TRAVELS WHILE VOLUNTEERING ........

ARKANSAS, The Natural State

ARKANSAS! Ragged cliffs and raging rivers, down-home attitude and Shakespearean lore; they even give away diamonds … who knew? This unpretentious, often invisible, state is located just this side of Oklahoma, between Louisiana and Missouri, to the left of . . . . Anyway, it’s time someone took notice.
Arkansas boasts an abundance of water. The Mississippi River forms the eastern border, the Arkansas comes in from the West, the Buffalo flows from the Ozarks in the North, and the White feeds into the Delta. Water sports abound.
Cities? There is Little Rock with the Clinton Library, Hot Springs with therapeutic baths, and Mountain View, Ozark heritage haven. None seem terribly large. I should mention Conway . . . American Idol, remember? Most states are defined by their cities or distinctive skylines or industry. Arkansas is subtle. It sneaks up on you, like the fiddlin’ and wildflowers.
Driving from the east allowed time to notice Arkansas diversity. I entered from Memphis, crossing the Mississippi, astonished at the FLAT delta, a prominent rice growing area. Since all I had heard about were the Ozarks, I had expected mountain peaks! Not so. The highway became a gradual incline as I passed Little Rock. Turning north to Perryville I cruised through the hills at sunset mesmerized by lavender and pink hues radiating across the sapphire surface of Lake Maumelle. This was but a tiny glimpse into the beauty of Arkansas.
AND . . . Arkansas makes me smile. I say that because my being there was accidental. Tourists plan for California or Cape Cod or Disney World, but a few years ago I retired and became a long-term, long-distance volunteer, traveling and gifting my skills to organizations that offered free room and board. Volunteering is how I learned about Heifer International Headquarters in Little Rock and the Heifer Learning Center Ranch in Perryville. While there, I served as receptionist, meeting and greeting visitors, offering a synopsis of Heifer history, along with other administrative tasks. I arrived in January to weather colder than expected, but no snow.
My surroundings soon blossomed into spring, pastures alive with baby lambs, goats and calves. Dogwood trees spotlighted hiking trails. Waterfalls gushed. Dragonflies darted through meadows . . . and tornados threatened. Arkansas is in tornado alley which can cause concern, but no state is without some type of natural occurrence.
On time away from my volunteer post, I peered and pondered, hiked and canoed, even drove into Oklahoma to visit Tahlequah, the home of the Cherokee Nation. I took friends to Hot Springs to drink the effervescent waters (a “gangster haven” before Governor Rockefeller encouraged them to leave!). At Crater of Diamonds State Park, we dug for hours, laughing at futile attempts to recognize muddy stones amid acres of plowed fields – and you keep what you find! There are also natural caves, alligators, and the Pig Trail Scenic Byway.
Oh . . . Shakespeare. The story goes that a French sea captain proposed to a young lady stating, “I will sail to America and upon my return, we will be married.” Well, she was not about to wait. Disguised as a cabin boy, (tiny in stature, assuming the name John), she fooled the captain and crew. I warned you – think Twelfth Night! Anyway, they sailed up the Mississippi River to the Arkansas, residing with the Indians through the summer. Prior to sailing back to France, “small John” became ill. Her identity was revealed! Years later a mound of fitted rocks was found and designated as the grave of Petit Jean.  Legend has it that her spirit hovers over the Mountain, giving it an air of strange enchantment.
The same can be said for the entire state.