Points Southwest - a Dogs' (and Cat's Story)

Bandido, Tequila, and Big Chuck here...  

Big Chuck:  Ever since mom and dad picked up the changed motor home, it has been difficult to find a soft place to rest my weary feline bones.  As you can see, I am forced to share my soft pet bed with smelly Tequila, now that the couch is gone.  And, now it looks like Bandido is planning to push us both out.

Bandido:  You bet I am.  I need some place, other than the entire bed, to relax.  

Tequila:  Hey Chuck!  I am not smelly.  I just spent a week in a spa, got a brush and a bath, AND a pedicure.  I am a dainty little girl.  But, I do understand about the lack of lounging places in our house.  

Bandido:  I have another issue, actually TWO other issues:  1), after my buddies Sophie and Ranger left us at Clifty Falls, a storm shook the motor home.  I am terrified of storms, but at least there was not any thunder.   2), I am sick and tired of mom and dad driving the motor home to places where we have no place to run, chase balls, and wrestle.

Tequila:  Yeah,  we spent our first night in Central City, Kentucky (whereever that is).   Was there a dog park?  NOOOOOO!

Big Chuck:  Then mom and dad groaned about the Hughes Net modem transmission line not working.  Big deal!  So much drama!  What is that anyway?  They both seemed so upset about not getting internet.  They need to get a life and get the smelly dogs some place to relax, away from me!

Bandido here:  That's right, Big Chuck, except for the smelly dog stuff.  I got a treatment at the spa, too, and at the risk of questioning my masculinity, I feel fabulous.  Anyway, mom and dad said they needed to go a few miles out of the way to a place called Paducah where they could find a Verizon store to buy a FiOS internet hot spot.  The good news is that they found one and it seems to be working.  AND, the campground in Paducah (Duck Creek RV Park) had a HUGE dog park where I could chase my blue ball.  

Tequila here:  That's right, Bandido.  We got to spend a couple days at a great place. I love stealing your blue ball from you.  

Big Chuck here:  AND even better news, mom and dad found two comfy beds for you dogs, so I can have my private life back.

Big Chuck:  Hey Bandido, you just enjoy your comfy bed next to dad with your blue ball.  I am headed to the bedroom for some kitty peace and quiet.

Bandido:  Dad drove our motor home to a place called West Memphis today.  Is that in Egypt?  Dad says we are at the Tom Sawyer RV Park on the Mississippi River in Arkansas.  They are planning to walk up and down Beale Street in Memphis, TN tomorrow.

Tequila:  Oh, great!  Does that mean we will be alone for a few hours tomorrow?   I am ok with that (especially when they leave us with treats), but I know how you (Bandido) hate it.

Big Chuck:  Mom seems to think that she has the best view of the barges on the Mississippi River from her new recliner.  It looks to me as if the smelly canines have a better view.

Digging for Diamonds

Hi all, Dianne here.  We put on old clothes and took a day trip from Lake Catherine State Park to Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas for a day of prospecting for diamonds at the only productive deposit of precious mineral diamonds in the United States.  Best of all, it's "finders keepers" -- you pay an admittance fee and any diamond, rock or mineral that you find is yours to keep.  


We did a little research and discovered that dogs are allowed, so Bandido came along for some digging in the dirt.  (In May of 2009 a Yorkie actually found a 1.11 carat white diamond at the park!)  

We also knew that it would be a long, long day, so a picnic lunch was packed and off we went.  We made a wrong turn that added at least a half hour to our drive over there; by the time we actually arrived we were ready to eat our lunch at the scenic picnic area next to the parking lot.


Then it was time for a treasure hunt!  We knew ahead of time that our chance of actually finding a diamond was small, but there were lots of other interesting rocks to look for, including amethyst, jasper, agate, and more.  


The visitor's center showed displays of what to look for, instructive videos showing surface searching, dry and wet-screening techniques, and friendly park guides on hand to verify your findings at the end of the day.  We rented a screen and trowel and headed to the plowed field.  

The decision was made that one of us would walk up and down the plowed rows with Bandido, doing some surface searching.  We planned to take turns sitting in the dirt and digging and sifting with the screen.  I ended up doing all of the digging and sifting, because I was having so much fun doing it.  I hadn't had that much fun playing in the dirt since I made mud pies as a little girl, decorating the tops with dandelions and whatever else caught my imagination.  

The area is large -- 37 acres -- and the whole field is purported to be diamond-bearing soil.  There were several other folks spread out over the field digging, searching, and wet sluicing.  We learned that diamonds have no static charge and will always stay clean; dirt and mud will not stick to them.  For that reason it's possible to just do the surface searching technique, watching for shiny objects on the surface of the soil.


Typically the diamonds found are about the size of a match head, and either white, yellow, or brown.

I had lots of fun digging in the dirt, but had no luck at all finding any diamonds or minerals.  Roger found lots of pretty stones while surface searching, including a small, shiny stone that had possibilities;  we learned at the end of the day it was an agate.


Bandido started panting and acted like he was getting too hot, so we moved to a different area of the field where there was nearby shade.  When we walked closer, I realized that there were actually dog pens in the shade!  

What a nice surprise.  We made Bandido comfortable in the shade with some water, and continued our search nearby.    


We spent about two-and-a-half hours prospecting before we decided to call it quits and start the long drive back to the campground.  No diamonds, but  we had a lot of fun looking.  We came home with some nifty Jasper stones to add to our collection, along with Roger's tiny agate.  What a unique experience!    If you'd like more information, here's a link to their web site:  Crater of Diamonds State Park


Gotta say, though, that by the time we reached our site back at Lake Catherine I was totally exhausted -- wiped out -- from the hot sun and exertion of the day.  Would I do it again?   Sure would!

The pet photo of the day shows that I wasn't the only family member exhausted by our field trip.  Bandido was "out" the moment he hit the back seat and slept all the way home.

Hot Springs National Park

Hi all, Dianne here.  We spent four nights at Lake Catherine State Park.  In addition to hiking the rugged trails, we spent one afternoon in nearby Hot Springs and the next day at Diamond Crater State Park in Murfreesboro. 

 This third "catch-up" blog will detail our visit to Hot Springs:  

Hot Springs National Park is a unique historical park, showcasing the restored Fordyce Bathhouse and the lovely street known since the late 1800s as "Bathhouse Row." 
 
 There are 23 restored rooms in the bathhouse, where individual tubs in private cubicles once had natural hot spring water piped into them.  The rooms also include steam cabinets, Zander mechano-therapy equipment, massage tables, "cooling off" rooms for both men and women, and ornate dressing rooms.

I took a photo of the ornate stained glass ceiling in the men's central bath area.  There was no such stained glass ceiling in the women's side -- although, I don't think they would have appreciated the naked mermaids as much as the men probably did --

Two more outdoor shots:

Pretty much all Roger and I did was visit the National Park visitor's center and restored Fordyce bathhouse, and have a delicious lunch at a local cafe across from Bathhouse Row called "Granny's Kitchen" (grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches to die for, and wonderful homemade blackberry cobbler a la mode).

  Back in the day, Hot Springs was Al Capone's favorite getaway.  Other notables who came "in season" to take the waters include Lillian Russell, President Herbert Hoover, Bugsy Siegel, and Will Rogers.  Hot Springs is also where former president Bill Clinton spent his childhood and graduated from high school.  

The rest of Hot Springs didn't hold our interest, so we headed back to our shady glen to do a little lake watching under the trees, and enjoy our nightly glass of wine and campfire.

The pet photo of the day is a pretty portrait of Charlie the Cat that Roger took one evening as Charlie kept a watchful eye on the wildlife outside his big window.  (R:  Do you think he has green eyes?)

Lake Catherine State Park - Arkansas

Here's the second of our "catch-up" blogs:

Roger here...  The trip from Rend Lake, IL to Lake Catherine State Park, which is located just south of Hot Springs, Arkansas, involved two days of driving.  The first day was one of those frustrating days.  We attempted to stop at four different RV parks at the end of the day.  Two were scary looking.  One was OK, but exorbitantly priced (and the guy behind the desk in the office was wearing pajamas at 2:00 p.m.)  The fourth evidently no longer exists (we could not find it).  We eventually settled into a safe spot at the Lonoke, Arkansas Wal-Mart.  The irritating day of driving proved to be worth the aggravation when early the next day we arrived at Lake Catherine.  The opening picture gives you an idea as to why we were so pleased with our four-night stay.

What a beautiful campground.  We were parked in a huge back-in site across from the lake.  We had the most magnificent view from our front windshield every morning.


Dianne here:  The only downside to our beautiful site was that once again, we were nestled in deep woods, with no chance of satellite internet or tv.  We scoped out several other camp sites, including this one (site #45) that we plan to reserve next time:

Here's the view of the lake from site #45:

Back to Roger....

Our full-hookup site (#65) backed up to the woods and it was huge.  The hook-up area was set in concrete, among the best I have ever seen.  There was a large compressed gravel sitting area that included a metal picnic table, a grill stand, and a fire pit.  In addition, a separate tent pad, also compressed gravel was located at the back of the site.  A great spot to sit in lawn chairs to watch deer wander by.  I hear that those fluorescent blue eyes are very rare.

We went hiking every day.  All the trails departed from the campground.  After passing through a covered bridge that included a colored mural of the trail system and a description of the trails, the fun began.

We went up.

We went down.









We rested.  (Well, Dianne and I rested.)

We took in panoramic views and walked through a pristine woods.

And we rested.
(I love this picture of Dianne.)











Bandido waded in the water.

We took time to appreciate the small things - the brilliant green moss and the huge praying mantis.

Every hike ended by crossing a very cool suspension bridge.  The first time that Bandido and I crossed it, a man hollered behind us to be careful because he had built the bridge in 1981 and it might not be stable any more.  Of course he was joking.  We had an interesting talk as we approached the campground.  He told me that he had built all of the stone steps on the trails, as well as the amphitheater and, of course, the bridge.

Bandido took the man's words to heart.  After that first crossing, our brave dog resisted going across the swaying bridge where he was unsure of his footing.  Look at our poor boy as he creeps next to me - his legs as far apart as they can get without straining ligaments.

The end of each day always ended with a nap on the picnic table....

And a campfire by the lake.

The pet pictures of the day are entitled:  A Man and his Dog -- A Dog and his Duck.

Trees Again in Arkansas

Dianne here with a short update. We are heading toward Texas. Spent a few nights at Rend Lake in Southern Illinois. Now we're spending four nights at Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Arkansas. What a beautiful place! We have a view of the lake out our windshield and a huge wooded site. Same story at Rend Lake -- so many trees, not a chance that our Motosat would find a satellite. I'm pecking this out on my iPhone, and we'll post some updates as soon as we're back in civilization. At least our smart phones work, but I will be disappointed to miss two of my favorite tv shows' premiers. Guess we'll make the best of it, hiking, reading, and sitting around the campfire. Come to think of it, those are my favorite things to do, so I won't really be all that deprived! I'll just have to wait and see what happens with Meredith and McDreamy!

Arkansas Winery Tour & Aux Arc COE Camp

Hi all -- Dianne here.  We drove from Enid Lake, Mississippi all the way across Arkansas to the Aux Arc Corps of Engineers Campground in Ozark, Arkansas.   I'll upload the many, many photos we took and then Roger will describe our very enjoyable Arkansas visit and winery tour.

Roger here...  I'll start with the interesting trip across Arkansas.  As we approached Memphis, Tennessee (still in northern Mississippi) we were startled to see a sign that indicated that we would be entering Interstate 69.  Our home in Indiana is only a mile from I-69 and we knew (or thought we did) that its southern terminus ends in Indianapolis.  It was one of those "Twilight Zone" moments.  We soon discovered that there is indeed a portion of I-69, just a few miles long, in Mississippi.  Really weird.  I assume that if the I-69 extension from Indy to Texas becomes a reality that this section will already be in place and ready to be connected. 

 Traveling through Memphis was pretty miserable.  Lots of one-lane sections in the city where there should have been at least three lanes.  Very bumpy and very confusing -- actually a forced exit from the interstate at one point.

When we entered Arkansas we had a second "Twilight Zone" moment.   It looked EXACTLY like the farmland of our home state of Indiana - flat fields, deciduous trees, open space.  It remained that way until we exited Little Rock in the center of the state.  Almost immediately there were wooded hills, river valleys, and mountains. 

 We were approaching the Ozarks.  As we traveled through Conway, Arkansas, we spotted a car window that was painted with the following, "Conway - Home of Kris Allen - America's Idol".   Dianne and I both watch the show, but did not realize the connection until we saw the sign. 

 We had another celebrity moment in the small town of Ozark, Arkansas when we passed by the Sonic drive-in where Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie worked in the first season of their reality TV show, "The Simple Life".   During the show, they worked a short stint at the Sonic, put an off-color message on the marquee, went across the street to the grocery store in silly costumes during their work shift, and of course were fired.  Dianne did not want anyone to know that we watched the show and thought it was funny, and told me not to put it in the blog.  Oh well.   (Dianne here -- Most of that show [the original "Simple Life" is the only one I watched] took place in 

Altus, AR which was also very near our campground).   There, I've been "outed"  -- Please don't hold it against me!!

When we arrived at the Corps of Engineers Aux Arc Campground, we thought we would be on another lake, but in fact our very wooded site (no satellite here) was directly on the Arkansas River.  How mesmerizing it was to watch the river pass by from nearly every vantage point. 

 The serene atmosphere was completed by a view of Ozark, Arkansas on the other side of a very

 picturesque bridge. 

We were very curious about the name of the campground, Aux Arc, and equally interested in how to pronounce it.  It is obviously French, but I doubted that our friends from Arkansas pronounced it with a French accent.  After a little googling I discovered that the name came from the curving (arc) of the Arkansas River at the point of the town of Ozark.  The pronunciation of Aux Arc is actually OZARK - duh!

We stayed three nights (two full days) at Aux Arc.  We decided to see some of the countryside the first day, and relax by the river the second day.  Chris, our very friendly neighbor in the adjacent campsite from Russelville, Arkansas, visited us with a map of Arkansas that he had highlighted with recommended scenic drives.  He added good places to stop for lunch in the margins of the map.  What a nice guy!   (Dianne here --  So far, Arkansas wins the prize for friendliest people).

Day one...  Since we usually have a glass of wine before dinner, we opted to start the day with a visit to nearby Altus, the wine capital of Arkansas.  We had seen several signs advertising wineries and decided that it might be fun to visit.  We actually stopped at

 three wineries

 (all near each other) and bought a few bottles of wine at each one.  Chateau

 Aux Arc was a beautiful place - great wine shop and beautiful landscaping

 (flowers, pathways, boulders,

 etc.).  We really liked the wines there and bought three different vintages.  The second, an old (late 1800's) winery was in a complex of Swiss Alps-type buildings and called 

Wiederkehr - a couple more bottles and a cool shirt for Dianne, as well as a glass cutting board for the motorhome.  The third winery was called

 Post Familie - also very old, late 1800's.  Dianne has done a little investigating and found that the founders of the last two wineries had determined that the soil and climate of the Altus area was similar to the outstanding wine producing areas of Germany and Switzerland.   We also discovered that this area of Arkansas is considered the premier wine producing area of the South.  Who knew?

Part two of day one....  After all the wine sampling we were hungry.  We followed one of the highlighted roads on Chris's map to the postcard-like small town of 

Paris - one of those county-seat type towns centered around an interesting courthouse. 

 We dined at the

 "Grapevine"

 restaurant, very appropriate considering the morning activities.  This was one of those non-fancy places with great food.  We both had pulled pork sandwiches on homemade bread.  Delicious!  After lunch we continued to follow Chris's highlighted map and went up, up, up 

through Mt. Magazine State 

Park to the top of Mt. Magazine 

 (the highest point in Arkansas).  There were many amazing views and lots of hiking trails that we did not take - too bad the dogs weren't with us.  I got a picture of one of the butterflies

 for which the area is famous.  

Part three of day one....  After we returned, Dianne suggested that I cook our supper (salmon)

 over a wood fire using the fire pit at our campsite.  She had seen our good neighbor, Chris, doing this the night before and decided it would be fun.  It was, and it was yummy.

Day two (relaxation day)...  It was a lazy day by the river.  We spent the day watching the water flow by and listening to a live country-western concert from a nearby pavilion as we sat by the motor home.  We talked again with neighbor, Chris, and his son, who is going to college to be a middle school teacher :-).   I took a picture of a barge going up the river.  Dianne intently tried to identify a new bird (actually listening

 to bird tapes by the river to see if she could match the bird's song).  (Dianne here --  after two days, I finally gave up trying to identify my elusive bird.  I took an audio recording of its song and e-mailed it to our bird expert, Brad, in case he can identify it.  Roger is VERY WORRIED about my bird obsession!!  

Mystery Bird Update:  Our friend, Brad, quickly identified my mystery bird as a Summer Tanager.  He also had this to say about Roger's fear of my bird obsession:  "Roger: The difference between an obsession and an expertise is in the value placed on that obsession/expertise by the observer. In my opinion the more obsessive one is about identifying a particular song, the longer that ID remains in the memory of the birder!!   THANKS, BRAD!!!!!!  I knew you'd understand!!

We saw a couple of scissor-tailed flycatchers with unbelievably long tail feathers.  Dianne, the pyrotechnic queen, built a fire

 from the wood that Chris gave to us before he and his family left.  

We ended the day talking about how we would definitely return to this part of Arkansas.  It is just one of those places that has a good feel to it.

Next up, two days of Walmarting, probably no pictures, as we travel to Sioux Falls.  We will keep you posted.