Day Trips Out of Dublin, Ireland

October 26, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

Visiting Ireland has been on our travel bucket list for quite some time. My wife and I had planned to be at the Emerald Isle in April of 2026, but illness forced us to postpone the trip a few months to September. The delay still placed us squarely in the country’s shoulder season for tourism, which to our delight turned out to be just about perfect. We could not have asked for better temperatures or weather in a place that embraces the traditional idiom: “It’d be a grand country if you could just put a roof on it.”

In her reliable travel wisdom, my wife arranged for us to anchor in Dublin and scheduled three separate day trips to explore places of interest on the southern part of the island, all inside the Republic of Ireland. We spent our first couple of days and our last full day exploring Dublin, but we left the city for three consecutive days heading southwest, south, and west, in that order.

The other brilliant idea my wife had was to hire a driver to take us to various spots of interest we had researched well in advance for the day trips. The roads in Ireland are notoriously narrow – barely single-lane in many locations – and driving safely takes a level of skill we didn’t think we had, especially while occupying the left side of the road. We also thought it would be terribly frustrating to rent a car for one of us to drive white-knuckled and never look anywhere except straight ahead while the other one of us was praying with closed eyes the entire time we were on the road. We wouldn’t have seen a single inch of the magnificent countryside or curiosities along the way to our destinations.

We didn’t know exactly what a wise decision hiring a driver was until we had been comfortably seated for an hour in a passenger van driven by a fine Irishman named Alan Ingoldsby. The concierge at our hotel in Dublin recommended him. He was gold. Going far beyond getting us from point A to point B, Alan was a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge about all things Ireland. He was a genuine tour guide and a mighty fine one at that. In his conversations with us, he learned about our interests and a little bit about our personalities that allowed him to tailor our travels accordingly. He was incredibly accommodating – my wife never opened the door of the van to exit or enter. Alan was always there before she could even reach for the handle!

On our first day trip, we headed toward the harbor town of Cork located at the southern end of the island on the Celtic Sea. Our first stop on the way was the Rock of Cashel, an impressive collection of medieval stone buildings and graves of royalty and dignitaries dating as far back as the 16^th century. This was the only place during our entire time in Ireland that we had rain, which was really more of a drizzle than a downpour. We were prepared with our raincoats and were not altogether disappointed because the weather offered an appropriate environment for wandering among the stone ruins and the ancient gravestones, tilting or even toppled from centuries of exposure on the massive limestone outcropping overlooking the Plain of Tipperary.

Our next stop on day one was the ever-popular Blarney Castle just outside Cork. Most tourists will spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour standing in line to enter this iconic medieval stronghold, climb the tower, lean upside down from the battlements, and kiss the legendary Blarney Stone in hopes of being granted the gift of persuasion. We are not most tourists (forgive the snobbery). We were much more satisfied to spend our time wandering the 60 acres of magnificent castle grounds, featuring a variety of gardens, arboretums, trails, and streams. It really is a beautiful place.

Finally, we drove through Cork, the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland. We went around the harbor to the township of Cobh, where we took a walk along the water’s edge and saw the historic White Star Line building, the site of the final port of call for the RMS Titanic, which launched on her maiden and only voyage there on April 11, 1912. Before heading back to Dublin, we took a few moments to visit St. Colman’s Cathedral positioned on a hill overlooking the harbor at Cobh.

St. Colman's Cathedral — St. Colman’s Cathedral

Our second day trip took us due east from the city to explore Dublin Bay, where we saw some of the locals taking a dip in the frigid water, just above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. We strolled along the rocky shore and walked past the James Joyce Tower, which is a Martello stone structure located at Sandycove Point in Dún Laoghaire. Although the Irish writer only stayed here for six nights in 1904, he used the location as a setting for the opening scene of his masterpiece, Ulysses.

During our trip the previous day, Alan learned that I am a musician, which prompted plenty of conversations about music and even listening to a few of his favorite Irish tunes off his playlist. On this second day, he slightly altered our tour to take us by the entrances to two musically significant properties situated on the Dublin Bay: the copper and iron gate leading to the residence of Bono with the band U2 and the miniature castle that is the home of Enya, the Irish singer-songwriter of haunting Celtic music. This side excursion was a real treat and took us to places we would not have even known to look for on our own.

This second day trip took us down to Wicklow and to the amazing gardens of the Powerscourt Estate. The 13th century castle was redesigned in the 18th century as a Palladian mansion by architect Richard Cassels. The structure is impressive, but we were much more enchanted by the collection of gardens, both formal and natural, stretching out over 47 acres. There are fountains and ponds, enormous trees, beautiful beds of blooming plants and vines, and a serene Japanese garden that is simply stunning.

From Powerscourt we traveled to nearby Glendalough where we walked around the ruins of the famous monastery and cemetery just outside of town. Founded in the late 6th century by a hermit monk named Saint Kevin, this monastery grew to become a respected center of learning and pilgrimage that lasted for over 900 years. From the ruins we followed a paved path to see the upper and lower Glendalough Lakes nestled in the Wicklow Mountains, which is quite a sight to behold. We drove on through scenic countryside to a hilly region near Wicklow where we stood on a high bluff to look down in the valley at Guinness Lake, so named because of its brown color and foamy shoreline, which mimics a pint of the most famous brew in Ireland.

We rounded out our second day with a sheepdog demonstration at Cullen Sheep Farm just outside Wicklow. On this fourth generation working family farm, Richard Cullen explains how border collies are trained and how their natural herding instincts make them perfect for the job of corralling sheep, moving them around the fields, and keeping them safe. Richard’s whistles and verbal commands are fascinating, and the way his dog follows those commands at lightening speed is incredible. Someone at the demonstration asked, “How do you think the sheep feel about the whole process?” Richard gave a subtle smile and replied in his thick Irish accent, “The sheep would be perfectly happy if they never saw a dog ever again.”

Alan Ingoldsby was ill on our third excursion day, so he sent us a substitute named Les who was delightful and quite knowledgeable about all things Ireland, especially our final day trip destinations. We headed west out of Dublin, and our first stop was a completely unexpected surprise: Barak Obama Plaza! This indoor and outdoor exhibit space is located at a Circle K service station of all places just off the M7 motorway. The small museum on the second floor of the station highlights Irish-American presidential history, but it also commemorates President Obama’s historic 2011 visit to nearby Moneygall, which is the documented ancestral home of his third great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney.

Our second stop that day was at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. This iconic 15th-century tower house sits on a strategic bend of the Ratty River and is likely the most complete, authentic restored medieval fortress in Ireland. The adjacent recreated village offers a glimpse at what life may have been like in this part of Ireland much later in the 19th century. We spent a while exploring the 26-acre property and its structures.

From Bunratty we continued west until we reached the island’s western coast and the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. These majestic sandstone cliffs rise from the Atlantic Ocean to a maximum height of 702 feet and stretch over eight miles along the rugged coastline. Geologists estimate it took over 300 million years for these cliffs to form. There are plenty of days out of the year when the weather makes it all but impossible to see anything from the top of the cliffs due to rain and fog. We had initially scheduled our trip to the cliffs for our first day, but Alan Ingoldsby suggested we swap our first and third days because he knew the weather would be more favorable on our final day to see the cliffs. This type of foresight, planning, and flexibility is why a driver-guide like Alan is so valuable and worth every Euro we spent to hire him and Les.

Instead of heading straight back to Dublin, Les drove us through the coastal village of Doolin and along the glacio-karst landscape of The Burren on Galway Bay, where we witnessed gigantic waves crashing against rock outcroppings and beaches. The sound, smells, and scenery reminded me somewhat of the northwest Pacific coast of Oregon. It’s another one of those places that a camera cannot not fully capture or reproduce – you have to feel it.

We strongly advise hiring a driving guide for seeing the countryside and sites of interest in Ireland, especially for those who have any reservations about maneuvering a vehicle along narrow roads in unfamiliar settings. It is an expensive luxury perhaps, but we learned so much about life, culture, politics, and history in the Republic from these two gentlemen. They were clever and funny but never silly or obnoxious. They were opinionated but never rude or argumentative. They were proud of and honest about their homeland but eager to know more about life in the U.S., even though they interact with Americans all the time. We never felt like we were being lectured, but we were definitely in a learning environment for three full days. We loved every minute of it.

Grand Falls and Shoal Creek in Joplin, Missouri

May 28, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

River greenway projects have been around for over 100 years, but towns and cities began to capitalize on these natural byways for tourism and community revitalization in the late 20^th century. Projects usually include walkways and trails, interpretive signage, benches, picnic areas, river access for floating or boating, amphitheaters, and other amenities. Some of the largest and most popular of these outdoor facilities are the Hudson River Greenway in New York, Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, the San Antonio River Walk, and Cherry Creek Greenway in Denver. But smaller communities with water resources have also invested in developing parks and recreational areas for conservation, community enhancement, and tourism.

Joplin is a town with a population of about 52,000 located in the southwest corner of Missouri just a few miles from the Kansas and Oklahoma borders. Although it has a rich history of lead and zinc mining, Joplin is likely best known these days for the devastating EF-5 tornado of 2011 that cut a mile-wide path of almost total destruction right through the heart of the town. Now, Joplin is a thriving retail and commercial hub for the area, but the community has also poured money and resources into creating outdoor spaces such as the area adjacent to Shoal Creek, which is southwest of town just north of Interstate 44.

Shoal Creek looks more like a small river as it makes its way to a popular Joplin landmark called Grand Falls, which is the largest continuously flowing natural waterfall in the state. The fall plunges twelve feet down a 163-foot-wide ledge. Just above the falls on the north bank is McIndoe Park, which was purchased by the city in 1923 but in recent years has undergone considerable improvements to make it a destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Covering approximately 24 acres, McIndoe Park features a lovely paved walking trail that winds its way just a few yards from the banks of the creek. The park also has picnic facilities, pavilions, boat ramps, and plenty of fishing spots. There is ample parking in several spots close to the walking trail.

When I visited, my first stop was Grand Falls where I spent about 30 minutes sitting on the yellow chert (or flint) rock ledges along the side of the creek just below the fall. I love the sound of crashing water, and this spot delivered in spades. I was there on a Wednesday shortly after Memorial Day (2026), and there were only a few people fishing and milling around. The area gets quite crowded on weekends and especially during the warmer months of summer.

I spent the rest of my time upstream walking the trail at McIndoe Park. I made my way north along the creek until I reached another treasure: Wildcat Park. Formerly a private park, this large section of land on either side of Shoal Creek was also purchased by the city of Joplin in 1923. It features a spring, a large glade, a nature center, picnic facilities, and a series of walking trails (paved and unpaved). There is access to the water for fishing and floating. There are some beautiful places in this park to just sit and enjoy the natural setting, which I did – a restorative experience.

Walking through Arizona’s Oak Creek Canyon

March 16, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

During our extended winter retreat to Phoenix for 2026, my wife and I hiked some familiar trails but also explored a few we had never tried. We also took a day trip up to Sedona, one of our favorite spots in the state. We walked around some of the shops, bought some clothes and shoes, and had a fabulous lunch at the regional airport’s cafe, of all places. They had some cocktail specials we couldn’t resist, and the food was excellent. Before all that, we drove north of town on Highway 89A towards Flagstaff for a morning walk on West Fork Trail in an area called Oak Creek Canyon.

West Fork Trail of Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona

We had driven through Oak Creek Canyon many years ago but had never taken the time to explore the area, which boasts a landscape quite different from the desert environment of the Phoenix basin. The West Fork Trail is 14 miles long, but we only walked the first couple of miles. Literature and websites warn hikers to prepare to get their feet wet, which is fair considering the trail crisscrosses the creek numerous times. During our short walk we forded the creek three times over wet rocks and fallen logs. Even with our hiking poles, we decided a fourth crossing was pushing our luck, especially considering we didn’t bring a change of clothes along in case we slipped and took an unplanned dip.

The section of the trail that we walked is flat and sandy, following closely to the creek through forests of ponderosa pines, maples, and of course, oaks. Not far from the trailhead are the stone ruins of Mayhew Lodge, an old hunting cabin converted into a resort that attracted celebrities such as Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, Clark Gable, and President Herbert Hoover. It burned to the ground in 1980, leaving behind only the ruins that are adjacent to the first part of the trail, which is the most accessible portion of West Fork.

According to the Visit Arizona website, the trail becomes more challenging after the early creek crossings. “The canyon walls begin to close in, forcing the creek through a slot canyon. After wading through the creek to get back to the trail, hikers can expect bouldering, swimming and bushwhacking to complete the entire trek.” Visitors to Sedona who enjoy the outdoors will be well rewarded by taking the short drive north to witness the rock pinnacles, natural arches, and deep canyons on the West Fork Trail.

A Physically Fit Retirement

January 20, 2026 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

In his remarkable book, Badass Retirement, author Robert Pagliarini includes a chapter titled “Upgrade Health.” His message is simple for people who want to escape average retirement: think and act like an athlete. He posits that professional athletes “invest their time and energy into improving their performance.” They work hard at it to avoid injury, recover quickly if they do get hurt, and achieve the highest possible energy and stamina for years, even decades. He stresses that retirees should have these exact same goals – and I agree one hundred percent.

My wife and I are now in our second year of retirement, and one of our top priorities since we left employment is to get in better physical shape and maintain a healthier lifestyle than we did during our working years. We are paying closer attention to what we eat and drink (well, better than we once did). We are also wearing the right kind of clothes and shoes for our new lifestyle. We are paying more attention to our bodies and making sure we get the medical care we need. We believe in the value of vaccinations and medication.

Perhaps the most significant change in retirement related to our health is our increased focus on physical fitness. Much of our time is now discretionary, and we are devoting more of it to a variety of exercise options including weight training, cardio activity, Pilates, walking, and hiking. We both have trainers we work out with at least once a week. We have pickleball paddles and hope to learn how to play this game that has swept across America and is attracting all ages, not just seniors.

Dan Kinney Family Center, Springfield, MO

We are fortunate to live in a community that offers ample opportunities for indoor and outdoor recreational activities. Our city and county have an excellent trail system for walking, hiking, and biking. Some of the trails connect to surrounding towns. We have a nature conservation area, a botanical garden, a historical landmark park, and several outdoor green spaces with hiking trails, paved walkways, creeks, and ponds.

Because we are both over age 60, we get an extra benefit through our local park board in the form of a deep discount on membership at their fitness centers. We can reach the one closest to our house in about ten minutes. This family center has a multi-use court for pickleball, basketball, volleyball, children’s inflatable bounce houses, and group exercise programs like SilverSneakers. There is a walking track on the second floor that circles the court. There is an outdoor paved walking track too. The center is equipped with a wide variety of dumbbells, weight machines, treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, stair steppers, and much more. The center also has meeting space and separate rooms for small classes and individual training.

We are making a concerted effort to exercise several times a week, with two days of weights, at least one day of cardio, and 2-3 days of alternate activity like walking or Pilates. We live in a subdivision that is great for walking. If possible, we also try to include exercise as part of our daily routine when we travel, taking advantage of hotel and condo fitness rooms or just walking nearby trails or in neighborhoods. We look for public gardens, arboretums, and greenways for walking too. When we are away from home for extended periods of time, we purchase a temporary membership at a fitness center so we can maintain our weight and cardio routines.

Hiking has always been a favorite activity for both of us, even before we met and got married. I have written about our hiking adventures a few times in this blog. When we travel, we look for fun and scenic places to hike. Phoenix, the Sonoran Desert, San Francisco, Lake Erie, Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite, Mount Hood, and various locations in the Ozarks and Appalachia are just a few places we have hiked. We have walked or hiked in temperatures from 13 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, in light rain and sunshine, and in all four seasons.

Sometimes it’s not easy to get motivated, but we know we need to keep moving, strengthen our core, develop and maintain muscle tone, protect our bones, keep our hearts healthy, and improve our balance. Robert Pagliarini makes a valid point to keep in mind in his badass book on retirement. “The most important asset you have is your health, but knowing what to do when it comes to nutrition, supplements, and fitness feels like a moving target for a good reason. If there is one area that changes more than any other, it’s health.” Medical professionals agree that exercise is essential to staying healthy, and we intend on staying as healthy as possible as we age. After all, we’ve got places to go, people to see, things to do!

Wide Open Spaces

July 10, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 1 Comment

In 1998, a female band called Dixie Chicks (now called The Chicks) released a song titled “Wide Open Spaces,” which stayed four weeks at the number one spot on the U.S. Country Singles Chart and landed at 41 on the U.S. Pop Singles Chart. The lyrics tap into the familiar theme of a young woman striking out on her own to find independence, freedom, adventure, and her future. The clear message is that she needs plenty of space to put all this in motion. She needs room to make mistakes and learn from them. She needs big sky to expand her vision. She needs plenty of depth, breadth, and no ceiling. The opening line of the song proclaims how this deep-seated desire is an essential part of the human spirit: “Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?”

In our travels across the country and overseas, my wife and I are usually drawn to wide open spaces. We love expansive vistas where the terrain stretches out before us for miles on end, and the view of the canopy above is unobstructed. And although these destinations are physical or geographical, they lend themselves to mental and emotional experiences that transport us far beyond the landscape alone. We like to say that these moments are good for our souls, when perhaps we are reminded of how small we are and how big the world, or even the universe, truly is.

Some of our favorite locations to see such grandeur are in the American West, but we have also witnessed breathtaking scenes in other places in the South, Northwest, Midwest, and in Europe. I have written other posts about how we value wide open spaces, but I thought it might be nice to share some images here of locations where we have felt the power and majesty of the natural world, from mountains, valleys, and deserts to shorelines, lakes, and streams, and always an abundance of big sky. After all, when it comes to appreciating the wonder of the natural world, who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?

Top of the Rock and Table Rock Lake, Missouri

Highway One at Hurricane Point, California

Arizona’s Boyce Thompson Arboretum

May 24, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

During our annual winter vacation to Arizona for 2025, my wife and I got out of Phoenix for a half day and drove an hour southeast to visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Situated on 372 acres of scenic upland Sonoran Desert, it is Arizona’s oldest and largest botanical garden. The arboretum was founded by William Boyce Thompson, an American engineer, financier, and philanthropist who created his fortune in the mining industry. He built a winter home, the Picket Post House, in the early 1920s overlooking Queen Creek near Superior, Arizona. He then established an arboretum in 1924 on the land surrounding his house. Thompson understood the importance of plants as the ultimate source of our survival and well-being, and even today his appreciation of the power of nature is evident at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park.

The arboretum is the home of desert plant collections from around the world, arranged in clearly defined sections of the park, from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsula. The park contains over 20,000 plants with winding paths leading visitors through trees, shrubs, grasses, cacti, and a cornucopia of flowering species. The signage is just right – not obtrusive but offering plenty of detailed information. The park also includes some beautiful artwork, arbors, shade structures, water features, and benches. There is a lovely gift shop and nice restrooms at the entrance.

We strolled around the paths and through the various sections of the park, marveling at the incredible diversity of specimens, from tall trees to the tiniest thorny cacti. Most of the plants obviously belong in a desert climate, but some of the trees look like they would be right at home in a city park anywhere in the world. Color abounds, texture is all over the place, and the shades of green seem almost limitless. Everything looked so lush, so alive when we were there. We did notice signs of a drip irrigation system in several areas, which may mean that some of the species require more water than is available in the Sonoran Desert environment. There are even a few endangered species in the park, and plant conservation is a big part of the organization’s mission.

The drive over to Superior from Phoenix is a pleasant one, with magnificent views of the desert landscape and Superstition Mountains to the north. The park is open most days of the year, with hours of operation changing according to the seasons. They have a great website at https://btarboretum.org/ from which most of the information in this post is gleaned. Arizona is a hiker and cyclist paradise, with thousands of miles of trails throughout the state. Outdoor recreation opportunities are almost endless. I would include the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in the long list of places where visitors can enjoy the beauty of nature in a confined space, where the physical challenge isn’t so great, but the rewards are substantial.

Walking Through Luxembourg Garden in Paris

February 7, 2025 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

I have written about gardens several times in this blog. They are among my most favorite places in the world. I love them in all their many forms: small residential gardens, larger private ones, arboretums, botanical gardens, public gardens, and those you find at houses of worship, city parks, river walks, and even businesses. They brighten up any space with texture, structure, color, and incredible beauty. They are places of refuge and contemplation. There are so many features to enjoy, including ponds, streams, waterfalls, varying terrain, rocks, boulders, statuary, fountains, and other built structures. Whenever my wife and I travel, we almost always look for gardens to visit or revisit.

In September 2024, we took a two-week trip to Paris and various locations in Switzerland. On our last day in Paris, we spent the better part of the morning wandering around one of the most spectacular spots in the city, Luxembourg Garden. Located in the 6^th arrondissement in an artsy part of the city, the Jardin du Luxembourg comprises 25 hectares (56.8 acres) adjacent to the grand building that houses the French Senate, thus its more familiar name for Parisians, Jardin du Sénat. The Luxembourg Garden comprises formal English gardens, 3,000 trees of various species, 5,000 square meters of flower beds, an orchard containing more than 500 old varieties of pear and apple trees, a collection of exceptional orchids, and 102 statues and monuments, including the famous Médicis fountain.

French Senate building at Luxembourg Garden

The garden’s origins date back to the 17^th century when Marie de Médicis, the widow of Henry IV, built an Italian palace on property once owned by François, Duke of Piney-Luxembourg. The French Senate took over ownership of the garden in the early 1800s after the palace became the home of the governing body in 1799. It wasn’t until the last half of the 19^th century with the restoration projects in Paris under Napolean III that the garden began to take its more modern shape. Luxembourg Garden has appeared in numerous works of literature by authors such as Victor Hugo, Henry James, and William Faulkner.

As we entered the garden that Sunday morning at the Porte Gay-Lussac, we were greeted by the sounds of music coming from what appeared to be a small community orchestra at the nearby Kiosque à musique. We made our way counterclockwise to the Médicis fountain and then past the Senate building, protected by a high metal fence and guards with firearms. We continued around the perimeter of the garden, making side trips into the interior from time to time. Before leaving, we spent a few moments near the Grand Bassin, a large octagonal basin of water surrounded by raised balustraded terraces adorned with a series of statues of former French queens, saints, and other historical figures.

What impressed me most about this garden is how brilliantly the built environment blends with and enhances the horticultural surroundings. Walkways wind through trees, hedges, shrubs, lawns, and planted beds, encouraging us to meander and gaze. Statues, sculpture, and other features are spaced out and in the open or tucked neatly into nooks and crannies, inviting us to explore and pause to appreciate and learn. Luxembourg Garden is truly an oasis we can enjoy simply for its beauty and design. However, it’s also an outdoor classroom for aspiring students of all ages who wish to be schooled in botany, art, architecture, history, and so much more.

Bacchus (Dionysus) statue at Luxembourg Garden

Exquisite Creatures: Christopher Marley’s Eye for Beauty in Death

July 29, 2024July 29, 2024 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 1 Comment

In my experience, people tend to be a bit too generous in their descriptions of deceased friends and loved ones laid out in caskets. “She looks so peaceful.” “He looks like he’s sleeping, doesn’t he?” Or my personal favorite, “They made her look so beautiful, didn’t they?” Oh please. No disrespect intended, but I have never liked the idea of the obligatory viewing of the body at funeral homes and have avoided it as much as possible, even with relatives. Dead people always look like they are missing something essential, and they are. They are missing the look of life, which can even be perceived in those who are in a deep sleep. I have no intention of being on display upon my own death, which is one of the reasons I will be cremated and sent on my merry way to the Grand Tetons National Park. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and I will be nourishing plants and animals until I am completely and efficiently recycled back into the biosphere.

Speaking of animals, somehow many other species look different to me in death than humans, that is, if they haven’t started to decompose. This is especially true of insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They often retain their colors and external patterns for a while, which is much better than rapidly fading to gray or some other shade that is the antithesis of living flesh. Let’s face it, many of these critters have colors and patterns more striking than the most expensive tattooists can paint on human epidermis. Artist and naturalist Christopher Marley has a sincere appreciation for the shapes, forms, and colors of the natural world and has created artistic designs using the preserved bodies of dead creatures, along with some minerals, in a breathtaking exhibit called “Exquisite Creatures.”

Exquisite Creatures Exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum

My wife and I were fortunate enough to catch Marley’s show at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas in July 2024. Most of the specimens are matted and framed under glass, hanging on the walls of the exhibit hall, with back lighting to enhance the incredible colors and designs of his arrangements. Kaleidoscopes of beetles, butterflies, moths, shells, and feathers are on display along with carefully choreographed groupings of snakes, lizards, skinks, fish, crustaceans, and birds. Some of the bug collections look almost exactly like beads of water resting on an impervious surface. The iridescence of the shells and exoskeletons is stunning, especially as they are arranged under the perceptive and sensitive eye of this artist.

Marley collects the subjects of his work from a network of people around the world. His first book published in 2008 titled Pheromone focused on his artwork with insects. In the words of his publisher, “Marley has used his skills as a designer, conservator, taxidermist, and environmentally responsible collector to make images and mosaics that produce strong, positive emotional responses in viewers.” I completely concur with that evaluation. We were blown away with how he has taken many creatures that are often repulsed by people in general and molded their forms into magnificent displays that are indeed exquisite.

[Note: The photographs included here are not great quality, primarily because the gallery was so crowded and getting close and lined up to take a photograph was extremely difficult. Also, no photograph can replicate the experience of seeing these displays in person.]

The Rush of Water

June 20, 2024 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

“You will always find an answer in the sound of water.” –Zhuang Zhou, Chinese Taoist philosopher

The ancient Chinese master may have been a tad optimistic with this simple maxim, but from my personal experience, he wasn’t too far off the mark. For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to water: the coast, waterfalls, lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Stationary water has its charm, but running water really seduces me. Even fabricated water sources like garden ponds and public fountains exert a gravitational pull on me. I photograph or video record flowing water. If I have the spare time and a place to sit nearby, I will pause as long as possible to watch and listen to the soothing sounds of rocky cascades and bubbling brooks. I am equally overwhelmed by the display of power and the deafening roar of huge or towering waterfalls. I have written about these experiences frequently in this blog.

As much as I have enjoyed exploring nature trails over many decades, I must admit that a major incentive to lather up with insect repellent, pull up ankle boots, and strike out with a hiking pole in each hand is to find some source of flowing water. I also look for it at botanical gardens, arboretums, conservation centers, and even at city parks and plazas. The sound beckons me. When I am within ear shot of it, I can immediately feel a sense of serenity. I am connected to the natural world most intensely in those moments. It is impossible to capture or recreate this encounter with audio, photo, or video recording equipment. The results are only a reminder, not a replication. Nevertheless, I offer here some of my favorite photos of rushing water, or at least water in motion.

Panther Creek Falls, Habersham County, GA

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, Missouri Ozarks

Not Roughing It at Mount Magazine State Park

March 25, 2023 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 4 Comments

The Ozarks is one of those regions of the country that is diverse and interesting enough to be a tourism gold mine. From the bright lights and music of Branson, Missouri, to the gentle flowing current of the Buffalo River in Arkansas, there is something for just about everyone. Although there are no large cities in the Ozarks, there are towns with a few city amenities, like the restaurants, shopping, museums, and entertainment spots available in Springfield, Missouri and Fayetteville and Bentonville, Arkansas. On the other hand, Ozarks visitors can head off grid and commune with nature at any number of conservation areas, state parks, national parks and forests, national rivers, and wilderness regions.

Between those opposite ends of the destination scale, there are a few spots that offer a nice blend of the outdoors with the comforts of the built environment. One of those is the Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park near Paris, Arkansas. Located just below the crest of the highest peak in the state (2,753 feet), the lodge is situated on Mount Magazine’s south bluff overlooking the expansive Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake. Because this ridge is so high above the valley floor, the park includes a launch area for hang gliders within walking distance of the lodge. Other activities to enjoy include mountain biking, horseback riding, backpacking, and ATV riding. The park visitor’s center is within walking distance of the lodge on one of several nearby easily accessible nature trails.

The Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas

The term “lodge” may be a bit misleading to potential vacationers to the site. Other than the rural setting, the exposed pine log beams, the nature-themed art, and the natural rock accents, the lodge has many of the comforts of a resort. The rooms are well appointed, many of which have a whirlpool spa. The indoor pool is spacious, and there is a fitness center and a game room too. There are multiple seating areas with large glass panels looking out over the valley. The dining room and bar are a real cut above what most guests would associate with a state park. Accommodations range from individual rooms and suites in the main lodge to cabins of various sizes flanking the building on either side, all overlooking the valley. Each cabin has a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace, and covered deck with an outdoor hot tub. The lodge also houses a conference center.

What attracted me most about the lodge and prompted me to book a room for my wife and me in the fall of 2022 was the view. It is magnificent. We spent many hours on the balcony of our lodge room looking out at that incredible vista. The pleasant surprise was how nice the whole facility was. The service was great. The food was quite delicious and plentiful considering the price and the somewhat rustic setting, with buffets offered for most meals, although ordering from a small menu was an option. The park is in a remote part of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, but there are small towns only thirty minutes away. It’s a great place for the family that enjoys nature but doesn’t want to sleep in a tent or camper, although the park has plenty of campsites. The lodge and cabins are also perfect for a romantic getaway, and we are always ready for that kind of excursion.