REFLECTIONS OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES EXPEDITION!

The very first article I ever published about Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, (www.crystalbridges.org) was over a decade ago, and there have been several more since then, with the most recent being dated October 14, 2017, and the first being December 12, 2011.  (These can still be found in the archives of this blog).  

However, no matter when I go, there always seems to be something new to see at this amazing facility, located on 134 acres of parkland, in Bentonville, Arkansas.  On my most recent visit, I took the photo below, through the glass walls of one of the current galleries, that shows a major expansion, currently being constructed on the north end of the building.  They are adding 114,000 square feet of galleries, studios, dining options, and event spaces.  The opening of the expanded galleries is planned for June 6-7, 2026.  

I think of Crystal Bridges as a treasure chest for the senses, and the translucent glass treasure chests displayed there, is just one example of artistic masterpieces.

There are also artistic masterpieces whose vibrant colors were created by the Master Painter in heaven, then artistically arranged by a gifted curator here on earth.  

When the exhibits include seashells, I feel compelled to be pictured with this souvenir from the sea, since I have been a collector of seashells, from childhood onward.

With 2026 being the 250th anniversary of the signing of the USA Declaration of Independence, this room-sized display of those famous words is very appropriate.  What makes it even more meaningful, is the fact that the words are written by the placement of thousands of multi-colored shoestrings!

Northwest Arkansas is famous for its poultry industry, since it is the headquarters of the Tyson Corporation.  Where would we be without chickens??!!

Crystal Bridges is not only a free museum for all to enjoy, it provides grants for schools, to pay for bus transportation, to bring students on field trips to the museum!   The museum, which was founded by Sam Walton's daughter, Alice Walton, is a non-profit facility, known for its stunning architecture by Moshe Safdie.

At one time, Northwest Arkansas led the entire country in new construction projects, and the accompanying landscaping needed for new construction.  Therefore this colorful "room divider" made of an assortment of colored implements, might make the budding sculpture artist, reconsider throwing out the old metal tools, they may have inherited from their parents!

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Has anyone every made a wish, by blowing on the "lighter than air" spires of a dandelion?  Perhaps, that was the inspiration behind this magnificent work of metal art!

An Arkansas find, the giant crystal on the left of this photo, was a nod to the word "crystal" that is the namesake of the museum.   The colorful glass balls, floating on the water feature, were part of a Chihuly exhibition.  

The huge mirrored heart that hangs from the ceiling of the restaurant at Crystal Bridges, is always a magnet, for folks wanting to get their photo made with it.  

One of the outdoor ponds on the property has been the location of an installation called "Narcissus Garden", by artist Yayoi Kusama.

There are nearly 1800 mirrored spheres, recalling the story of Narcissus, the self-obsessed hunter in Greek mythology, who is lured to a pond where, upon gazing at his own reflection in the water, he falls in and drowns.  

Being photo-obsessed myself, I tried to get as close to one of the spheres as I could, without falling into the water.  In the photo below, I got down on my knees to get a low-angle shot.

  Having survived the low-angle shot, I stood up try a different viewpoint.  

The photo below shows that these spheres truly are floating on actual water, and as such, they are not only reflecting what is above them, but the unseen (to us humans) that is below them!

It was not until I started writing this blog post, that I realized I have an exact replica of the Crystal Bridges silver spheres, on the top of my bookshelf at home.  It has been there for decades, as a souvenir I carried home from a scuba diving trip with my husband, in Cozumel, Mexico.  (The items on each side of the sphere are candle holders my father made, back in the last century, where he cut the bottom off of two-liter soda bottles, to make lanterns for the wooden stands the bottles sit in.)   The water at Crystal Bridges reflects its surroundings, the silver spheres reflect their surroundings, and the candle holders reflect my father's heart for wood crafting projects.  Therefore, I am using these items as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."  Proverbs 27:19

This visit to Crystal Bridges and these reflections, give 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

 

CALIFORNIA EMPIRE GOLD MINE EXPEDITION!

On one of my visits to see relatives Out West, my cousin, Ron, and his wife Claudia, took me to see their town's most popular visitor attraction, which is the Empire Mine State Historic Site (www.parks.ca.gov).  I took this photo of the couple at one of many scenic photo opportunities, available  within the location.  

 

The Empire Mine State Historic Site is located in Grass Valley, California, and the massive rocks lining the steps at the visitor center (the former carriage and automobile house of the estate), are very appropriate, since Empire Mine was a source of gold that is from a process called Hard Rock Mining.  This is a different process of mining from "panning" for gold in a flowing stream (called "placer mining").  Both processes were taking place simultaneously in northern California, after the gold rush of 1849.  

  After a visitor pays the small admission fee to take the guided tour, they can explore the entire park, including the manicured estate grounds of the Bourn family, that includes this picturesque fountain.   It is a coincidence that this cousin ended up in a town known for mining, because our mutual grandparents also hailed from a town known for mining---Lead Hill, Arkansas.  At one time, the northern Arkansas location was mined for its lead deposits, although all that remains of any old lead mines there, have been covered up, when Bull Shoals Lake was formed, from a dam on the White River.  

These "A Frame" structures in the garden area, provide a growing platform for the formation of an outdoor arbor.  

Because of its neatly manicured shrubs, intertwined with brick paths, some visitors are reminded of being in a formal English-style rose garden.  

The entire tour group was able to sit on a covered porch, as the tour guide pointed out details of the construction of the property, including the type of stone used throughout.  

The guided tours are led by volunteers and if one goes to the website, there is a disclaimer with the statement showing the hours that tours are offered, that says if there is no volunteer available, there is no tour.  I have done some volunteer work at a state park near me, and I know the important role volunteers play in our nation's park systems, both state and national.  

My cousin Ron is looking over an antique stove that is in the kitchen area of the home.  Ron and I share the same paternal grandparents, and can recall some of the old-fashioned cooking methods they used on their farm.  In fact, one of my memories is when family members gathered to work all day on the slaughter, skinning, chopping, and grinding of a hog, the family raised for food.  I remember there was a giant kettle of boiling liquid, that I was told to stay away from, because they were in the process of making lye soap, from the fat rendered out of the hog.  I remember my parents brought home a congealed "substance" they called souse, which was used as a protein source, as long as it lasted.  Souse is made up of bits and pieces of leftover hog parts, including the organs of the animal, the collagen released during the boiling process, serves as a binder to congeal the substance after it is cooked.  Since we ate it straight out of the refrigerator, it was our form of "cold cuts"!  (Nutrition research now shows that collagen is very beneficial to our health, but since many more people now used processed meats, rather than fresh meat, collagen is deficient in the American diet.  Hence, it is being marketed as a separate powder, to add to one's food or beverage).  Any memory of my maternal grandparents cook stove, includes standing beside my grandma as a little girl, and asking her how she knew when the lard she was heating to fry up the chicken she had just butchered, was hot enough to put the raw chicken in.  She said she spit into the hot grease, to see if her spit sizzled.  Not knowing she was kidding me, I immediately spit into the frying pan of hot grease!  The only thing that sizzled was my rear end, after I was spanked for such unladylike behavior! 

Since my husband was a hunter, the idea of an animal mount adorning the walls of a home seems perfectly natural to me.  However, all of our trophy mounts are white-tail deer, bear, fish, and pheasants, whereas this California family room, shows moose and elk head mounts. 

The Visitor Center of the Empire Mine has what is called "The Secret Room", because it was known only to the mine company's owner and board of directors.  The room contains a 1938 scale model, of the 367 miles of underground shafts that lay beneath our feet.  It is hard to imagine what it must have been like to go to work in the very deepest of these shafts, and spend hour after hour, hammering  away at the solid rock.   The placard told us that about one inch represents the current mine tunnels that one can still enter.  Furthermore, anything below two inches, is now flooded, because of the high water table in this part of Nevada County, California.  The tunnels went deeper than 1,200 feet, which was considered the maximum, during the time the mine was operational.  During that period, it required constant pumping, to keep water out of the lower tunnels.  

One can also tour the abandoned mining equipment and out buildings, that surround the visitor center.  In addition, there are 14 miles of hiking, horseback riding, and biking trails on the 856 acres of forested land that comprises the park.  

It is not surprising that this site has a well-stocked gift shop, with numerous precious metal and precious stones, some in the shape of a heart, that one can purchase as a souvenir of your visit.  It takes a tremendous amount of refining to get the tiny amounts of gold found in ore, extracted, then melted into a form that can be of use as jewelry.  Likewise, it takes a tremendous amount of refining to get ME, to abandon my bad habits and create a pure heart within me!  I am using all the sparkling silver and gold items, and HEART pendants, I saw in the gift shop, as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart."  Proverbs 16:3   

This visit to Empire Mine, with my cousins, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia