3D LESLIE EXPEDITION!

A few years ago, several members of  the hiking group I am in (WHO-which stands for "Women Hiking the Ozarks) purchased convertibles, and were looking for "excuses" to take their convertibles out for a spin, as a group.  Since a Drive somewhere would call for a Dining experience, followed by a Dessert experience, the name "3D" was coined, to stand for Drive, Dine, and Dessert.  Each lady took responsibility for planning an outing once per month.  Over time, some of the ladies that had convertibles, have sold them, so now just about any kind of car can participate!  This blog is about a trip planned by Kim, who is shown in photo below, with her beautiful Corvette:

Recently, our 3D group of ladies made a trip to Leslie , Arkansas , on a very warm day in August, to enjoy shopping and dining.  We parked  behind and beside the Skylark Cafe, and posed for a group photo, taken by a tourist from out of state, that we convinced to take our photo:

After she took our group photo, I asked the out of state tourist if she would like for me to take her photo by the sign and the house.  She said "yes", so while the rest of the group headed for shopping, I stayed behind to do my favorite thing---take photos!  After seeing how striking the photo was of the tourist on the front porch, she also took my photo on the cafe's front porch---with me showing arms uplifted in gratitude:

Since it was an hour until the cafe opened, we walked the one block down to Leslie's main street, to see the unique vernacular architecture, and look inside the shops that were open.  We passed by the original Serenity bread store location, which sadly was damaged when a large truck hit its corner post, and damaged the exterior.  Fortunately, I was able to remember the store from a visit I made there in the early 2000's, on a trip between North Arkansas, and Little Rock.  I was going to visit my son, who had just started medical school at UAMS, so I stopped to check out the store, which I had read about in travel magazines.  It was located in a building listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Sites, and has a unique exterior.  This was one of the town's first brick buildings, constructed in 1907, and originally served as a bank. 

Even though I paid the most I had ever paid for a loaf of bread, my son was not impressed, when I proudly presented him with the gift .   He was not used to seeing round bread, instead of sliced loaf bread!

Just past the former bakery, our first stop was the L.A. Salon and  Boutique (870-447-2207), which had dozens of unique items, not seen in "big box" stores!

The store had some cute, unique tee shirts I had not seen for sale anywhere else! The design shown in this photo incorporates  many aspects relative to this area.  Leslie is in the Ozarks, people from Arkansas are sometimes called "Arkies", the town is close to Buffalo National River, and the shape of Arkansas forms the border for the big "A" in the center!  Kudos to the artist who designed it!

My friend named Leslie needs one of these tee shirts, as well as some physicians I know as "Dr. Leslie"!

From the boutique store, we sauntered along Main Street to a corner brick building, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.  My friend Cindy took this photo of its exterior, which contained all kinds of wooden gift items.

By this time, the cafe had opened, so we walked back to fulfill the "Dine" requirement for our trip, and Cindy took our photo as we waited for our meal to be served.  If  "walls could talk", imagine the stories that could be told by these walls that are over 100 years old!  This home was owned by Dr. J.O. Cotton, who died at the age of 87, in 1959.  During his career, he delivered more than 3,000 babies---some of them (probably) in this very location!

Everyone enjoyed their meal, and wanted to remember the occasion, by taking more photos on the front porch of the home.

I have mentioned my photographer friend, Cindy, so the photo below shows her in the orange dress, with her ever-present fancy camera in tow:

This "long shot" of the cafe shows its location at 401 High Street, in Leslie, and also gives an idea of its structure. The home is a 1915 Craftsman-style house.  Notice on the side next to the sign, that the long, exposed "rafter tails" are visible.  The front porch is supported by two large brick and wooden posts. A wheel-chair ramp has been added on the right side of the porch to make it handicap accessible.  When James Oliver Cotton first came to Leslie, he was a school teacher.  Later he took the training to become a physician, and was kept busy by the various maladies/accidents of those involved in the very busy lumber business of the town, back in the last century.  At one time, Leslie was the home to the largest wooden barrel producer in the world, the Williams Cooperage Company. 

After the photo session, it was time to load back up in our vehicles, and drive to our next stop.  This led to the part of the trip Mark Twain would define as an "adventure".  The famous author  wrote, "You can tell you are having an adventure, if, when it is happening, you wish it weren't!" The vehicle I was in, started backing up, and as soon as the vehicle started to beep, indicating we were getting close to an obstacle, the driver stopped immediately, and put it in drive, to go forward.  Sadly, it was too late, as the passenger side back wheel had dropped into a hole, and was suspended in mid air. 

The crooked position of the driver side rear wheel made us concerned there might be a damaged rear axle, and a wrecker was probably going to have to be summoned!  It was at this point, that I uttered the "Lightning Prayer of Nehemiah", that I had learned when my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) group studied the book of Nehemiah.  The prayer is basically a plea to God, for immediate help in a time of need: "So I prayed to the God of heaven." Nehemiah 2:4b

Seconds after I prayed, a man appeared, and said he thought he could help us.  He had noticed the giant decal on the end of the truck, indicating it was a 4X4 Off Road vehicle.  And we were, indeed, "off the road", in that one wheel was not touching the road! He told our driver, the truck could be put in fourwheel drive and maneuvered out of the situation.  Sensing the driver's hesitancy, he offered to do the job for her.  And he was successful!  He managed to engage the front wheels enough, to pull the truck forward, and out of the hole!  Prayers answered, and no need for a wrecker or tow truck!

Later, after the man got out of the truck, our driver offered to pay him for the vital assistance he had provided.  He said he did not need any payment, but asked for the opportunity to pray with the driver.  This happened just as I was walking up to thank him, so I quickly snapped a photo of this sincere act of kindness that I was witnessing.  The gentleman, who told us his name was Ryan, and was from Texas, will never know what a blessing he was to our group that day!

After sufficient time to calm our nerves, we headed for the downtown area again, for more antique shopping, and then over to our dessert location at Ryan's Main Street Grill (870-447-2264), which is famous for its homemade pies.  The photo below shows the group at Ryan's.

Some of the ladies ordered carrot cake, some ordered strawberry pie, and some ordered peanut butter pie.  Everyone agreed they were all fantastic.
Since the downtown location of the Serenity bread store was not fully operational, we made the short drive to the historic home located along Cove Creek, adjacent to Highway 65.

The house is a 1920s Sears and Roebuck Kit House, and has been turned into a delightful stop for those traveling Highway 65, between the Arkansas State line and Little Rock.

There are delicious pastries to be found inside, plus many specialty teas and coffee products:

As we were leaving, I noticed that the tables on their porch were made from treadle sewing machine bases, which my family has used for decades for the same purpose!

If you would like to plan a "culinary tour" of this area, check out these websites:  www.skylarkforever.com and www.serenityfarmbread.com for more information.

This 3D Expedition to Leslie, Arkansas, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA EXPEDITION!

 I recently was on a road trip Out West, where I drove through Bryce Canyon National Park,  Zion National Park, then continued on to drive through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  This put me onto the western entrance of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

 

The Glen Canyon Recreation Area is a national recreation area and conservation unit of the National Park Service, under the Department of the Interior, and encompasses the area around Lake Powell and Cataract Canyon .  (Cataract Canyon is located within Canyon Lands National Park.)  The stated purpose of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is for recreation and preservation.  As such,  public access to Lake Powell has been developed via five marinas.  One of these Marinas is in the Wahweap arm of Lake Powell,  On my drive, I had the opportunity to take a side trip to the Wahweap Overlook:

At the overlook, you will have an expansive view of the Glen Canyon Dam, Bridge, and Lake Powell.  The dam holds back the flow of the Colorado River, to form Lake Powell.  The lake is named after John Wesley Powell, a Civil War veteran who explored the Colorado River, via 3 wooden boats in 1869.  The maximum depth of Lake Powell was 583 feet, and its average depth used to be 132 feet, but is much less now, than when it was formed in 1963.  One reason for this is the fact that sediments flowing in from the Colorado and San Juan Rivers have settled at the bottom of Lake Powell, and the sediments decrease the total amount of water the reservoir can hold.  It is estimated that about eleven billion gallons of storage capacity has been lost between 1963 and 2018. 

There is a covered pavilion at the Wahweap Overlook, to allow visitors to sit and take in the amazing landscape.  Public use areas such as this have been made possible, by the formation of the Glen Canyon Recreation Area, in 1972. 

The overlook is a favorite place for photographers to set up their tripods for capturing magnificent sunset photos:

Since there were people at the overlook, I asked one of them to take the photo of me with uplifted arms, showing gratitude to God for the opportunity to take in the amazing scenery:

This is also a good place to get a view of the marina far below.   The "bathtub ring" around the shoreline, is a clue that the lake is extremely low.  In fact, in April of this year, it reached its lowest point, since it was formed by the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, almost sixty years ago. 

If you go to the website for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ( www.nps.gov ), you will see the alerts telling you that several of the marinas no longer can offer access to motorized boats, due to low water levels.  However, the closed ramps can still be used for watercraft such as kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards.  Regarding paddle boards and swimming, another alert warns of the danger of harmful water conditions due to pollutants/bacteria being more concentrated at these lower water levels, and one should wash off their skin with clean tap water,  as soon as possible, after being in the lake.

The next stop along my drive was the Carl Hayden Visitor Center.  Carl Hayden was an Arizona senator, who sponsored the creation of the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. In sponsoring the 19th amendment, he went on record as saying he wanted to do it in honor of his ARKANSAS-born mother, who was very active in the women's suffrage movement. 

The entire front of the visitor center is an expansive collection of windows.  Likewise, the opposite side of the visitor center is a wall of glass, that looks out over the Colorado River, and provides good views of the dam. 

Although it was closed when I arrived, I was able to still enjoy a quiet time of "reflection" in the mirrored windows!

This bridge is built over the Colorado River, and is placed in front of the dam.

If going inside the visitor center is important to you, be sure to call before hand to see when they are open:

There is a fountain with a U.S.A. flag in the background, that reminds us of the importance of water in the U.S.A. economy.   Senator Carl Hayden was keenly aware of this fact, when he co-sponsored the Colorado River Storage Act of 1956, authorizing the creation of the Glen Canyon Dam. 

I like this photo, with a lady who looks familiar,  in the reflection:

This photo below shows me with power lines in the back ground.   Those power lines are a reminder for me to mention that one of the purposes of the Glen Canyon Dam is for hydroelectric power.  Because of low water levels, Glen Canyon Dam is only operating at 60% of its hydroelectric capacity.  Electric generation will stop all together if Lake Powell drops to 3,490 feet.  The level now is 3,534 feet.  These concerns for insufficient electric power, make me thankful that I do not have to worry about God's "Divine Power" running out.  So I am using this photo as a visual aid for my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verse that says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

When I left the visitor center, I drove across the bridge, towards Page, Arizona.  (Lake Powell is in both Utah and Arizona.)  Just across the bridge, there is a parking area where one can park their car, and walk across the bridge, in a dedicated pedestrian walkway, which is what I did.

Glen Canyon Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam, which means it curves upstream in a narrowing curve that directs most of the water pressure against the canyon rock walls, providing the gravity force to compress the dam.  An arch gravity dam can be thinner than a pure "gravity dam" and requires less internal fill.

Glen Canyon Dam is 256 feet high, and 2,256 feet wide. The white shoreline around Lake Powell behind the dam, shows the dramatic loss of water depth due to the drought conditions in the West.  

How would you like to be the employee whose job duties include climbing to this "perch" on the tall bluff above the Colorado River?

In the past, I frequently saw travel magazine advertisements praising the use of giant houseboats on Lake Powell, but the drought conditions of the last 23 years in the southwest, have made it more difficult for some boat owners to get the same amount of use out of their watercraft, as they did before the drought.  Some boats have been taken out of the water all together for this reason.  I took a photo of one such boat, that was bigger than my house!

Another drydocked boat may be functioning as a garage for a pickup truck now:

Although the future of the Glen Canyon Dam is uncertain, it will be many years before major changes can be completed.  Environmental groups continue to push for its decommissioning, saying there needs to be a feasibility study done by the federal government, looking into the drilling of a new tunnel at the base of Glen Canyon dam, to allow Lake Powell to be drawn down completely, if necessary.  Since 40 million people in seven states rely on water from the Colorado River, this issue cannot be ignored indefinitely.  So my suggestion is that if you want to see Lake Powell, you do it sooner, rather than later!  I am very thankful I had the opportunity to do so, and learning about its history has given me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

TONTITOWN GRAPE FESTIVAL EXPEDITION!

 Tontitown is located in northwest Arkansas, in Washington County.  It has a fascinating history, and you can learn highlights of this history at their museum, located in the home of some of the original Italian settlers, located at 251 East Henry DeTonti Boulevard.

I visited Tontitown during the Grape Festival, so the museum was open!  You can check to see the hours the museum is open, or set up an appointment to visit, by phoning 479-361-9800.

 

The first time I attended the grape festival, I was in college, and I bought some of the fresh grapes they were selling, and took them back to Fayetteville, in a basket that looked like the one below:  Then, the "kitchen disaster" started!  I did not have cooking facilities in the dormitory facility, so I was using the kitchen facilities in a friend's apartment.  Although I had never made jelly in my entire life, I decided I would make grape jelly from this huge amount of grapes I had just purchased.  I cooked the grapes, then added the Sur-gel, as directed on the package. Then I poured the boiling hot grape concoction, into an empty, recycled glass mayonnaise quart jar.  As soon as I finished pouring all the hot grape mixture into the thin, recycled glass jar, sitting inside a cold porceline sink, the jar started to crack and proceed to go down the drain.  I was SOOO disappointed because I had spent considerable time prepping the grapes, washing the grapes, cooking the grapes, straining out the seeds---then seeing it all go down the drain!!  Needless to say, I have not made jelly since then! 

Even before I went to college at Fayetteville, I visited Tontitown when I was attending a plant science institute at U of A, between my junior and senior year of high school.   I roomed with Miss Jeff Taylor.  Her father had also been a U of A attendee, and while a student there, he would make the drive to Tontitown to eat at a restaurant there called "Mary Maestri's".  When he came to visit his daughter, he took her and me to that cafe one evening, and we had a delicious spaghetti meal there. 

 Notice the sculptor who made the bust of Father Pietro Bandini, is a descendant of Mary Maestri:

Father Pietro Bandini was a Roman Catholic priest remembered for founding Tontitown, in 1898.  Books like the ones below will tell the reader that the town is named after Henry DeTonti, who was the Chief Lietenant of famous explorer LaSalle, who is credited with the first European settlement in Arkansas, in 1686.  The Arkansas Post National Monument, located in area where the Arkansas River runs into the Mississippi River paid tribute to Henry DeTonti, with the information placard, pictured in this photo:

  Father Bandini's first assignment was in Montana, where he was a missionary to the Native Americans.  But he had a life-long dream of founding a colony for Italian immigrants.  He had a theory that placing Italian immigrant in interior of U.S., on land similar to their homeland.  He thought they could prosper and become useful citizens in such a location. 

This lovingly-crafted photo quilt is a wall hanging in the museum that shows glimpses of many of the original families and town structures. 

The artifacts in this room of the museum are items from the Catholic churches that have been in Tontitown.  One of these churches burned, and another was destroyed by a tornado, but these items were saved.  

When I saw this accordian, I was reminded of the accordian my sister used to own, that was destroyed in the 1961 flood that covered my parent's business, where her accordian was stored.  

Seeing this hand crocheted baby outfit, reminded me of hand crocheted baby outfits I still have, that were made by my great grandmother. 

This ornate organ must have been a luxury for the little community.

This confessional window is in the museum, and reminded me that one can listen to oral interviews from Tontitown original settler descendants.  One of the Maestri interviewees remembers that her first confessional in the little Catholic church, where she asked forigiveness for stealing one of the jacks from her friends game. 

The timeline on the wall at the museum shows how the Italian immigrants came from Italy and settled in Sunnyside, Arkansas, in Chicot County.  That is Arkansas Delta country, and at the time, there was no mosquito control, or reliably sanitary water sources, so that disease was a constant problem.  For this reason, Father Bandini led the group to northwest Arkansas, where he bought 800 acres of farmland for $15/acre. 

After the move to Tontitown, the immigrants started planting vineyards, orchards, and vegetable gardens.  This enabled them to survive.   Bandini went on to become mayor of Tontitown, and had a brochure printed up about Tontitown (which was distributed throughout the USA via train service).  The brochure encouraged other Italian immigrants to move to Tontitown, hoping to cash in on the promise on the brochure, that said Tontitown was the "World's Ideal Vineyard."

This giant green jar was used to store grape juice.  In the history of Tontitown, grape growing was very important, in part because the Welch Company ( a co-op of grape growers) had a plant in Springdale.  This was a positive economic factor for many years, but when the price of grapes declined, the vineyards were no longer profitable .  About the same time, the poultry industry was starting to take off in the area, so many of the Tontitown converted land that had been used to vineyards, to "broiler houses" that would raise about 600 chickens.  (This is tiny compared to present day broiler houses)

The orchards and vineyards also supplied the raw products needed to make wine, and local wines could be purchased at produce stands in Tontitown back in the olden days. 

This automated bottle filler must have been a wonderful improvement over handfilling each bottle individually!

These vintage farm implements on display are a reminder that the first settlers had an agriculture-based economy,

The tradition of a Grape Stomp continues, and photos on the festival website (www.tontigrapefestival.com) show barefoot contestants CRUSHING grapes in a large tub.  That provides the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) Scripture memory verses that says, "The God of peace will soon CRUSH Satan under your feet.  May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." Romans 6:20

The Tontitown Grape Festival always has a pageant to choose a lady to reign over the festivities.  In honor of the Concord grape, she is called "Queen Condordia".  The museum has a coronation dress, that belonged to one of these members of "royalty".

A long-standing tradition for the Tontitown Grape Festival is the carnival, and on the early morning day I visited, the rides were not open yet. 

The festival is also famous for their chicken and spaghetti dinners. One year, my friend Linda and I had the good fortune to get to try one of their famous dinners, and enjoyed eating it on the church lawn.

Another time I made a point to attend the festival was when my recording artist friend, Brian McComas, was performing on the stage.  Notice the stage in the photo below is not elevated as many outdoor venues, and as such, I remember my granddaughter was so young then, she could sit on her dad's shoulders to see Brian on stage.  That granddaughter is all grown up now, and in medical school in near-by Fayetteville!  The green and yellow WM sign is a reminder to thank sponsors Waste Management, for being a major sponsor of the Grape Festival. 

There are food and craft booths at the grape festival, so one will not go hungry at this event!

The St. Joseph Catholic Church that was standing when I was in college, began to deteriorate, so it had to be replaced.  As a tribute to the intimate  history of the church  is intwined into the history of the town itself, it was decided that the bell tower of the original church would be saved and restored.  The photo below shows what the tower looked like after the sanctuary was removed. 

The historic monument now is a tribute to the people, whose faith in God, enabled them to leave their home country and start life in a new and foreign land. 

Notice the emblem of the sacred cross that is included in the design of the railing on the steps.  Notice also the design on the Gothic-style window, that originally was a stained glass window in the church.  Notice the cluster of grapes that included in the design of the window decoration. 

In 2024, the Tontitown Grape Festival is scheduled for August 6-10, and is billed as their 126th festival.  You can get updates on performers, meal tickets, vendors, etc., on their Facebook page.  The festival dates back to August, 1898, when the original settlers were so happy for their bountiful grape harvest, that they held a special Mass of thanksgiving, followed by a frolic to celebrate the blessings God had given them. 

I have shared a few of my memories of Tontitown, starting in the 1960's, but you can hear interviews of locals that were born in Tontitown, from long before the sixties.  I really enjoyed listening to them, and would encourage you to not only listen to them, but actually attend the 2024 festival.  Visiting Tontitown, and the loved ones who live there, has always given me "MILES OF SMILES"!   Tricia

The photo below shows you are always welcome in TONTITOWN, ARKANSAS!  BENVENUTO!