05.12.15 Ozark Folk Center (an A+ place) and The Rivers Gone Down!!!!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015 – The only way into and out of the park is still the alternative exit as the concrete bridge is still under water.   When we moved back to our spot the water was down 5 feet.  This morning it had risen a foot which is about where it’s been all day.  The rushing waters have calmed down to a steady slow flow. Here’s a couple of pictures from after the danger was over.  So many people prayed for our safety and we really appreciate it! Today’s outing was to the Ozark Folk Center.  I HIGHLY recommend this as a place everyone should visit if you’re in the area.  It didn’t hurt any that today’s high was in the low 60s!  It is so clean, they are painting everything getting ready for the summer season, put new windows in all the buildings, there are flowers everywhere and so much to see.

Here’s how their website describes what they do:

The Ozark Folk Center of Mountain View, Arkansas is America’s only facility that works to share the heritage and way of life of the Ozark Mountain people. It’s lively, it’s entertaining, and it makes learning about Ozark history and heritage loads of fun. It’s an adventure in yesterday’s Ozark way of life that you can see, touch and enjoy today.

The Ozark Folk Center Crafts Village has over 20 artisans demonstrating Ozark Heritage crafts and the everyday skills used by Ozark Mountain people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These skills have become Arkansas heritage crafts – basket weaving, broom making, blacksmithing, pottery making, knife making, weaving, quilting, wood carving, yarn spinning, soap making, dress making, herb gardening, coopering, doll making, candle making, wood turning, and more. Between April and November, the Ozark Folk Center State Park offers visitors a chance to experience the living tradition of Ozark craftsmanship and visit with the people who make their living with these crafts.

Here’s the map that shows the layout of the center. Each of the six sided small buildings on the map are where the craftsmen and women are working at their craft, give you a demonstration and also sell their creations.

This is a really big place. After Roy and I left we discovered we missed several of the shops on the map.  Our visit started by a tour of the Herb garden by this delightfully informative lady named Tina.  She knew EVERYTHING about herbs and was happy when I told her I used essential oils.  Roy’s description was that we toured the weed garden.  He has no idea!  She explained every herb we came across and what it does.  She even had their version of a bay leaf plant which we have back home in Amite!

We went to the glass, pottery, copper, cooper, quilting, spinning/weaving, candy, woodcarving, clothier, kids garden, candle shop, school house, plant market and knife shops.  And like I said we didn’t see it all.  Each of the individual buildings is filled with handcrafted items made by the people who are there to demonstrate it to you.

It was absolutely amazing to see all this and get to see all these craftsmen do their work.  Everyone was sooooooo nice and willing to share their craft.  If we came later in the year we could have taken classes to learn how to do these things ourselves.

One really odd thing that happened was when someone asked us if we saw “the ring around the sun.”  We had not and when we looked at the sun we saw it.  We were able to take pictures of it and someone said it was created by ice crystals around the sun.  I don’t know if that’s what it was but it was a very unusual sight.  Here’s a picture of this.

I forgot to share that we rested for a while at the outdoor music area.  We got to enjoy hearing a lady sing and play her Dulcimer.   It was a nice break to all the walking around and she mad our time there very interesting and enjoyable! Here’s a picture of her performing.

Here’s some pictures of some crafts we got to see throughout the center.  The first few are of the copper shop where the lady used 5000 degree heat to change the colors on the copper.  This was my favorite shop!

In the same area is Loco Ropes which is a rope course and a zip line place.  We checked it out today and are planning to go back tomorrow for the zip line experience.  Neither of us think we could handle the ropes course so we’ll just stick to zip lining.  Gonna be fun!!! I’ll let you know that that turns out – and there will be pictures!

Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear!!

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