Hike at Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas 2/13/17

DAVIES BRIDGE at Petit Jean State Park;  As you can see the little waterfall under the bridge is DRY this year.  BUT--don't you love the reflections?  I took this picture along our trail as we headed west on the Boy Scout Trail.

Most of you know if you have been following my blog for years that George and I love going to one of our favorite places in the world during the winter,  to ARKANSAS.   We always stay at 'our' little cabin on top of the mountain at Mt. Nebo State Park while we are there... BUT--we also enjoy visiting and hiking at Petit Jean State Park and also at Mt. Magazine State Park.  This year was no exception as we were there from February 13-17... What a wonderful place to enjoy Valentine's Day together!!!!

Each year,  we try to find something NEW which we haven't done before... AND--we managed to do that THREE different times this year.. Today I will share one of these NEW HIKES with you... This hike (on 2/13/17) was at Petit Jean State Park ---and this area is now on our  "Let's do it again" list...

I didn't know that Arkansas had also been suffering from DROUGHT ( like we have had in TN).  BUT---for the first time since we started visiting  Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park,  there was almost NO WATER coming over that big waterfall.  We had never seen that area so dry..   Shocking!

This new hike took us along the Boy Scout Trail  (beginning at the Davies Bridge).  We followed the trail along Cedar Creek  (which was quite dry but in such a beautiful area filled with huge boulders).  The trail eventually would lead to the brink of Cedar Falls --but we found another trail which we had to check out instead.

The Boy Scout Trail intercepted with the Cedar Creek Trail.  We did get on that trail for awhile --and crossed the creek on a neat little bridge.  Both George and I kept saying that we want to come back there when there is much more water in that creek...  Seeing the water pour over those boulders and rocks would be AWESOME....

Hope you enjoy our pictures from that hike...  As you see all of the boulders and rocks,  just imagine being there when there is a lot of water!!!!  How awesome would that be!!!  Wanna go with us next time??????

George took this picture looking across the creek at the landscape in that area.

George on our Trail

She's on top of the world!!!!!  What a beautiful --but quite cool---day for hiking.

"Lookie down there.  Neat Bridge,  Honey!  Let's check it out."  

"Woooooo---We found the 'Leaning Rock' (which we had read about)...   The trail LEADS under it!!!!"

George captured this shot of me standing under the Leaning Rock--taking a picture the other direction....

George is on the trail --heading down to the BRIDGE.

Another view as we got closer to the bridge.... See the reflection?   WOW--can you imagine being here when the water was swift?????  

We made it across the bridge.    The boulders in the distance are where the Boy Scout Trail is --before we checked out this new trail and bridge  (Cedar Creek Trail)...

Here's a good picture from the bridge showing more of the reflections (and the sky) in the water.

Look at this huge boulder!   Looks like a big boat got stuck there!!!!!

Betsy always finds a comfy seat to just sit and relax when we are hiking!

As we make our way back up to our trail,  we passed by the Leaning Rock one more time...  BUT--besides being called Leaning Rock,  this beauty is also called CARPET ROCK since all of the designs in the rock look like a carpet.... (BUT--it wasn't SOFT... ha)

I snapped this picture of George on the 'other' side of the Carpet Rock.  This side of the boulder is not nearly as pretty, is it?

Us at Lake Bailey (Petit Jean State Park) --before our hike!

At least we saw some water at Lake Bailey while we were there.  You can't tell it in this picture --but the wind was whipping around ---and it was VERY VERY cold there.  Once we got on the trail,  we warmed up a bit!!!!!

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I apologize for not being around this past week.  I have been SICK SICK SICK.  "Lucky me" (NOT) --came home from Arkansas with some kind of horrible respiratory thing...  I cannot remember being this sick for many many years... Luckily,  George didn't get it (thanks be to God)...  BUT--it put me to bed for several days,  and even now  (almost 10 days later),  I am still not 100% yet.... NOT FUN, but there is huge improvement --and I have an awesome nurse...

Hope all of you are well and enjoying these last few days of FEBRUARY.   We haven't had much WINTER here in TN at all this year ---so I blame so much sickness (there is a lot going around) on the warmer temperatures.... We need some WINTER to blow those nasty viruses OUTTA HERE... ha

Hugs,