Eating Extravaganza at the Peabody

But we’ve done more than just watch tug boats and barges while we have been here.  On Thursday, we took a walk downtown.  Historic Beale Street was pretty tame at three in the afternoon, but we had fun looking around. 

We stopped in at the Peabody Hotel for a chilled beverage in the lobby bar, hoping to watch their famous ducks stroll in for a dip in the fountain.  We were enjoying our drinks, and I was just about to walk over with my camera to get some duck photos when the fire alarms began to wail.  No one paid much attention at first, but then our waitress came by and asked us to step outside.  (It was OK to take our drinks with us, she said.)  

The lobby bar emptied, as did the hotel’s upper floors.   We all stood outside for a while, sipping the last of our libations, until people began to drift back inside.  Just as we got into the lobby, though, we were waved outside again, where we watched as a fire truck pulled up to investigate.  No one seemed in much of a hurry.  

After finishing our drinks and waiting around for a few minutes, we still had not located our waitress.  As it was getting late, we headed home.  We’ll have to return another day to clear our tab.

But while we were in the Peabody, John checked out Chez Philippe.  

This Forbes four-star restaurant which has also been named among Food & Wine magazine's "Top 50 Hotel Restaurants," calls the Peabody home.  We made a reservation and returned on Saturday night.

The setting was spectacular, and we had a lovely dinner

I chose the Mushroom Lyonnaise Salad; Charred Scallops with Pumpkin Vinagrette, Pomegranate and Chicory; Prime Filet Mignon with Pommes Rote, Bernaise Sauce and Broccoli Puree; and the Creme Brûlée Trio.  John made other selections, including Apple-Goose Terrine and the Japanese Wagyu Ribeye.  

And if that wasn’t enough, with our coffee came some delectable chocolate treats, and boxed macaroons to take home “for breakfast.”  

All the food was spectacular, and we even got to meet Executive Chef Andreas Kisler.  It was a memorable evening.  

It's All About the Tugs

On Wednesday, November 1, we left Toad Suck in our rear view mirror and headed east to a destination we have wanted for time time to visit.   Tom Sawyer Mississippi River RV Park sits, you guessed it, right on the banks of the Mississippi at the Arkansas-Tennessee border in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Here is the view across the river from our campsite.

We have been camped here for almost a week.  When we arrived, our goal was just to sit, relax and watch the barge traffic moving up and down river past our park.   We have been very successful in doing just that.  This is the first one we saw.

Tom Sawyer is not a fancy park…no playgrounds for the kiddies, but it does have tree houses.  Some, like this one, are available to rent.  Others are just for the enjoyment of the guests, and provide a great vantage point for tug-and-barge watching.

There are beautiful trails through the woods that the dogs enjoyed immensely.  I would have liked them more if they hadn’t been so muddy, but we have had showers several times and fog most days.  

As we finished our walk a couple of days ago, the dogs ran ahead of us.  John was walking beside and just behind me, and told me to stop.  I looked down and saw this copperhead stretched across the path.  He remained still as a stick until I circled around to get his picture.  Then he darted into the woods faster than I thought a snake could move.  If the dogs saw him, they didn't tell us...they just avoided him and went on their merry way.

We also have access to a very nice hike-and-bike trail.  One leg crosses the Mississippi between Arkansas and Tennessee, but it also winds its way along the levee beside the river.  We can access it at our park entrance and have had good walks almost every day.

But the real story here has been the Tugs…and the barges they move up and down the river.

It has been rainy and foggy for several days.  At one point John put on his raincoat and grabbed the squeegee to clean off our rear window so we could see better.

We see mostly barge traffic, but were able to get a glimpse of this stern-wheeler headed down river in the fog.

The tug boats come in all sizes, from small one-barge tugs to behemoths like this one that can move (up to 51 by our count) flotillas of barges, loaded and empty.  It's common to see groups seven barges long and six or seven across.

There were so many barges that the big guy needed a helper.

I’m not sure how wide the river is here, but the channel is relatively narrow.  When barges meet or pass each other, they are very close to each other, and to us on shore.

I think this small one was only 20 yards or so off shore when he passed.

One of our favorite sightings was this tug with his line of barges crossing the path made by the almost-full moon a couple of nights after we arrived.

There is a lot to see and do here in the area.  Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted as we see and do it.  

Petit Jean State Park

The weather was somewhat unseasonable for much of our stay at Toad Suck Park, but on Monday we had an absolutely perfect fall day.  We took the opportunity to drive some 30 miles northwest to Petit Jean State Park.  From the overlook as you enter the park, you can see the Arkansas River valley spread out below you.

The park gets its name from the legend of Petit Jean (pronounced pettyjean by the locals).  According to the story, in the 1700s a young French girl named Adrienne Dumont disguised herself as a cabin boy in order to follow her fiance', the nobleman Chavet, to the New World.  The other sailors nicknamed her “Petit Jean”  or “Little John,” never dreaming that “he” was a “she.”  As the story goes, at what would become known as Petit John Mountain, the young woman contracted a fever, and her true identity became known to her fiancé and the others.  Unfortunately, she could not be saved and died near this spot.  Her final request was that she be buried on the top of the mountain.

What is said to be the grave of Petit Jean can be seen beside the walkway on the mountain.  Legend is that her spirit still lingers in the area, and that her ghost can be seen moving silently at night on the mountain.  

Petit Jean Mountain was only the beginning of our exploration of the park.  We enjoyed enormous hamburgers and a terrific view at Mather Lodge. (Sorry, no photo of the 'burgers; they were gone before I could get a shot.)

Then we took a short hike to the Cedar Falls Overlook.  We were disappointed that the falls were not flowing, but enjoyed stretching our legs.  If you look closely at the image below, you can see a wet area to the right of the large rock formation...maybe the water will be gushing over the cliff the next time we visit.

Our next hike was along the Rock House Cave Trail.  The cave is actually a large rock shelter, which shows evidence of having been used by the early peoples.  That is not surprising.  There is plenty room for the members of a village to spend a few days, or maybe a winter, out of the elements. 

The literature says that pictographs can be seen in the back of the cave, but we never found them.  

It’s a nice, short hike, though.  We were especially intrigued by the “turtle rocks” along one section of the trail.  

They made a good spot for a photo op. 

The park is beautiful, and offers much more than we were able to see.  The RV section is also well laid-out and offers full hook-ups, so we'll put it on our list for another visit the next time we pass this way.

Terrific Time at Toad Suck

From Oklahoma City we traveled east through the beautiful eastern part of the state, and into Arkansas.  Our destination was Toad Suck Ferry COE Park on the banks of the Arkansas river a few miles west of Little Rock.  The location was a ferry crossing from the 1800s until 1970, when the bridge, locks and dam were built.

There weren't too many barges on the Arkansas while we were there, but they came by from time to time, signaled by air horn to enter or leave the locks.  This one was headed downstream carrying scrap metal and coal.

Toad Suck consists only of the park and a convenience store, but you can get a good cup of coffee there, and of course a Toad Suck t-shirt. 

As one story goes, Toad Suck got its name because people traveling up and down the river by boat and crossing on the ferry would stop at the local tavern where they would “suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads.”  

The COE park is built on land that includes the site of the tavern.

It is spacious, with huge cottonwood trees and large, grassy areas that the dogs enjoyed immensely. 

And speaking of dogs…on Sunday we met members of the local chapter of PSA (Protection Sports Association) K-9.  They were using the park for their weekly practice session.  The mission of the organization is “to promote a competitive outlet for obedience and protection training in a scenario-based program of dog sport.”  

Three of the men working the dogs as well as being the “bad guy” in the padded suit, were members of a local police department.  They explained that the dogs consider their “bite work” as a game.  This one, at Canary Island Mastiff, looked very sinister.  However, her greatest pleasure was playing with the padded sleeve after her bite work exercises.

It was interesting to watch the dogs work.  While they were biting and shaking the bad guy, who was yelling and trying to distract them (part of the exercise), their tales were wagging at top speed. 

And after they were told to release and lie down, they were happy to receive praise and pats from not only their handlers, but from the guys in the padded suits.  

A couple of the dogs were just beginning their training, and could not be trusted to release and lie down on command.  As a precaution, they did their exercise while tied. 

This beautiful German shepherd was so enthusiastic it took several commands from his handler to make him release.   The bad guy in his padded suit earned his kibble for sure.

One of the dogs being worked was a trained police dog.  I would hate to be the real-life target of his bite work.

He just wasn't giving up.  (By the way, the stick the bad guy is holding is a hollow tube with a rattle inside.  It makes noise, but cannot hurt the dogs.)  We enjoyed visiting with these folks and meeting their beautiful dogs.  It was an unexpected pleasure.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

But we weren’t through with Oklahoma City yet.  We had heard good things about the Myriad Botanical Gardens and its Crystal Bridge Conservatory, and wanted to see them before we left Oklahoma City.  The Conservatory is impressive not only inside, but outside as well.

Fortunately, Bill and Cec Burton had pulled into our RV park, so we had their company for our visit. 

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The day was cool and very windy, so we didn’t spend much time outside.  Inside, though, the tropical paradise of the Conservatory kept us busy for over an hour.  

The enclosed space covers 13,000 square feet, with a sky bridge so you can not only walk through, but look down into, the tropical forest.

It features over 750 varieties of plants, waterfalls, 

and even a few small terrariums holding critters you might find in the forest. 

Ball Python

Veiled Chamaleon

Poison Dart Frog

A few of the orchids were in bloom, 

and the cacti, succulents and other plants were putting on a show of their own.  

One of my special favorites was the Madagascar palm.  I have one of these at home, which I grew from a six-inch seedling over at least 20 years.  It's now over six feet tall.  I didn't know its name; mine has never bloomed, and I didn't know that it would grow branches. 

  

Good information, good fun and good fellowship.  We had a great day.