FDR PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY EXPEDITION!

 A while back, I attended a week-long Road Scholar (www.roadscholar.org) program, on the life of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  The classroom parts of the program were held at the FDR Library, in Hyde Park, New York.  In the photo below, I am the one in pink, sitting between Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  

The statue of the Roosevelt couple sits near the entrance to the FDR Library, and probably has a steady stream of visitors using it as a photo opportunity to remember the occasion.  

This banner with a photograph of FDR is on the exterior of the building, and is very unpretentious, compared to the signage at some of the other presidential libraries I have visited.

Likewise, the exterior of the building is not impressive in terms of modernistic, futuristic architecture.  Instead, the stone and roof design are reminiscent of the early settlements of upstate New York, which is where the original Roosevelt family immigrants lived.

 The Roosevelts had a Protestant Christian background, and when FDR was sworn in as President of the United States of America, the Bible that was used was turned to I Corinthians 13, that has the passages on faith, hope, and charity.    Although we were not allowed to photograph it, the actual Bible used, is part of the permanent collection at the Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park (www.fdrlibrary.org ).  It is a 1686 Dutch family Bible, printed in Amsterdam.  It is the oldest Bible used in a presidential inauguration and the only one in a foreign language.  The Bible was passed down through the Roosevelt family, and contained records from the early 185h century.  It was also used when FDR was sworn in as Governor of New York in 1928 and 1930.  

God's Word was always important to the president, and the USA President wrote a personal message (dated January 25, 1941), that was placed on the first page of the Servicemen's Bible, given to soldiers involved in World War II.  

The photo below shows Springwood House, which was the lifelong home and birthplace of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in Hyde Park, New York.  It is part of a National Historic Site, located on the same grounds as the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.  Our group was able to take a complete tour inside the . , but we were not allowed to take photos.  The thing I remember most about the interior was seeing the stairs to the second floor.  Our guide told us that after FDR contracted polio, an elevator was installed because he had lost the use of his legs.  However, according to the guide, FDR usually refused to use the lift, and instead, used his upper body strength to crawl up the stairs, saying it helped him stay strong.  The other thing I remember about the house is seeing where he worked on his stamp collection.  Although the hobby has lost popularity now, it was the perfect activity for a person with limited mobility and a keen interest in travel and history.  Although my collection of stamps is not organized as was FDR's, I am still fascinated by the designs of postage stamps and have hundreds of them !  Some people collect stickers, and postage stamps are just a type of sticker!  The 300 acre Springwood Estate includes the Rose Garden, where both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried.   

The Roosevelt dime is pictured below:

It is that fighting spirit that FDR had in overcoming polio, that led to his support of the March of Dimes program, and the reason for the FDR likeness on the US ten cent piece.    I told more details about that situation in a blog I published about visiting the FDR Little White House, in Warm Springs, Georgia.  It is available in the archives of this blog, dated April 12, 2018.  

The photo below shows what the folder looked like that I used in elementary school, to collect dimes for the March of Dimes program to fight polio.  

Our group also visited Val-Kil Historic Site, the cottage built for Eleanor Roosevelt.  Its native stone exterior is an example of the vernacular architecture of that area, and possibly the inspiration for the stone exterior used decades later for the FDR Presidential Library.  The same photography rules applied here as did at the Springwood House, so I do not have any photos of the interior of Val-Kil.  (By the way, many places I visited in upstate New York, had a suffix or prefix of "kil".  It was widely used in areas settled by the Dutch in New York.  It is derived from the Dutch word kille, meaning a riverbed, water channel, creek, or tidal inlet.)  The one image I can remember from the interior, however, was a photograph of President John F. Kennedy and Eleanor inside the cottage, when he came to visit the elderly widow, during his presidential era.  

There was a plaque on the exterior of the grounds, with a motto attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, that probably would be helpful for all of us to strive for!

 

In recent years, the US Mint Quarters program, came out with a quarter with a design honoring Eleanor Roosevelt, and it is pictured below:  (It is ironic that her likeness is on a coin worth 25 cents, while her husband's likeness is on a coin worth ten cents!)

There is a hiking trail that goes from the Springwood House, along the Hudson River, up to the Vanderbuilt Historic Site, also above the Hudson River.  However, this warning by the Duchess County Health Department, about ticks made me rethink the possibility of investigating that trail.  Perhaps if I had done what the Eleanor motto recommended, I would have some more photos to show you of the trail!

However, I settle for a photo of the start of the trail, and that was enough to give me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

1 corinthians 13 passage from swearing in dutch bible--verse i think best exemplified FDR

 

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

 

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