ON LEAVING RUSSELLVILLE, AR

If you find yourself on an extended stay in Russellville, AR, that turns into years, and you have school age children, these are the things I've found to do:

1- Rent kayaks by the hour or half day at Lake Dardanelle. The older kids can manage their own, the younger kids can ride in a tandem with an adult.  The rental comes with a life jacket and the whole lake to explore.  You can park your kayaks in the coves and search for mussels in the summer, or hike through the woods in the winter.  We did this in September--hot! and in January--cold!  You can even bring snacks in a pack or cooler. Of course, if you own kayaks, skip the rental and just hit the water.  All of this unfolds with the backdrop of the nuclear plant cooling tower ever puffing out billows of white steam.

2- Camp on Mt. Nebo, hike the rim trail, then spend the afternoon at the swimming pool, which even has a swirling slide! The view of the valley is spectacular. On a partly cloudy day you can watch the shadows move across the green meadows below, and the occasional speck of a boat drift along in Lake Dardanelle.  On a stormy night camp, we watched the fog roll in, fast, mysterious and blanketing everything in an opaque nothing, beckoning awe. 

3- Spend a friday night at the Jump Place on Main Street. For $8 the kids can bounce, jump, run, flip, scream, flop, twist to their sweaty heart's content, making bedtime a welcome reprieve for all.

4- Run or bike the Serendipity trail at the Bona Dea, a 3.5 mile winding path that circles around a swamp. You are sure to see a snake or two on every run. On a breezy afternoon the leaves above rustle as if to applaud your champion efforts as you round the umpteenth turn.

5-Order a corona, a queso blanco, and "carnitas" at la Huerta next to ATU. The service is fast, the cheese dip thinned to perfection, and the atmosphere more energetic than customary around here, as the waiters are mostly young latino males. The carnitas (pork tips) literally melt in your mouth in a salty fatty flavor explosion that only hot pig can provide.

6- Attend a midnight Christmas Eve mass at All Saints Episcopal Church. Under twinkling lights, cellos, violins, flutes, clarinets, lift your spirits to the wooden rafters, where choirs of angels must certainly be singing the praise of a baby king.  The faint aroma of earlier swigs of champagne, scotch, whiskey or wine wafts hopefully, among the smiling faces, good cheer abounding.

7- Buy a goldfish at Davis Pet Store and a cigar at the adjacent tobacco shop. A talking parrot greets you from atop an empty cage, and the poignant smells of ferrets and tobacco take turns burning your nose.  Dust off an underwater decoration of a sunken treasure, and pick a bag of colorful rocks to brighten your home acquarium.  The owners are always happy to answer questions such as "my crab committed suicide. is this particular to him? or are all crabs morbid escape artists?"