At Alma near Fort Smith

In Cracker Barrel, Alma AR, parking lot...saw everyone we planned to see and more.  EVEN saw the newly remodeled Dave Burdick Watson Chapel Library and the branch manager who is a REAL sweetheart.  Sorry no pics, writing from my Kindle. 

Off early in a.m. to get through most, if not all, of Oklahoma.  The threat of bad weather is much higher for the speed than before, Sun & Mon look about the same, so we should be fine.

Hope to be in a park tomorrow and will share some pics.

Return to Arkansas - Briefly

Honestly, did not intend to get to Arkansas in two days from near Orlando...but that is how it turned out...and here is why...

Today and tomorrow, no problem.  Sunday is "Marginal", and the next three days after that are "Severe" (this is from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center).  The area of concern?  Oklahoma and Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri.  So my feeling is, get out of the danger area by Sunday afternoon!  So tomorrow we are having an early lunch with our friend and one of my best staff members (she still works for the library), and then move to the Fort Smith area and have a later dinner with Marcia's relatives through her first marriage, and a good friend of both of us.  Then Sunday morning, we are "getting out of Dodge", as they say.  Just how fast can we get across Oklahoma???  We will see...I'll bet it is going to be pretty quick.  Of course, the outlook can always change...but why chance it.  The further west we get, the safer it will be.

Today we got on the road by 7:15, but had an important and costly stop to make....get gas at Buc-ee's, which is just a couple miles from the RV Park headed west.  $180 later, we had another 46 gallons in our 52 gallon tank and we were on our way.  Did not get far and the traffic came to a crawl (above).  

It was a bad one!  A pickup ate the rear-end of this 18 Wheeler.  They peeled back the cab and removed the driver door and got him/her out...no idea what the outcome was.  The backup towards Mobile on the east-bound lanes went on for a few miles...but they were diverting new traffic around the wreck on another highway.

It was one of the clearer days that I have seen going through Mobile...we got a real good shot of the Battleship Alabama as we drove by.

After we pass through Mobile we head northwest on Highway 98 to Hattiesburg.  We saw many small caravans of Mississippi National Guard headed toward Mobile.  Don't know what is up with that, but it is the start of a weekend, and it common for the Guard to do 'stuff' on weekends.

It sure was a pretty clear day today...but what you can't see is the constant wind coming out of the northwest.  Sure pushed us and others from side to side as we drove along.

Between Jackson Mississippi and Vicksburg a Fire Truck passed us, and stopped about a half mile past us.

This one did not look very good either.  The red car under the overpass had its front window shattered, and the car was beyond repair.  Looked like everyone got out of this wreck ok though.

One of my favorite Southern Cities is Vicksburg...perhaps because of my fascination with the Civil War.

We have stopped at the Welcome Center in Vicksburg many times, and today was no different.  Indy and I walked around the facility, and I got this above shot with my cell phone.  That is the mighty Mississippi River, with I-20 bridge to the left and a train bridge to the right.

We continued west into Louisiana, and turned off at Tallulah for more gas (Love's, about the same price at Buc-ee's), and then head north to Pine Bluff on U.S. Highway 65.  I always like to get a picture of Transylvania, especially that Bat on the Water Tower.  Hey, they have a brand new RV Park in Transylvania now if you wish to add that park to your list of interesting places you have spent the night!

After passing through Lake Providence, it isn't too many more miles and we are in Arkansas.  Thought about staying at Pecan Grove RV Park in Lake Village, but another look at the forecast for bad weather and I came up with plan "B", which is speed up our visits and get the heck out of Dodge.

So we are staying at the Regional Park Campground, where I lived in my 5th wheel for the final 7 years while I was the Director of the Library System.  Gwen ran it then, and she is still here...sure nice seeing that friendly face.  Now we can add another RV Park which all three of our dogs have been to!  Sorry no photos, just never thought about it.

Downstream Casino — Quapaw Nation's Link to Pine Bluff

At Downstream Casino RV Park, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma borders

When I knew we had a few days between leaving Mount Magazine and getting up to the Kansas City area I was more than happy to find that the Downstream Casino, right at the border of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, and not too many miles from the Arkansas border too.  It has a RV Park that is part of Passport America, $15 per night for water and electric with a dump station.  Was also pleased to find that you can stay one night for free if you are a “Q-Club” Member.  But I also had another reason to stay here…The Quapaw Indians, who own the casino, are a major part of Pine Bluff’s early history.  More specifically, Chief Saracen, who is buried in Pine Bluff’s St. Joseph Cemetery. 

This is an old picture of the outside of my office at the Pine Bluff Main Library.  My office was behind that red couch, and the door, decorated for Halloween by Miss Ann, the children’s librarian, was the entrance to my office.  The BLACK arrow points to the Saracen Bow and arrows.  Later they were loaned to the State Arts and Science Center and they encased them in a nice plastic case, which when returned was placed up on the wall again, case included.  As far as I know, they are still there…but I can’t promise that.  Back in the late 1700’s two children and their father were captured by the Chickasaw Indians just south of Pine Bluff.  According to Judge Pope, written in 1895: “The news was brought to Saracen. Going to the weeping mother, he said, “When the sun is so high (pointing with his hand) Saracen will bring your children. If Saracen no find them, you will see Saracen no more.” Alone and unaided, he overtook the marauding party near Arkansas Post. With Indian war whoop and tomahawk uplifted, he sprang in upon them and took the children”.  The story goes that he and other Quapaw also tracked down the father and paid a ransom for him.  Later he made the bow and arrow as a ‘toy gift’ to the children…the arrows don’t have sharp points, they are blunt.  The library ended up with them many years ago.

There is a mural in Pine Bluff which depicts the story of when the two children were rescued.  The Lake across from the County Court House is now Saracen Lake.  Attached to the lake is Saracen Landing, which is where Marcia and I got married back in 2011.  The RV park I lived in for six years is now called Saracen RV Park.  Chief Saracen has become a local saint within Pine Bluff’s History.  To top it all off…

…the Quapaw are building a casino in Pine Bluff, which should be up and going sometime in 2020.  In November 2018 the voters of Arkansas voted to allow for four casinos, one in Hot Springs at the Race Track, one in West Memphis at the Dog Track, and one in Jefferson County and one in Pope County.  So far the Quapaw have been awarded the casino in Jefferson County, but rules for operation of casinos are still progressing…but they Quapaw are ready to build, close to the Mall, as soon as everything is lined up, and they plan to call it the Saracen Casino Resort.

  

We found that for an overnight stay, or due to the holiday weekend, even a three night stay, this RV Park was just fine.  Of course, if it was full, we would not like it.  But how it is situated, the day noise is tolerable, and there is not much late night noise at all.  We purposely parked next to a patch of grass for the doggies sake, and although there were many open spots, we can’t understand why yesterday evening a trailer just had to park right next to us…but they were gone before 9:00 am.  When you arrive, you pick out your spot, go over to the Q Store (gas station/store) nearby and pay.  “IF” you need to become a Q-Club member, go to the casino first, then the store.  They have you put a receipt on your windshield, and they enter you into their computer indicating when you are to depart. 

  

The spot where Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma meet is just a tenth of a mile from the RV Park.  The Casino is in Oklahoma, the RV Park is in Missouri, and most of the Casino Parking is in Kansas.  At the Tri-State area, back in 1938 the WPA erected this rock mound monument.  Later, a survey found that they were 50 feet to far to the west, and the ground map was created where the true Tri-State meeting place is located.

As you drive up to the Casino, don’t be surprised if you see some Buffalo roaming the fields.  Back in 2011 they brought in 8 Buffalo…now it looks like they have a good 30-40 head near the Casino.  Overall, they have around 150 head of Buffalo and 500 head of Beef that they raise through the Quapaw Cattle Company, with plans to raise all their own feed for the animals, all according to an article I read dated June, 2016. 

Tomorrow we head on to the Kansas City area…

Six Years After Retirement

At Saracen RV Park, Pine Bluff, AR

Above is Saracen Landing, it is where, back in February 2011, Marcia and I got married.

That was us back then…me, 100 pounds or so more than I am now…her, as lovely as ever.  It was a cold, slightly rainy, February day…dogs in the car, and just her, me and the minister.

This is Robert…the minister.  Back in 2011, he was also a fellow Rotarian, and a member of my Library Board.  He would not take any money to marry us, but I insisted that he take it and “give it to someone who needs it…”, which I am sure he did. 

In 2005 I separated from my first wife, a devout Mormon, and I just could not go along with the tenants and beliefs of the church anymore.  That said, I bought a 5th wheel, and moved out to Saracen Park, 2+ miles deep into the Jefferson County Regional Park, safe from the crime and rampage of the Pine Bluff area.  Abundant with deer (above) and and a $300 (now $350) monthly rent including water, power and a dump station…it was the best place to live.  By 2010, I had met Marcia online, in February 2011 we married with the plan that I take an early retirement, and we travel for most of the year.  That was in 2011…in 2012 I retired and we started our travels.  It is one of the best things I ever did in my life….

   

While here, I paid my respects to the living and the dead.  Miss Ann, Virginia Ann Lightsey (bottom right), was the children’s librarian at the Library for over 30 years.  I can remember coming home from church on Easter, and she and a friend had decorated the outside of our house, and hid Easter Eggs for our kids, and left…knowing that they would enjoy them.  Every Halloween she would stack up on Halloween Candies and Cakes and Treats, and had something SPECIAL for each and everyone of “HER KIDS”, those who came to Storytime on a regular basis, when they came by her house…we would go by each year with the kids, near the end of the night, and she would have so much stuff that she tried to load off on us.  The next day at work, the break room became a candy/cake store.  That is how Miss Ann was.  I miss her to this day…she was a very special person, never married, never had biological kids, but has as many kids today as any school teacher around.  Her influence moved kids to become doctors, lawyers, you name it, they became it.  In 1999, one Wednesday night in February I left work, headed to church for a youth program…saw this wreck on the way going the other side of the major road.  Did not think much of it…until I got home an hour or so later.  That wreck was Miss Ann and her mom…her mom died the next day.  Miss Ann was fine, but they were worried about shadows in her abdomen.  It was Cancer.  She lived another 6 years.  On the way to a Library Conference in Phoenix, March 2002, three of us drove there…left early enough that we could visit the Grand Canyon if weather permitted…it did.  She LOVED that trip…and somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma, in a Cracker Barrel Restaurant, a young man, about 22, comes up to our table.   “You are ‘Miss Ann’, aren’t you?”  “Yes I am, and you are (and she named his named).  WOW, one of her “KIDS” had found her all the way in the middle of Oklahoma!   I will never forget that.

   

It was nice to see the folks at the Rotary Club of West Pine Bluff today…my club for 20+ years, and I am still a Honorary Member.  There was a time that we had around 70 members…40-50 coming to meetings…today there were around 20 there.  I was the President for a year back in the mid-90’s…then the newsletter and webmaster, moving the club from paper newsletters to the Internet, saving lots and lots of $$$$.  Today, Robert told me that he is the webmaster, and it is a nice website which creates webpages from a database of names and important dates. 

I decided early on not to take pictures of the various libraries…but I visited or drove by each one of them.  Took Skruffy to the Main Library where for 2 years she was the “Library Dog”.  I surprised many a staff member by just showing up…it was fun.

After Rotary I went by the local “older peoples” home, this one which has apartments, then Assisted Living, then Nursing all at the same location.  One of my favorite Library Patron, Ann Johnston, moved in there a few years ago.  Ann is 98 years old…living in the ‘apartment’ living area.  I knocked on her door, which was partway open…said, “Hello, Ann…”, and she said, “Come in”.  The look on her face as she saw me was just precious.  When she was 95 years old, she was still bowling…even broke 100 once in awhile.  Back in 1994, I first met her because she was looking for a way to gather and store her genealogy.  I told her the computer was the way to go, and she had NEVER used one before.  By 1996, she had over 500 names in her genealogy database.  Many times I would go over to her house and get her computer working again…replacing a power supply, or a mouse or keyboard.  I acquired at least two newer computers over the years, through her limited funds, to keep her up and going.  Last I remember, she had sent over 2000 names to a genealogy database to store for the use of others in the future. 

Pine Bluff is combating Poverty and Urban Deterioration of the town.  In 1970, Pine Bluff had a population of 57,400 people.  Today, it is estimated to be under 43,000.  White Flight has plagued the community since the 1980’s, and the downtown area is now nearly non-existent outside of Simmons Bank Headquarters, the County Courthouse, and the City Complex (where Main Library is located).  By 2020, there should be a new Main Library across the street from Simmons Bank.  They have demolished some of the more derelict old downtown buildings, and there are commitments for new buildings and revised older buildings…but none of this has come to pass yet.  Time will tell.  I hope things get better.

It was so nice to see so many friends and former colleagues.  It is sad that a few of them have passed on, a couple since I left in 2012.  Those who are still around, I hope to see again when we come through in April of next year.  Now, the final stage towards home…