If you are driving the back roads in southern Carroll County, Arkansas, you might be surprised when you come across a sign indicating the location as the "Pension Mountain Trails/Johnson Spring Preserve". Although it is just six miles from Berryville, one feels like they are definitely "out in the boondocks"! The site consists of 390 acres, and has 10 miles of designated ATV trails, plus 4 miles of trails dedicated for hiking, biking, and horses. You can see a map of the area by visiting their website at www.parks.berryville.com .
So, it is reassuring when one sees the sturdily-constructed, covered "stall" that has a laminated copy of the trails you are visiting. The brochure will tell you that the trails go through both pine trees (shown behind the sign), and deciduous forests of oak and hickory. (I learned years ago from my high school biology teacher, that where I live in the Ozarks, is part of the "oak-hickory biome".)
In addition to the information kiosk in the parking lot, there is another kiosk at the trail head, and we were thankful to see that it included an even larger laminated map, as well as several copies of a brochure that told about the trails on one side, and had a complete map on the other side.
Our hike started out at the beginning, going down the very steep trail, that put us at the base of the bluff. Although bluff lines such as this are numerous in the Ozarks, we took the time to get some closeup views of it, since it had some characteristics not always seen on our previous hikes.
There were colorful layers of orange and dark blue, complete with little bumps that remided me of the "popcorn ceiling" treatment seen inside some homes. 
The trail we were on below the bluff allows horses, but because of its narrowness and steepness, I was thankful to be walking on my own two feet, rather than on the back of a horse or mule! (I got my fill of sitting perched atop a giant mule, trying to navigate narrow bluff/cliff trails, when my husband and I took the two-day mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon! That is one "bucket list" item, I have no intention of repearting!)
As is typical of Ozark bluff lines, these bluffs had some "pass throughs" on their walls. However, I was too bundled up with coats and a backpack, to get anything, except my head, into this opening!
The brochure promises exploring the trails will enable the visitor to see some beautiful bluffs, and this photo of my LIKE-MINDED friend, Leslie, shows their boasting is not false advertising!
This photo shows my LIKE-MINDED hiking companions, standing within the area of the Johnson Spring Preserve. In front of them, you can see that two large stone slabs have been placed across the overflowing water of the spring, to form a bridge.
In this photo, they are taking a closer look at the green plants growing in the spring, to see if it might be the tasty herb, watercress. One can see similar plants in the stream run-offs of the famous Victorian "spa city" of Eureka Springs, which is very nearby, and is also in Carroll County, Arkansas. 
The brochure shows an original advertisement for Johnson Spring, that assures readers that the water is not chemically treated in any way whatsoever. It goes on to say that a low, narrow cave out of which flowed Johnson Spring, is completely sealed up, preventing contamination. The door (shown in this photo) was still locked shut, when we visited in 2021!
This photo shows LIKE-MINDED explorers, Leslie and Amy, standing on top of the concrete structure, that is just beyond and below, the locked door leading into the cave.
The pipe is still visible, even though the original piping was done in the midst of America's Great Depression, in 1934. 
This photo shows that the location of the Johnson Spring Preserve, on Pension Mountain, is much higher that the surrounding landscape. To be exact, The Johnson Spring was 176 feet higher than the top of Berryville's downtown water tower, allowing engineers to develop a plan to create a gravity-fed water system. At the time, it was the largest such system, in the Midwest. 
The tree limbs that form the "frame" of this photo are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in the winter time. This characteristic highlights the benefits of winter hiking---the contours of the landscape are much easier to determine. The green colors you see in the photo are evergreens---mostly cedar and pine. 
The Johnson Spring promoters were so enthusiatic about their water, that they put out publicity that the town's new water supply had curative agencies and would help ailments of the kidneys, bladder, stomach and intestinal tract. Some went so far as to hint that the "Fountain of Youth", which Pnce de Leon searched for, might be Johnson Spring! And, if so, I think Leslie (shown in photo) must have partaken in its youth-restoring properties, because she was a tireless leader, climbing up steep switchbacks along the trail, without ever getting out of breath!
The equally youthful companion for this expedition, was my LIKE-MINDED friend, Amy, whose bright orange jacket made her easy to spot, if a rest stop caused me to lag behind her a few paces!
We carried out this expedition in January, 2021, in the midst of the COVID19 Pandemic, so there was no "huddling up together", to stay warm for our lunch stop! The three of us were LIKE-MINDED about avoiding the spread of unwanted viruses, and maintained our "social distance". In addition, since there was an expansive parking lot, we each took separate cars to the trail head, so we were not sitting close together in a vehicle for an exteneded drive. 
I appreciate that the Berryville Parks Department has made benches from some of the fallen timber, and placed them at strategic points, so that guests can sit and "contemplate their existence"! I also appreciated that their brochure included this quote from John Muir: "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumm leaves."
Once hikers get to the top of Pension Mountain, it gets a little more complicated to know which trail goes where, as there are multiple choices, and the trails do not have names or numbers. These two LIKE-MINDED map readers stopped multiple times to look at the map, and try to reconcile where we were, in regards to what the map said. I was of absolutey no help to their efforts, so I just rested and took their picture!
I was especially thankful that the Berryville Parks Department Trail Patrol Team, had made a "throne chair", from a downed tree! I took the opportunity to try it out, while Amy and Leslie studied the map. 
My arms are uplifted in praise to God for giving me these LIKE-MINDED friends who enjoy hiking! They are a blessing in my life! The phrase "LIKE-MINDED" is the trigger to help me remember my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verse that says, "Then make my joy complete by being LIKE-MINDED, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." Philippians 2:2
The blessing of having LIKE-MINDED friends, who have the same love of hiking as I do, gives me "LIKE-MINDED MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia
Note: Photo credits to Amy Johnson for the photos in this blog post that show me, because she is the one that took those particular pictures!
Many folks are beginning to make their way back to inside restaurant dining, now that we are several months into the COVID19 Pandemic, and the food service industry has implemented steps to make the experience as safe and enjoyable as possible. This photo shows I was one of those people venturing out to see what the world outside my own little kitchen looked like! Even though it has been a long time since I have been very close to a human chef, I felt it would be safe to get my photo taken with a chef statue, because he was wearing a mask, as was I! 
The restaurant I was visiting is located on the IntraCoastal Waterway (shown in photo), in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since the waterway connects to the ocean, it makes it easy for the restaurant to advertise that all their seafood is South Carolina grown.
I learned a new culinary term when I visited Myrtle Beach, and that word is "calabash". Calabash-style seafood is lightly breaded and fried, and typically served buffet style. The seafood is always accompanied with a side dish of hush puppies. Cornmeal is used for the breading, instead of flour, to give the seafood a light coating. The seafood is then fried in hot oil, until it becomes golden brown. To make sure I do not forget this new-to-me culinary term, I have a tee shirt with the word printed into its design!
I mentioned in the previous definition of calabash seafood that it is usually served buffet style, and so it is no surprise to see a sign that says the restaurant where I experienced my first calabash seafood, was voted "the best all you can eat buffet in South Carolina by Reader's Digest". (And "digest" is what my stomach was doing for a very long time, after all the delicious morsels I fed it from this buffet!)
No need to "clam up" and be quiet, when there is a giant pan of steamed clams awaiting your taste buds!
Likewise, if the pandemic has you feeling a little "crabby", you can work through those feelings of hostility, as you PINCH the dickens out of these critters, to get at the tasty shreds of meat they conceal, beneath their hard outer covering!
One of the measures for improved sanitation that buffet restaurants have implemented, is providing disposable gloves for the patrons to use, each time they touch the handle of a serving utensil. As you can see that means there has to be an ample supply of the gloves available for patrons. One entire serving station had been converted to a "glove storage station"! 
As you can see from this photo, the buffet line is covered on both sides with a very substantial sneeze guard. This clear tunnel reminds me of the shark tunnel I saw at the Myrtle Beach aquarium, and since there are sharks mounted on the wall above the serving stations, it was very appropriate!
For years, sanitation regulations at buffet restaurants have called for getting a clean plate with each trip to a serving station. Since the COVID19 Pandemic, buffet guidelines also call for each guest to use a fresh disposable glove for each trip to a serving station. 
In addition to an amazing variety of seafood, The Original Benjamins also had a GIGANTIC hunk of beef at their meat carving station! To find out the most up to date hours of operations for this restaurant, visit their website at www.OriginalBenjamins.com
Another type of cuisine I tried while in Myrtle Beach, was a "buffet" of quick-serve restaurants, which I encountered at the Market Hall, in Tangers Outlet, in Myrtle Beach . 
Notice the easily-seen and easily-accessed hand sanitizer station in front of the restaurants in the Market Hall. These were found at all the food service establishments I visited. To get a complete listing of food service providers that you can visit at this location, go to www.TangerOutlet.com
So far in the article, I have told you about buffet restaurants, and quick-serve restaurants, but I also had the pleasure of enjoying some elegant, "sit-down and served" meals while in Myrtle Beach. And since the meal started with a beautifully plated and colorful salad of fresh vegetables, I was a happy diner!
Likewise, the main entree that followed the salad course was also attractive and yummy! Meals such as this can be arranged at Sea Watch Resort ( www.seawatchresort.com )
This photo shows some of the boats moored at Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach, which is situated along the IntraCoastal Waterway, and this is another area where visitors have a plethora of dining options, which you can find listed on their website, at www.bflanding.com.
One of the many restaurants you will find there is LuLu's, which is a restaurant group (usually located in popular waterfront destinations), that is owned by the sister of popular recording artist, Jimmy Buffett. Her website is www.lulubuffett.com Their website advertises "Gumbo Love", as does the gigantic sign printed on the top of their roof! So, if you would like to experience some popular Gulf Coast cuisine, stroll into Lulu's!
A visitor does not have to look very far to find a waterside dock in Myrtle Beach. Our group walked past the one in this photo, as we headed to the Wicked Tuna Restaurant, in Murrells Inlet, near Myrtle Beach. 
Most waterfront restaurants try to provide outdoor dining options for their guests, and Myrtle Beach is no exception. These outdoor dining spaces became particularly important during the pandemic. At the Wicked Tuna restaurant, we were seated in their outdoor dining room, and it was delightful! The photo shows one of the heaters designed especially for areas such as this, that can help take the chill out of the air. 
Our group had the wonderful opportunity to try small amounts of every single appetizer they offer on their menu.
Likewise, we could order their main dish sampler platter that gave you a small serving of each of the many types of seafood they offer. Their website (www.thewickedtuna.com) states they have their very own fishing fleet, to insure their "Hook to Plate" fresh seafood philosophy, is delivered every day!
Another restaurant we visited was the Hook and Barrel Restaurant. They had a lovely oyster bar, and diners would watch a highly skilled worker shucking the "fresh from the sea" oysters. It gave new meaning to my understanding of the cliche, "AWE, shucks!". "AWEsome" is how I would describe both the food, and the decor, at this establishment!
I was as intrigued with the ceiling lights made to look like jellyfish, as I was with the single light bulbs dangling from a huge nautical-looking rope! Their design elements were inspired by their commitment to reduce their environmental impact , in hopes of providing a better future for the planet. They are especially happy to tell folks that the wood seen inside the restaurant was milled from trees cut down, on the lot where the restaurant sits. Likewise, they choose their menu items based on the product's sustainability. To take a complete look at all they have to offer, visit their website at www.hookandbarrelrestaurant.com
Yet another new-to-me menu item I tried in Myrtle Beach was the sweet potato pancakes, served with maple pecan butter. They were delicious, and can be found at the restaurant inside the Island Vista Resort. And you do not have to be a guest at the resort to enjoy these items for either dine-in, or carry-out, meals. Their website is www.islandvista.com.
If you are one of those cooks who thinks it is impossible to make a delicious meal without tons of butter, then you will be happy to know there is a Paul Deen Restaurant in Myrtle Beach, at Broadway on the Beach. Although I did not actually eat a meal at her restaurant, I enjoyed perusing the expansive gift shop! Of course, the gift shop items are available, not only in their store, but also from their website at www.PaulaDeensFamilyKitchen.com
The website for Broadway at the Beach will give you a complete listing of their numerous restaurants, as well as the most up-to-date guidelines regarding their efforts to reduce the harmful impact of Covid19. As the sign in the photo says, visit www.BroadwayattheBeach.com for more information. 
One good thing a mask can do (in addition to reducing the spread of germs) is to make us mindful of what we are putting into our mouths. I have talked to many people who blame the pandemic for weight gain they have experienced this past year. Something that helps me with that issue, is participating in a healthy living program, that teaches me to turn to God for comfort, and not to food. The program is called First Place for Health (www.FirstPlaceforHealth.com)
