Life's Little Lessons: Petit Jean Mountain

We are moving right along to Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas

On the way down we stopped at this cute little restaurant on the side of a mountain...the view was amazing! The name was perfect...The Cliff House Inn!

This was taken on that little porch you see in the first pic

And this was the view off the porch!

After 4 long hours in the car, we made it to the top of the mountain!

Since I enjoy history and love to hear stories I have to tell you the Legend of Petit Jean....besides its a love story...and who can resist a good love story. It all begins in the 1700's with the story of a young French Nobleman, Chavet, who requested a grant from the King to explore the Louisiana Territory.

Chavet was engaged to be married to a beautiful young girl from Paris, Adrienne Dumont. When he told her of his plans, she asked that they be married right away so she could accompany him. Thinking of the hardship and danger on the journey, Chavet asked that she stay, and upon his return, they would be married and go to the New World.

Adrienne refused to accept his answer, and disguised herself as a cabin boy on Chavet's ship, calling herself Jean. She must have been very clever in her disguise, for it is said that not even Chavet recognized her! The sailors all called her Petit Jean, which is French for Little John.

They spent the summer atop Petit Jean Mountain until fall approached and they began preparations for their voyage back to France. The ship was ready and boarded the evening before departure.

That night, Petit Jean became ill with a sickness, accompanied by high fever, convulsions and a coma. Her condition was so grave, that at daylight the departure was delayed. During the illness, Petit Jean's identity was, of course, discovered. She confessed her deception to Chavet and begged for his forgiveness. She requested that if she died, she be buried at a spot on the mountaintop overlooking the river below. At sundown she died.

I know....it is a sad love story.....

Her grave is just below where this picture was taken

Alright...no more sad stories....just pictures of fun activities and sites that we saw!

We had to get creative with making smores over a BBQ pit. We stuck mini chocolate chips in the marshmallows and roasted them....they turned out pretty good!

The mountain is in the shape of a heart (not perfectly) with a big lake on top. The lake forms into a stream and the stream drops into a waterfall, forming a small canyon.

This is at the "crack" of the heart...as my husband so simple put it.

Overlook

Overlook at dusk

This was once the home of a black bear!

This Bluff Shelter, called Rock House Cave is one of the largest and most magnificent in the state. It was once home to Native Americans over a thousand years ago. Today, their evidence can be seen in the form of pictographs on the back wall of the cave.