The family rented a house on Petit Jean Mountain in central Arkansas for a week. On our way down, we stopped in Oklahoma City at The American Pigeon Museum. There were three rooms — one on pigeon breeds, one on the use of homing pigeons by the military, and one on pigeon racing. A lot of the items on display were unexplained, and the explanations on the others were hit-and-miss, but it was an entertaining way to spend an hour and break up a long drive. A few live pigeons were in cages behind the building.
On Sunday, I hiked with my brother-in-law at Mount Nebo State Park. That’s Lake Dardanelle down below.
Here’s the house where we spent the week. I tried not to spend too much time there, and when I did, I was often outside around the fire pit.
Shortly after we arrived, I wandered across the road into the state park. The house was directly across from the parking lot for Rock House Cave. When I wandered down on Sunday evening, a choir of young people was giving a gospel music concert deep in the cavern. For various reasons, I suspect they were from a Mennonite church. There were perhaps 30 people in the choir and maybe 10 family members standing around listening.
I walked up the road to track (successfully) two calling Pileated Woodpeckers. I heard a rustling in the woods and spotted a large Coyote walking by not 20-yards away with a large … something in its mouth. My best guess is a chicken.
On Tuesday, I hiked Seven Hollows Trail with my daughter and son-in-law.
There was no water running in the Grotto (or anywhere else). I’ve never seen the park so dry. I almost had the sense that the mountain was broken.
On Wednesday morning, I got up early and took a three-mile walk on the road that loops around the end of the mountain. I did not see another human until the very end of my hike when I spotted a park maintenance worker emptying garbage cans.
Looking west from the overlook.
The now-choirless Rock House Cave
Later in the morning, I walked the Cedar Creek Trail with family members and then explored Bear Cave. This was the most running water we saw anywhere.
In the afternoon, Some of us went to the Rockefeller automobile museum on the mountain, which I’ve toured at least six times before.
On Thursday, six of us drove up Highway 7 to King’s Bluff. There was almost no water running there either, and the trees weren’t turning much, so it was something of a letdown. We did have an enjoyable lunch at a local spot.
On Friday, my son-in-law and I went birding at Holla Bend and Dardanelle Dam. It was one of the slowest birding days I’ve ever had in Arkansas. I suspect the hunters, who were out and about even earlier than we were, chased most of the big birds away. We stopped by Mount Nebo on the way back to the house. This view is looking east. The Arkansas River makes an “S” in the right distance. We were surprised at how small Petit Jean Mountain looked in the distance — a slight rise on the horizon on the right half of the photo.
That evening, family came from all over the state for a birthday party at the house.
We drove all the way home on Saturday, even though we took a round-about way so we could see our daughter in Missouri (and had to drive through a blinding rainstorm on the way). We got home a little after 9:00 pm.