The Air Up There

The Chopin family had a change of altitude for this year's vacation. Along with the Thomas family, we traversed to Morrilton, Arkansas (about 8 hours north of Lafayette) to go camping at Petit Jean Mountain, the oldest state park in Arkansas. We decided to make the trip in the midst of January to try and get the full effect of wintry weather. While we were there in got as low as 19 degrees!

We left Wednesday morning at 3am. It was very early, but the dads didn't mind for two reasons--less traffic and sleeping kids. Fortunately, the kiddos were fantastic. They never complained, whimpered or whined. They generally do quite well in the car. They are easily entertained. We just play a game or occasionally play The Beatles and they're happy.

We got there at about 1pm. This gave us plenty of time to get settled in our cabin. The cabins were like a duplex; they were connected by a door. Each had one bedroom with two queen-sized beds, a living room with sleeper sofa, a kitchen/dining area, and a screened-in porch. They also had a fireplace, which was a nice treat for us.The accommodations were wonderful and the kids kept saying that they wanted to live there permanently. With a few more rooms, we could probably make it work!

Once we were unpacked, the dads and most of the kids went for a short hike. It turned out to be a short preview of the hike we took the next day--the Cedar Falls Trail. This was without a doubt the best trail experience we had. It's a two-mile hike, there and back. We came sharply down the mountain and had some great photo opportunities.

We crossed Cedar Creek and followed it through the valley. It was amazing how much the temperature dropped once in the valley. It seemed like it dropped a good 10 to 15 degrees. As we continued down the trail, the once faint sound of a waterfall got stronger and stronger. And then, we arrived...

This was one of the most beautiful sights we saw all week. It was the kind of place you could just spend your whole day meditating, praying and just glorifying God for His beautiful works of nature. Here is a panoramic video of the falls and pool...

After soaking it in, we meandered back up the mountain. We were amazed by the kids' energy, especially Gus and Grant. They were always climbing and running well ahead of everyone.

That energy tapered off a bit on our next day's hike on the Seven Hollows Trail. This was a unique, one-way trail that began with a hike in a somewhat desertous terrain. We were told that the scenery was like that due to how the sun sets and rises on that side of the mountain. It gradually transformed back into a more mountainous terrain. We walked only about a half-mile more than the day before, but it really felt like ten more miles. We were all very drained. We made frequent stops, but we eventually made it back to the beginning of the trail. Mission accomplished!

On Saturday, the temperature dropped back into the 20s, but that didn't stop the few and the proud from tackling the Bear Cave trail. Fortunately it was just a half-mile trek. It was worth it because the kids got to see some wonderful caves. The rest of the day was spent loafing around. The kids played very well together. They made frequent trips to the playground. They had brought their slingshots and paint balls and decided to have target practice on the large boulder just behind our cabin. And what vacation would be complete without light sabers? There were plenty of duels in the rocky terrain.

We slowed ourselves down that afternoon and prepared for Mass in Morrilton. The church we went to, Sacred Heart, was a very inviting congregation. Very enjoyable!

On Sunday, we packed up and hit the road for about 10am. The kids were not happy about leaving their mountain home. But all good things must come to an end.

What a vacation! We saw beautiful sights and got to spend good, quality time with our good friends. Our many thanks go to the Thomas family for vacationing with us! Here are some lasting impressions of Petit Jean Mountain 2009...