Feb 25 - Petit Jean State Park (Morrilton, AR)

Hello from the Ozarks!

We drove here yesterday from Memphis, about a 3-1/2 hour drive. One of our friends (John) who's following our trip via the blog, told us we need to slow down. That's what this weekend was all about!

Petit Jean State Park, just an hour north-west of Little Rock, was Arkansas' first state park. It's a really scenic place. We had initially thought maybe we'd rent a yurt by the lake (even knowing temps would be going down to about freezing) but they only had one for just Friday night. So, we switched to staying in the lodge instead. Let's see - soft beds, a bathroom, and heat. Good choice, right! The original building, Mather Lodge, was built by the CCC in the 1930s. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Cedar Creek Canyon. They expanded the lodge to include to include 24 guest rooms and a full-service restaurant (much more than fast food). It's a beautiful, rustic old building with lots of fireplaces and rooms to just sit and relax. 

On the Bluff

Mather Lodge

Mather Lodge from The Bluff at Sunset

Sitting Room

The Lodge

Sunset on the Bluff

We arrived on Friday with temps in the mid-60s and enough time to hike a short trail and then catch the sunset over the mountains west of the canyon. Not far from the lodge is a 93 foot waterfall on Cedar Creek. Today, we hiked to the overlook, choosing not to hike the rugged trail down the bluff to the canyon about 200 feet below in order to hike to the base of the falls. We hiked along the creek for about 4-1/2 hours in all today. Afterwards, we came over to the lodge and sat around for a few hours reading, talking and enjoying the blazing fire.

Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls Overlook

Cedar Creek

Cedar Creek

Cedar Creek

Relaxing after the hike

Tomorrow, we plan on another short hike in the morning and then we're off to Oklahoma. I think we're going to spend the next two days or so riding along Rt 66 in Oklahoma (maybe even on into Texas) checking out some of the oddities along the way. More on that next time.

Well, that's all for now ..... Dan