Laughing in Laughlin!

When people think of Laughlin, Nevada, the first picture that comes to their mind may be of a bunch of neon lights lining an asphalt ribbon in the dessert. But a recent visit to that somewhat "young" city, greatly changed my mind's image ! I discovered this guest beach at one of the many resorts that are situated in Laughlin, along the banks of the Colorado River.

It is no wonder that my mind was skipping back to lazy days spent basking in the sun of a favorite resort in Cozumel. That is because this resort was built to resemble a Mexican seaside location, and I would say they were successful!

Instead of another section of the Yucatan Peninsula, that is Bullhead City, Arizona that one sees across the water.

Even though the day I visited was a sunny day in February, that date on the winter calendar did not stop a few brave sunbathers from soaking up some rays! That is probably one of the reasons that 3 million visitors come annually to enjoy all this area has to offer.

The mild climate is also one reason these lovely red flowers blooming, added to the feeling of a tropical retreat.

The thatched-roof umbrellas also add to the ambiance of the beach. This large resort contributes to the more than 10,000 rooms available for rental in the Laughlin area.

Hopefully, you are curious enough by now to ask the name of this hidden gem, and it is the Mexican-themed hotel in Laughlin, called Harrah's, phone 800-427-7247.

For many years of its history, there was not a bridge that connected Bullhead City, Arizona to its Laughlin, Nevada neighbor, so a variety of watercraft were used to connect the two. I photographed this water taxi from my hotel window. Water taxis can be hired not only to cross the river, but also to take passengers up and down the river to visit various attractions there. Fortunately for us tourists, Don Laughlin funded and built the Laughlin Bridge in 1987, at a cost of 3.5 million, so that a water taxi is now an option, instead of mandatory! (He later donated the bridge to the states of Nevada and Arizona.)

I also had the opportunity to take this lovely excursion boat, called The Celebration (1-800-228-9825) for an evening dinner cruise. It also gives sightseeing cruises up and down the river, as well as being available for private events, such as weddings.

There is a palmtree-lined, concrete walkway along the river that provides a great way to go from one property to the next, or just enjoy a stroll . Many of the city's 60 restaurants are located along the Riverwalk.

The Colorado River is used for a variety of recreational purposes, including jet skiing, fishing, swimming, and all kinds of paddle sports.

There are plenty of picnic tables and park benches along the Riverwalk where one can rest or visit with friends.

The colorful neon lights reflecting on the river at night can provide fascinating reflections.

Laughlin is the site of dozens of special events, and it was one such event---The Laughlin River Run---that was the reason I visited Laughlin for the first time. My husband and I rode our Harley there to participate in this mass pilgrimage to the desert of motorcycle enthusiasts. We went there because it was a weekend full of motorcycle exhibits, motorcycle stunt shows, hundreds of vendors of motorcycle-related attire and accessories, and top name entertainment. This is a photograph of a section of the souvenir bandanna that officially registered attendees were given. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the event, and it is expected that as many as 50,000 motorcycle enthusiasts will roar into town sometime during April 25 - 29, to celebrate the occasion. You can find out more by visiting www.laughlinriverrun.com Regardless of the time you visit, you will be impressed by this famous "river in the desert". It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 43:19 that says "I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." I don't know if a Bible verse is what entrepreneur Don Laughlin was thinking, when he bought his first piece of Laughlin real estate back in 1964, but his name was forever immortalized there when the Inspector General of the U.S. Post Office officially named the city "Laughlin, Nevada." If you would like to learn more about this area, go to www.VisitLaughlin.com and you will see that you can have miles of laughin' smiles in laughlin! Tricia

TITANIC EXPEDITION - 100 Year Memorial

I have traced my interest in "all things Titanic" to the old television series called "Sea Hunt", starring Lloyd Bridges, that was popular in the 1960's. That television show influenced my goal of learning to scuba dive. My fascination with earning "badges", prompted me to take a specialty scuba diving course called "Wreck Diver". While taking the PADI Wreck Diver course, there was quite a lot of discussion about the Titanic ship wreck, and probably each of us amateur divers imagined ourselves as explorers of this historical artifact buried deep in the ocean.

Since April 15, 2012, marks 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic, there are numerous special events going on this spring, in the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada to commemorate the occasion.

This photo is a reminder to let readers know that even though the motel across the street from the Titanic Museum in Branson was damaged by the tornado that swept through that town last month, the Titanic Museum there is in full operation.

This photo of the front of the two-story permanent Titanic Museum in Branson illustrates how the architect has designed the museum to give visitors, aka "passengers" the feeling they are actually boarding a ship when they enter.

There is even a feeling of movement as the bow pierces the water near the "boarding gate". This is a much more elaborate setup than the first Titanic museum exhibit I attended to see a showing of items recovered from its shipwreck site. That was back in the 1990's when Titanic artifacts were part of a temporary exhibit held in conjunction with the "Memphis in May" activities in Tennessee. However, the state of Tennessee can now boast of having a permanent Titanic Museum, built much like the one in Branson, in the popular vacation town of Pigeon Forge. Although I have driven by the Pigeon Forge location, I have not been able to tour it yet, and look forward to doing so in the future.

The ticketing area for the museum has the look and feel of a cruise ship terminal, and is located at the ground floor level of the museum.

While visitors Que up in the "boarding area" a crew member (dressed in appropriate shipboard attire) gives them a brief orientation and distributes the individual audio recorded devices to hang around your neck, which will guide you through the museum. (You can see them hanging in the cabinet pictured.) You will also receive a printed, souvenir ticket with the name of one of the actual 1912 passengers on board the ship. During one of my museum visits, I learned that someone with the same last name as some of my ancestors, had been on board the Titanic AND they had survived! Of course, this set off a frenzy of activity to see if I was related to the Parrish passenger, who did not perish!

I convinced this handsome crew member to let me take a photo of him. When I called him "Captain", he had to give me a navy lesson on how many stripes were on his uniform, which were not enough to earn the title of Captain!

The first time I visited the Titanic Museum in Branson, shortly after it opened, I had spent so much time enjoying the hundreds of exhibits, that I did not have enough time to thoroughly enjoy all the gift shop had to offer. Fortunately, the gift shop is always open to the public when the museum is open, and one can return to the gift shop as often as desired to make purchases, without having to buy a museum ticket each time.

The gift shop sells souvenirs of every possible kind, including clothing with the Titanic/White Star Line logo.

Since the gift shop is located at the base of the Grand Staircase, you will also be able to visualize the staircase as the location for your very own photo memory, such as a wedding or vows renewal ceremony. Phone 1-800-381-7670 for more information.

Although some passengers survived the Titanic disaster, many did not. There was a massive rescue and recovery effort, headquartered in nearby Nova Scotia, where a stadium used for the ice skating game of curling, was turned into a temporary morgue for victims.

A few years ago, when touring Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Eastern Canada, our guide took us to one of the cemeteries in that city where the majority of recovered victims --- 121 bodies --- were buried. Most of them have small gray granite markers with the name and date of death.

Some families paid for larger markers with more inscription.

This victim was still a teenager when he died.

This tombstone for "The Unknown Child" was paid for with funds provided by sailors of the cable ship that recovered his body, since no one claimed the body.

This gravestone gained brief fame following the release of the 1997 film Titanic , since the name of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the film was Jack Dawson. Many filmgoers, moved by the story, left flowers and ticket stubs at Dawson's grave when the film was first released. I was greatly moved, not only by the movie, but by the way a seminar speaker (Ron Hutchcraft) used the story of the Titanic to convict me of shortcomings in my own life. The speaker pointed out how many of the lifeboats carrying survivors of the wreck were not completely full. In other words, those who had been rescued did not go back to rescue more, even though there was space in the lifeboat. We may see this as a heinous crime, but the speaker pointed out how we as Christians are guilty of the same "crime". We have been "rescued" through our profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but we do not try to "rescue" others who are still out there in the darkness. We just stay content in the safety of our own "boat of salvation". When preparing to write this blog post, I went to that speaker's website, and noted that he had several parables related to the Titanic that he has used on his daily radio broadcasts. Colossians 1:13 from The Message says "God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating." The 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is a good time to remember that WE, as Christians, are called to be "rescuers" of the perishing. Who will you rescue today??? Miles of "life-saving" smiles ! Tricia

Central Arkansas Nature Center---I finally found it!

I first heard about the Central Arkansas Nature Center when I was taking classes to become a certified Arkansas Master Naturalist (www.home.arkansasmasternaturalist.org ). I read that it had the address of 602 President Clinton Avenue, which puzzled me because I had been on that street many times, yet had never seen the Nature Center. But last month during a visit to Little Rock, I was determined to find the place, and used my handy-dandy GPS unit to assure I did not get lost. The bossy little ole lady talking out of my devise told me I had arrived at 602 President Clinton Avenue, but I thought she must be wrong, as all I could see from my car was the Clinton Museum Store, and a big empty space next to it. It wasn't until I lowered my line of sight, that I could see the somewhat smaller sign at a lower level that said "Will Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center".

But I still did not see a building that looked like a nature center. All I could see from my car, was this long pedestrian bridge that seemed to be leading into the wild blue yonder! So I parked my car nearby in the free parking area underneath the Interstate exit ramp just a block down the street. Paid parking is also available at the River Market parking deck on 2nd Street.

Once I got my car parked, and actually walked the pedestrian bridge, I saw that it led to an elevator, or a stairwell, that took you down several stories to the actual street entrance of the Nature Center, where there is a lovely sculpture of an iconic wildlife specimen seen in Arkansas.

There is a very nice covered picnic area between the east and west buildings of the nature center, with clean restrooms adjacent to the patio, as well. One has a clear view of the Arkansas River as they dine in this quiet spot, away from the hustle and bustle of the traffic, on the street above.

As you enter the nature center, there are things to see from floor to ceiling in the spacious interior. There are representations of Arkansas birds suspended from the ceiling; there are examples of Arkansas fish mounted between the windows; there are dioramas representing the five aquatic habitats found in Arkansas---a mountain spring, the main channel of a large river, a cypress swamp, a delta marsh, and a bottom land hardwood forest. The dioramas include an expansive aquarium that is filled with fish found in each habitat.

Displays across the room from the aquarium feature the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's three major divisions --Law Enforcement, Wildlife Management, and Fisheries. The displays have touch-screen displays to explain about each division, and there is also an interactive state map that highlights Arkansas's natural resources, using a laser projection system.

The nature center has animal mounts throughout it that teach visitors what this mammal found in Arkansas is called.

This animal mount reminds us that Arkansas was once called "The Bear State"!

This is not a preserved animal. It is a real, live reptile, kept behind glass, to protect visitors that might get too "friendly" with it! You can phone 501-907-0636 to find out when alligator feeding times are scheduled.

The nature center has a state-of-the-art theater that regularly shows a 10-minute movie that tells the story of conservation in The Natural State.

After the show, visitors will pass through a recreated old trapper's cabin, adorned with furs and the rustic tools used by settlers.

There is a HUGE display of antique fishing lures, with each one being a work of art, designed to snap "the big 'un"!

With built-in benches located the length of the aquarium, and additional padded benches in front of the aquarium, one could "stare away their worries" by observing the fish swimming all around their make-believe habitat.

There is a watchable wildlife lounge, that offers a relaxing area to read, as well as an excellent view of the center's bird-feeding station on the other side of the glass wall, and the Arkansas River beyond.

Of course there is a nature-inspired gift shop, where you can pick up a souvenir or field guide or gifts to enhance your enjoyment of the outdoors.

I especially liked this poster that used a new spin to the familiar political cry "No Child Left Behind"; instead, this poster implores "No Child Left Inside"!! The idea for children (and adults!) to get away from their TV or computer screen, and outside to enjoy all there is to see and do in the great Arkansas outdoors! The Bible tells us that God shows us his power and majesty through his creation of the earth and heavens: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1) If we do not teach our kids to get outside and look at these creations, we are being negligent of our responsibilities to the next generation!

The nature center connects to the Arkansas River Trail, which has become even more popular for bicyclists with the opening of the new pedestrian bridge at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The River Trail is a great place to take an "Urban Hike" where you can enjoy the outdoors, but not have to worry about wading through weeds, mud, or low-water creek crossings! I am thankful to be able to agree with the T-shirt logo on the right that says "I hiked it---I liked it!!" If you would like to plan your visit to this great, FREE attraction in Little Rock, just log on to www.centralarkansasnaturecenter.com and take an Arkansas River Trail expedition that will give you miles of smiles! Tricia