RIVERBOAT EXPEDITION!

 The riverboat, shown in this photo and named the Belle of Louisville, is having a 100-year birthday party, and YOU are invited!  I took this photo of the beautiful piece of history, when it was participating in "Tall Stacks", held in Cincinnati, Ohio, a while back.  Just as the street cars in San Francisco have been declared a National Historic Landmark, likewise the Belle of Louisville was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.  It is completely paddlewheel-driven, and draws only 5 feet of water.  It is the oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat in the world!

 For six days in October, along a beautiful waterfront park on the Ohio River, there will be a huge celebration of riverboat heritage, with live performances from a wide genre of musicians.  The Louisville, Kentucky, event is called the Centennial Festival of Riverboats, and is being held October 14 - 19, 2014.  Besides the gathering of nine riverboats from across the United States.  The Centennial Festival of Riverboats has been rated as one of the Top 100 events in North America in 2014.  

 The great thing about going to live musical performances in a riverfront park location, is the "backdrop" of cruising riverboats, as one enjoys the sounds of the music.

 And, if the performance stage is away from the river's edge, local artists can display their talent with a make-believe stage background!

 Just as the Spirit of Cincinnati is shown lining up for a special race on the day I took this photo, so there will be steamboat races in Louisville.

 Often at these big riverboat festivals in the USA, there are so many  big boats participating, that they cannot all have direct access to the dock.  In that case, the boats "raft up" together, and guests must cross the bow of one boat, to gain access to the boat on the far side.  

 Of course, being so close to another boat's passenger deck, filled with folks like yourself who are there to have a good time,  leads to some interesting banter back and forth! 

 The Spirit of Peoria was at the Cincinnati event, and will also be at the Louisville festival.  This boat captain has at his command, two Caterpillar 3412 diesel engine generator sets that will take him up and down the river with ease, even when the boat is loaded down with passengers!

 This beautiful floating palace is said to be one of the last true paddle wheelers.  At the website, you can buy tickets to take a ride on a variety of different paddle wheelers in attendance.  Besides buying a ticket to be on board for the Parade of Boats or the Opening Ceremonies, you can also buy tickets for an actual race!

 When you read that there will be races at the event, and you see how big the boats are, and the limited width of the river, you may ask yourself, "How is that going to work?"  The answer is, all of the boats do not line up all at once, and go full power at the sound of the starting gun.  Rather, the competition is divided into segments, with two boats racing against each other, and the winner progressing forward, like in a basketball tournament.

 When you see how low these riverboats sit down in the water, you can understand their widespread appeal back in the "olden days" of North America's history.

 The General Jackson is shown in this photo, and it, too, is scheduled to be in Louisville for the festival.  It is a 300 foot paddle wheeler and claims to be one of the largest showboats in the country.  It has 4 decks, with a two-story Victorian theater, where live music shows perform.  

 I took this photo of a storyteller in period costume, at the Cincinnati event, and news releases about the Festival of Riverboats in Louisville, indicate that there will also be storytellers stationed in waterfront park around the boats, to entertain visitors with tales of yesteryear.  

 Steam cannot only power a boat up and down a river, but it can also be harnessed to play a melody.  Getting to hear the sounds from the gleaming brass pipes on the Calliope of one of the boats, was a first for me!

 If you are a small boat owner and think you will just drive your motorboat up to the event, and access it from the water, you may want to do some further investigation.  When I have attended big river festivals such as this, there is a strictly-enforced perimeter of restricted water surrounding the official site of the festival.  You can still enjoy boating on the river, but perhaps not as close to the action as what you would like.  I took a photo of these private boats on the Ohio River, quite a ways down stream from the festival boat headquarters.

 In October, one starts to see advertisements for "haunted house adventures" or a "spook house", and water festivals adjust the theme slightly and have a "haunted boat" tour.

 Although  this bridge over the Ohio River is plenty high enough to avoid touching the tall stacks of this riverboat, most of the original steamboats had stacks that were hinged, so they could be lowered when passing  under bridges.

 There will be a variety of cruises offered, such as meal cruises, sightseeing cruises, fireworks cruises, and dance cruises.  I took this photo of a band performing on the upper deck of the General Jackson, to a very appreciative audience, during one of the evening sunset cruises!

 I took this photo of a riverside church on one of the afternoon sightseeing cruises.  Just as  boats may have the word "spirit" in their name, this church is also associated with the word "spirit".  In fact, it was the Holy Spirit that got me to remembering the photos I had taken at the Cincinnati Tall Stacks festival.  I was trying to think of a visual aid that would help me with one of the memory verses for the current session of First Place 4 Health ( www.firstplace4health.com ) that I am leading at church ( www.myfbcmh.com ).  The verse says "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  2 Corinthians 3:17

 In the USA, we not only have freedom in the Lord, but we have the freedom to travel!  So get out there and enjoy this big beautiful country we have!  Feel the spirit of exploration as you learn about riverboat history, by actually taking a ride on one!  Just log on to www.festivalofriverboats.com to get your tickets.  You can check out other activities in the Louisville area by visiting www.gotolouisville.com .  This rollin'-on-the-river adventure will give you many "nautical" MILES OF SMILES!  Tricia

A PINNACLE EXPEDITION!

 The pointed black peak in this photo is called Black Butte, and is easily viewed from my son's house in Mt. Shasta, California.  All my loved ones who live in that town have climbed to the summit of Black Butte, and I have made it my goal to be included in the "club" that can say they have made it to the summit of Black Butte!  The one time my son and I were going to attempt it, the U.S. Forest Service told us the road to access it was closed, due to snow coverage.  Since then, I have been studying up on it, and learned that the best time to climb it, is from mid-May to mid-November.  Books say it is a 5.2 mile round trip, that most people complete as a "half day" outing.  Its summit is recorded as being at 6,235 feet.  While brainstorming how I could fly out to California to climb it, it occurred to me that I needed to test my stamina for climbing another "pointed peak", that was in my home state of Arkansas.  It did not seem right to travel to another state to climb a mountain, when there was one right in my own "back yard" that I have driven past all my life when making trips to Little Rock, yet never climbed!

 That realization got me to "studying" Pinnacle Mountain in central Arkansas.  This is a photo of Pinnacle, taken from the deck of my friends' home, many miles away from Pinnacle, in Roland, Arkansas.  The cone shaped peak of Pinnacle Mountain has been an Arkansas landmark for generations.  Rising 756 feet from the adjacent flood plains, Pinnacle's rocky peak reaches an elevation of 1,011 feet above sea level. 

 After several phone calls to the Pinnacle Mountain State Park, and talking to lots of people who had already climbed the mountain, I decided it was something I could do, but I would need to find a fellow hiker to go with me, as it is generally recommended that one not hike alone.  That would mean alot of preplanning and coordinating calendar schedules, travel time, etc., etc.

 It crossed my mind that the view that I would see from the summit of Pinnacle Mountain would probably not be that much different from the view that one could see from the easily accessible deck off the back of the Visitor Center!  Since I happened to be in the area of the State Park for another event, I thought the least I could do in preparation for my future "summit attempt" was check out the trail entrance!

  I saw some visitors talking about taking the trail from the visitor's center, that eventually connects to the trail to the summit.  That spurred on my interest!

 The Visitor Center personnel told me another option would be to simply drive to the West Summit Picnic Area, which would greatly shorten the hike.  Even though I was reluctant since I did not have a hiking companion, I thought I could at least check out the area for future reference.  What I found when I arrived there was that it was OVERFLOWING with people!  I could hardly find a parking space.  It was a beautiful sunny, Sunday afternoon, and it seemed that all of Central Arkansas, had converged on the site! 

 After seeing that I would definitely NOT be alone on the trail, I thought I could at least look at the first part of it, and get a "feel" for what it would be like to hike to the summit.

 The signs are necessary because the trail is not without its hazards, particularly at the higher elevations.

 I was used to carrying lots of water after doing desert hiking in Sedona, Arizona, with Road Scholar ( www.roadscholar.org ) earlier in the year, so I had my handy-dandy water bottle carrier with me, as well!

 Various geological features along the trail kept grabbing my attention, making me want to keep on exploring further and further up !

 Some of the trail surfaces have been covered in flat stones, such as the one shown here.

 Some of the trail is divided into broad steps, as shown here.  Seeing women climbing the trail with skirts on reminded me of a story that my son told me on his first attempt to summit Mt. Shasta, as part of a Wilderness Medicine Continuing Education program.  Their leader told them, that whenever they got to thinking it was too difficult for their young, athletic, well-equipped, gear-abundant, Northface-clad bodies to do, to keep in mind that one hundred years ago, the mountain had been summited by some women in skirts down to their ankles!

 As I proceeded upward, there were even benches where I could stop and rest, looking out over the beautiful Arkansas River Valley below!

 This dad is being cautious with his boys, making sure he had a hold on each boy, while simultaneously checking out where the heck he was on the trail!

 I read this sign that said the trail splits into one that is easier versus one that is difficult and directly over the boulders.  That was a "no-brainer"!  I was going to choose the easier trail!

 Unfortunately, however, somehow I missed the marker that was the dividing point for the easier vs. harder trail, and found myself crawling over boulders, and searching for the trail markers that were painted on them to show which general direction to scramble to next!

 But with perseverance, I made it eventually to where the two paths merged, and followed the ridge line to the summit.

 Pinnacle Mountain is part of the "Maumelle Mountains", which were named by the early French explorers.  It seems the peaks reminded them of female mammary glands, or maumelle!

 I am including this photo of me giving the victory symbol of praise to God at the summit, because I was SO PROUD of myself for accomplishing it!  It was just a matter of taking that first step, and then putting one foot in front of the other.  I want to encourage others to get out there and enjoy the beautiful outdoors God has created for us---his great classroom! 

 I had been observing this young lady exploring the ridge trail with her family, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of accomplishment and the beauty around her.  Psalm 36:5 says "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, ....how priceless is your unfailing love."  Another thing that is priceless is the wonderful park system we have in our country.  Many of these parks are promoting what is called a "First Day Hike" on January 1, 2014.  So check out a park near you so you can get the year off to a great start by enjoying the outdoors.  In Arkansas, just log on to www.ArkansasStateParks.com , to find out more.  I guarantee, it will give you "Miles of Smiles"!!  Tricia

FIRST PLACE 4 HEALTH EXPEDITION

 The year 2014 will mark the Twenty Year Anniversary that I will have been participating in the program now called "First Place 4 Health" ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ).  It was originally called simply "First Place", and got its name from the word "first" in the Bible verse from Matthew 6:33 that says "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  I first heard about the program when I was working as a dietitian at the local hospital, and noticed one of my coworkers was getting progressively smaller around the girth.  Since it was my job to stay current on popular weight loss programs, I asked him what was the secret to his being successful at losing weight.  He told me that he and his wife were attending a weekly program at their church called "First Place", and told me the name of the leader.  I contacted the leader, told her about my being a Registered Dietitian interested in learning about weight loss programs, and asked her if I could sit in on one of their classes.  She allowed me to visit, and I saw that the program principles were based on sound nutrition knowledge, and it reminded me of Weight Watchers classes I had attended in another city.  However, there was a major difference:  First Place classes included Bible study and prayer.  Knowing that I needed more spiritual discipline in my life, I signed up to participate in the next session that was offered.  It's hard to believe two decades have passed since then!  It is with great anticipation that I look forward to participating in the next session of First Place 4 Health, which will start on Wednesday, January 8, 2014.   First Place 4 Health is described as a nondenominational, Christ-centered healthy living program, with an emphasis on weight management.  The new name, which includes the phrase " 4 Health" refers to its goal of achieving balance in the areas of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.   The Bible study we will be using for this session is entitled "Start Losing, Start Living".  The book can be ordered from most major book sellers, with a cost of under $20.  The "Start Losing, Start Living" session will run through the end of April, meeting on Wednesday evenings.  The weigh-in  is held from 5:30 pm - 5:45 pm, with the class taking place from 5:45 pm - 6:45 pm, in room 1203 of the Christian Life Center at First Baptist Church, in Mountain Home, Arkansas, located at the 400 Club Boulevard.

 I continued to be a student in First Place classes being held at a different local church, from the one where I completed my very first session.  That new location was the First Baptist Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas ( www.myfbcmh.com ), shown in this photo.  I continued as a student in those classes several sessions, and around 2001, I was asked to be a class leader, which I have been doing every year since then. 

 The First Place 4 Health classes are held in the Christian Life Center ( CLC ) section of  the FBC campus.  It is shown in this photograph, and is distinguished from the other large building, because it does not have a steeple on top of it.  The large lawns in front of the buildings are used for church activities such as flag football, car shows, egg hunts, picnics, and summer celebration events.

 When I first started First Place twenty years ago, my exercise was sporadic, and I don't recall ever walking over two miles at any one time.  This photo shows me with uplifted arms of praise to God, because it represents the culmination of about forty miles of walking over a four-day period, in the area around Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, with a group of about 14 other hikers involved in a Road Scholar program ( www.RoadScholar.org ) .  I am certain I could never have accomplished this, if it had not been for God directing me to the First Place 4 Health program, and His enabling me to continue with it over the years.   No matter where you live, you can participate in a First Place 4 Health program already established, or start your own small group.  You will find all the information on how to do this on their website.  If you would like to participate in the classes I will be leading in 2014, you can email me at triciaturnerfirstplace@yahoo.com for more information.  Following the advice given in Matthew 6:33 will give you "Miles of First Place Smiles"!!  Tricia

WHITE RIVER MARATHON FOR KENYA EXPEDITION!

 The Ozarks are famous for drawing visitors who want to enjoy the colors of autumn, as the deciduous trees transition to their palette of red, orange, and gold---sandwiched between the vivid green of cedar and pine.  However, there is a DIFFERENT kind of color you can observe in the Ozarks on the Saturday before Thanksgiving---that is the color of hundreds of runners and walkers, flowing like a river, as they ramble past the White River, in Cotter, Arkansas. 

 This phenomena started ten years ago when avid runner Laurie Kasinger (shown in this collage talking on her cell phone) wanted to turn her love of running, into something that would help others, not just herself.  She talked to her church pastor about it, and with his help, support was garnered from area churches, to start what is now called the White River Marathon (www.whiterivermarathon.com ).  The project chosen to help others, is a part of a Community Development Program, in Katito, Kenya, under the auspices of World Vision (www.worldvision.org ).  It was this event ten years ago, that motivated me to not only participate in the 5K, but also to start sponsoring a child in Katito, Kenya, through  World Vision.  Likewise, dozens of others have become "enlightened" as to how they can help a child on another continent, and are also sponsoring children in Katito.  Several residents from the Mountain Home area have made the trip to Katito to see for themselves, how the World Vision Community Development Program has improved lives for residents of that village.  I am thankful I have been able to see a little girl in Kenya grow from a preschooler, to a teenager, these last ten years, through the photos and updates on her, that I receive  regularly from World Vision.  Likewise, I am thankful that I have been able to participate in the 5K division of the White River Marathon for Kenya these last ten years!  Over that time period, some traditions have developed involving the race, including having my photo made with the Johnsons!  (lower left corner of collage).  In addition,  I remember taking a photo of Laurie at that first race, and being impressed with her gentle spirit.  I got to know her better later, as she was a participant in a healthy living program I work with locally, called First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ).

 As you can imagine, I have a nice collection of tee shirts from the ten events, and the red color of the 2013 shirt, will brighten my closet for sure!

 The thermometer was registering in the low forties, at the 7 am race starting time, which might account for the shivering appearance of some of these marathoners at the starting line! 

 Runners had the option of keeping on their warm outer gear as long as possible, then putting it into a plastic bag with their name on it, piled up at the starting line.  These "drop bags" were then delivered to the finish line, for them to retrieve their outer garments, once they finished the race.

 Fortunately, the precipitation that happened overnight had dissipated by race time, which was a blessing!

 A photographer was there to take photos of people as they crossed the finish line ( www.podiumimages.com ), but I wanted to get my own photo of this pretty First Place 4 Health alum, as she sprinted across the finish line!

 Something new this year was that we each had a computer timing chip attached to our shoe lace (right photo), so it was important that we stepped on the blue mats at the finish line (left photo), to "complete the circuit".  A volunteer was waiting for us at the end, to cut off the "high-tech hardware" !

 As the title of the event implies, the route follows the banks of the White River for much of the time (left photo), so the scenery is gorgeous.  Also, there are trash containers, and portable toilets along the way, to make sure it stays that way!

 At the finish line, there is an abundance of bottled water, sports beverages, GU, bananas, donuts, and bagels, to replenish the tried, hungry, and thirsty runners!  In addition, area Licensed Massage Therapists, volunteer their services, and set up their tables at the Cotter School finish line area, to soothe the aching muscles of those brave souls who complete the marathon.

 Since the finish line is about one mile from the starting line (where participants park their cars), local churches generously supplied vans to transport runners back to the race headquarters at the Cotter School. 

 As always, an ambulance from the local hospital was on site to assist with any emergencies. 

 When a runner/walker returns to the finish line, the bottom part of their race number is torn off, then placed on these boards, in order to keep track of participants' name and age group.  Having assisted with 5K runs back in the 1970's, I can assure you, race tally procedures have been greatly streamlined in the day of cyberspace computer technology!

 I took this photo of Dr. Hilvert giving out a prize, because the female he is presenting it to, is the one who won first place in my age category.  When I went over afterwards to congratulate her, she told me she was from out of state (in the Ozarks, we just say someone like that is from "OFF"), and she was one of numerous folks from "OFF", who return year after year, because they like the location!!  We want EVERYONE, whether they are locals, or from "OFF", to feel welcome at the White River Marathon for Kenya!

 I was DELIGHTED to win second place in my age group for the 5K, and received my first medal (some would say, it is about time, since I have made TEN attempts!)  I especially liked the medal because when you hold it up to the light, the blue sky and green hills are translucent, giving the appearance of a stained glass window!  Even though the ribbon says "second place", if you consider the lady who beat me was not from Arkansas, I could say I was in "first place" of the Arkansas females in my age category! 

 It was so great to see kids participating in the event, and enjoying the excitement of winning a medal, or assisting at the awards ceremony!

 In case a runner realized at the last minute that they needed a particular running accessory, this vendor was there to supply their needs!

 Also available at the finish line was a variety of homemade soups/chili, fruit, pizza, and breakfast sandwiches.  Thanks to all the volunteers/food establishment owners who supplied and served these delicious items!

 Hopefully, seeing what a great event this is, has made you want to put it on your calendar for next year!  As the photo shows, the White River Marathon for Kenya is a Boston Marathon Qualifier, it has the flattest and fastest course in Arkansas, and it is scheduled for November 22, 2014!!  BE THERE!!

 When I saw all the feet at the event today, I was reminded of the verse from Romans 10:15----"How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them?  As Scripture says, 'How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News' ."  In the town of Katito, Kenya, more people are hearing that Good News, thanks to the White River Marathon for Kenya!  This Good News will bring all of us "MILES OF SMILES"!!!  Tricia