Petit Jean Mountain State Park

I spent my childhood as well as many of my adult years in the state of Arkansas. Due to some life changing events, I left there in 2002. I now live in the great North West, here in Oregon. It rains a lot during the fall, winter and the spring. It is really wet and yet we do not let it keep us from enjoying life. While I may enjoy living here in Oregon, where I can walk its sandy beaches I have very fond recollections of Arkansas. I can honestly say that Arkansas still runs deep within me, and probably always will. Growing up I developed a huge interest in Photography and Hiking which is a great combination. And like a lot of nature nuts, my favorite singers were John Denver, Michael Martin Murphy, and a few other folk artists. The same as many teen-age boys, I drove my Father crazy, with my semi-long hair, just below my collar. Now I have none to speak of, what's up with that? I even read a few of the books by Euell Gibbons. Once I became old enough to drive, I did a lot of camping on my own, not always by choice mind you, just the way things worked out. My favorite place to camp, hike and photograph was Petit Jean Mountain State Park.

Petit Jean Mountain is located near Morrilton Arkansas. It has an incredibly rich history. There is also a wonderful story for how this oasis of paradise got her name. Once you reach the top of the mountain, you will want to stop at Stouts Point. Located at the east end of the mountain, this is a great place to experience the true beauty of an Arkansas sunrise. It is here that you can find the sign which tells the story for her name. From this point you can also see the Arkansas River valley below.

On a clear day you can watch the eagles soar through blue skies. See the river barges as they make their way up the Arkansas River. The view from Stouts Point, is only one of her many treasures. You will find more of these treasures on Red Bluff Drive and all around her ridges

The Cedar Creek Trail  is another one of my favorite places. This is not a real hard trail, fairly easy and offers a lot to see. Other trails include the Cedar Falls Trail. This trail is a little harder, and well worth taking.  There is also the Canyon Trail . This is part of the Boy Scout trail.  Petit Jean Mountain State park has many trails, for those who have the aspiration and fortitude to take the journey Nevertheless if Hiking is not your image of fun or in the event you are unable to, because of health concerns. Do not lose heart. You can still enjoy her magnificence by visiting the many overlooks throughout the park. Red bluff drive is a must; last time I was there it was a very well maintained gravel road. I remember right there at the intersection, there is a little dairy bar. They were only open about nine months out of the year. I can tell you, they served some really good burgers, milk shakes and orange floats. I have been told by park officials that it is out of business though, hopefully someone will reopen it.

 After a long day of hiking and sightseeing, there is nothing like sitting back and enjoying a nice camp fire. Roasting hotdogs, making S'mores or just gazing at the stars, on more than one occasion I was invited, by my neighbor to join them around their campfire. I have met some of the nicest and most musically talented people while camping at Petit Jean State Park.

  If I tell you everything about her, you would have no reason to make the journey, to see her.  I talk about this place as though it was a person, a lady. Indeed I do, once you make the trip you will too. I made several trips to see her and photograph her. It did not seem to matter what time of the year it was she always gave me some great photographs, and a lot of good memories. Every time, that I was there I would hike down to Cedar Falls. Something about that place that would bring about calmness, it was a place to forget about the world an all of its problems.  Just when I thought, I had seen everything she had to offer. I would discover something new about her. She was always there for me, when I just needed to get away from things.

 Petit Jean has seen her fair share of marriage proposals, weddings, and Honey-mooning couples.

Petit Jean has so many things to offer, to so many people. I have not been there in a few years. I cannot imagine that too many things have changed. The park service is very diligent in preserving the park and keeping it as natural as possible. Although I understand that there has been some major renovations made to Mather Lodge at Petit Jean Mountain State park. This park has camping available for RVs as well as tent camping, boating, fishing. If you live in Arkansas and have not visited Petit Jean you are cheating yourself of a wonderful experience. If you are on the road just passing through the state you need to visit Petit Jean  and create some memories of your own, you will be so glad that you did.

Ladies Behind The Wheel Of A Motor-Home!

Ladies if you are reading this article, please note it is for the husbands. When it comes to driving a motor-home in at least 85% of couples traveling in a Motor-Home, the husband is the sole driver. I strongly urge you to talk to your husband and ask him about teaching you how to drive the coach now, instead of waiting until you have to drive your RV because of an urgent situation

Does your Spouse do any of the driving while you are on the road with your Recreational Vehicle?  If you answered no, you are doing yourself and your spouse a disservice, by doing all the driving yourself. I am a supporter of men teaching their wives how to drive and park the Recreational Vehicle It does not matter if she drives every day or not. The fact is that your wife needs to know how to handle your motor-home. There are a couple of reasons for this task, and both of you will benefit from this. Sharing the driving will allow you to feel more relaxed when the two of you arrive at your destination. Another reason that your wife should know how to drive your motorhome is in the case of an emergency. 

For example lets say that you live in Alabama, you and your wife are on your way to Yellowstone and then to the Oregon Coast. No real hurry to get there since the two of you is retired. Then about the time you reach Cheyenne Wyoming, you start feeling a lot worse than you did a month ago. When you and your wife were still planning this trip, which at that time you convinced yourself that it was all the excitement of making the trip. So you decide to visit the Emergency room, only to find out five hours later that your condition is serious and that you are going to need surgery and soon. You are also told that you will not be able to travel for three weeks, and you cannot drive for at least six weeks. The travel plans that you made did not include six weeks in Cheyenne, which is about 1450 miles from home, yet almost 1600 miles from your final destination. If you had just taken a few hours and taught your wife how to drive the Motor-home, this situation would not be such a big deal.

Most women are intimidated by the size of these vehicles, and rightfully so they are pretty big. The first part of the challenge is to get them behind the wheel. If you have a motor-home, this can make it a little harder to do. And most of it has to do with the height and the width of the coach. After all, are used to driving their car most of the time, and this is something different and significantly bigger than anything you have ever driven. First you will want your wife to become familiar with the layout of the dashboard. Just as you had to do when you first bought the coach. Once she becomes familiar with the dash and you are confident that she knows where everything is located. Next go through your basic setup procedures to make sure that she is comfortable and able to reach all of the controls with ease. Now she is ready to drive. I suggest that you start off in an empty parking lot somewhere, only because this will feel less threatening. Most large parking lots have a street that goes around the parking lot. This street is usually out of the main flow of traffic. Yet it is still marked off as a street with center line.

The driving forward is only part of being able to handle the recreational vehicle. Being able to backup is just as important as driving; you never know when you might get into a tight spot that you have to back out of. Also to having to park your RV in the campsite. For this part of the procedure, you will need seven markers, flags road cones whatever you can find to mark off an area. Make sure that they are big enough that they can be easily seen by the driver. In this first exercise, we will only use six of the markers. As shown in this diagram. You will want to place two markers on each side of the vehicle. The two cones on the right and left should be set about 20 feet apart, and 3 feet from the edge of the vehicle. Take the last two cones and set them up in the back to resemble a fence or curb. Once you have done this, drive the motor home around and set it up for a right-hand turn to park as if you were parking in a campground.

You want to start with a right-hand turn also known as a blindside turn because they are more difficult. Once she has mastered, this left-hand exercise turn will be easy. Repeat the exercise until she is comfortable. Then move the cones one-foot closer on each side, and try it again. Most motorhomes today are equipped with backup cameras and monitors so you can see objects behind you; these are extremely helpful for all of us.

We have all been there, we pull into the park, stop at the ranger station to register and get our site assignment. When we find our designated site we can see that parked directly across from us is a huge Fifth Wheel. The truck is sitting in the street a little, and of course we cannot leave out the tree. The trucks owner is out on a bike ride with his wife, it's unlikely that they will be back anytime soon. So for this exercise we have created some obstacles she will need to maneuver around.

This last backing exercise is entirely optional; the chances are that you may never use it. However, it is a fun activity. Also to that you can take pride in knowing that you can do it when most people would have a lot of trouble on their hands if they ever had to use it. It goes by a lot of different names, I call it the weave. Set the markers in a straight line at or about 30 feet from each other. Position the coach so that the first marker is on the right, and it is even with the rear wheels. Then start backing up and in between the markers. This is a maneuver that they teach in most truck driving schools. I can tell you from experience it is much easier with a motor-home than with a tractor and trailer.

When you are practicing with markers, there is really no need for a spotter. However, spotters are needed when backing into a campsite, a driveway, or any other place where there are fixed objects that can cause damage. You need to be able to see the spotter at all times. There is one other backing maneuver called the 1,2,3 method this only works in ideal situations where you have plenty of space. This method is probably the easiest. Find the center of the rear wheel, measure eight feet toward the front of the vehicle. Place a small piece of stripe tape on the coach as a marker.

 Pull the coach forward until the stripe tape, is even with your spotter on the left. At that point, turn the wheel all the way to the right until your spotter is even with the rear wheel. Then turn all the way to the left as you are backing in. Not too shocking that most of the body work that is done on motor-homes were caused from backing into an object, trees, buildings or cars. This is why you should have a spotter when ever it is possible.

Now that we have all the backing up and parking out of the way, let's hit the road. Before you begin repeat the basic set up procedures, seat position, mirrors, steering wheel all need to be in a comfortable place  Start out with roads that are less traveled, this will reduce her tension and feel less intimidating. Show her how to make some turns so that she can learn about things like where to start the turn while remaining in the proper lane. Maintaining safe distances from the vehicle in front of you.  If you cannot see the tires of the car in front of you, then you are too close.It is always best to pass freight trucks and buses on the left. When you pass on the right you are at risk of being in the drivers blind spot. if the other driver can not see you, he may attempt a lane change thus causing an accident. When both of you become at ease with the progress that has been made, then you are ready for the highway. Out on the highway it drives like any other vehicle and you would take the same precautions. Remember guys keep calm; be patient, build the driver's confidence by letting her know that she is doing a great job. There is one danger that you have to worry about. After she has learned how to drive your coach and she has become comfortable; she may not want to give it back. Until next time happy travels!