Day Three: Memphis, TN, to Petit Jean State Park, OK: 200 miles

Today we traveled from Memphis, TN to Petit Jean State Park in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.

"Petit Jane"

"According to legend Petit Jean was actually a young French woman. When she discovered that her fiancee had signed on with De Soto to explore the area, she cut her hair, disguised herself as a boy and managed to find a position as a cabin boy. She survived the voyage and the expedition began their exploration. Once they had reached the area of the mountain, the young woman became ill, on her deathbed she revealed herself to her fiancee, and was buried on the mountain, not under her own name, but under the name she had been known by on the ship "Little John"." (wikipedia)

Arwen and Lorien at the Petit Jean grave site overlooking the Arkansas River and the Trail of Tears (travelled by the Cherokee on their way to Oklahoma). A tugboat was pushing a big barge down the river.

On the way to the Rock House Cave, we passed the Turtle Rocks. Can you guess how they got their name?

Lorien in the gigantic Rock House Cave. We saw ancient Native American artwork on the ceiling!

Close enough to the edge to give Grammy a thrill

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!

With Mama Jane at Cedar Falls

Water fairies

These two can always find a fallen tree to endanger themselves on

Rock House Cave isn't a true cave, but it sure was huge! The pictographs were said to range from 500 years to 1000 years old.

We did quite a bit of hiking, including hikes to the Petit Jean grave site, the Rock House Cave, the Cedar Falls Overlook, and a two-mile hike to the base of 95-foot high Cedar Falls. Then we spent the night in a very cozy park cabin with a real fireplace!

Home sweet home!