AMPHITHEATER EXPEDITION!

What a delightful surprise it was, when I came out of the woods where I had been clearing briars and tall weeds, to see this beautiful bridge!

When I viewed the moss-covered terraces beside the bridge, I felt like an explorer, who had just discovered the remains of a long, lost civilization!

The photo below shows a small plaque discreetly placed within the amphitheater, telling about its origin.  When I googled "Green Thumb + Arkansas Farmers Union", I learned that The Arkansas Farmers Union Green Thumb was a historical, federally funded program, often employing older, rural, Americans, that contributed to public infrastructure projects in the 1960's and 1970's.  The work they did building the stone amphitheater in Mountain View, is a great tribute to their legacy.  

The way the stone terraces are covered in moss, gives a clue that this is NOT a brand new structure!

The creek that flowed under the bridge, was very shallow, but provided enough water to give a pretty reflection of the orange leaves of the maple tree above it.  

The stream is called Whitewater Creek, and separates the amphitheater into two parts, the grand stone stage, and the moss-covered stone seating area:

Even though the stream bears the name "Whitewater", it has been barely a trickle whenever I have visited.  

 

 

When I signed up as a volunteer with the Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.ArkansasMasterNaturalists.org) to help clear the 1,4 mile trail, that started at the Ozark Folk Center (www.OzarkFolkCenter.org), I had no idea that at the end of the trail, I would be rewarded with a view of this lovely stone amphitheater!

I was working with some other Arkansas Master Naturalists (pictured in orange shirts) to clear the trail of fallen trees, and blow leaves off the trail, so it could be more easily followed in the woods.  

Many visitors to this area do not know there is a hiking trail, that leads from the Ozark Folk Center, to the historic rock amphitheater, even though there is a small sign pointing towards the trail.  

Notice how much better defined the trail is, once the leaves have been blown aside!

So next time you are on a trail, give some thought to the efforts that have to go into maintaining a trail, to keep it from becoming completely overgrown!

The same is true for the walkways shown in this photo.  They did not clear themselves of fallen leaves---someone has been diligently working to make them visible!

Walls are important in landscaping, and can serve as a convenient restraint to collect a pile of leaves for removal!

The first time I stumbled onto this beautiful setting, the date was early November, so the reds and yellows of deciduous trees made for a picturesque setting.  Once again, notice how the walls of the sidewalk, serve as architectural landscape features.  And think about the workers who carefully placed each one of those stones, over sixty years ago.  

I made a return visit to Mountain View in early March, and wanted to take another look at the amphitheater.  However, since on my first visit there, I had come on foot, via the trail from the Ozark Folk Center, I put "City Park" in my Mapquest phone app, and came across a lovely park on Webb Street, and paved walking trail, but the amphitheater was no where in sight!  I saw a city employee, and asked him where the amphitheater was.  He told me I would need to park my car, and follow a trail through the woods, beside the creek, that would eventually lead to the amphitheater.  That trail is shown below:

Thankfully, I eventually arrived at the amphitheater, although it looked very different with no colorful leaves on the trees!  The reason I wanted to go back, was to photograph the walls I remembered from my first visit, to use as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries."  Micah 7:11

It is interesting to me that the builders left a tree standing within the seating area, or perhaps it "sprung up" since the theater was built, decades ago.  Or perhaps, the stone masons left it because it had a very interesting "burl" growing on its side, facing the stage area.  

The burl growing on the side of one of the trees within the amphitheater could serve as a "side table", it is so big!

When a visitor is at street level, it would be easy to miss seeing the old stone amphitheater, because it is hidden, as it follows the slope of the hillside, down into the valley.  When I visited, there was a sign pointing the way, which is helpful.

What you will see, when you are at street level, is a large stone cooking grill, with chimney.

Also, at street level there is a circular area, paved in native stone, that contains concrete picnic tables, benches, and more stone grills.  

It is appropriate that there be a beautiful landmark made of stone in Mountain View, because the town is a part of STONE County, Arkansas.  To find out many more interesting sites to visit in this area, check out their website at www.mountainviewarkansas.com  .   This visit to such a serene and scenic location, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

 

OZARKS KEYSTONE TRAIL EXPEDITION!

 One of the benefits of being a member of the North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists, is the opportunity to volunteer on worthwhile projects that are near and dear to my heart---such as hiking!

My first experience on the trail that follows the shoreline of Norfork Lake, in Baxter County, Arkansas, was as a hiker, with a coed group (of mostly strangers to me) that a friend--Dea-- from church, had told me about.  The group met at the trail head for the Robinson Point Overlook and walked over the hills and hollers that led to the top of a bluff, overlooking Norfork Lake.  It was around the year 2002.    I had visited Norfork Lake all my life, but mostly for watersports activities, rather than hiking. 

The photo below shows the overlook at Robinson Point, which was my first group hike on Norfork Lake, over twenty years ago.  Now, I get to help keep that overlook free of weeds, by being a part of the trail maintenance volunteers.  Photo below shows me and fellow volunteer, Wendy,  at the Robinson Point Overlook, with the tools we use to cut back weeds.

 

This is a photo of the small brown and white OKT sign at the entry of the trail to the overlook.   The short wooden fence at the beginning, is to help define the entry point, and was the service project of a local Eagle Scout.  

That co-ed group I first hiked with, "fizzled out", so I started hiking with a group of ladies I met at a Becoming An Outdoors Woman conference in central Arkansas (www.agfc.com).  There is a story about that in my blog archives, dated September 23, 2008.  That core group of ladies congealed later, to  became what came to be known as Women Hiking (the) Ozarks---WHO---for short.  The photo below shows one of our WHO hikes that took place in December (as evidenced by the Santa hat on one of the hikers!)

I published a blog about David's Trail (dated April 26, 2010 and available in the archives of this blog), explaining some of its history.  The person the trail was named after, was the son-in-law of a lady in my Sunday school class, so I knew the story of his being an avid supporter of physical activity, who passed away suddenly, at a young age.  

There are very few sections of the trail that are completely flat, and some of them are so steep, that a rope has been added over the ravine being crossed, to assist hikers in the ascent and descent.  That is me, holding onto the rope, as I try to make my way to the top of the hill!

 

The concrete marker pictured below is also at Robinson Point, but it is on the north side of the entry road, whereas the section to the overlook, is on the south side of the entry road.  

As this close-up of the sign shows, the purpose of the trail is to encourage an active lifestyle.  

When an effort began to expand and link the trails along the Norfork Lake in Arkansas, a new name was coined, which became the Ozarks Keystone Trail, or OKT, for short.  This trail marker, nailed to a tree shows where the name "keystone" comes from.  It is the link, or "keystone" between the Ozark Trail in Missouri, and the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas.  Notice this particular sign, has a "YOU ARE HERE" flag in red, which shows your approximate location within the 680+ miles of trail through the two states.  The Ozark Trail in Missouri has over 430 miles, and the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas has about 250 miles, starting at Lake Fort Smith State Park, near the Arkansas/Oklahoma border.  Thanks to the addition of the Ozarks Keystone Trail, it now extends to the Missouri border!

 

The trail sign nailed to a pine tree, shown below, says the same thing as the previous sentence I wrote, but in a more concise form!

Most of my hiking time recently has been spent as a volunteer that meets on the first Saturday of the month, at the Raymond James office in Mountain Home.  There we pack sack lunches, provided by the Ozarks Keystone Trail Endowment, and then divide into teams, to do maintenance along the approximately 80 miles of the OKT.  The January 3, 2026, volunteers are shown below: 

Funds provided by the endowment have purchased two all-terrain-vehicles that are used to haul both volunteers and heavy equipment to remote parts of the trail, that are otherwise difficult to reach on foot, when carrying heavy equipment.  A trailer is used to transport the ATVs to whatever site is being worked on.

 The photo below shows one of our first outings with one of the ATV's, fully loaded with some of the equipment strapped on top.  It is clearly marked as a VOLUNTEER vehicle, because otherwise, ATV's are not allowed on the trail.  

The reason we need chain saws is because, invariably, one or more trees have fallen down across the trail! 

Because we often drive our personal cars to a staging area along the lake, the volunteers have been provided with a magnetic sign to identify their car.  

Once we are deep within the forest, we get out and start using loppers to cut back sprigs and leaf blowers to clear the path, so hikers can see where the trail is.  

The photo below shows me and fellow volunteer Dawn, with the tools we were using one Saturday.  

This photo shows a volunteer who is a retired physician, carrying a heavy back-pack blower, and pointing the high pressure air left and right, to help hikers see where the trail is.  

In addition to leaf blowing and weed whacking, the volunteers (this is Pam), often are putting up new signage, or repairing/replacing old signs.   Although it may be confusing to newcomers what is Davids Trail and what is OKT, the signs help.  Since the trail goes through some areas along the lake that are traditional spots for deer hunters, metal gates are at some locations, to discourage unauthorized use of vehicles for hunting. 

One of the newer sections of the trail goes all the way to the Missouri border.  Photo below shows Mark, and Bob on either side of the marker located on the shores of Lake Norfork, with Deb behind them, up on the trail.  

I had been told of this marker for years, but this was my first time to see it, so I wanted to give a gesture of praise, to finally get to have a photo with it!

I found a rock along the shoreline there, with holes in it, so I could make a commemorative marker to keep at my house, to help me remember this milestone!

For the last two years, the Ozarks Keystone Endowment has hosted an appreciation dinner for the First Saturday volunteers at The ArkanZEN in Cotter.  Photo below shows Mike and Deb, awaiting other guest arrivals.

As a souvenir for the volunteers, Steph made coasters with the OKT logo burned into the wooden "tree cookies".  It was such a nice surprise and greatly appreciated!

In addition to participating in the organizations listed above, I participate in a healthy living program called First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com), that teaches us how to rely on God for strength and perseverance.  One of the memory verses that we are learning, in hopes of increasing our perseverance during difficult times, is Proverbs 24:16.  It is meant to be an encouragement to not give up, even when we fall down.  You can be assured, I have fallen down many times on the hiking trails described here, as well as in the bigger picture---The Trail of Life.  But God's Word tells us not to give up.  Our memory verse from Proverbs 24:16 says, "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes." 

I want to keep getting up after each time I fall, so that I can continue to hike with "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

 

ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE EXPEDITION!

I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual statewide gathering,  of the Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.arkansasmasternaturalists.org).  It was held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, atop Petit Jean Mountain, near Morrilton, Arkansas.  Since the word "rock", is a part of this famous family name, it seems appropriate that many of the directional signs of the property, are carved on massive rock slabs.  Sometimes one hears a phrase that portrays the concept that a plan has not been finalized ---the phrase is, "nothing is carved in stone yet", but that IS NOT the situation at the Rockefeller Institute! These words are definitely CARVED IN STONE!

This lovely terraced water feature at the entrance to the lobby of the facility, provides the soothing sound of running water as you walk by it in the daytime.  And on the warm nights when our group was outside, there was a very loud symphony of frog "voices", proclaiming "the call of the wild"!

 After I checked in, I took the time to drive around the property, to acquaint myself with all the institute had to offer.  This covered bridge is a throwback to "horse and buggy days", when bridges had to be covered, because the sight of rushing water, or the height of the bridge, would startle the horse/mule/farm animal, preventing it from traveling over the bridge.

As I exited the covered bridge, I could not resist using it as a "photo frame", for the wooden barn that was located on an old farm site.  I was especially intrigued by the use of lumber cut on the diagonal, to make the barn doors.  It had to be a talented carpenter, that could craft such large doors so precisely, that they form a chevron, when the doors are closed!   My father used that same technique, in making garage doors for a house he built in Arkansas, in the 1940's. 

Adjacent to the barn, is a heritage garden, that seemed to be thriving, and perhaps can be used by the talented chefs in the facilities' food service departments.  This Heritage Farm Area pays tribute to the Westphal family that was here from around 1900 to 1953, (when Winthrop Rockefeller arrived and the development of Winrock Farms began.)  The Westphal family was part of a Lutheran community of German descent on the mountain who developed productive, diversified farmsteads, providing the produce, milk, and meat they needed from their gardens and livestock.  

Just as the produce grown here can be used to feed guests at the institute, so these magnificent magnolia blooms, found throughout the property, were used as centerpieces of each of the tables in the dining room. 

The former residences of the Rockefellers are not accessible to regular guests at the institute, and as you would expect, the location for the residences had the best views of the Arkansas River Valley, hundreds of feet below the mountain.  However, there is one location that does have a view of the valley, and it is located behind the lodging facility called "The Studio". 

I am no structural engineer, but I was surprised that these concrete steps at the studio, had no visible support for the landing in the middle!

            In Arkansas, pine trees are sometimes grown as a cash crop, the way some states grow fields of corn.  However, I speculate that this carefully laid out pine arboretum, is purely for decorative purposes!

The Institute has several small lakes, and one of them is open to the public, with a lovely shaded patio beside it.

The guests are also welcome to use the complementary canoes, kayaks, and paddles adjacent to the lake.

I could not resist the urge to pull a kayak down to the water, and hop inside, to get a photo for the Facebook page, called "Look At The Front of My Kayak".   How else am I going to remember the date and location of this occasion??

The Institute also provides complementary bicycles to guests, and my Master Naturalist friend, Diane, took one out for a spin!

The Institute also has a Fitness Center, that is not only open to their guests, but also to residents of Petit Jean Mountain.  I was especially pleased to see the glass wall beside the stairs.  If someone is wanting to improve their fitness, stair climbing is a good place to start!  (And buildings designed with fitness in mind, benefit from stairwells with glass walls or big windows!) When I first started working at hospitals, back in the 1970's, I made a vow that as long as I could walk, I would always take the stairs, instead of the elevator.  Then later, when I retired,  I made the decision that anytime I needed to use the toilet, I would make myself walk up my stairs, to the toilet on the second floor, instead of lazily plopping down on the first floor toilet.  This is one of my many "quirks", that has been physically beneficial to me! 

The fitness center also has a weight lifting room, and another large room with treadmills.

When I saw the sign that said "Squash" that was positioned above a tiny little door, my first thought, was of the vegetable.  But then I remembered scenes on television of people playing a game unfamiliar to me, also called squash, so I crawled through the little door.  Voila!  My first time to be on a squash court!  In the future, I may be seeing more squash games on television, because it is scheduled to be in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles!

After finishing my tour around the property, I located the housing unit I was assigned to, which was called "The Orchard".  Not surprisingly, it was adjacent to a small orchard of fruit trees.  Besides the guest rooms, it had a common area, complete with with television, blankets, and table games.  There was also a full kitchen, laundry room, dining room, enclosed patio, and covered parking for the guests!

My room was very comfortable, and thankfully it included a coffee pot, refrigerator, television, and phone.  I was especially thankful it included a Gideon Bible!  Years ago, when the Institute first became a part of the University of Arkansas system, I went to tour it as a possible location for culinary classes.  At the time, my friend, David G. Davies, was the director of this new addition to U of A.  I mentioned to him that I hoped the lodging rooms would have Gideon Bibles in them, especially since they are provided free of charge to lodging facilities (www.gideons.org).  And a decade later, I find they are indeed, available!

Each participant at the Master Naturalist event received a reusable cloth bag, with the BioBlast logo on it.  I like the way a white space in the shape of Arkansas helps define the letter "B", and that other natural features, such as the letter "S", which is made with a snake!  Kudos to whomever designed it!

Below is a photo of me and several North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists who attended:

Friday evening, there was a social gathering in the main building, complete with delicious hors d'oeuvres.   Since that French word literally means "outside of work", it is an appropriate for a gathering where there was no work to perform, just socializing with our fellow Master Naturalists!

The classroom where I spent Saturday morning was very comfortable and spacious.  Our topic was "Dragonflies and Damselflies", and the presenter brought many preserved specimens for us to examine closely.  Also, kudos to the audio/visual department at the Rockefeller Institute because this is one of the very few conferences I have attended, where there were no "glitches" the speaker had to overcome with the technology involved!

Our lunch was also in the main building, and the round tables facilitated getting acquainted as we unpacked the contents of our box lunches.  It was while we were in the lunch room, that we had our business meeting, with each chapter president giving a report of the activities of their location.

 

There was a giant screen in one end of the room, which periodically displayed images of either the speaker, or the room at large.  The photo below is one I took of the big screen, so our North Central Arkansas Master Naturalist president, Paula C., could see what she looked like, as she was addressing the group. 

I realized I did not want to do any inappropriate gestures (like picking my nose!), as the camera might put it on the big screen!

For the Saturday afternoon classes, I switched to a different class room (that was equally well equipped), and learned about fireflies, lightning bugs, and glow worms.  It was a fascinating presentation, and the presenter encouraged us to record our lightning bug sightings at www.fireflyatlas.org

 

 

After dinner Saturday night, those who wanted to, could go to a "Star Party" on the front lawn.  To help prepare for this event, Sue H. of the North Central Chapter had a table set up, with a table game we could play, to help us learn the names and locations of common constellations.  

I knew the flash on a camera or phone would not be a welcome sight at the star watching party, so I snapped a couple of photos before dark, of presenter Jeff H., as he was getting the telescope set up. Jeff has led multiple night sky programs, and always reminds participants to use red light sources, to keep ones eyes adjusted to the night sky. 

One of the Saturday afternoon programs I attended, was about geology of Arkansas, and we discussed unusual formations in the state.  The next day, those who wanted to, could take a "geology hike" at the adjacent Petit Jean State Park, and observe the very unique "turtle rock" formations near one of the trailheads. ( I took this photo before there was a big group of people scrambling around.)  These are not fossils, rather they are basically concretions--that is, sedimentary mud deposits, that have hardened into rock.  The "turtle shell" pattern of unusual-looking oval shapes, separated by angular cracks of crystallized minerals, was created by the seepage of water over time. 

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, visitors could visit the Legacy Theater, and learn some of the history of the Rockefeller presence in Arkansas.  There are a variety of short videos available on different topics, that one can view at any time of the day or night. 

Near the lobby front desk, is the 3,000 square-foot Legacy Gallery.  It houses a permanent exhibit, titled "Winthrop Rockefeller: a Sphere of Power and Influence Dropped into a River of Need."  The exhibit contains more than 300 restored and enlarged images, making up 180 murals and interpretive panels that tell the story.  I kept looking at the photographs to see if I could see one from when he visited the Boone County Courthouse lawn, because I was present at that event.  I remember it, because a friend of mine, Sara Jo Fendley, was traveling with the campaign to play her banjo at the rallies.  She said what concerned her at present, was not how many people showed up for the rally, rather her stated concern was that she needed to refresh her makeup, as they had been traveling for hours!

The photo on the right was in the Legacy Gallery, and the one on the left can be found on the Internet.  I like it because it shows a Bible verse from Micah 6:8 that is very simple, but incredibly profound.  I first encountered the poignant words as a participant in a healthy living program, called First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com).   It says, "And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."   This same verse was also quoted in the presidential inauguration speech of Jimmy Carter.  This means it is "bipartisan", as it was quoted by both a Republican and a Democrat!

To find out more about this incredible location, visit www.rockefellerinstitute.org .  My expedition to this location gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia