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| Out and About |
I’ve been “out and about” lately. How wonderful it is to get out of the office
and into the fresh air. A change in
routine can sometimes get the creative juices flowing again.
Are there places near you that you’ve been intending to
visit? I mean for years and years you’ve
intended to visit? I have several places
like that in my mind. One of them for
me is Washington, Arkansas (Historic Washington State Park). About a week ago I finally went there to
attend the Jonquil Festival. OK in full
disclosure, I didn’t plan the trip. My
sister and her husband were going and invited me to join them. And as an added bonus, my other sister went
too.
Washington is a wonderful little place about and hour and a
half from where I live that is full of history relating to Arkansas in the 19th
century. Have you ever hear of the Bowie
Knife? It was made famous by Jim
Bowie-one of those who met their maker at the Alamo. James Black, the blacksmith, forged his
original Bowie Knife in Washington, Arkansas.
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| Plaque on James Black's Blacksmith Shop where the first Bowie Knife was forged. |
Washington was also a place where many Native Americans
walked through on the Trail of Tears as they made the journey to Oklahoma.
Years later during the Civil War, Washington became
Arkansas’s confederate capital after Little Rock was occupied by the Union
Army.
So much history has happened in such a tiny place. It makes me think about all the powerful
stories I could write about. Yes,
getting away from my keyboard is a good thing.
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| The old courthouse in Washington, Arkansas |
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| A massive magnolia tree planted just three years after Arkansas became a state. |
Carla Killough McClafferty
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THE SECRET OF STORY by Matt Bird.
I agree, it's good to get our and explore new places. I had never heard of Washington, Arkansas. It sounds like a lovely and inspiring place to visit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. It is a neat place.
DeleteThanks for this wonderful "tour," Carla!
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure, Esther!
DeleteI definitely feel that a change of scenery can inspire me! I unfortunately don't get out of town as often as I'd like to, but I find that even just taking the ferry to my parents' home on a nearby island can be enough of an escape to get the creative juices flowing again.
ReplyDeleteDear Jane, a ferry ride sounds wonderful to me. I love to feel the wind off the water. There is something about fresh air that helps creativity.
DeleteFunny how we sometimes need others to nudge us out and about. So glad you said "yes" and shared the experience with us!
ReplyDelete