The Arkansas Waterfowl Tour

Here is a treat for you. Lin Stone is writing up a tour of the waterfowl triangle in Arkansas. You are welcome to tag along as he puts it up. Here's the way it starts..
Water fowl have fascinated men for centuries. Their ability to rise into the clouds and see far beyond the horizons that hem us in tugs at our hearts and strains our imaginations. Arkansas provides a unique opportunity to get close to water fowl in their own element. Because of its dense population of ducks Stuttgart is the duck capital of the world and just a few miles away, Brinkley is the goose capital of the world. Citizens in these two areas are blessed to see the skies darken with the solid beat of wings. Some of the flocks are large enough to cover a forty acre field so thickly you can't toss a rock in anywhere without hitting a fowl. The whole state of Arkansas is host to ducks and geese. But in this region nature itself has provided natural reasons for the water fowl to migrate here. Farmers here prepare their croplands to accommodate these annual visitors. They feel a solemn responsibility to continue providing habitat for the waterfowl to thrive upon. Food is left, just for them. Water is hedged up so it can't escape, just for them. Ducks Unlimited and similar organizations are working to make sure the targets continue in plentiful supply.
Besides the hunters and the sportsmen there are also those of us who simply want to see a million majestic heads bobbing among the reeds, to perhaps be among the last souls privileged to see this natural wonder. The self-guided tour outlined here is a triangle that starts on the eastern edge of North Little Rock, runs to Stuttgart, then to Brinkley, and back again to North Little Rock. Naturally, the best time of year to see winter waterfowl is between November and late February. Nonetheless this is a fascinating tour at any time of year and I have indeed seen a few waterfowl in here even on the hottest days of summer.
Click HERE to begin reading THE ARKANSAS WATERFOWL TOUR.

A day at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut is a link to the
glorious seafaring past of New England. The Museum of America
and the Sea is an entertaining journey through 19th century
nautical life as you visit the three main exhibits at Mystic
Seaport: the historic ships, the authentic seaport village and
exhibits, and the preservation shipyard.

The coastline in this part of New England was once home to huge
whaling fleets and many where built along these shores. The
area of Mystic had its share of shipbuilding yards and the
recreation of the seaport village is an authentic and accurate
depiction of life in a New England seafaring town.

Open year-round Mystic Seaport is on the Mystic River a short
hop from the historic downtown area. Here?s what you?ll see and
how to get the best out of your trip...

THE JEWELS AT THE DOCK

Tall ships still fascinate people and Mystic Seaport has an
amazing collection in the museum dock area. I?m drawn like a
magnet to these magnificent vessels, and the most popular to
tour is the Charles W. Morgan - a wonderful example of a wooden
whaling ship. It made 37 whaling trips from its launch in 1841
and before retiring in 1921. Other exquisite Tall Ships in the
Mystic museum collection are the Joseph Conrad and L.A.Dunton.

Additional ships beautifully restored with a rich legacy
include the Sabino and Emma C. Berry. The Emma C. first
launched in 1866, and since then has undergone many changes as
a fishing vessel and a coastal freighter. Allocate plenty of
time to tour all the ships as they remain the centerpiece of
the Mystic Seaport Museum. And when you?re finally ready for a
rest take a 30 or 90 minute cruise on the Sabino steamboat as
she travels up and down the Mystic River.

THE AUTHENTIC VILLAGE AND EXHIBITS...

A short walk from the ships is the village exhibits and
galleries. Painstakingly recreated and authentic, the village
consists of many buildings moved from other locations in New
England and the Northeast. Stroll around the nautical shops and
discover rope making, rigging, cooperage, and the sail loft.

There are over 40 delightful exhibits for you to enjoy, but two
must-see displays are the Mystic River Scale Model, and the
Shipsmith shop. Further down from the village check out the
galleries and make sure you spend time inside both the Voyages
and Figurehead exhibits.

The three-floor exhibit of Voyages celebrates the legacy of
America and the sea, and how it continues to impact our lives
in many subtle ways. And across the street is the Figurehead
exhibit, and a wonderful collection of ship carvings.
Unfortunately, these carvings are a bittersweet display. The
desire for these on ships has dwindled and it?s now become an
endangered art form.

THE PRESERVATION SHIPYARD...

In the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard many of the old
mastercraft shipbuilding skills are still practiced to keep the
museum ships in tip top shape. Unfortunately many of these
skills are being lost as the economics of our time reduce the
need for them. Wooden ships are a thing of the past, and so the
wonderful carpentry and shipwright skills have dwindled
throughout the world.

But in this corner of the world they are practiced and
preserved.

In the yard you?ll see a rigging loft, a paint shop, carpenters
and metalworking shops, a lumber shed, and an old-fashioned
sawmill. The documentation shop contains vital records used by
the museum?s craftsmen to maintain accuracy as they work on
preserving the ships. At the nearby shipbuilding display you?ll
not only see the keel of the whale ship Thames, but take in a
revealing exhibit of the many stages of building a ship.

Mystic Seaport celebrates the historic seafaring past of New
England. Its one of my favorite three living museums in New
England. The other two are Old Sturbridge Village in
Sturbridge, Central Massachusetts, and Plimoth Plantation and
Mayflower at Plymouth, Eastern Massachusetts. All three for
different reasons are marvelous experiences of New England?s
contribution to American history. To discover more about each
visit my web site at www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/
About The Author: For more details on these and other
attractions on Connecticut vacations and to pick up your free
travel reports go to Cliff Calderwood's New England Vacation
site at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/

The Lamar Bathhouse of Hot Springs
* The Born Again Gangster in Hot Springs
* The Maurice Bathhouse
* The Growth of Grandeur in Hot Springs
* Romancing The Stone, Hot Springs
* Raising Elk in Arkansas
* The Rich Mountain Racer
Man of many links
* The Irish Cowboy
* The Bootlegger *