a.d. elliott - Take the Back Roads

Dear Henry, This picture is all of the reasons why Fish is a great guy. We went in search of Triple Falls, which is about 2 hours away from home. I had wanted to go when it was overcast and had been raining, both for the lighting and because I was hoping for flow.  The falls turned out to be at the end of a narrow, snarly, dirt road that probably been way more fun if it hadn't been wet. The area around the falls was amazing, even though the falls themselves were a bit lackluster. I could have had some fun, I am sure. But. I forgot to make sure I had an SD card (aka "no film") in my camera.  I had also left my phone in the truck.  This is Fish's picture of the Falls. We didn't stay long near the falls before climbing back in the truck and climbing back up the (now wetter) narrow, snarly dirt road and driving two hours back home. Fish says he had fun. xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry, Someone scoffed yesterday, saying they couldn't possibly live without the mountains and by mountains, she meant the Rockies, because the Rockies are well the Rockies. I disagree though with the statement.  I love the Ozarks, despite spending my entire life under the shadow of the Rockies. The Ozarks are cozier, I think.  To be sure there aren't the sweeping vistas that the Rockies provide, but, because the Ozarks weren't caused by uplift, but rather erosion, they are full of wonderful hollows and give one the impression of living in a canyon, all nestled snug in the forest. The vistas of the Rockies are thrilling, but, I loved the canyons more. I do miss the cold water though.  Here, during the heat of summer, water is very warm and contains none of the crispness of the high mountain streams.  It has been a small sacrifice though and the lack of crowds more than compensates. Plus, the Ozarks have fireflies. xoxo a.d. elliott

I am so fortunate to live near this museum Henry, Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas has a great collection.  They also put together some very cool special exhibits. This summer they put together an exhibit called "Beyond O'Keeffe" which contained much of her work, as well as some from artists with a similar "feel". I love O'Keeffe's work, but, The Beyond - one of her last pieces  - she had to paint this using her peripheral vision as her eyesight was failing - I think will always be my favorite.   What lies beyond the horizon? Fish was such a good sport to go with me. xoxo a.d. elliott

My dear Henry, While traveling down Hwy 59 we came upon this decrepit gateway, leading to "Lake Francis". The gates, standing open, had long since rusted and were sagging. It looked like the entrance you may expect to Camp Crystal Lake (of Friday the 13th fame). There are of course stern "No Trespassing" "24-hour video surveillance" signs everywhere as well. Back to civilization, we googled it, finding out that from about 1930 to 1970 it was "THE" recreational lake in the area.  Then, of course, it got dirty, really dirty. and then the dam leaked. and finally, in 1990, the dam was destroyed. So, not haunted, just gone. xoxo a.d.

Hey Henry, It has been hot again, and we were looking for someplace to go to cool off. This is Natural Dam, which, depending on the water levels can also be considered a waterfall. A 200-foot shelf spans the entire width of Mountain Fork Creek and creates a wonderful little swimming pool. We weren't the only people taking advantage of this nature made pool, it was pretty popular, with several barbeques going on in the background.   Everyone was really nice about letting me get a quick shot in, although, if I had wanted models, there were these two very cute kids who really, really wanted their picture taken. (I had to decline, I strongly feel that you shouldn't take pictures of other peoples kids to put on the internet.) Anyway, have a great day! xoxo a.d.

I wonder how you handle it, Henry, I just finished reading  Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild  and my heart hurts for the environment.  While you don't have it near as bad with the mining operations in Colorado as the trees in Louisiana do, the environmental damages being caused by oil, gas, mining, and petrochemicals need to be addressed.  Somehow.  I am all for business and I love capitalism, but corporate responsibility needs to be enforced.  We cannot let corporate interests destroy places such as these. Stay safe and avoid residual chemicals, Henry! xoxo a.d. elliott

I was so excited to see this place, Henry! These were some of my  favorite books  when I was growing up, so exploring this museum was a lot of fun for me (not so much for Fish, but he was a good sport about it). I was a little bummed that they didn't allow any indoor photography (the flash will degrade things faster but most curators will allow non-flash photography, not here though). Laura loved her china - and seeing one of their wagons that they traveled in, I have no idea how her china survived the moves. It is making me sad that her books have come under so much controversy because of the strong bias she and her family had against Native Americans. I think that addressing the bias is important, and, when reading these books to children it is crucial to address how incorrect and repugnant that bias is, it was a bias that was taught to everyone at that time, and rather than push it under the rug, we need to address it.  xoxo a.d.

850 Feet Long & 10 Stories High This isn't a cave Henry: Its a tunnel, and one that wasn't made...we stumbled across this during our tour down Hwy 23. This is called the Natural Tunnel and it is big enough to drive a train through (we didn't do the train ride though) The park is nice - with a very steep and crazy ski lift that you can take down to the tunnel - you can also walk, but the ski lift is fun and the walk is pretty steep. We were so glad to have come upon this awesome little park on our drive. xoxo a.d. elliott

My first foray into this mountain range I was so excited about this road trip Henry! I haven't ever been into the Appalachian mountains before, most of my road trips have been in the western U.S. They are so green, covered in trees and Kudzu.   Hwy 23 is also called The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, with signs and info about the musicians who were raised in the Appalachians.  I had no idea there were so many.   There are also antiquing opportunities all along this route. All in all, it was a fun drive. xoxo a.d.

Patti's 1880's Settlement was a cute little place to stop and hang out Henry, While wandering around the village, we noticed the peacocks, in particular, this guy, who is trying so very hard to impress the lady.  She is having none of it, and would rather eat. I thought it was a funny courtship story and then...... as I was processing the images, I noticed this blur that only exists in the peacock pictures (the rest of them look fine). I *think* (hope) that this is some sort of weird refraction caused by the humidity, the cage, and the sun.  Otherwise, I was nose to nose with "something". xoxo a.d. elliott You never know what is going to appear on camera.....

Dear Henry, We found the coolest fall.  Because the Ozarks used to be part of an underwater sea, the rocks in the area are always so interesting.  The different erosion patterns of sand, silt, bedrock, and marine animals cause unusual bluffs, caves, and rock patterns.   Glory Hole Falls is a great example of this. The water source of this fall flows over the top of and then through a hole in the top of a bluff.  The fall is at the end of a one-mile hike and you are hiking down to the fall.  The creek runs alongside the trail for about the last quarter mile and has several slides and cascades on it and the valley at the bottom of the trail is breathtaking and would be worth exploring, even without the fall.  It's definitely a good spot for a picnic (which we didn't bring). Of course, there is a one-mile walk back to the car, which is all uphill, but it wasn't too bad with the trekking poles. Glory Hole Falls is quite a popular place and on the weekends it is difficult to fin

Historic Art Deco Architecture. So guess what else is in Booneville Henry, The historic Arkansas State Tuberculosis Sanatorium.  This is the Nyberg building, the main hospital, which stopped treating patients in the 1970s. We had read that this was a museum, but it wasn't open when we came and we couldn't find any information about tours, so I don't think that information is current. While a gorgeous building that is on the historical register, I rather think it was haunted, if not, certainly eerie. The rest of the grounds were put to other uses. xoxo a.d. elliott

We got settled right before the sun went down. So here we are - a first road trip of 2018, Henry - We went to Bull Shoals and the White River.   We picked this place because of the trout.  The White River is (I believe) the only river in Arkansas with trout.  (I also believe they come from the Neosho Fishing Hatchery).  Fish misses trout fishing, and February is supposed to be the best time to go. We have a cute little cabin with old-time keys and a stone fireplace, it has a great view of the river too. xoxo a.d. elliott