THERE ARE QUITE A FEW BOOKS OUT THERE ON ARKANSAS HIKING TRAILS AND HERE'S A GOOD ONE: ONE ON FIVE-STAR TRAILS OF THE OZARKS WRITTEN BY JIM WARNOCK WHO'S GOING TO TAKE US THROUGH THE MARINONI SCENIC AREA NORTH OF THE MULBERRY RIVER AREA ALONG WITH HIKER DOG HERE.

IN HIS BOOK, JIM MENTIONED THAT DON'T LET THE APPEARANCE OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE TRAIL DISCOURAGE YOU FROM HIKING IT BECAUSE THROUGH THIS HOLE IN THE BARBED WIRE FENCE IS SOME OF ARKANSAS'S RICHEST DUTY.

[MUSIC] ACCESS TO THE MARINONI SCENIC AREA IS ACROSS FROM THE INDIAN CREEK CANOE LODGE ON THE MULBERRY RIVER ALONG HIGHWAY 215.

THIS BIRD TRAIL GOING INTO THE AREA IS NAMED IN MEMORY OF TRAIL MAINTAINER AND A VOLUNTEER DAWNA ROBINSON.

>> DAWNA ROBINSON WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TRAILS, ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF ARKANSAS AND THE WAY I REMEMBER HER MOSTLY IS ALWAYS WITH WHOPPERS IN HER HAND, SHE WAS ALWAYS HIKING TRAILS AND HELPING TO CLEAR THE TRAILS AND SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE VERY INVOLVED IN TRAIL MAINTENANCE.

>> AFTER ABOUT 6/10 OF A MILE YOU WILL BEER OFF TO THE RIGHT ONTO THE OZARK HIGHLANDS TRAIL AND ONTO THE MAIN PORTION OF THE MARINONI SCENIC AREA.

FARTHER DOWN THE TRAIL, YOU WILL COME TO THE MARINONI MEMORIAL MARKER.

>> PAUL MARINONI WAS A RESIDENT OF FAYETTEVILLE AND HE WAS A FAMILY FRIEND OF TIM ERNST AND BACK WHEN THE OZARK HIGHLAND TRAIL ASSOCIATION WAS BUILDING THE TRAIL THROUGH HERE, TIM WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE BEAUTY OF THE AREA HE MAY NAMED IT AFTER THAT FAMILY FRIEND, PAUL MARINONI.

PAUL HAD TAKEN TIM INTO THE WOODS HIKING AND CAMPING WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN AND HE REALLY APPRECIATED THE BEAUTY OF ARKANSASTHOUGH IT WAS FITTING THAT HE NAMED THIS AREA AFTER PAUL MARINONI .

[MUSIC] >> THE MARINONI SCENIC AREA IS THAT AND SO MUCH MORE.

IT'S AN ENCHANTING, CAPTIVATING PLACE WITH WATERFALLS, TOWERING BLUFFS, ROCK FORMATIONS, HUGE FERNS AND GIGANTIC BOULDERS.

[MUSIC] >> THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO THIS SECTION OF THE OZARK HIGHLAND TRAIL, I REALIZE THIS IS A MAGICAL PLACE.

I THINK OF IT AS A CATHEDRAL AND ALMOST FEEL LIKE IT'S A SACRED GROUND WHEN I WALK THROUGH HERE.

I FIND MYSELF BECOMING VERY QUIET AND THANKFUL THAT I'M OUT HERE EVIL TO DO THIS AND THE BEAUTY IS JUST EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL EVERY SEASON.

I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE HALL, ALL COLORS ARE GLISTENING ON BRIER CREEK AS YOU CAN HEAR BELOW US.

I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE WINTER AND THAT'S A MAGICAL TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE ICE FORMATIONS ALL OVER THESE ROCK BLOCKS AND THE WATERFALLS ARE ICED OVER.

IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.

SPRING IS BEAUTIFUL AS WELL AND THAT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WE ARE HERE RIGHT NOW.

WATER IS FLOWING NICELY, LOTS OF GREENERY.

WE ARE ABOUT TO GET INTO THE WILDFLOWERS YOU WILL SEE SOME COLOR POPPING UP QUICKLY THIS TIME OF YEAR.

[MUSIC] >> FIRST TIME HIKERS INTO THE MARINONI SCENIC AREA ARE USUALLY LEFT SPEECHLESS , SUCH AS MIRANDA KOHOUT.

>> I'M WITHOUT WORDS.

IT IS INCREDIBLE.

I WAS EXPECTING SOME WATERFALLS AND I HAVE GOTTEN WATERFALLS WHICH IS WONDERFUL.

SO THE RIDGELINE AND THE BLUFFS, ALL OF THE GIANT ORMISTON BOULDERS, IT'S THIS HUGE GREEN BOULDER OVER THERE.

IT'S AMAZING.IT'S AMAZING AND IT'S JUST TALKED IN HERE LIKE NOBODY KNOWS THAT IT'S HERE.

>> WELL, MAYBE A FEW MORE WILL KNOW NOW AFTER SEEING THIS .

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS HIKE IN MY OPINION IS THE MARINONI WATERFALL.

THIS IS THE PERFECT SPOT TO TAKE A BREATHER, RELAX, HAVE A SNACK AND JUST TAKE IN THE BEAUTY AROUND YOU.

[MUSIC] >> THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO BUT IT IS MY FIRST TIME MEETING UP WITH THESE GIRLS, THE OLD FORT DAYS DANDIES AND BELIEVE YOU ME, THEY REALLY DO LIVE UP TO THEIR NAME.

>>.

[MUSIC] I LOVE THE DANDIES BECAUSE I SEE LITTLE GIRLS COME TO THE AUTOGRAPH TABLE AND WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH AND IT'S ALWAYS A GIRL THAT HAD THEIR COWBOY HAT, THE OLD BLUECOWBOY HAT, THEY COME AND AUTOGRAPH IT AND SHE RETURNED IT, I STILL HAVE IT AND IT MAKES ME THINK ALL THE LITTLE GIRLS WANT TO BE LIKE ME .

>> DEDICATION IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE DEDICATED TO DO THIS.

>> DANCING IS ALL I DO, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

>> THE OLD FORT DAYS DANDIES STARTED AS THE ARKANSAS OKLAHOMA QUADRILLE AND IN 1997 THE OLD FOUR DAYS RODEO ESTABLISHED THE QUADRILLE AS THE OLD FOUR DAYS DANDIES AND IT BECAME HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUNG LADIES.

AND WHATEVER IN 1997 THEY STARTED AS PIVOT CENTERS FOR THE GRANT ENTRY AND FROM THERE IT MERGED INTO A SQUARE DANCE ON HORSEBACK SET TO BLUEGRASS MUSIC AND A LIVE SQUARE DANCE COLOR.

>> WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DESCRIPTION?

IS IT OR SWITCH IT PRECISION SHOW, IT'S NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE DIXIE STAMPEDE IN BRANSON?

>> IT'S A LITTLE SIMILAR BUT AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THIS WOULD BE A HIGH-SPEED PRECISION EQUESTRIAN DRILL TEAM.

WHAT SETS US APART FROM OTHERS CLUBS IF YOU WILL IS THE FACT THAT THESE GIRLS ARE HIGH-SPEED.

THEY HAVE A LIVE COLOR THAT CALLS OUT THE MOVES AND ON THOSE CUES FROM THE SQUARE DANCE COLORS THE GIRLS GO OUT ON THEIR HORSES AND DO SIMILAR MOVES AS TO WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN A SQUARE DANCE.

>> I IMAGINE IT'S A JOY AND A LOT OF HARD WORK DIRECTING THESE GIRLS.

>> IT IS.

IT'S HARD WORK AND THESE GIRLS WORKED REALLY HARD AS WELL.

BUT TO SEE THEM COME OUT TO THE RODEOS AND DO SUCH A GOOD JOB AND BE SO PROUD, THE FRIENDSHIP THATTHEY BUILD IS WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF THE HARD WORK .

>> A LOT OF HARD WORK.

YOU HAVE A TRYOUT PROCESS WHERE YOU HAVE AN INTERVIEW AND THEY DO HORSEMANSHIP PATTERNS.

THEY PRETTY MUCH TEST YOU ON YOUR CHARACTER AND HOW WELL OF A WRITER YOU ARE.

>> A LOT OF PRACTICE.

>> A LOT OF PRACTICE.

WE PRACTICE TWO DAYS A WEEK STARTING IN NOVEMBER ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL AUGUST.

>> AND IT ALL KIND OF WEATHER TO.>> RAIN, SLEET, SNOW.

EVEN IN THE HOT LIKE THIS.

[MUSIC] >> I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE DANDIES BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE GIRL WANTS TO BE A DANDY.

SO TRYOUTS WERE IN NOVEMBER AND I TRIED OUT AND MADE THE TEAM.

THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR BEING WITH THE DANDIES AND IT'S BEEN A BLAST, IT REALLY IS.

I LOVE ALL MY TEAMMATES.

WE HAVE TIME TOGETHER AND WORK REALLY HARD.

AND KEEP OUR HORSES IN SHAPE AND WHATNOT AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

>> WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A DANDY?

>> EVERYTHING.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WRITING I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BUT COMING INTO THIS IT'STAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO RIDE AND BE A BETTER PERSON.

>> WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO OTHER STATES , I IMAGINE IT'S BEEN SATISFYING TO PEOPLE TO COME AND SEE YOU AND PERFORM.

>> YES, BECAUSE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR STATE DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE SO IT'S COOL TO SHOW THEM WHO WE ARE.

>>.

[MUSIC] >> IT'S MOSTLY HAVING ALL THE LITTLE GIRLS COME UP TO YOU AND SAYING I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU AND IGET OLDER .

I ALWAYS ENJOYED WATCHING THEM AND LOOKED UP TO THEM AND ALSO WE DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORK AND WE GO AROUND AND WE HELP OUT THE DISABLED CHILDREN.

LIKE WE'RE DOING THURSDAY NIGHT .

AND IT JUST MAKES US HAPPY.

[MUSIC] >> IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, THE FIDDLE IS THE OFFICIAL STATE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SINCE 1983, THE ARKANSAS RULERS CONVENTION HAS BEEN HELD THE THIRD WEEKEND OF MAY IN THE SOUTH CAMPUS OF NORTH NORTH ARKANSAS COLLEGE IN HARRISON.

>>.

[MUSIC] HERE YOU SEE EVERY AREA IN THE COLLEGE.

IT'STHE STUDENT ROOMS, WE SET UP WHERE THE MUSICIANS ARE IN THE FRONT .

THE FANS TAKE THE SEATS AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AT LEAST I WANT TO SAY AROUND 18 OR 19 JAM SESSIONS AT THE SAME TIME.

WE ONLY STATE WITH A FIDDLER WHEN WE FEATURE THE FIDDLER BUT IN ANY EVENT YOU WILL FIND OTHER INSTRUMENTS HERE ARE BEING PLAYED BY PEOPLE FROM TODAY, I'M SURE I HAVEN'T CHECKED YET BUT GENERALLY WE GET THEM IN HERE FROM 22 STATES.

WE DID THE LAST TIME I CHECKED THIS TIME BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF BOUNDS ON THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GETTHEM IN HERE BUT WE ARE KNOWN , THE ARKANSAS FIDDLERS CONVENTION IS KNOWN .

WE HAVE FRIENDS FROM CANADA AND OF COURSE WE GO TO LOUISIANA TO TO GET THE CAJUN FIDDLERS SO WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS GOING ON HERE IN ARKANSAS COLLEGE AT THE ARKANSAS FIDDLERS CONVENTION AND WE DO IT EVERY YEAR.

SO FAR IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, VERY SUCCESSFUL.

BECAUSE PEOPLE COME HERE THAT LIKE MUSIC.

PEOPLE ARE NOT PARTICULARLY PROFESSIONALS.

WE HAVE MUSIC SET UP HERE, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DEFINE IT.

WE ALSO TAKE THE KIDS, WE GET KIDS HERE AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET THIS YEAR, WE HAVE ALL THE KIDS, OUR LADY HERE, THEY ORGANIZE AND GET THEM TOGETHER.

WE PUT THEM ON THE STAGE AND PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE STARTED FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO I GOT TO THINKING THIS IS THE THING TO DO, LET'S GET GOING OUT HERE BECAUSE THE OLDSTERS AROUND HERE, WE'VE GOT THE KIDS IN YOUR NOW.

WE'RE JUST PLAYING MUSIC AND SO FORTH WHICH WE ARE VERY PROUD OF IN THIS CONVENTION HERE.

[MUSIC] >> THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TO COME HERE AND WHEN I FIRST WALKED IN TODAY I WAS LIKE, THIS PLACE IS AWESOME.

I JUST HAVE TO COME BACK HERE.

AS OFTEN AS I CAN.

ONE OF MY FRIENDS ONLY ABOUT THIS PLACE TO COME AND I ATE HERE TODAY AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.

AND I'VE JUST BEEN PLAYING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR HERE SO I'M ENJOYING IT.

>> HOW DID YOU GET INTO MUSIC?

>> I GOT INTO MUSIC WHEN ONE OF OUR FRIENDS WERE PLAYING THE GUITAR AND I WAS LIKE, I THINK I WANT TO PLAY THAT INSTRUMENT.

I WENT BACK HOME AND I TOLD MY DAD AND HE SAID OKAY.

WE GOT A GUITAR AND HE TAUGHT ME THE CHORDS.

ALL THE BASIC SIMPLE CHORDS AND I STARTED PLAYING AND I STARTED LISTENING TO BLUEGRASS MUSIC AND OLD-TIME FULL MUSIC AND JUST ENJOYING IT EVER SENSE.

I'VE JUST BEEN IMMERSING MYSELF IN AS MUCH MUSIC AS I CAN, WE STARTED TAKING LESSONS TO FURTHER MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE OF THE GUITAR.

>>.

[MUSIC] IT'S REALLY NEAT.

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN THERE IS ANOTHER GROUP PLAYING SOMETHING AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE ONE STYLE, GO TO THE NEXT DOOR AND YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE.

AND IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN.

YOU GET TO MEET PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SAME KIND OF MUSIC I AM AND GET TO LEARN THE SONGS AND STUFF.

>> YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD ON THAT MANDOLIN.

>> I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS NOW.

>> LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT THAT THING, HOW DID YOU PICK THAT UP?

>> I STARTED IN THE MUSIC YOUTH PROGRAM THROUGH THESCHOOL .

YOU CAN START IN FOURTH GRADE AND LEARN A INSTRUMENT, THEY WILL GIVE YOU A FREE LESSON.

>> SO IT'S THE MUSIC THAT'S BEEN PLAYED FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS AND GUYS LIKE YOU ARE KEEPING IT ALIVE.

>> RIGHT.

THE OLD-TIME FULL MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

>> ALL RIGHT.

JAN AWAY, MAN.

>>.

[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> THE SMALL ARKANSAS DELTA TOWN OF ELAINE, POPULATION 636 AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE IS WORKING ON UPWARDS TO HAVING 1000 BIRDHOUSES, OF ALL THINGS WHICH MAKES IT NOT ONLY THE BIRDHOUSE CAPITAL OF ARKANSAS EVIDENTLY THE BIRDHOUSE CAPITAL OF AMERICA.

[MUSIC] IT ALL STARTED IN 2013 WITH BIRDHOUSES FOR ELAINE, A PROJECT FOR YOUTH ALONG WITH ADULTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE TOWN.

>> WE ARE VERY DELIGHTED THAT WE PICKED A PROJECT THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND COULD JUST ADD A LITTLE LIGHT TO TOWN.

WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS LOOKING IN THESE WINDOWS.

AND WITH THE TOWN HAVING SO MANY THINGS CLOSED, IT'S REALLY A GREAT SITE TO SEE SOMEBODY WITH SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.

WE'RE ESPECIALLY GLAD THAT WE HAVE WE HAVE THESE BECAUSE THE HISTORY IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY, NOT NECESSARILY ELAINE BUT IN 1919 THERE WAS A VERY SERIOUS RACIAL CONFLICT HERE.

IT ENDED UP WITH A CHANGE TO THE DEFINITION OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES BUT IT IS A DIFFICULT HISTORY.

WE CAN'T TAKE AWAY A HISTORY BUT WE AT LEAST CAN'T BALANCE IT WITH BIRD HOUSING.

>> SO SOME OF THESE WERE MADE, SOME OF THESE WEREBOUGHT, SOME OF THESE YOU GOT ONLINE .

VARIOUS WAYS.

>> WE'VE HAD DONATIONS OF BIRDHOUSES.

WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO COULD COME AND ACTUALLY BUILD THEM WITH THE KIDS.

THE KIDS COME HOME TO VERY LITTLE TO DO HERE.

AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN TEACH THEM IS GOING TO GIVE THEM HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

IN FACT, THE THEME OF THE ROADHOUSE PROJECT IS A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THE YOUTH OF ELAINE.

>>.

[MUSIC] >> WE DRAW BIRDHOUSES ON PAPER AND LET THEM COLOR THEM AND WE BEGAN TO BUILD THEM AND PUT THEM TOGETHER.

THEN THEY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE THE BIRDHOUSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

AND SO WE STARTED MAKING DISPLAYS IN TOWN, YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDINGS ARE GONE BUT WE WOULD TAKE THE WINDOWS, THE STOREFRONTS THERE AND WE WOULD DECORATE THEM WITH BIRDHOUSES AND WE BEGAN TO DECORATE THE TOWN WITH BIRDHOUSES.

WE HAD BIRDHOUSES EVERYWHERE AND PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND WANT TO LOOK AT THE DISPLAYS THAT WE WOULD HAVE DOWN THE STREET AND UP AND DOWN THE STREET.

WE HUNG BIRDHOUSES EVERYWHERE WE COULD FIND A SPOT, WE HUNG BIRDHOUSES UNTIL WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WE ARE STILL HANGING BIRDHOUSES.

>> WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT OF ALL THINGS, BIRDHOUSES WOULD BRING YOUTH AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER?

>> PAT CAME UP WITH THAT, SHE HAD A BIRDHOUSE THAT SHE HAD FOR 25 YEARS SO SHE LOVED BIRDHOUSES ALREADY.

THEN THIS CAME UP AND GAVE THE KIDS SOMETHING TO DO.

MY THING WAS I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT.

PACK CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF BIRDHOUSES.

I'D ALREADY MIGHT MADE MY MIND UP, I'M COMING BACK TO MY HOMETOWN AND I'M GOING TO STAY THERE AND DO WHATEVER I CAN TO BRING THE YOUTH TOGETHER.

I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A SCHOOL HERE, THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE KIDS TO DO.

NOW THEY LOOK FORWARD, WE'VE GOT KIDS NOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OR YEARS.

WE'VE GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT LIFE AND SOCIALIZING AND HAVING TO COME TOGETHER AND THEY BEGAN TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THESE BIRDHOUSES.

IGOT A LOT OF THEM IN MY CHURCH THAT CAME RIGHT FROM , STARTED FROM NOTHING.

SOME OF THESE KIDS DIDN'T EVEN, WHEN THEY WALKED UP HERE IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE MAD ABOUT SOMETHING.

LITTLE SMALL KIDS.

NOW WE'VE GOT TEENAGERS AND THEY WERE JUST ANGRY.

PRETTY SOON, BIBLE STUDY, THEY'RE COMING IN AND WORKING THESE ACTIVITIES.

AND THEY BEGAN TO MELLOW OUT REEDIT AND BEGAN TO TURN INTO WHAT THEY ARE NOW.

STEADILY, THEY'VE BEEN GETTING BETTER.

[MUSIC] >> THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE PASSING THROUGH ELAINE, NOT PASSING THROUGH BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY WANT TO COME TO ELAINE, TAKE OUT THIS BIRDHOUSE CAPITAL OF AMERICA AND TO VIEW THIS EPISODE AGAIN OR ANY ONE OF OUR OTHERS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, AETN.ORG /EXPLORING ARKANSAS AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.

WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITINGADVENTURE ON "EXLORING ARKANSAS"