Even the remote part of Van Buren County that I moved into three weeks ago -- from Noble Oklahoma -- was inhabited by white people before Arkansas became a state. Much has changed since that long ago day and age. Now mules are raised for pleasure, not drawing wagons. Our best food nut tree back then was wiped out in the same epidemic that destroyed all our American chestnut trees.
Clinton is the county seat of Van Buren County. My next door neighbor has been there several times. He says that Clinton is five miles long. Clinton is definitely big enough to get lost in, although a sign says there are only 2,000 and some odd people living here. I've only seen one stop light in town and you sure need it with so many tourists whistling Dixie through here that every chicken in town has quit crossing the road.
I live a few miles up the mountain out of that thriving metropolis of Botkinburg, it's found North of Clinton on Highway 65, about half way to Scotland. Up here I have noticed that the earth quivers during severe thunderstorms.
It seems strange to me how quickly a new tree can dominate an already populated area. Three years ago there was only the one Red Buckeye tree on this side of the mountain. Now there are thousands. When dried these Buckeye nuts are worth a dollar each when sold to people who swear they are not superstitious, but want some extra luck in their pocket. Judging by the beautiful blossoms this year there will be many thousands more trees here next year.
Many of the back roads in this area of Arkansas are just slicked over bedrock, with a touch of dynamite set off here and there to smooth them down. Occasionally some fairly good fossils of plants are found in that bedrock when the dynamite goes off.
Don't depend on a map to warn you in advance that you may need a winch and a tow truck to get back to the highway; The only roads that get a bad reputation here are the ones where the kids can get out to walk and beat drivers home by a day or two.
MORE, click title
Deer Hunting SAFELY
Deer hunting is a national holiday in Arkansas. Every year there are small business owners that close up their doors and go hunting for deer. Customers are expected to understand.
Click on the title and read the rest of the story.
city links * city names * Birds of Arkansas * Mena * Hot Springs * Arkansas Humor * The Cossatot River Center * Flatside Wilderness * Charlton Water Resort * West of Oden * A Country Tour in Saline County * * The White House on Wilkerson * El Dorado * Eureka Springs * Geese to Hunt * Helena and West Helena * Cold Water Canoeing * Dining Out * Dude Ranch * Business in Arkansas * schools * The Old Mill * Arabians * Beebe Flea Market * Beebe Flea Market2 * Luckiest Diamond Finder in the World * Bathhouses of Hot Springs * The Fordyce Bathhouse of Hot Springs * The Lamar Bathhouse of Hot Springs * The Born Again Gangster in Hot Springs * The Maurice Bathhouse * * Raising Elk in Arkansas * The Rich Mountain Racer Man of many links * The Irish Cowboy * The Bootlegger * Waldron * Murfreesboro * Stuttgart * The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie * Quartz Crystals * The Arkansas Waterfowl Tour * Click HERE for some great books about Arkansas *
Those who work for companies have their vacation set up to correspond with their favorite deer season and NO sudden developments shall interfere with that time. Everyone that can hunt for deer, heads out for the best deer hunting area they can access. For some that is a slice of some National Forest offering.
When deer day arrives deer country fills up with camps of 3 to 30 hunters. Smoke curls up from a central fire, tents greet the dawn. Coffee by the gallon is consumed and hunters sit around the fire talking about the deer they bagged, the ones they missed, and the ones they hope to bag. The ones who aren't still there talking are the serious ones, already out on their stand, eyes peeled, fingers tensed, bullets primed. Any deer trying to offer itself on the altar of sacrifice will get their scrutinous consideration.
The night before opening day is the time to decide if you are in the right camp. What you want to hear is: "I'll be on a rock face, up on the hill (a nod of the head in the general direction) to the east of here and facing north."
In other words:
don't aim my way when you start shooting.
In return, s/he won't be aiming your way.
Do NOT trust to luck; these are the kind of guys that will explain in court: "I heard something in the brush and shot." That is MY emphasis on the word "something" as THEY are clueless. Not even two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter will make them any smarter.
Safe camps will be peopled with hunters in safe garb.
They will know how to maintain a fire, safely.
They won't be roaring drunk or trying to get that way.
There will be a first aid kit available in camp.
There will be potable water.
The bathroom "facilities" will be pointed out. "That tree on the left is where the area for women starts, and that tree over there on the right starts off the territory for men."
Women? In a deer camp?
Let me assure you,
them Arkansas women ain't there to wash the dishes.
Click on the title and read the rest of the story.
city links * city names * Birds of Arkansas * Mena * Hot Springs * Arkansas Humor * The Cossatot River Center * Flatside Wilderness * Charlton Water Resort * West of Oden * A Country Tour in Saline County * * The White House on Wilkerson * El Dorado * Eureka Springs * Geese to Hunt * Helena and West Helena * Cold Water Canoeing * Dining Out * Dude Ranch * Business in Arkansas * schools * The Old Mill * Arabians * Beebe Flea Market * Beebe Flea Market2 * Luckiest Diamond Finder in the World * Bathhouses of Hot Springs * The Fordyce Bathhouse of Hot Springs * The Lamar Bathhouse of Hot Springs * The Born Again Gangster in Hot Springs * The Maurice Bathhouse * * Raising Elk in Arkansas * The Rich Mountain Racer Man of many links * The Irish Cowboy * The Bootlegger * Waldron * Murfreesboro * Stuttgart * The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie * Quartz Crystals * The Arkansas Waterfowl Tour * Click HERE for some great books about Arkansas *
California Roads
California is so rich with sights and great places to visit that one has to plan not one but many trips there to truly take in all it has to offer. Why a visit to Los Angeles alone can fill a week and you would still leave behind so much to do and see. Here in the home of our great movie industry, the idea of hanging out near the major studios to catch a glimpse of a movie star is pretty hard to resist. And you can pass your time waiting by going to Grauman’s Chinese Theater to put your own feet in the famous imprints on the walk of fame. There you can see if your shoe size lines up with such greats as Marilyn Monroe, Marlin Brando, Dustin Hoffman or even Lassie.
While in LA don’t forget that this is the area of the country where you can check in at the original Disneyland. Yes while the Florida and other locations that have been built since then are wonderful, don’t miss the chance to sing “It’s a Small World After All” with the anamatronic figures that will delight you and your children in those historic rides in Disneyland.
Anywhere you go up and down the California coast, one thing will continue to draw your eye is the amazing California coast. The sight of those waves making huge breakers on the rocks and beaches has been the object of art for many painters over the years. If you live in a land-locked state or even if you have enjoyed the coast lines in the gulf states and the eastern seaboard, the California surf will be yet another viewpoint of the majesty of God’s creation in the oceans that grace our fair country.
It might take another whole trip to enjoy the exotic locations all around the city of San Francisco. But give it that time because this is a town you want to take in on foot or by traveling on their famous and historic street cars. For a small city, San Francisco will charm you so thoroughly that you would swear you were in one of the quant and charming villages of Europe, Spain or Greece. The sight of those breath taking hills that the residents have to drive each day will probably bring back some great movie you saw that was filmed there. And it’s easy to get goose bumps standing on the corner of Haight and Ashbury and reflect on the birth of the Hippy Movement in the early sixties right on that spot.
There is just so much to do up and down this big and diverse state that you will want to have a car at your disposal just to tour the paradise like conditions that residents enjoy there every day. A tour of the wine country in northern California is another experience that has become famous for charming visitors of all ages. You can even retrace the voyage of the characters in the movie Sideways which won an Academy Award and further added to the lore and fame of this wonderful part of California.
California may not steal your heart away from your home town and state. But one this is for sure. Your trip to California will leave you with dozens of exciting memories and it will leave you with something even more lasting. You will come home with a determination that you have to get back to California and continue to enjoy the many treats this great American state has to offer.
While in LA don’t forget that this is the area of the country where you can check in at the original Disneyland. Yes while the Florida and other locations that have been built since then are wonderful, don’t miss the chance to sing “It’s a Small World After All” with the anamatronic figures that will delight you and your children in those historic rides in Disneyland.
Anywhere you go up and down the California coast, one thing will continue to draw your eye is the amazing California coast. The sight of those waves making huge breakers on the rocks and beaches has been the object of art for many painters over the years. If you live in a land-locked state or even if you have enjoyed the coast lines in the gulf states and the eastern seaboard, the California surf will be yet another viewpoint of the majesty of God’s creation in the oceans that grace our fair country.
It might take another whole trip to enjoy the exotic locations all around the city of San Francisco. But give it that time because this is a town you want to take in on foot or by traveling on their famous and historic street cars. For a small city, San Francisco will charm you so thoroughly that you would swear you were in one of the quant and charming villages of Europe, Spain or Greece. The sight of those breath taking hills that the residents have to drive each day will probably bring back some great movie you saw that was filmed there. And it’s easy to get goose bumps standing on the corner of Haight and Ashbury and reflect on the birth of the Hippy Movement in the early sixties right on that spot.
There is just so much to do up and down this big and diverse state that you will want to have a car at your disposal just to tour the paradise like conditions that residents enjoy there every day. A tour of the wine country in northern California is another experience that has become famous for charming visitors of all ages. You can even retrace the voyage of the characters in the movie Sideways which won an Academy Award and further added to the lore and fame of this wonderful part of California.
California may not steal your heart away from your home town and state. But one this is for sure. Your trip to California will leave you with dozens of exciting memories and it will leave you with something even more lasting. You will come home with a determination that you have to get back to California and continue to enjoy the many treats this great American state has to offer.
The Trip Through No Man's Land
Dozens of people warned me against taking the Northwest Passage, the trip up through No Man's Land in Oklahoma. "There's NOTHING up there."
I guess they wanted to save it all for themselves; I loved every minute of the trip. Not only was the scenery beautiful, the Red Carpet People of Oklahoma are unique and wonderful.
No Man's Land got its name in 1885 when federal officials decided homesteads in the area were invalid because "no man" can own land there. The Euromericans were so mean it took a bunch of vigilante committees to keep order.
About 30 miles west on I-40 from Oklahoma City US Highways 270 and 281 head up north towards Geary. This feels like country the Cheyenne loved and before them the Arapaho drifted through like fleeting shadows. There's a very nice divided highway with short trees decorating little hills and shallow valleys. Geary (with its population of 1400) closes up shop on Sundays. Strangers are recognized at a glance as an unimportant part of the landscape. Within a 25 mile radius of Geary, you'll find the two Canadian rivers, two lakes, and two state parks.
The100-acre American Horse Lake is just 10 miles west of Geary. Most of the trees there are post oak or blackjack. There are some good-sized bluegill and largemouth bass waiting to be caught there. The 310-acre Red Rock Canyon State Park is about 25 miles south and offers fishing opportunities too. Geary residents claim Roman Nose State Park too, as it is less than 25 miles away.
The grave of Jesse Chisolm is at the town's Left Hand Spring Camp, named after the main Chief of the southern Arapahoes. The Geary Rustler was the town's first newspaper. Some people say it was the Hustler, but if so, it missed its true name by one letter.
On the north side of town the trees turn to elms and cedars. The highway opens up in a tempting way with passing lanes sprinkled liberally along. A tourist doing close to a hundred passed us so fast she didn't see the blue lights come on in front of her. She repented too slowly. The state trooper had her nailed in a hurry.
Be sure to click the title for more information.
Other links to the Red Carpet region include: Red carpet Country * Great Salt Plains * Okeene, home of the original rattlesnake hunt * Enid * Major County * Major County Historical Society * Kaw Lake * Kaw City * Ponca City Tourism * Blackwell *
A Visit to Ekok, in Cameroon
While the members continued on to Aba, we made arrangements to stay in a little African hotel named the Bruce Hotel. It was only 2,000 cfc per day ($4.00). This included breakfast. Water was carried up to our second floor room in large pails on the head of our host, Evaristus. He explained this was necessary because water does not flow up hill. The generator kicked on at 6:00 p.m., the Sonel power (Public utility) took over at 8:00 and continued to midnight. Breakfast was always an egg omelet with thick slices of bread with no butter, jam, or honey. It was prepared below in the kitchen and carried up to the day room. One morning there were African oranges picked fresh from the tree in the yard. For supper we walked down the muddy street to a nice little café for some very tasty African dishes. Two full-course meals of fish, noodles, rice, potatoes and a bottle of purified water came to about 3,200 cfa ($6.40). After our first visit to the café, we sent Evaristus down to the café with our order about one hour before meal time in order to avoid the wait for the preparation. Our order would be something like “please prepare exactly what we had last evening, except without the fish." It was exciting to arrive for supper to see what had been prepared. It was always a totally different meal! This was not surprising because even in high class restaurants the orders are mixed up 9 times out of 10.
It was indeed a true African vacation. I suppose there would be some who would pay much money to experience a genuine African “Trend West” time share vacation at the Bruce Hotel. Personally, I enjoy running water, electricity, towels and sheets. Africa is a noisy place. Sound proofing is not part of the building codes. Windows are open. Walls are thin. Roosters start to crow long before daylight. Children are up early playing simple games of tag, football, or just teasing one another. For over five days, we were the village celebrities. When we walked the streets there was a chorus of children calling out “whites, whites.”
Click the title for MANY MORE PICTURES.
Brought to you by http://www.ShareYourState.com/
Share Your State
Vacation in Europe -- in style,
It was indeed a true African vacation. I suppose there would be some who would pay much money to experience a genuine African “Trend West” time share vacation at the Bruce Hotel. Personally, I enjoy running water, electricity, towels and sheets. Africa is a noisy place. Sound proofing is not part of the building codes. Windows are open. Walls are thin. Roosters start to crow long before daylight. Children are up early playing simple games of tag, football, or just teasing one another. For over five days, we were the village celebrities. When we walked the streets there was a chorus of children calling out “whites, whites.”
Click the title for MANY MORE PICTURES.
Brought to you by http://www.ShareYourState.com/
Share Your State
is your guide to
Vacation in Europe -- in style,
find the top summer vacation hot spots,
discover the best vacation rentals,
take a Maui Vacation,
Plan your Costa Rica Vacation,
Explore an Orlando Vacation
Tour Hawaii on your next vacation,
Find all those hot spots where family vacations are really fun,
and explore cruise opportunities for adventurous vacations around the world.
Vacation Hot Spots
Vacation on the Best Beaches of the World
Visit the hot spots in Spain, France, England!
African Safaris are Family Fun,
South America, Australia provide OUTDOOR Adventures.
Click HERE to explore a Backpack Vacation in Europe!
Frugal Family Fun
Most families will agree that a perfect vacation needs to be relaxing and fun with
something for everyone. There is a seemingly endless list of resorts in the United States that fit this
description. But for many parents, there is one more essential aspect of the perfect family vacation.
It needs to be affordable.
Check out the Family Fun Opportunities all across the United States
and get FREE adventure kits from EVERY STATE.
Go Galloping Across Outdoor Country Vistas on Magnificent Horses.
Vacation Rentals
are available in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Hot Springs Arkansas is famous for spas and Bathhouse Row Vacations.
Arkansas is home to the World's Best Duck Hunting and Canada Goose vacations.
The Joys of TimeShare can really make your world wonderful.
Festivals and Events
Oklahoma offers vacations where America is found in its Native State.
Explore Robbers Cave in depth, go boatng at Beavers Bend,
Spell out the Runes in Heavener, Follow the Rodeo Crowds too.
Find the preamble of each state's Constitution.
Maine Treasures
Maine
Treasures
© copyright 2007
by Lin Stone
Maine Family Adventures offers fun activities the whole family will enjoy, spend days exploring the Maine coast, biking, walking, sea-kayaking, swimming, whale watching and relaxing - all at an easygoing pace and in small groups of 12 - 16 people.
Bullfrog Adventures offers a variety of Maine canoe trips to suit all interests! Our Maine canoeing day trips can range from a challenging whitewater river trip to a paddle on one of Maine's calm lakes or ponds. Overnight canoe camping trips are also available. Bullfrog's Maine canoeing adventures include family canoeing as well as Boy Scout High Adventure Trips. Check out Bullfrog's canoe trips on these fine Maine waters: The Kennebec, Narraguagus, Penobscot, Pleasant, Piscataquis, St. Croix, St. George, Roach and East Machias Rivers as well as Wyman and Spednic Lakes, Donnell and Flood’s Ponds and also Kenduskeag Stream.
Aysgarth Station offers year round accommodations on Mt. Desert Island. Our Bed and Breakfast extends New England hospitality and quiet comfort in a uniquely casual atmosphere. The Inn is situated in downtown Bar Harbor....and you are only a short stroll to the harbor, many distinctive shops, an abundance of eateries and the Shore Path ocean-front walk. You are also only minutes away from both the CAT Ferry Terminal for traveling to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia as well as Acadia National Park.
The Maine Campground Owners Association invites you to discover Maine - Her rugged coast, clear lakes and tranquil woods. Our campgrounds and RV Parks offer unique opportunities to experience the wonders of Maine. Lots of pictures and lots of information.
As I have explained to you before -- when you go adventuring with professional outfitters you will find more adventure, more safety, less work and more pure fun. Outfitters in Maine offer a variety of trips including lower river trips for youngsters and seniors, float trips and row-frame trips. Along with these river trips, you can participate in other outdoor adventures including whitewater rafting, lake and inflatable kayaking, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking, moose and bird watching safaris, ATV tours, paintball and sky-diving.
You've probably never put white water rafting and Maine together in the same sentence before. I know I haven't. But Maine, especially in the early fall and right on through September, is prime white water rafting country, and if it is closer for you than Utah, Arizona or Colorado, have at it.
In the fall of the year you can expect no kids, no bugs, and no hassle. River rafting in Maine begins May First and continues daily through early October. Thanks to hydropower dams generating daily water releases, Maine is the only state in the Northeast that can provide water levels for whitewater rafting and kayaking over a five month season.
A survey of outfitters and guests revealed five reasons to take a raft trip in September or early October. Reduced rates - On an overall average the price of a raft trip is discounted 15-30%.
- Warm Water - The temperatures are up in the 60's after a hot summer.
- Less Crowded - The tourists have gone back to work and the kids back in school.
- Flora and Fauna - The wildlife are less scared now and thus more abundant. Don't forget, the fall foliage colors are absolutely spectacular in Maine.
- Special Dam Releases - We are talking up to 8,000 cubic feet per second will be released on September 8 and September 22 on the Kennebec River and 3,500 to 6,000 cfs will be released on the Dead River on September 2, and on September 15 and again on October 7, 2007.
RAFT MAINE, an association of seven professional outfitters, maintains a one-call reservation telephone service at 800-723-8633. Information on outfitters, the rivers, the weather -- present and predicted -- and they'll help you with trip planning too. For more casual information you can go browsing on line at www.raftmaine.com .
Hello From Chicago
A personal tour of Chicago by Susanne Pacher;
Be sure to click on the title and download the complete book.
I walked through the quiet Lincoln Park neighbourhood all the way to the Lake Michigan Shoreline where the cool wind was just howling off the lake. Joggers, bicyclists and power walkers were already out in full force. I strolled around for about 15 minutes, but when the wind got too strong I decided to take a bus and head south to a neighbourhood called "Old Town", near North Street and N. Wells Street. It's a tidy, well-kept neighbourhood of historic homes and the location of the Second City Comedy Club, a place that has spawned so many comedic talents.
After a brisk morning walk around Old Town I hopped back on the el-train and went to check out downtown. I got off in the Loop and headed out towards the openness of Michigan Avenue and Grant Park. Interestingly the wind in between the buildings in the Loop was much stronger than in the open areas just off the Lake Michigan Shoreline.
Michigan Avenue and Grant Park are one of the areas where Chicago's beauty is most striking. Daniel Burnham's city plan of 1909 that preserved a huge amount of green space right on the shoreline of Lake Michigan was a brilliant decision, and visitors and local residents alike benefit from the huge green zone between the Loop and the lake. Grant Park's beginnings actually date all the way back to 1835, when foresighted citizens, fearing commercial lakefront development, lobbied to protect the open space.
Burnham's vision of the park as a formal landscape with museums and civic buildings became reality: today Grant Park holds 3 of the city's most distinguished museums: The Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planterium.The Buckingham Fountain is the centerpiece of Grant Park, the city's grand "front yard," and it is set within a handsomely landscaped garden, one of the city's finest examples of a Beaux-Arts-style landscape design. It is an exact replica of the fountain in Versailles, just twice as large, and with those measurements it is one of the largest free-standing fountains in the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)