were a little early for lunch and late for breakfast, but next time we would make an effort to eat here.

We both walked across the bridge, and a passer-by offered to take our picture.

We'll remember that this single lane bridge is not tall enough nor strong enough for the motor home, but we could drive our pickup on it. A fellow camper had told us about a destination across that bridge and down the dirt road.

The private land-owner put up a sign with a set of rules that includes "No ATVS, No Guns, No Dogs, No Loud Music, No Fireworks, and No Camping." But if you follow those rules and put $2 in his box, you are welcome to spend some time down on his river property.

The tall rock cliffs look a little like a cruise ship plying down the War Eagle River.

But the star of the show at this stop were the butterflies that were congregating on the damp rocks on the shore for some reason.

While they graze, they are content to have their wings open for a perfectly posed picture. They don't mind having a curious wanderer very close, taking photographs.

When we look closely at the tiny dots of color that make their intricate patterns, it feels like we have wandered into another of God's wonders.

It was a butterfly smorgasbord, as Denisa enjoyed taking pictures of several types of butterflies.

We tried googling for more precise names, but we think all of them are some version of the swallowtail butterfly. But that google search did teach us that this group was "puddling." That's when they suck up mineral-laden moisture through their proboscis. We must have found some good minerals here near War Eagle River.

When this butterfly closed his wings, the pattern on the back side was even more intricate

Again, a close-up of a butterfly wing is a wonderful wonder!

While we heard plenty of birds in the trees around us, the only one that posed for a picture was this green heron.

As we crossed back over the bridge by the mill, we are glad that we made this trip back to Prairie Creek Campground and Scenic Highway 12. We have more places to explore that we'll blog about next time. But we'll always remember this as the place where we waited out the symptoms of Covid. It reminds us again of how we are blessed to be healthy, and able to explore beautiful places that once were off-limits to us. 

In search of the Forts in Fort Smith, Arkansas

As we left Queen Wilhelmina State Park, our GPS took us down a narrow highway with a warning sign that warned of a "Crooked and Steep" road ahead. It wasn't exaggerating! It was one of the crookedest and steepest roads we have ever seen, and also one of the narrowest roads we've ever taken in the motor home. What a way to start a driving day!

We have been in the western edge of Arkansas, and today's drive actually dipped us into Oklahoma (where the speed limit went up by 10 mph) . . .

and then back into Arkansas for our destination in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

A city with a name like Fort Smith must have a fort somewhere, and we went in search of it. We found Fort Smith National Historic Site, right in the middle of town. The fort walls are long gone, but a few old buildings remain. In the background is the old fort barracks--re-purposed into a jail--then re-purposed into a courthouse--then re-purposed into a national historic site visitor center. They are all closed now because of Covid restrictions.

We were still able to wander the old fort grounds, and peek into the fort commissary--which was re-purposed into living quarters at some point of its history.

The courthouse is where Judge Isaac C. Parker presided. His nickname was "the hanging judge" because he sentenced 160 people to death without a means for appeal. Our outdoor walking tour took us to the gallows where those inmates were hung. While other buildings here might have been re-purposed over the years, there's not much else one can do with a structure that includes trap doors in the floor.

We actually walked through this area on a second day, and we noticed a small crowd gathering on the lawn. We also saw men dressed in period uniforms standing around one of the cannons. It was a strange sight to see their military garb from the 1800s topped off with their 2021 Covid masks.

How lucky can we be? We arrived just in time for the 2:00 park program. It included a very informative talk from the park ranger, explaining the details of how cannons were used in battles, as well as the ammunition choices that he displayed on the table in front of him. 

Then they fired that cannon right in front of us!

National park regulations demand that the cannon must cool for ten minutes. So the ranger used that time to describe the specific job that each soldier will perform to keep this team working through a battle. Now we knew to watch each man's mission, as they fired the cannon a second time. The re-enactors are required to wear ear plugs, but you can see their reaction to the repercussion as the smoke cleared a second time.

We visited this area twice because it is close to the downtown farmer's market on Saturday morning, and it's also a nice beginning or ending point for the walk along the river. We walked the trail to the confluence of the Poteau and Arkansas Rivers in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith is home to another present-day fort. We are actually staying at the William O. Darby Campground, right beside Fort Chaffee. We visited the Barbershop Museum one afternoon, and learned about the part this fort played in more recent times. We found out that our timing was great once again, as this museum is rarely open. Run by volunteers, it has been closed for most of the past year.

The main reason that people come to the Barbershop Museum is to see the chair where Elvis Presley got his first military haircut when he came into the army at Fort Chaffee. 

Elvis was only at Fort Chaffee for his processing for several days. In fact, the army delayed his haircut and shots until he finished the movie he was starring in. They brought him to Fort Chaffee under the cover of darkness, but the press and their cameras still found ways to take pictures of the entire process.

That's how Denisa could stand beside a picture of Elvis's picture here in the barbershop.

The last two barber chairs aren't from the original military barbershop. They were moved here from another local shop. Their historical significance is that Bonnie and Clyde, the infamous bank robbers, got their hair cut sitting in those chairs.

Fort Smith has had a military presence ever since it was established. That is probably the reason it was chosen as a national veteran's cemetery location. We have driven through several of these cemeteries across the country, as a solemn reminder of the men and women that fought for the freedom that we enjoy.

During our three-day stay, we found one other "fort" in Fort Smith. We visited the river walk next to the Arkansas River and found this great bike/hike trail that is sponsored by FORT--Friends Of the River Trail. We started next to the Arkansas River . . .

and then headed over a pedestrian bridge . . .

to find that it connected to miles of paved trails. This trail sometimes went along the highway . . .

and along tree-lined creek beds. We started our ride with cloudy cool weather, and had to remove our jackets as we enjoyed the blue skies during our 15-mile ride.

Along the way we rode our bikes around the brand new U.S. Marshall Museum. It's a beautiful building built in the shape of the five-pointed star that marshals wear on their badge, and it will be opening soon.

We also rode under the sweet perfume of locust trees in full bloom. This is one of Denisa's favorite smells, as it reminds her of the big locust tree in the back yard of our first house. Mark went off-road to snatch a stem of blooms so she could smell them all the way home.

Of course, Denisa stops to take wildflower pictures even on a bike ride. We're used to white daisy-like flowers, but these had pale pink petals.

Our only wildlife sighting was this blurry blue bird, singing a sweet greeting as we approached on our bicycles.

We didn't even know this bike trail existed when we started out this morning, and it took us all the way to a tiny town park on the edge of the river with a view of an elevated train track section.

We rode our bikes all the way to the abrupt end of the trail, and then headed back into Fort Smith on this very nice (and level) biking opportunity made possible by the FORT (Friends of the Recreation Trail).

Besides the nice level biking trail, we also found the FORT had built wonderfully unlevel bicycle paths for the more talented cyclists.

Mark tried parts of the trick course . . .

but Denisa knows her limits. She was satisfied to ride her bike through the children's course of tunnels.

Likewise, Mark rode his bike down the winding path to the amphitheater stage that is built on the Arkansas River . . .

while Denisa was satisfied with her decision to stay at the top of the train depot with the words "Fort Smith" emblazoned over her head.

During our three-day stay in Fort Smith, Arkansas, we had good timing in finding several "forts"--Fort Smith National Historic Site, Fort Chaffee's Barbershop, and the FORT bike trail.

Our First Arkansas . . . (Can you guess how this statement ends?)

We found that the wind can really blow on the top of Arkansas's Rich Mountain. After one of the windiest evenings we've ever spent in the motor home, we woke up to a pleasant morning for our last day here at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. We didn't know that this day would lead to our first Arkansas . . .  What word do you think will finish that statement? Read on to find out.

We decided to drive down Scenic Highway 88, checking out some of the overlook views like the one above. We had driven right past those stops on our way up the mountain in the motor home. Right across from the natural view of the green hills, was this nice rock face--totally covered with painted graffiti. Interesting, but it certainly blurs the beauty of this scenic drive.  But it wasn't our first Arkansas . . . graffiti.

We also decided on hiking a piece of the Ouachita Trail. Pronounced like "Washita," this trail runs for 225 miles through the mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas. It starts at Talimena State Park in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and ends at Pinnacle Mountain State Park west of Little Rock, Arkansas. 

We drove to the pull-out near the Pioneer Cemetery, and decided to hike in both directions from there. We're happy to see the blue skies, the blue wildflowers, and the blue painted trail markers on the trees that indicate we are on the Ouachita Trail.

Besides the pioneer cemetery, we found long rock walls that were evidence that early settlers once lived and worked here. But this isn't our first Arkansas . . . rock wall.

We hiked four miles on the Ouachita Trail. Denisa is minding her business, taking way too many wildflower pictures like usual. This obviously isn't our first Arkansas . . . wildflower.

We heard some movement in the forest above the trail, and we always assume that it's a squirrel. That wouldn't be our first Arkansas . . . squirrel. But when we heard twigs snap and bigger movements in the forest, we decided it must be a deer. That wouldn't be our first Arkansas . . . deer. When Denisa took more miniature wild iris pictures, it obviously wasn't our first Arkansas . . . iris.

As we continued up the trail heading toward the sounds, the rustling suddenly stopped. That's when we saw the brown fur through the trees.

We were looking up into the forest about 20 yards away when we realized that we were looking at our first Arkansas . . . BEAR! It was hard to get a good picture through all the branches of the trees, but with our eyes we could see him quite clearly. He watched us for quite some time.

Then he turned to the side, and wandered off in the direction of our campground. We certainly weren't expecting to see a bear on our mountain hike in Arkansas! Mark considers it a late birthday present on our last day at his birthday destination. We also think that we are wandering another of God's wonders as we got to see our first Arkansas . . . bear today!