We arrived in Bentonville AR early enough yesterday for a return to this very fine Museum of American Art, vision of Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. Many corporate sponsors also contribute to this first class museum and trail system. It is all free to the public.

The weather was cold and dreary so we opted for inside. I wanted to return to what we call the “bubble room.” But the artist calls:

A few more images:

Weather improved so we ventured outside to explore art dotted trails. Here’s what we found.

The above floating stainless steel balls in a pond were my absolute favorite! A slight breeze causes them to move against one another, creating a low and mesmerizing susurration. The visuals of them reflecting against each other, reflecting the sky, the trees, the photographer. The patterns they make. I can’t believe they don’t have a bench here. I could watch them, listen to them for extended periods of time.

This morning found us on the North Forest trail at 8:15 or so. It was brisk and the sun was not above the trees when we started. More great art amidst chirping birds, leaves brushing, and fresh air.

There are a few of these along the trails. You manually turn the crank. Push a button and continue cranking to listen to a recorded message. There are 4 messages on\in each box. They cover a variety of topics – info about the red shouldered hawk and a recording of it’s call. Did you know though that blue Jays can mimic them expertly?

Another message might be from the architect about the construction materials for the museum. It takes quite a bit of energy to maintain the crank. I kept switching hands.

I’ll end this post with this photo. I think it’s called Brilliant Berry. Brilliant, yes?

Day 2 was significantly different from day 1 as it the Plateau Region. And day 3 was different yet again and is known as the Highlands region. Photos from day 2:

The Music Center is well worth a visit and is a short drive off the Parkway, yet part of it. Volunteers play traditional music – if you’re lucky to be there when they are. We’ve had some good fortune on this trip. The structure has amazing acoustics. And how about that backdrop?!

Inside the Center there is an exhibit of the history of music in the area. There are examples of the original banjo style instrument from Africa. There are recordings of traditional music. And a variety of realia highlighting all of it.

Day 3 – was really rainy, but with periods of decent weather.

After spending the night in Asheville NC we drove through part of the Smokie Mountains. At the entrance were a number of buildings that had been moved from the mountains or rural areas to form what a typical homestead might consist of.

In the Smokies

That’s it for today. Posts will jump around, depending on what strikes my fancy. Dinner time! Be well wherever you are.

We stopped in the old downtown. That’s been part of the charm of taking blue highways. Winchester had a particularly imposing and gothic style court house.

Buildings around the square have plaques on them detailing the history of the businesses located in each one. Here is my favorite.

I also love this tree found in several places on the square. If you know what it is, please let me know!

Really not the grand manor I expected. Rather modest, in fact. That may have to do with the fact that we only toured the main floor. No. It is smaller than plantation manors that I have seen in photos, on tv, or movies. It is beautiful though, don’t get me wrong. Last night I began this post. Then I started reading about TJ and got lost in history. There’s no way I can – or wish to attempt – to capture the fullness of the man or his time. Suffice to say that there are inconsistent views – and he was aware of that.

I’ll be writing shorter posts. I’m finding that a driving trip is not as conducive to writing. Ed and I have talked about it. Maybe a riff on that later.

Raise your hand if you’ve been to our nation’s capitol. It truly is a wonder down by the mall. And i don’t mean shopping mall. The National Mall where the Smithsonian and so many sculptures of grand scale are located. Covid is good for one thing: sparse population at areas of interest. If you’ve visited places when the hordes abound, you know just how marvelous it is to visit in relative peace. Although, at one point a rash of truckers were wending their way down a main drag, horns blasting. We were too far away to see if they had signs to state their grievance. Ranger didn’t know, nor did a police officer.

Here are some sights from our day in DC.

The photo below shows part of the FDR memorial. There are several of these wall bas relief sculptures that are endearing and intimate. They were included so the blind could have a tactile experience. Note the braille in the center of the photo.

The FDR memorial is both imposing and inviting. There are 4 outdoor “rooms”, each representing a year of his presidency. Each room includes a statue, a waterfall, quotes on the red granite walls, and the bas relief seen above. I didn’t take any photos, so be sure to see Ed’s post.

We toured the area with our friend Jim who moved to DC about 7 years ago. He spends lots of time visiting the mall area, returning again and again to favorite spots. I would love that opportunity – to have the option of not having to fit too much in to too little time. It would be worth staying for a month or two just to take it in slowly, bit by bit, steeping oneself in the history, the art, the grand vision of our nation that continues to strive to achieve that vision.

Next up: Jefferson’s Monticello or maybe more of the Blue Ridge Parkway!

is actually pretty darn green. Although some fall leaf color is beginning to show up. Tree coverage is so dense that you can’t imagine there might be an issue regarding deforestation. Thanks be for national parks!

We left Charlottesville VA this morning. Let me just say that we are loving Virginia! We plan a return trip to spend time in the area to explore more. Fall seems a pretty ideal time – like in most places. Days are still in the 80s and nights get down to 50s. Evenings are perfect weather and mornings are cool. The day heats up to steamy. But trees are so ubiquitous that shade is easily found. It has been comfortable walking – even in DC where we spent Saturday the 2nd October.

We walked around 10 miles touring the mall and outdoor sculptures. Too beautiful a day to be inside. The one exception being our visit to the Ford Theater late afternoon. A friend had recommended it as a place most visitors don’t think to go. More on that later.

Today I want to write about today. We had three interesting encounters. The first was when we left the parkway to detour to Steeles Tavern. It was around lunchtime and that seemed like a good bet. There was one sign directing. Then at a crossroads, nothing. We gambled and turned right. After a short drive in a very quiet and rural area with hardly any traffic or people, i spied a man roadside and exhorted Ed to stop and ask him if we were headed in the right direction. We were. But the Steeles Tavern is no longer were informed. Ed mentioned the need to visit his namesake watering hole and that he had family from the area. Upon hearing that, roadside gentleman proceeds to tell us of all the Steeles in the area, their names, and how many kids they have. He also mentioned Harold Steele just down the road apiece. Harold was Ed’s dad’s name. He was lovely! Continue on and just over the bridge you’ll come to Steeles Tavern he says. We thought we’d see the relic of the building. Instead we discovered the town of Steeles Tavern! Right there on the corner on the post office. I thought it would be an ideal place from which to send a post card to Amber.

Inside I ask the postmaster about the tavern. He’s young and doesn’t have a clue, but says to talk to that ole guy out there. So i do. Mr. Thomas proceeds to spin a yarn, some truth sprinkled in.

But before that story gets told i have to tell you how surprised I was to learn that he’d been to Santa Fe! Didn’t think any place could be closer to heaven. (I beg to differ.) He looked like he’d never been further than a block. I think it had something to do with military service. He LOVES La Fonda. Especially once he “taught that Indian how to make a martini.” Oh, he had stories: he was fixing up that old building there on the corner which used to be the hotel part of the Steeles Tavern.

Yeah,that one. Took 4 tons of material out so far. Working on it solo. Wants to get it on the historic register.

Upon hearing of Ed’s surname, tells about old man Steele who just died at age 97. Got stopped by the police just 4 months prior on suspicion of drunken driving. We said in tandem, sounds like a Steele!

Well he had some other stories about William Steele, hero of the revolutionary war who was a CIA type for back then and proprietor of the tavern and that’s why the town’s name was changed from Midway to Steeles Tavern. He wound up by saying that the post office parking lot was the place to be on a Saturday morning if you had any question whatsoever that needed answering. He was fun.

And now for some photos from the BRP!

And now – to bed. Wait! There was a third encounter! As we entered Devil’s Backbone Brewery (outside of Lexington, home of Virginia Military Institute and the Washington and Lee University) for lunch a young woman tapped my shoulder. Are you from Albuquerque? I was wearing my Get Elevated t-shirt from La Cumbre. She had been there. Her friend Nick had been a brewer there and was now brewing here. She had just worn her own Get Elevated hoodie yesterday. What are the odds?! Okay, now to bed. No editing either, so forgive typos, etc. Sweet dreams.

Oh how I love Jamestown! The bay is a short walk from Debbie’s house. Baby waves lap the shore. Sun on my back warms while a cool breeze keeps me cooly comfortable. Crickets chirp. Bees buzz. A plane soars overheard. A boat motors by.

Last night we joined my brother Peter and his partner Debbie at dinner with their long time friends. It was a wild raucous affair with big laughter. They are are supremely welcoming group.

After a rainy morning on Friday I took Ed to Fort Wetherill, a former coast artillery fort that occupies the southern portion of the eastern tip of Conanicut Island in Jamestown, Rhode Island. It sits atop high granite cliffs, overlooking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. Fort Dumpling from the American Revolutionary War occupied the site until it was built over by Fort Wetherill. Wetherill was deactivated and turned over to the State of Rhode Island after World War II and is now operated as Fort Wetherill State Park, a 51-acre (210,000 m2) reservation managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Here’s what it looks like now.

There are also lots of creepy underground bunkers. There is relatively little trash given the state of the graffiti. When I mentioned it to Pete and Deb they said that a local keeps it clean – and “whines about it on Facebook.”

Today we went out on Pete’s boat! Smooth cruising across the bay to Newport, meandering among some opulent sailboats and yachts. There is a lot of money sitting in the water here! The ships are beautiful to see, bobbing in the water of Adriatic hue, under clear blue sky. We docked and went ashore for lunch, sitting by the pier. A more gorgeous day couldn’t be had. Ran into headwind on the way back, some bounce and spray initially, but Pete maneuvered a course that mitigated that considerably.

Back on the island we directed ourselves to the Narragansett Cafe for a drink and more great live music. I have been dancing with some ease! I say more great live music because we were there Friday night as well. There’s always good music at the Gansette!

The Gansette has been going strong for seemingly ever. It was a hot spot I frequented back in my RI days. May the run continue.

Okay! Gotta get this day going!

No excuses, I’m just going to take the plunge. I last wrote of Springfield IL. From there we drove through Indiana to get to Springfield OH without any touring of Indiana, though my friend Betty said we should visit her hometown of Connorsville. Since she wasn’t there we decided to bypass. However I did snap a photo of a highway sign to send her.

Next stop was Clarion PA. It boasts Clarion University, lots of trails, wineries and breweries in the surrounding areas, and the Clarion River running through it. Lovely small city. After a day of driving it felt good to walk in the forest, even if just a short time as it was already early evening. And in a densely treed environment, it felt pretty dark. Yet the green shows up so vividly!

We walked a short distance on the 1.6 mile Clarion Loop Trail on land owned by the university. It runs through second growth forests of white pine and hemlock and is part of the 4,600 mile North Country Trail.

Clarion County is the gateway to the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors and Pennsylvania Wild Regions. This is a beautiful region we would revisit when the plan is to simply spend time in this area.

I’m looking forward to Charlie’s post! What a way to start mine. That’s the space I’m in.

How many days ago were we in Springfield OH? Sheesh. It was just this past Monday the 13th. We toured Lincoln’s home which is pretty much as it was left when the family left for DC. He expected to return and continue his law practice with his partner.

There wasn’t much info regarding his younger days, living in a log cabin, though it was referenced. He didn’t have much in the way of formal education. Those were the days when you could enter a profession if you did right by your book learnin’. Think of the discipline required to teach yourself how to be a lawyer. Think of the reading, writing, and the ability to be clear speaking and eloquent. He gained his reputation through diligence and competence. I’m now inclined to read a biography. There must be one.

The house was initially a one story cottage. As the family and his popularity grew, so did the house, to the two story home given to the city of Springfield to be kept as a museum. Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln (the only child to reach adulthood) donated the family home to the State of Illinois in 1887 under the condition that it would forever be well maintained and open to the public at no charge. State forest rangers now provide the guided tour. Ours was most enthusiastic and provided scintillating detail which you’ll have to acquire by attending your own guided tour.

We quite liked this area which included act block radius of other local homes and the inhabitants therein.

In addition, that neighborhood hosts beautiful old buildings that now house restaurants and coffee houses, which would have been delightful to visit, but time marches on.

On the way to the statehouse we walked through a bicentennial park which paid homage to a variety of local black personages who made good for themselves while also elevating the local population. For example, one man, a builder constructed hones for black families at a reasonable rate. At the time local white devils would charge inordinate amounts in rent to black folk. This man, and I apologize for not knowing his name, helped many a family by providing quality homes at affordable prices.

The state house was a worthwhile visit. Beautiful, stately building. Photos follow

From Springfield IL we headed to Springfield OH. A long and arduous journey and part of the reason these posts are delayed. Such is life on the road.

Green rolling hills. Miles of corn and soy beans. Plump tree canopies. Signs along the side of the highway like Burma shave ads: I have a gun\it’s pretty and pink\it makes the bad guy\stop and think\gunssavelives.com. Lone homes and barns nestled among trees and surrounded by land.

More and more traffic as we head north and east. More and more roadway construction.

We left one week ago Tuesday and entered our eighth state, PA, after going through TX, OK, AR, MO, IL, IN, OH. Since I’m so delayed in submitting posts, we are in the ninth state, arriving in Ithaca, NY yesterday the 16th.

It’s been a challenge to write. In Glasgow, MO we were up too late with Ed’s high school buddy and his wife. We all got on so well – like no time had passed since Ed and Steve had seen one another, and all of us like old chums. So enjoyed Ruth and Steve and the small town atmosphere. There’s a bar overlooking the Missouri River where we had wine and appetizer before dinner. A restaurant across the street. A bakery, unfortunately closed on Sunday. A breakfast and lunch place and a pizza parlor. For a town with a population of about 1,000, it feels vibrant.

There was a fund raiser for the Catholic school with live music outside. Maybe 150 people there, young and old. Older, I mean. Great band from Booneville playing rock classics. Ruth and I singing along. 

Glasgow has the world’s first all steel bridge ever built.

I love this architecture. Sadly, many of the buildings are vacant and in disrepair, the beautiful tin ceilings falling in.

After breakfast together we bid adieu and hit the road for Hannibal, another town on the Missouri River.

We toured the Mark Twain museum and home and Becky Thatcher’s home. It was all entertaining and induced in me the desire to read more of Twain’s work or reread his classics. Maybe they are all classics now.

I hadn’t realized, or had forgotten, that Tom, Huck, Becky, Aunt Polly, Injun Joe, and Jim were all based on people in Twain’s life. The museum illustrated this with brief biographical bits, easily digested. A short film provided background. Many Twain quotes rounded out and brought to life the fulsome nature of the man and his time.

With all the censoring going on in our time, the over-the-top PC environment, the negative take on US history, and too easily offended, I appreciated this quote:

It was a difficult day for me leg and foot wise. Walking was a challenge, which it hasn’t been. I was pretty low and exhausted that night, thus failing to write again. The third night not posting was due to a longer day’s drive than expected through too much construction and stop and go traffic. And now I’ll stop excusing myself as it’s clear there’s always something and two more days have passed already!

Such a difference between walking the Caminho and driving. Obvious, I know. On the Caminho we walked with our thoughts. In the car, we listen to audio books, podcasts, music. We are not meeting fellow travelers. While I love visiting the sights, I love the small towns we travel through, I miss foreign exchanges.

I’ll close for now with a few photos from Eureka Springs – a week ago already!

Until next time…