A Polynesian Expedition

There is nothing like a cold January day in land-locked Arkansas, to get one's mind to take an imaginary trip to a tropical Polynesian paradise. Such was the case that made my mind recall my visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center (www.PolynesianCulturalCenter.com) on the north shoe of Hawaii's Oahu island. The Polynesian Cultural Center is a 42-acre facility that employs about 1300 people, with approximately 70% of those employees being students at nearby Brigham Young University/Hawaii. In fact, that was the purpose of this non-profit entity when it was founded in 1963. The "edutainment" complex enables BYU students to work 20 hours per week while school is in session, and 40 hours per week during breaks. (This is similar to a college near where I live, called College of the Ozarks, in Hollister, Missouri or www.cofo.edu ) The students at the Hawaii branch of BYU come from an area that covers about 12 million square miles of Pacific Ocean.

There are recreated villages of six different Polynesian cultures, such as this one, marking the entrance to a Tahitian village.

A visitor can participate in activities associated with whatever village culture they are visiting. I did not want to pass on the opportunity for a temporary tattoo, from a culture that had perfected this form of art long before it made its way into mainstream USA culture. Another culture of special interest to me was that representing Tonga, because I have cousins whose father is from that country. While in the Tongan village, I learned how to clap with a pasi or a fu sound. Although it was complicated at first, it turned out to be lots of fun!

This unusual structure is a recreation of a temple a European explorer might have encountered when the shores of Fiji were first discovered by non-native travelers. Activites one can do in this part of the park are reprsentative of the Fiji culture. The format is similar to that used at the Ozark Folk Center (www.ozarkfolkcenter.com) in Mountain View, Arkansas.

There are tree-lined canals and lagoons where visitors can see the sights, while seated comfortably in their simulated outrigger canoe.

A highlight of my day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, was viewing the colorful "floating pageant" of performers doing the native dances of each of the Polynesian cultures represented in the park.

Not all the performers are females, as these guys are meant to represent Polynesian royalty.

The "hypnotic hip action" of these dancers kept the crowd of spectators on the bank of the canal thoroughly entertained.

Of course, there are gift shops and souvenir shops that have items representing all of the cultures of Polynesia. My son had brought me a necklace similar to this one as a souvenir for me from his trip to New Zealand. By reading about this jewelry in the New Zealand village store, I learned that this "whale tail hook" design incorporates the whale tail that brings the meaning of family love: the mother and calf together side by side in the ocean is where this meaning originates. Turns out this was a very appropriate gift for a son to give his mother! In fact, it was a "whale of a gift"!

An optional part of your visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center can include a tour of the Visitor Center for the Laie Hawaii Temple (tourists are not permitted inside the temple itself).

The beauty of the Polynesian Cultural Center makes this Bible verse even more meaningful: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (I Corinthians 2:9 NLT) Just imagine this----heaven will be even more beautiful than the Polynesian Cultural Center----more beautiful that all of the REAL Polynesian islands!!!Now, that's an expedition I DO NOT want to miss! Miles of smiles! Tricia

WE BOUGHT A ZOO!! (i.e., a zoo ticket!)

Some of you may have recently seen the heart-warming movie, called We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon, which is based on a true story. If that movie aroused feelings of nostalgia about the last time you visited a zoo, or planted a seed in your mind, to take a "zoo expedition", I would encourage you to do so! There are zoos , big and small, located across the country (and around the world), and to find one in your area, all you have to do is go to your computer's search engine!

This blog post is to tell you about a winter-time expedition I took to the zoo at Tulsa, Oklahoma.

There are many good reasons to visit a zoo during the cooler months of the year, and one of them is that the animals are usually more active. The "blur" of this tiger's hind legs in this photograph is intentional. I wanted to illustrate that the tiger was actually up and about!

Another good reason for a winter visit is that the crowds are smaller, and a visitor can take their time observing or photographing the zoo residents. There is not someone bumping into you, or clamoring for the spot you have picked out, to get the perfect view or photo of an animal.

When I first arrived at the Tulsa Zoo for this visit, the smaller crowds made the whole place quieter, and I heard animal sounds bellowing out across the acreage, that I had never heard before! Following those sounds, I discovered the sounds were coming from the habitat where the "big cats" like this one lived.

There are also lots of "fowl sounds" you will hear at this zoo, as they have a wide variety of avian species. In fact, the zoo boasts that it has "2,800 animals, 84 acres, and is open 363 days per year!"

I don't want to forget another reason for a winter visit to the Tulsa Zoo---in January and February, they have a promotion called "MONDAYS ARE DOLLAR DAYS", where it only costs a buck to get in! Add to that, the fact that there is no automobile parking fee January through March, and you have yourself a real entertainment bargain!

There are very few children who will not enjoy a zoo visit, and one reason is that so many of the attractions are specifically designed with youngsters in mind!

I enjoy attractions that have "photo ops" like this one, where you can get a picture of yourself and/or others, in a scene created to give you a souvenir image of your visit!

The young (or young at heart) can even add to their "intellectual tank" by learning big words like "brachiation" from the zoo's educational placards. Adding some "kinetic memory" techniques to the word, by actually attempting some brachiation on the nearby monkey bars, will make this part of the zoo truly MEMORABLE! (even if it happens to include sore muscles the next day!)

Regardless of the weather outside, you will always be comfortable inside the zoo's climate-controlled Conservation Center.

Comfortable, that is, if reptiles of every description do not frighten you----even if they ARE behind glass!

Notice that there is no "blur" in this photograph. It seems the purpose of these guys is to be the illustration of the cliche about being "slow as a turtle"!

This photo illustrates other good reasons to make a winter zoo visit---it is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your family---in an environment beyond playing video games indoors, while sitting on the couch! Likewise, the background shows that, with the leaves off the trees, you can get a more open "safari-like" experience.

Speaking of safaris, you need to know that one of the perks of Tulsa Zoo Membership, is that you are eligible for a "Starry Safari" where you can bring your camping gear, and actually camp inside the zoo! I had a similar experience (mine was called "Roar and Snore") at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California, and can heartily recommend it!

The zoo not only has examples of species that live on land, but also examples of species that make their home in the water! This beautiful aquarium is an illustration of that.

Most zoos I have visited have one section devoted to teaching about the animals/habitat of the area where the zoo is located. This photo shows how Tulsa does this with their well-labeled "Oklahoma Trail".

Lest us modern-day folks think we are the ones who popularized the concept of a zoo, remember these words in the seventh chapter of Genesis, when God was speaking to Noah: "You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile---two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours." (The Message) So just like the Tulsa Zoo has its "Conservation Center", one might think of Noah's Ark as an early "Conservation Center"! If you would like to start planning your trip to this lovely zoo on the edge of the Ozarks, just log on to http://www.tulsazoo.org/ . I know that your expedition to this, or a zoo near you, will bring you "miles of smiles"!! Tricia

Pedestal Rocks Hiking Trail

The Pedestal Rocks Hiking Trail is located in the Ozark National Forest, just a few miles south of the Newton/Pope county line in northern Arkansas. It derives its name from the unique formations (one is pictured in this photo) called pedestals, that were formed by weathering. This area used to be under water, and after the water receded, the land raised to form a dome called the Ozark Plateau. Since then, natural erosion has been occurring to form the steep hills, valleys, and bluffs that are the signature scenery of the area.

The trail is within an area of the Ozark National Forest, designated as the Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area. Besides the 2.2 mile Pedestal Rocks Trail, there is also the Kings Bluff Trail, which is 1.7 miles long.

To get to the rock formations, one hikes a trail through the woods, that will take you to the edge of the mountain. Although I had visited this trail in the past, this was the first time to make the trek with WHO (Women Hiking the Ozarks). I was eager for a return visit because the last time I was there, the camera I was using was a compact, Nikon film camera that quit working midway through the hike!! This time, to avoid such a "photographic catastrophe", I took TWO cameras with me (digital, of course), with plenty of battery back up power!

The great thing about hiking in this part of Arkansas in January (besides the fact that you don't have to worry about ticks and chiggers) is that a hiker is better able to see the contours of the land, because the Ozark National Forest is primarily comprised of oak and hickory trees that lose their leaves during the winter, allowing for more "wide open" views.

When one reaches the edge of the mountain where the bluffs and pedestal formations abound, you begin spotting more of the evergreen trees that are also found in Ozark National Forest.

The bluffs provide a wonderful place to sit down, rest, and have a snack. Although there are picnic tables and a vault toilet at the trail head, there are none located along the actual hiking trail. But who needs a man-made picnic table and bench, when God has so marvelously provided a place to dine, like the one shown in this photo!

As the bluff extends far out above the land below, you get the sense of a "Rock Island" floating above the valleys and hills that stretch to the horizon.

As with any outdoor activity, safety should be a top consideration. These warning signs put up by the forest service are a reminder to visitors that a trail such as this requires close supervision of youngsters.

Of course, youngsters are not the only ones who need to be careful near the edge of tall bluffs. This hiker is wisely lowering her center of gravity, as she intently photographs the scenery at the base of the bluff. While attending one of his photography workshops, I once heard well-known photographer/author Tim Earnst say that he sometimes tied himself to a substantial tree, so that he could do a 180 degree lean over a bluff, to get just the perfect photograph!

One theory on the origin of the word "Ozarks" is that it is an Anglicized version of the words aux arcs , which means "land of the arches". This natural arch I came across on the lower bluff trail is an excellent example of such an arch.

The reason you can only see the top half of my torso in this photo is because the bottom half is down inside a large depression of the rock surface. Sometimes these rock depressions are so weathered through erosion, that they go completely through the top of the rock, opening up to the valley floor, several feet below.

That was the case for this "hole in the rock surface" that had been surrounded by a protective stone/split rail fence.

Many of the hiking trails in the Ozark National Forest were originally constructed by the WPA (Work Projects Administration) and CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) . These were public work relief programs from 1933 - 1942 in the U.S. for men between 18 and 25. Since my son's paternal grandfather had been a part of this program, it made me have a greater appreciation for the CCC-style stone masonry that could be found along the trail. This photo shows one of the bluffs with such a railing that might have even been worked on by him!

There are occasional access points along the trail where one can "boulder" their way down to the lower section of the formations, and this is the spot where I carefully made my way to the bottom of the cliff. Although I did not see any climbers with technical rock climbing gear at Pedestal Rocks, rock climbing is popular along similar bluffs located nearby at Sam's Throne and Horseshoe Canyon. I have hiked in both these locations, and could recommend them for anyone wanting to see or participate in the sport of rock climbing.

Being on the bottom side of the bluffs enabled one to see some of the caves and open rooms that lay beneath. Fred Flintstone would have found plenty of room for him and his entire family to inhabit in true "flintstone" style!

One of the natural features creating these caves are the seeps and springs that flow through the forest along the limestone and dolomite bluffs. These supply the baseflow for Ozark streams. Even though the temperature got up to sixty degrees on the day we hiked, I spotted this icicle hanging off of the side of a bluff where spring water was running across the top.

Being out in this beautiful area on such a gorgeous winter day, made me give thanks to God for the beauty of his creation, both in the surrounding countryside, and in his creation of the human body that carries us outdoors to see that creation! Being able to enjoy a hike such as this is one reason I promote participation in First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) , because it gives you the tools you need to be a good steward of the body we have each been given! One thing we do in First Place 4 Health to keep our mental health functioning well is Scripture memorization. The memory verse that came to mind when I was inside the rock house, looking out onto one of the tall rock formations was from Proverbs 18:10 that says "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Before you run right out to see the towers at Pedestal Rocks, log onto www.fs.usda.gov to get driving directions, safety tips, and trail maps to make your expeditions a truly memorable one! Miles of smiles! Tricia