Post by artraveler on Mar 18, 2021 16:11:32 GMT -8
Road Trip to Natural Dam
www.exploretheozarksonline.com/activities/parksnature/nationalforests/ozark/bostonmountain/naturaldam.html
The other day it was a warm spring day. My wife and I decided to load up the dog, Jack. Short for Thomas Jonathan Jackson, he is a shih tzu about 10 lbs. Our previous dog was his cousin named Robert Edward Lee. Small dogs should always have expansive impressive names, we called him Bobby.
Out trip took us west on 45 towards Lincoln AR. through Prairie Grove site of an early battle during the war and now an Arkansas park. The battle site used to be owned by the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, UDC. The site was donated to the State by the UDC over 75 years ago on the condition that the state would maintain the site and the UDC of Prairie grove still has meeting there.
Just past Prairie Grove we turn off on 62 towards Cain Hill. Cain Hill is the sight of the first skirmish of the battle of Prairie Grove. It is also the site of the first University in NW Arkansas and was the forefather of the current University of Arkansas. The college building dates from the 1850s still stands and is used by the community as a meeting place. Leaving Cain Hill the land flattens as we approach Oklahoma there are large farms with some historic barns. Even when a house is destroyed, torn down, or just wears out barns continue on for years. We pass through and meet with 59 and turn south.
59 skirts the border with Oklahoma. The first town is Dutch Mill. I have been assured that at one time there was a Dutchman that owned a mill here although there is no evidence of either today. This is chicken country. For about the next 15 miles chicken houses are the main visual along the road. This is not the small chicken house of 60-70 years ago but industrial chicken ranching on a scale not seen anywhere else. Each house has the capacity of 100,000 chickens and typically there are 5 to 7 in line. Each is independent of the others and air conditioned, with automatic feeders and a tech living on site to monitor the houses.
Another 15-20 miles through the hills and we arrive at Natural Dam. Since it is a weekday there are few people here, mostly retired folks out away from the cities. Fort Smith is on about 30 minutes away. Had a nice conversation with a man and his wife from, of all places Bremerton WA. His name was Richard and he and his wife had driven cross country to go to a weeding in Little Rock. He said he was familiar with a certain print shop and its owner. Might just being friendly but it is a long drive to shine someone on.
We leave natural dam heading south and turn east to the town of Rudy and drive the interstate home. Even just a little over 50 miles from Fayetteville spring is showing her skirts here. The trees are budding out, we saw a few dogwoods and redbuds and Yankee dogwoods. A Yankee dogwood is a Bartlet pear tree. In the 50s thousands of them were planted by developers and they have white blossoms. We call them Yankee dogwoods because only a Yankee would mistake them for real dogwood. They are an import from China and supposed to be sterile and fruitless. They are neither in the wild they reverted to their natural state. The blossoms smell terrible, and the trees have very sharp thorns. Many communities in Arkansas have put a bounty on them.
The town of Rudy is just north of Alma it is distinguished by two truck stops on the interstate. The western one is a Pilot that has been robbed three time since it opened in 2017. The truck stop on the other, east, side of the freeway has been here for over 20 years and has a sign on the door that encourages open and concealed carry of weapons and has never been robbed. I encourage you to draw your own conclusions.
It is about 40 minutes by freeway from Rudy to Fayetteville through the Boston Mountains. It is a pleasant drive. North of the Bobby Hopper tunnel yes, we even have a tunnel, the trees are still brown and bearing signs of winter. 100 years ago, the trip from Rudy to Fayetteville would either be by train or horse and might take days. We cruised at 75 MPH in comfort. A good day trip overall.
www.exploretheozarksonline.com/activities/parksnature/nationalforests/ozark/bostonmountain/naturaldam.html
The other day it was a warm spring day. My wife and I decided to load up the dog, Jack. Short for Thomas Jonathan Jackson, he is a shih tzu about 10 lbs. Our previous dog was his cousin named Robert Edward Lee. Small dogs should always have expansive impressive names, we called him Bobby.
Out trip took us west on 45 towards Lincoln AR. through Prairie Grove site of an early battle during the war and now an Arkansas park. The battle site used to be owned by the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, UDC. The site was donated to the State by the UDC over 75 years ago on the condition that the state would maintain the site and the UDC of Prairie grove still has meeting there.
Just past Prairie Grove we turn off on 62 towards Cain Hill. Cain Hill is the sight of the first skirmish of the battle of Prairie Grove. It is also the site of the first University in NW Arkansas and was the forefather of the current University of Arkansas. The college building dates from the 1850s still stands and is used by the community as a meeting place. Leaving Cain Hill the land flattens as we approach Oklahoma there are large farms with some historic barns. Even when a house is destroyed, torn down, or just wears out barns continue on for years. We pass through and meet with 59 and turn south.
59 skirts the border with Oklahoma. The first town is Dutch Mill. I have been assured that at one time there was a Dutchman that owned a mill here although there is no evidence of either today. This is chicken country. For about the next 15 miles chicken houses are the main visual along the road. This is not the small chicken house of 60-70 years ago but industrial chicken ranching on a scale not seen anywhere else. Each house has the capacity of 100,000 chickens and typically there are 5 to 7 in line. Each is independent of the others and air conditioned, with automatic feeders and a tech living on site to monitor the houses.
Another 15-20 miles through the hills and we arrive at Natural Dam. Since it is a weekday there are few people here, mostly retired folks out away from the cities. Fort Smith is on about 30 minutes away. Had a nice conversation with a man and his wife from, of all places Bremerton WA. His name was Richard and he and his wife had driven cross country to go to a weeding in Little Rock. He said he was familiar with a certain print shop and its owner. Might just being friendly but it is a long drive to shine someone on.
We leave natural dam heading south and turn east to the town of Rudy and drive the interstate home. Even just a little over 50 miles from Fayetteville spring is showing her skirts here. The trees are budding out, we saw a few dogwoods and redbuds and Yankee dogwoods. A Yankee dogwood is a Bartlet pear tree. In the 50s thousands of them were planted by developers and they have white blossoms. We call them Yankee dogwoods because only a Yankee would mistake them for real dogwood. They are an import from China and supposed to be sterile and fruitless. They are neither in the wild they reverted to their natural state. The blossoms smell terrible, and the trees have very sharp thorns. Many communities in Arkansas have put a bounty on them.
The town of Rudy is just north of Alma it is distinguished by two truck stops on the interstate. The western one is a Pilot that has been robbed three time since it opened in 2017. The truck stop on the other, east, side of the freeway has been here for over 20 years and has a sign on the door that encourages open and concealed carry of weapons and has never been robbed. I encourage you to draw your own conclusions.
It is about 40 minutes by freeway from Rudy to Fayetteville through the Boston Mountains. It is a pleasant drive. North of the Bobby Hopper tunnel yes, we even have a tunnel, the trees are still brown and bearing signs of winter. 100 years ago, the trip from Rudy to Fayetteville would either be by train or horse and might take days. We cruised at 75 MPH in comfort. A good day trip overall.
