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

Historic Washington state park

 Most folks have heard about the tourist attraction called, "Colonial Williamsburg", in Virginia, and Historic Washington State Park has the nickname of the "Williamsburg of Arkansas".  Furthermore, just like in Williamsburg, the horse-drawn surrey seen in this colorful sign, is a reminder that horse-drawn surrey rides can be arranged at Historic Washington State Park!  See their website for more information (www.ArkansasStateParks.com)

Wooden plank sidewalks define the Washington Historic District, which is about 100 acres, and contains about 54 buildings.  Washington was named after George Washington, and was incorporated on his birthday in 1824.  It was originally the county seat of Hempstead County, in southwest Arkansas.  It has been called a museum village, and contains hundreds of pioneer artifacts from the area.  The photo below shows the 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse.

  I was there after the Visitor Center was closed, but thanks to a "relocation" of the passport stations to the outdoors, one can do a rubbing of that particular park's stamp, even if the visitor center.  Then there is a prize, for those people who get a rubbing from all 52 of Arkansas state parks. 

This quilt design was on one of the buildings at Historic Washington State Park.  It is a subtle nod to the famous Bowie knife.  It was blacksmith, James Black of Washington, who claimed to have made a knife for Jim Bowie, who gained fame for his participation in the battle of the Alamo in Texas.  The connection of these knives to Arkansas inspired an alternative term for "Bowie knife", calling it instead the "Arkansas toothpick".  One may ask, what was Jim Bowie doing in historic Washington?  The answer is that it was on the Southwest Trail that ran from St. Louis to the Red River port of Fulton, also in Hempstead County, just 12 miles from Historic Washington.  At the time, the Red river was the border between the United States and Mexico. William B. Travis, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett also traveled through Washington on their way to Texas.

Notice this Bicentennial marker has a design that shows the shape of Hempstead County, as well as a Bowie knife separating 1818 from 2018.  Just as they did in 1818, "Wannabe blacksmiths" were coming to this area n 2018, to take classes in how to forge knives such as a Bowie knife. 

This sign designates that Washington was in the area affected by The Camden Expedition, during the Civil War.  The Camden Expedition (March 23-May 3, 1864) was the final campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas.  The offensive was designed to cooperate with Major-General N.P. Banks' movement against Shreveport.  However, the Union army suffered terrible losses in a series of battles with Confederate forces.  The Union army goal had been to occupy Camden, a port city on the Ouachita River, to resupply.  These efforts were unsuccessful, and The Camden Expedition is said to have been the greatest Federal military disaster in Arkansas through the war. 

After starting at the Visitor Center, one can continue to the Blacksmith Shop, Weapons Museum, Print Museum, and other historic locations that make up the largest collection of 19th-century buildings in the state. 

Greg Butts is a former director of Arkansas State Parks, and his name was beside a newly-planted catalpa tree on the lawn of the Visitor Center.    The catalpa tree is the sole source of food for the catalpa sphinx moth, where the moth's caterpillars eat the leaves.  Because the caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing,  some dedicated anglers plant catalpa mini-orchards for their own private source of "catawba-worms".   Clio is a website (www.theclio.com) and mobile application, similar to the apps that help you find a nearby restaurant or repair shop.  Clio picks up your present location and guides you to landmarks, museums, and historical/cultural sites.  (According to Greek mythology, Clio was the muse of history and lyre playing) Clio is free for everyone,, funded by donations  that are tax deductible, as a 501c3 entity. 

The two chimneys on the side of this building harken back to a time when wood burning was the only source of heat for a domicile.  That is the time period when Washington was the Confederate capitol of Arkansas, because Little Rock had been occupied by Union troops.  This two story Greek revival is called the Woodlawn House, and was built in 1850's.  In the 1980's the Pioneer Washington

wpa sign

gym

school

unicycle

I remember a big kettle similar to this one, being used whenever my paternal grandparents slaughtered a hog, and then rendered the fat to make lye soap.  My father would help cup up the hogs into quarters, and after salting, they would be hung in the smoke house, for use later in the year.  I remember we usually brought home "chitlins and "hog souce" after such occasions .  Chitlins are the intestines of a pig that have been cleaned, boiled, and fried.  Hog souce features the various parts of the pig, including the feet, head, ears, and tail, that have been cleaned, cooked, and pressed together to form a loaf, that slices like Spam.   

When I was a youngster, both my maternal and paternal grandparents lived in the country, and they each had a water well similiar to this.  The metal bucket hanging from the rope going over the pully, was lowered into the deep well, and then carefully pulled up out of the well, hopefully without spilling much water. 

I liked the way the outline of a cross had been cut into the gate, leading to the historic church within the district.  (These buildings can be rented for private events, such as a wedding)

This stone marker beside the church indicates that as early as 1818, the pioneers thought it was important to have a house of worship. 

Williams Tavern Restaurant was originally located 10 miles away just off the Southwet Trail in the community of Marlbrook.  Built in 1832, it was owned by John Williams and during the 19th century, served as a local tavern for travelers.  In the 1980's, the building was moved to Washington.  It continue that tradition of welcoming travelers serving as the restaurant at the park.  One can phone 870-983-2890 to get updated serving times. 

 

I read that the Crouch House was considered Greek revival architecture, and that Mr. Crouch had been a jeweler.  Notice the boardwalk in front of the fence, which is a defining aspect of the historic district.  

Besides the possibility of staying at a former jail (shown below), groups can also arrange to stay in the 1914 Washington School.  It has been remodeled to accommodate 48 bunk beds. 

There is a video on You Tube where one can see what it would be like to spend the night in the former jail, and the furnishings looked very comfortable.   It would be nice to be a "prisoner" in such a luxurious place.  It reminds me of the phrase in the Bible that talks about being a "prisoner of hope".   

Visiting Historic Washington State Park gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia