From Hot Springs, we moved on to Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, AR. (Oct. 25-27) I remember being fascinated with the Petit Jean story as a child and the mountain with its boulders is lovely.
Our evening meal was accompanied by rain. It was cold, but we all managed to enjoy our food.
Petit Jean is a beautiful place.
The story is sad. A young woman did not want to be left in France until her fiance returned. She hired on in disguise as a cabin boy. Her identify was undiscovered until the trip home was being prepared. She developed a fever. The trip was postponed temporarily. Her identity revealed, before she expired, she was able to apologize to her intended and to ask that she be buried on this mountain.
Petit Jean's grave.
While in the area, we visited the Heifer International. This is a non-profit organization that provides animals to poor families with the stipulation that the first born of that animal is to be given to another. It is an impressive place. We toured the ranch and I got a kiss from this handsome guy.
Our next visit was to Mountain View, AR.(Oct. 28, 29.) We and the Berdans provided dinner on Sunday night. We had peppered pork, coleslaw, potato salad, beans and rice, and chocolates for desert. On Monday night we were treated to a "Parlour Party" featuring three musicians who played a variety of instruments and sang in harmony. This is very enjoyable. The next morning, we lined up the Airstreams in the parking area and did a fast tour of the Folk Center.
Cecelia and Paul tried out new headgear while we waited for the shuttle.
That primed the pump. Cecelia and I had a great time shopping together.
We were remembering all that cold weather from the last few days.
Day 10 of the Caravan was the longest drive day of the trip: 168 miles. One of our group commented that it was like driving through a postcard--enjoyable for the passenger, but not necessarily for the driver. The roads were steep and winding. At day's end we arrived at Cave Springs, AR.
Wednesday, Oct 31 was dedicated to Wal-Mart. We went to the Walton museum at the original 5 and dime, then on to Crystal Bridges, Museum of American Art, for the afternoon.
This is quite an interesting place. It was developed by one of the Walton children and surprisingly is admission free. The variety of art is quite interesting, and the architecture fascinating.
One of my favorite pieces is the silver tree outside.
After the museum, we headed over the Fred's Hickory Inn for the Caravan's farewell dinner. We had a wonderful meal and a chance to thank Jimmy and Marque Mooney for their excellent leadership.
Next day, Nov. 1, we were on the road to Durant, OK. There we stayed at the Choctaw RV park at the casino. We enjoyed an over the top buffet and managed to loose all our comp $10. very quickly. On Nov. 2, the end of the caravan, everyone dispersed in many different directions. We took advantage of the laundromat and another buffet lunch before heading south. We made a stop near Rhome, TX and called Paul Mayhew who drove over to look at our Airstream damage with the intention of providing an estimate for repairs. We then drove on to Mineral Wells where we stopped for the night.
Overall, this was a great caravan experience. We certainly took in sights that we would never have thought to do on our own. The company was fine and new friendships were forged. Isn't that what caravaning is all about?
