Meador Manor

An Engagement Out West, Part 4: The Silver Thread

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Granger Meador

Trip Dates: July 17-18, 2015

This is the fourth in a series of posts about our July 2015 vacation out west. Wendy is composing these posts while I handle the photos and maps. Enjoy!

-Granger

Wendy’s Post

On July 17^th we left peaceful Pagosa Springs and headed toward Gunnison. We crossed over Wolf Creek Pass and then turned at South Fork onto the Silver Thread, a scenic 120 mile stretch of highway 149. Scenic indeed!

Silver Thread through Colorado (click map for slideshow)

SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC

Along the way we saw clear rivers and fields blanketed in wildflowers. We cruised through Creede and stopped to stretch at a pullout where you can see the mountains which create the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Around 50 miles into the trip on the Silver Thread, we pulled over at North Clear Creek Falls for another break. No waterfall was visible from the road, but we were amazed at the power and beauty of North Clear Creek Falls, where the creek plunges a little over 100 feet, heading toward the Rio Grande. The roar of the rushing water was deafening, and I was in awe of the powerful force of the water. I cautiously made my way through the rocks to get closer to see the raging stream down below. It was quite a drop. Granger was happily climbing around on what I thought to be precarious perches, snapping photos of this monster of a waterfall.

North Clear Creek Falls

We then drove 25 miles to Lake City. On the way, we stopped at Windy Point Overlook. While gazing at the snow-topped “fourteeners” (mountains that are over 14,000 ft tall) in the distance, we listened to the quiet rustling of the aspen trees. Then Granger remarked, “You know, Al Packer ate people up here.” What a romantic!

As we continued our trip, we saw more breathtaking terrain. There were many steep climbs, sharp curves, and switchbacks. We stopped along the road high above the emerald colored Lake San Cristobal and drove through Lake City.

Lake San Cristobal

Then we drove alongside the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River to Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest lake. From there, we headed east toward Gunnison, from which we planned to drive over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison the next day.

Warning Signs

On this almost 200-mile trip, we saw many road signs that indicated animal crossings, sharp turns, and falling rocks. So along with all of the scenic beauty came danger. One of those yellow diamond signs should have predicted a gut-wrenching time in Gunnison, as Granger got a bad case of food-poisoning. We ate at Anejo’s, where Granger had really enjoyed the food on a previous trip. The food was just okay this time, and I think his beef fajitas were a little on the rare side. Granger was seriously ill for over 24 hours. I did my best to make him comfortable. He wouldn’t take any medicine for the symptoms, saying that doing so would make it worse. “I just need to let my body fight this stuff off naturally and get it out of me,” he said.

For the first time ever, he let me drive his car so I could go to town and get supplies. Since it was a rainy day, it was the perfect day for me to learn how to drive his car, since I often got the gear shifter mixed up with the windshield wiper mechanism. I stopped at Dollar General and picked up bland foods like crackers and butter cookies. I also got some Gatorade as well as some ice pops that were already frozen. This is why I like Dollar General – they’re cheap, easily accessible, and they’ve added a frozen section. Just about anything you need from Wal-Mart you can get at Dollar General, and you won’t have to walk 10 miles to get it.

Ice Pops

Granger was delighted with the ice pops, Gatorade, and crackers. Over the course of the day, he slowly improved. When he asked for his fifth ice pop, I knew he was going to make it. The next day we eased our way eastward to the Garden of the Gods.

Click here for a slideshow from this part of our vacation

An Engagement Out West, Part 5: Ruby Mountain & Garden of the Gods >

< An Engagement Out West, Part 3: Pagosa Springs & The Cumbres and Toltec

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An Engagement Out West, Part 3: Pagosa Springs & The Cumbres and Toltec

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Granger Meador

Trip Dates: July 15-16, 2015

This is the third in a series of posts about our July 2015 vacation out west. Wendy is composing these posts while I handle the photos and maps. Enjoy!

-Granger

July 15-16, 2015; click map for slideshow

Wendy’s Post

After the tough hike at Ghost Ranch, it was nice to arrive in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The town is known for its hot springs, but to me, it will always remind me of fresh air, hot air balloons, train rides, and great coffee. Pagosa Springs is a perfect place to relax.

We stayed at the same hotel we stayed at on our first big trip together in the summer of 2013. Back then, after staying in a cramped room at a Best Western in Durango, the spacious double queen room at the Pagosa Springs Inn and Suites was such a welcome sight. Granger always stays there when he visits town, and Chester, the owner, remembered him.

That first morning I woke to the smell of Higher Grounds coffee and Granger’s smiling face. He had walked over to the nearby coffee shop and picked up some coffee, scones, and the lemon bars that he loves so much. Just like two years ago, he set up the ironing board as our makeshift breakfast table.

After breakfast, I took a catnap, since my legs were still sore from the hike at Ghost Ranch. In the meantime, Granger worked on more school business relating to the grant and updating the school website. For lunch we ate at another favorite, DSP Pizzeria.

Later, we got around town to check out some of the local places, what I like to call “hippie shops.” We went to one called The Choke Cherry Tree, where we bought some cinnamon honey (from the Pacific Northwest, no less), orange blossom candy, and some truffles. We visited various “hipster” bakeries and then went to Old Town Market, which is one of those grocery stores that specializes in what I call “hippie food” – flaxseed, tofu, hemp, and organic everything. However, they had regular bread, which is what we were after.

For the rest of the day we mostly relaxed. After all of the tamales and rich food, we were happy to walk over to Subway for a light dinner.

The next day, I walked over to Higher Grounds to pick up breakfast. As happened in 2013, as we departed our favorite hotel, a few colorful hot air balloons filled the clear, ultra-blue sky.

Cumbres & Toltec Depot in Chama

Cumbres & Toltec SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC

All aboard!

We headed south to ride on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado. Just like on our previous summer trips, Granger had done some considerate planning, interspersing rest break days between big hike days. I think he is aware that mere mortals can’t keep up with his pace.

Our ride on the Durango & Silverton train back in 2013 is a treasured memory: The ride was misty and cold, prompting Granger to trade me his warmer jacket for my light one. As we sat huddled together, I felt so secure and loved. And the rocking of the train almost put me to sleep. There were also some funny moments we still laugh about. On that trip, Granger had gotten a cinder in his eye and couldn’t wash it out with the conductor’s eyewash nor by washing out his eyes in the bathroom sink. I plucked one of his mustache hairs so he could cry the cinder out. I remember him saying, “OW!!! What’d ya do that for??!”

In the Parlor Car

For this 2015 train ride, Granger got us pricey seats in the Parlor Car, with windows that rolled up. We felt like royalty as we were served plates of fresh fruit, muffins, and rum cake, washing them down with soda pop, coffee, and bottled water. The calories piled up, but what the heck? It’s vacation!

Our tour director for the first half of the trip was a nice Hawaiian gal who pointed out interesting details. Granger and I found it funny that she, like another tour director on a tram ride last summer, pronounced “mountain” without enunciating the “nt.” So it came out as “mou-INN.” Researching this peculiarity online, I found out it is just part of the regional dialect. Similarly, some Oklahomans say, “warsh,” when they mean “wash.” In Texas, where I was raised, some people say, “pee-anna,” when they mean “piano.”

Speaking of dialects, one of the great things about taking trips out west is meeting people from different parts of the country. On the train ride, we found out that of the ten people on our side of the car, nine were in fields related to public schools. Sitting adjacent to us were two sweet ladies from Virginia: Cindy, a retired speech pathologist, and Annette, a retired elementary teacher, music teacher, and librarian. From Edmond, Oklahoma, there was a very vocal fellow who was a school bus driver who had previously taught special education. From New Mexico, there was a cafeteria manager. From other parts unknown there was a school secretary, a school bus driver, and a special education aide who had previously been a special education teacher. He didn’t mind the drop in pay, as it meant less paperwork. Then from Bartlesville, Oklahoma there was Granger, a Physics teacher, and Wendy, a special education English and History teacher.

After all of the introductions, a man piped up and asked, “Any business managers?” Everyone laughed, as he appeared to feel outnumbered. He added, “I’m into sales.” Everyone said almost in unison, “So are we!” We sell education.

Windy Point

When the train really got going, everyone’s voices fell to a hush as they gazed out upon the jaw-dropping scenery. My neighbor Cindy and I raved about the rainbow-speckled fields of flowers, while Granger took shots of the mountain vistas. We were in the last car, and a George Takei look-alike spent the whole trip on the open platform just outside the back of our car. He was an elderly gent with white hair and a toned physique, donning a neon yellow track jacket and biker shorts. He must have snapped a thousand pictures, and he never stopped smiling.

Granger wolfed down his turkey dinner at Osier, our midday stop, and we enjoyed exploring the area, climbing a hill to get shots of the train amidst the scenery.

Train at Osier

Everyone got kind of serious looking when the tour director for the second half of the ride pointed to a hunk of mountain saying, “Half of that broke and slid off. And that’s just since this morning.” I wasn’t so sure that wasn’t one of those touristy fibs they tell just to increase interest. But as we passed over Toltec Gorge, there was no denying the dizzying height at which we viewed the roaring Rio de Los Pinos, 600 feet below. Everyone stood up at the windows to take pictures. Being afraid of heights, I stayed put.

Granger is definitely more of a thrill-seeker than I am. As we rode through a very snug rock tunnel, he was hanging out on the rear platform along with George Takei, snapping photos. I’ll never forget how he grinned ear to ear, mere inches away from the deadly rocky wall.

The serpentine rails gave Granger many opportunities to film the train winding around upon itself, and he had fun using his iPhone to create a video of the ride. The next day we would take another curvy trip through the mountains to Gunnison.

Click here for a slideshow from this train ride

An Engagement Out West, Part 4: The Silver Thread >

< An Engagment Out West, Part 2: Santa Fe & Ghost Ranch

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An Engagement Out West, Part 2: Santa Fe & Ghost Ranch

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Granger Meador

Trip Dates: July 11-14, 2015

This is the second in a series of posts about our July 2015 vacation out west. Wendy is composing these posts while I handle the photos and maps. Enjoy!

-Granger

July 11-14, 2015

Wendy’s Post

Santa Fe has been my favorite vacation destination since 2013 when Granger took me there for the first time. We visited again in 2014 and now again this summer. Last summer we stayed at a casita, a small adobe style house with a private patio. We loved it so much we stayed there again this year, but in a different casita as our last one had a fireplace and all of the smells that go along with it.

I woke up very late to the clickety-clack of Granger on his laptop working on school-related business. I gently reminded him that he was on vacation and then steered him away to a late breakfast at Tia Sophia’s, another favorite restaurant that has operated since the 1970s. As usual, the tamales and tacos were top-notch. We went walking downtown, watching some belly dancers at the Plaza, and then headed up to Canyon Road where we saw many neat sculptures and other works of art.

CANYON ROAD: SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC GALLERY

Entreflamenco

For dinner we went to a quiet little restaurant named Pizza Centro and had some excellent New York style pizza. Then it was time for Flamenco. Last year we got to see Entreflamenco, which included dancing by Antonio Granjero, Estefania Ramirez, and others. We enjoyed it so much we decided to see them again, once again right up by the stage. We saw, up close, the extremely athletic and artistic dancing. With an eye level view of their feet, we looked on in awe as the dancers did some highly energetic foot tapping. From this point on, through to the next day, things would remain just as exciting.

The next day, July 12, we planned for more relaxation leading up to our hike at Ghost Ranch. Granger was sitting out on our private patio messing around on his phone while I was getting dressed and fixing my hair and makeup. I went out to the patio to tell him I was finally ready to go. He took my sunglasses and set them on the table. Then he pulled me to him gently by the hand. He dug around in his pocket and handed me a tiny blue box and said, “Open it.” My heart was about to jump out of my chest. Trembling, I opened the box, and there was the Princess Diana-inspired sapphire and diamond ring we had picked out online a few months earlier. Granger got on one knee, still holding my hand.

Engagement (click photo for more engagement photos)

“Will you marry me, Bear?”

I nodded, hardly able to speak and said, “Yes.”

We embraced. Trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears, I whispered, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Of course, we’d planned on this proposal for a long time, and each of us had rehearsed in our heads exactly what we’d say. But with all of the emotion, we forgot our lines. And it was perfect.

Modern announcement

Later we did the modern thing: changed our relationship status on Facebook. We sat there with our phones, poised to change our relationship statuses in unison. “Ready? One, two, three – POST!” Then we sat and watched our phones in amazement as the “likes” surged into the hundreds. It was as if all of our friends were there on the patio cheering for us. What a great memory.

Eventually we calmed down enough to go have lunch at La Plazuela at La Fonda for more fajitas, tamales, and of course, green chili sauce. Granger obliged my desire to visit the Tesuque Flea Market, and I bought a small painting of the Jemez Mountains in the snow. Then we drove around looking at the unique xeriscaping in the residential neighborhoods.

Around dinnertime we decided to walk over to Pizza Centro, even though rain was predicted. We grabbed our umbrellas, and I said, “I’m not scared of a little rain.” After dinner it was pouring outside, so we ran back to the casita, getting drenched in the process and laughing the whole way.

Roses at the Railyard

The next day, we relaxed. I looked at roses, and Granger checked his students’ AP score results. We went to Walmart to get supplies and find out Granger’s ring size. We’d shopped online for my engagement ring over Spring Break; now it was time for me to shop online for his ring, which we decided should match mine. I enjoyed searching through pages and pages of men’s sapphire rings. I know Granger probably grew weary of me saying, “How about this one? Do you like the profile of that one? Ooh, here’s another good one. Hey, what do you like about that one?” It wasn’t until after our vacation that we would finally settle on a ring, with us both wearing complementary sapphire rings which will serve both as our engagement and wedding rings.

Our Rings

Granger on the trail (click photo for slideshow)

The previous day, an area photographer had told us about a great place to hike. I knew Granger was eager to get out there and get moving. He rarely likes to sit still for very long. So we went off to hike the Aspen Vista Trail near the Santa Fe Ski Basin in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We climbed and climbed uphill for two miles with me having to stop every now and then to catch my breath. The air is a little thinner at over 10,000 feet. It’s also quite a bit cooler. I actually needed my jacket, which I’d packed in my backpack. We enjoyed the invigorating hike, which was a total of 3.7 miles, climbing from 9,980 ft elevation up to 10,575 ft.

ASPEN VISTA TRAIL: SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC

We saw a beautiful sunset on our way to our late dinner. Ultimately we chose Pasqual’s, a hip little eatery downtown. The menu had some strange items like an avocado shake. Need I say more? Nevertheless, we found our food to be exotic and delicious. I had tamales again, but they had whole corn in them. Granger had a skirt steak with some unidentifiable bright green sauce among other things.

Santa Fe Sunset

When we got back to the casita we looked online at the first close-up photos of Pluto from the New Horizons probe and planned for our Ghost Ranch hike for which we would depart the following day.

Our last day in Santa Fe, we had a hearty breakfast at Tomasita’s and then did some shopping for t-shirts and a few books. Ghost Ranch was hot as hell. I must say I’ve enjoyed it more in years past partly because the weather was mild and overcast. This year, only sunscreen shielded us from the sun’s direct blaze as we walked the Chimney Rock Trail. People say the heat is not as bad out in New Mexico because it’s a “dry heat.” But they should try climbing some huge rocks out in the desert. Although the sun was unforgiving out at Chimney Rock, we did see some wonderful vistas, and I got to see some interesting rocks. As soon as we returned to the park headquarters, a storm rolled in and cooled things down.

GHOST RANCH: SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC

Ghost Ranch (click photo for slideshow)

I was completely spent during the trip out of town on our way to Pagosa Springs, but Granger was as lively as ever, pointing out the window and exclaiming, “Look at this cloud! Ooooh, look at THAT cloud! I have designated this a ‘cloud-pretty’ area. Now that the edict is out, let the celebration begin!”

An Engagement Out West, Part 3: Pagosa Springs & The Cumbres and Toltec >

< An Engagement Out West, Part 1: OKC, Weatherford, and Amarillo

Posted in art, day hike, photos, travel, Wendy | Leave a comment

An Engagement Out West, Part 1: OKC, Weatherford, and Amarillo

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Granger Meador

An Engagement Out West

This post begins a new era for the MEADOR.ORG blog. During our last big summer vacation in July 2015, I asked Wendy to marry me. She accepted, having waited years for me to pop the question, and we’ll be married in July 2016.

While I’ve been blogging since the mid-1990s, this blog really took off in 2009 when I began a long series of day hikes accompanied by photographs. As a single man, I often had the spare time to compose lengthy blog posts tied to each series of photographs. It was quite fun to create the posts, and they’ve served as a valuable travel record for me and, for the past few years, for Wendy as well. But editing all of the photos and then composing a post with text links to every photo was very time-consuming. The process has become more of a chore than it should be, so my fiancée and I agreed we should make a change.

For this long-delayed series of posts about our July 2015 vacation, Wendy is taking over the text side of the blog and posting about each major segment of the trip in her own voice. I’m editing the photos and turning them into the usual slideshow, but we’re no longer trying to document every detail of a trip nor provide a thorough, linked explanation for every photo. I’m just adding links to the text to relevant websites and a link to the overall slideshow, and putting a smattering of photos amidst the text. That approach will make it feasible to finally get the photos about our trip posted on the internet, with a reasonable amount of explanation, and still handle our many duties at school. We hope this will allow us to continue to provide you with enjoyable reading and photographs about our adventures together.

So here’s Wendy with the first of a series of posts we’ll be publishing about our July adventures…

Trip dates: July 8-10, 2015

Photographs: SLIDESHOW | MOSAIC VIEW

Wendy takes over

Before our big July vacation out west, we had many projects to complete. Some were planned, and some were not. First, Granger had to wrap up a few school-related projects. For many days, he worked on the new BHS website with the goal of finishing before vacation.

At the same time, issues relating to the STEM grant had to be worked out. On top of this, Granger had to facilitate changes that resulted from the ongoing construction at the high school – ensuring resolution to challenges with classroom furniture allocation and moves as well as sorting through various orders and deliveries of classroom equipment.

The deadlines were unending, and they continue to crop up as we begin the school year with the blending of grades 9-10 into the new BHS. That’s why I’m temporarily taking the helm of the Meador blog – so Granger can continue the many school related projects on which he’s working tirelessly. Yet, he will still be editing and sorting the accompanying photos.

Branson Steps

Before our vacation began, as Granger was doing non-stop school stuff, I continued working on an acrylic painting project, replicating a photo of spiral steps Granger shot when we were in Branson last spring. I am a novice painter who is still learning, but I watch a few Youtube videos to help, mostly Bob Ross. As he says, “We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents.”

Around the same time, I eagerly took on the editing of Granger’s mom’s memoirs, which were partly ghostwritten by his dad, who’s previously written many family histories. I enjoyed the email correspondence with Granger’s folks, discussing various changes to the book as well as learning the colorful history of his mom’s life. Who else gets the opportunity to better acquaint herself with her future mother-in-law by editing her life story? When things settle down at school, that project will continue with the insertion of many photos Granger scanned.

With all of these planned projects came a few emergency repairs. At the beginning of the summer, Granger’s car was rear-ended at the intersection of highway 75 and Nowata. He took his nearly-brand-new silver Toyota Camry to Coachworks and got a rental car, which was an older white Toyota Corolla.

Wet Dry Vac

On the home front, he had a plague of plumbing problems. The air conditioner’s drain hole clogged, causing water to leak into the garage as well as the living room where the piano sits. I convinced Granger to buy a Shop-Vac, which turned out to be a wise investment. He vacuumed up all of the water he could from the carpet. After having dealt with my own leaky water heaters and central A/C units in the past, I suggested he spray Lysol to prevent mold and mildew. A few days later, I smelled mildew and said, “Did you do the Lysol thing?” No. So we did the Lysol thing, and now it smells great.

A week or so later, Granger turned on the sprinklers to water the front lawn. He went about his school-related business inside on the computer but after some time noticed that the running water sounded funny. Unbeknownst to him, the hose connector out front had broken during the winter. As a result, the front two bedrooms had sopping wet carpet. Time for the Shop-Vac. We were in for a long sweaty evening, vacuuming and stomping dozens of towels into the carpet to remove as much water as possible. Then I sprayed all of the carpet and baseboards with Lysol. At last, we hooked up fans all over the place to aid the drying process.

Car Repaired!

All this time, Granger was waiting for a call from Coachworks to tell him the car was completely repaired. After some time, we began to worry that we would end up having to drive the rental car, which wasn’t as comfortable as his Toyota Camry. My Chevy had gotten a check engine light for the third time this summer, and we had no time to get it looked at, so my blue Impala “Xanadu” was out. She had over 128,000 miles anyway, which would be too risky for such a long trip. Our friend Betty Henderson graciously offered to let us drive her red Toyota Camry as a plan B. Fortunately, Granger’s car was ready the day before we left for Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Trip Map, Segment One (click map for slideshow)

Early in the morning on July 8^th, we ventured off to Oklahoma City, where we had planned to attend the EngageOK Conference sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Education. All of our chosen sessions were completely booked up when we arrived, even though we had signed up online ahead of time.

Overholser Mansion

After lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse, we dropped by the Overholser Mansion but did not want to wait for the next available tour. However, we did get some shots of the mansion and the grounds. After that, we visited Granger’s parents. He scanned pictures for his mom’s book while I shot more pictures of her flowers and various hobbies, happily perused stacks of old photos, and savored coffee time with his dad.

Heartland of America Museum in Weatherford, OK

The next day, we headed toward Weatherford, where we visited the Heartland of America Heritage Museum and met a friendly docent, Dr. Les Price from Bartlesville. He informed us that he is part of the renowned family of Price Tower fame. He introduced us to all kinds of technology from yesteryear as well as old cars and Native American beadwork.

Another lively docent showed us a diner where Elvis Presley was known to drop in. We also saw a replica of an old school house. The lady docent asked Granger if he was a professor. He told her he is a high school AP Physics teacher, and from then on, we jokingly addressed him as “Professor Meador.”

Scrumptious fixin’s at Calico County

Next, it was on to Amarillo, with a break to walk in the city park at Groom. When we reached Amarillo, we feasted on Blue Sky Burgers. The following day, we ate at Calico County Restaurant, which we deemed “better than home cookin’.” As an appetizer, we had mouthwatering mini cinnamon rolls and biscuits. The chicken fried chicken was perfectly fluffy and crunchy. After my college stint as a cook at Charlie’s Chicken, I can tell you that this breading was a thing of beauty. Everything was so delicious that I insisted that we eat here again ASAP.

While we were in Amarillo, we also visited a few art venues. First, we went to the almost completely deserted Sunset Art Gallery of Amarillo, a huge indoor mall, where only 3 or 4 artists were selling their pieces — their “big event” wasn’t until the following day. The only life in the place was a scattering of senior citizens strolling briskly around the mall for exercise. Even though the stop was mostly unmemorable, I learned some painting tips from a friendly retired teacher who was painting a gigantic red poppy blossom on an expansive canvas.

Amarillo Museum of Art

Afterwards, we visited the Amarillo Museum of Art on the Amarillo College campus where we examined works from European, Asian, and Contemporary American Art. The most striking exhibit began with a bright aqua truck similar to the vehicle from Beverly Hillbillies. That was followed by a mind-boggling assortment of paintings depicting the truck or its various parts, and other sculptures, all by John Himmelfarb. Granger was particularly taken by some Japanese bronze statues from its Meiji period between 1862 and 1912, part of the extensive collection of Dr. and Mrs. William R. Price of Amarillo.

Tomasita’s

That evening, we arrived in Santa Fe just in time to fill up on Tomasita’s: tamales, tacos, enchiladas, and the green chili sauce that I have been craving all year. Finally, after a long day of driving, we settled into our casita near downtown.

Click here for a slideshow from these three days of travel

An Engagement Out West, Part 2: Santa Fe & Ghost Ranch >

Posted in art, home repair, photos, travel, Wendy | 2 Comments

Starting Summer in Arkansas, Day 5: Along Nebo’s Rim

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Granger Meador

June 5, 2015

Wendy and I spent a full day up on Mount Nebo after our migration from Mount Magazine. We made our own breakfast in the cabin, and she joined me for a hike over to the waterfall, where she posed near one of the upper falls. Then she braved the heat and insects to descend the 80 feet to the lower falls.

Near an upper cascade, I spotted a side trail leading south along the mountainside, between the upper Rim Trail and the Bench Trail far below. Wendy waited at the falls while I explored this overgrown path. Later I would find that it eventually ascends to intersect the Rim Trail.

We returned to the cabin, stopping to pick up a few bottles and other items previous hikers had discarded. The trails here are too beautiful to tolerate any trash. Wendy was willing to hike some more in the hot and buggy conditions, but I knew she was still nursing the painful bites on her head. So instead we drove over to the park office and store so she could get some sugar for her coffee. She bought some lavender jelly, although we later found that neither of us liked it. We took in the panorama to the east of the Arkansas and Lake Dardanelle, noting the plume off the cooling tower of Arkansas Nuclear One.

We drove to Sunset Point for the view north before returning to the cabin, where Wendy repaired her sunglasses while I read. My peripatetic nature led me to embark on a solo hike later in the afternoon, when the heat was less severe. I headed out along the southern rim of the mountain while Wendy read the news in the cabin and out on the sunny patio.

My hike on the Rim Trail wound up being 1.25 miles, with me taking a wrong turn at a fork and walking up high on the rim behind some cabins before turning about to rejoin the Rim Trail. This deviation rewarded me with a nice panorama.

The trail led beside the base of the upper bluff over to Sunrise Point. It was late enough in the afternoon for me to find plenty of shade. I turned about, marveling at the vista along the trail.

I passed a ribbon tied around the tree, like ribbons we had seen along the trails at Mount Magazine. I could decipher the first part of the code written on these ribbons, with “MN” for Mount Nebo versus “MM” on the Mount Magazine ties, but the rest of the code meant little to me. The trail back to the cabin was quite beautiful. A deer ahead of me on the trail eyed me warily as I approached. It finally fled,with its white tail bobbing back and forth. Sunlight dappled the mossy bluff on this final afternoon of hiking.

I passed the turnoff for the neglected side trail to the waterfalls, marked by a stone in the trail. Earlier, a teenage boy and girl had looked rather hot and weary as they emerged from the overgrowth along that route.

I returned to the cabin, where Wendy was happy to see me. We had more hot dogs and ice cream and went out on the patio to enjoy the sunset. To the east Wendy spotted a hang glider up in the sky, so we got to swivel back and forth between the sunset to the west and the glider wheeling about to the east. My superzoom camera allowed us to see the pilot more clearly.

Wendy arranged the last photograph of our trip when she saw our spectacles lying together on the patio table. She noted that sometimes it is nice not to have a laser focus on all of the details of life. Just appreciating the big picture can be a welcome relief.

The next day we packed out and headed home. We had a great time in Arkansas, but the heat and humidity will likely prevent us from returning until late summer. In about a month we’ll be in New Mexico and southern Colorado, escaping July in Joklahoma.

Click here for a slideshow from this day

< Starting Summer in Arkansas, Day 4: Moving Mountains