COLER PRESERVE EXPEDITION!

Coler Bicycle Preserve is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and is a wonderful location for numerous types of outdoor activities.  It is one of many properties in Northwest Arkansas, made possible by the philanthropy of the Walton family, whose patriarch, Sam Walton, founded the Walmart Corporation.  A bicyclist who assisted me in finding the preserve (after the navigation system in my vehicle could not locate it), advised me I would have two choices of where to park.  He advised me to try to park in the lower parking lot (probably after seeing I was of the "senior citizen" class), because parking in the second available lot, would result in a challenging (for me) uphill climb on the way out.  I took this photo as I was exiting the parking lot he recommended, because it was completely full.  Then I followed the road shown in the left of the photo, and found the second parking lot he mentioned, which still had plenty of spots available.   

There was a very nice pavilion at the parking lot, which had electrical outlets, tables with chairs, a water fountain and restrooms.  

The concrete sidewalk I used, was only one of the ways a visitor could explore the park.  Notice the elevated ramp on the right of the photo, that bicyclists can use.

The sidewalk meanders downward through a mostly deciduous forest.  The fact that there are no leaves covering the sidewalk, is an indication that diligent attention is being paid to blowing fallen leaves off the sidewalk.  I volunteer with the Arkansas Master Naturalists (www.arkansasmasternaturalists.org) in working on keeping area trails free of leaf build-up, so I know this task does not happen without effort!

At the bottom of the hill, I reached what is called "The Plaza".  It serves as a staging area for meet-ups, and photo opportunities.

The custom-made sign at the Plaza, is different from the one in the parking lot, because it has a map of the park, etched onto its metal surface, winding through the letters C O L E R.  

I visited on an unseasonably warm day, which was the day after Christmas, so not surprisingly, there were many families together, out enjoying the beautiful weather!

This colored arch way, is one of the "OZ ART" installations, and can serve as a landmark, for visitors wanting to mark their location.  

I liked the way the design of the metal roof and sides, to make this covered bridge, mimics the design of old-time wooden covered bridges.  

Although camping is not allowed anywhere you want within the preserve, there is a designated camping area that has received nice on-line reviews, for those who want to be the first on the trails, when the sun comes up!

The park is dog friendly, but of course, dog owners are asked to keep their pets on leash, and clean up after they "do their business."

One of the reasons I was eager to visit the Coler Preserve, is because I had read of its unusual coffee shop, that can only be reached by biking or walking.  No "drive through" window at this location!

One of the reasons I had trouble locating Coler Preserve, is because when I put Airship Coffee shop into my search engine, a downtown location was coming up.  When I phoned the number shown, the person who answered said there are TWO Airship locations, and I was phoning the one downtown, and  yes, it is possible to drive to the downtown location.    

The Airship location in Coler Preserve has clean restrooms, and water fountain, with adaptation for re-filling water bottles.  It has a ramp, making it handicap-accessible, for those using wheelchairs on the sidewalks, to get to the location.  

The roof top of the coffee shop, is set up to make a very nice out-door patio, with chairs and tables for guests.  

A kind, random stranger, agreed to take a photo of me, so I could remember the beautiful environment and weather, where I found myself, on December 26, 2025!

The area adjacent to the roof patio, is equipped with overhead lights, and additional picnic tables.  

The front of the coffee shop is equipped with big chair swings, so visitors can look out across the valley.  

I tried sitting in the swing, but decided that was a scenario perfect for spilling my coffee, all over my white blouse!  

From the rooftop patio of the coffee shop, one has a good view of the old-timey barn, of the original homestead.  There are placards that tell about the history of the family that lived in this valley, and how that history relates to the name "Coler".

The old barn has been retro-fitted, to make it a wonderful area for youngsters (and those young at heart!), to climb around on rope ladders, and explore the second story.  The facility can be reserved for birthday parties, and other special events.  

I really wanted to try to climb the rope ladder, but did not want to wait in line, to make the attempt.  (or at least, that is the excuse I told myself!)

Rope climbing is not the only activity one can participate within the barn.  This visitor was taking advantage of the electrical connection to work from his notebook computer!

The shadows made by the spaces between the boards of the barn construction, make for a type of "Shadow Art" installation!

Beside the barn, examples of antique hay harvesting equipment make another type of vintage metal farm equipment "sculpture".   It provides an opportunity where youngsters can learn that GPS-guided harvesters, were not available to the family that homesteaded this valley! 

In front of the barn, there is a concrete pad, equipped with bike-washing water supply, and other items one might need, to make minor bicycle repairs.

The Quiver mentioned on this sign, is yet another example of an outdoor activity that has benefited from the generosity of the Walton family.  It shares the same website as the Coler information, although The Quiver is all about archery opportunities.  

Just as the neon sign says on this re-purposed outbuilding of the farmstead, one may feel as though they are in "paradise", when they are outside enjoying all the natural beauty of this preserve!

I saw several different people enjoying this hammock beside the stream, and I cannot think of a better location for "live streaming"!

The stream that flows through the valley adds a wonderful ambience to the preserve, but for the original homesteaders here, the stream would have been a necessary water source for livestock and crops---not just something pretty to look at!

Reading this sign near the entrance, is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge about Coler Bicycle Preserve, and will improve your understanding of all the opportunities you can add to your life by visiting here.  

Furthermore, if you read and abide by these "Rules and Regulations", it will improve your chances of adding "accident-free" days and years, to your life.  Therefore, I am using this as the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Through wisdom, your days will be many, and years will be added to your life."  Proverbs 9:10-11

This visit to Coler Bicycle Preserve gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

 

BAXTER COUNTY EXPEDITION!

Baxter County Arkansas is in the north central part of the state, in the Ozark Mountains, and borders Missouri to the north.  Its western boundary is mostly marked by the meanderings of the White River.  The county seat of Baxter County is Mountain Home, Arkansas, and the photo below, is a mural in the downtown historic district, and shows my son (G), and his wife (S), when they came to visit for the time of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.  

I did not want to pass up the opportunity to have a photo with my son, so here is another photo, showing the historic Baker Building, on which the mural is painted.  The Baker Building was originally built on the square in 1892, and is part of the listings on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, originally called the Mountain Home Commercial Historic District.  As of 2023, the name was rebranded as "The Baker District" (www.bakerdistrict.org) 

The tan, three story building in this photo is the Baxter County Courthouse, and sits in the center of the town square.  That third story is significant because around 1912, Cotter was booming, while Mountain Home was in a slow down, so there was talk of moving the county seat to Cotter.  However, there was an Arkansas law that stated a county seat could not be moved from a three-story building, so a third story was quickly added to the Mountain Home structure.  The current courthouse was completed in 1943.  The giant inflatable screen on the lawn of the courthouse was being put in place by a popular restaurant on the square (Rapps Barren), for the purpose of broadcasting a sports playoff game.  

Photo shows G and S on balcony of Rapps Barren Brewing (www.RappsBarrenBrewing.com), which is on the site of the historic Baker Building, of 1892 origins. Of course, it has undergone an extensive and expensive and lengthy restoration, which is detailed on their website.  Rapps Barren was the original name of Mountain Home, Arkansas, because it was started on land owned by Simeon "Rapp" Talburt, who built the first home in the area in the early 1830's. The original cabin is on display in Cooper Park in Mountain Home.  The name of the town was changed to Mountain Home in 1856.  

 

I was thankful for the beautiful weather during their visit, that enabled us to enjoy our meal al fresco.  

The square was cordoned off to auto traffic on the Saturday before the eclipse, so we enjoyed a game of cornhole, with photo showing G and S on one end of the game.  

  I had given G a cornhole game with a Razorback on it, so he has had the opportunity to practice and should be good at this!

 In fact, he did outscore me by alot! 

My tee shirt message is "Sight for Sore Eyes" sold by the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce (www.mountainhome.com) , in reference to the Great American Solar Eclipse.  However, "A sight for sore eyes" is probably what I looked like, when I found myself squealing wih deight and jumping up and down, as I (FINALLY) landed a bag in the hole!

One of the restaurants in the downtown entertainent district has convereted an empty alleyway into a charming outdoor cafe area.

This cobblestone building has been on a corner in the commercial district for decades, so I was saddened when I saw it being town down.  But to my absolute amazement, every single stone of it was saved, and put back in place, on top of newly refurbished walls, around newly refurbished windows!!  I was AMAZED and pleased with the restoration process.  It is now a vrbo rental, and the photo shows G and S, enjoying the outdoor patio setting.  

Another old building downtown was converted to the Scoop Ice Cream shop (www.thedelscorp.com).  The photo shows my loved ones, choosing their "scoop of love".

With our delicious ice cream cones in hand, we took a stroll down the street to get a selfie photo, with a beautiful blooming pink dogwood.

Another activity during the G and S visit, was a look at the "hot rods" parked at the local Hardee's restaurant for their "Shine and Show" event.  

After getting a mother/son photo with a car that reminded me of a car that belonged to my maternal grandparents.  My memories of this car include riding in it with my grandparents (Grover and Effie), while eating a treat my grandmother made---a biscuit sandwich containing egg and sausage---McDonalds copied their idea!  Since my grandparents car was sold to someone who wanted to convert it into a street rod---maybe this used to be their car!

Another stop I wanted to show my visitors was the local hospital, and in particular, a plaque place there, in honor of my husband.

My shadow makes this hard to read; likewise, it is hard to think about how much he is missed.  But the plaque (as well as photos I have of him) are an impetus to repeat Philippians 1:3 verse that says, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."  The verse helped me change my attitude of extended grieving that he was gone, to an attitude of gratitude, for the time we had together.  

I also wanted to show G and S the beautiful campus of Arkansas State University Mountain Home, and in particular, their wonderful, new walking trail, that is paved and meanders through lovely parkland, for enough mileage to get your 10,000 steps.  

G and S told me they wanted to continue the healthy habits they have been working on in California, while they were here in Arkansas, so they continued to run or walk on the roads near my home.  The photo below shows G as he returns from a four-mile run, and I asked him to raise his hands for the photo, even though he was hot and sweaty and tired.  The image is my visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening---it's painful!  But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."  Hebrews 12:11 

My loved ones and I enjoyed a "peaceful harvest" of sightseeing, as we walked around popular areas in the county, giving thanks that none of us required assistive mobile equipment, because we try to stay physically active!  Showing my loved ones around Baxter County, Arkansas, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia