Sunday we went for a hike at Cadron Settlement Park near Conway. Cadron was a small settlement along the Arkansas River early on in Arkansas' history. Cadron served as a riverboat stop and was also a stopping point along the Trail of Tears. Many of the displaced native americans died from cholera, and some were buried at Cadron.

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This building, called the blockhouse, was used as a fortification against the native population across the river. It was also a meeting and gathering place for the locals. At some point it served as a private residence. The actual blockhouse is long gone - the one seen here is a reproduction.The trail at the park was a loop the followed along the river bluffs for awhile and then moved inland. Many of the river overlooks were quite nice. The trail through the woods wasn't very wide, but the whole thing was graveled. There were numerous mountain bike trails criss-crossing the foot trail the whole time. We did not see any bikers however. We did meet a family with a funny little dog named Chilly Willy. Brandon was obsessed with the name of that dog and repeatedly asked where it got it's name and why.Toward the end of the trail Brandon decided he needed a lift, literally. Nick, great Daddy that he is, carried both kids for awhile. This was Laedyn's favorit part of the whole excursion -- having her hero, Brandon, up top with her was the highlight of her day!

Before we started out on the hike, Brandon said he wanted to see the sunset. We assured him we would not be there that long ... we were wrong!He was pleased to sit on a stone bench and watch the beautiful light from the sunset reflecting on the river ... until his hands got too cold and the lure of the cookie waiting in the car got the better of him.Back at the parking lot we stopped to admire the sunset sky once more. It was fabulous!We ended the day with another self-timer portrait. Laedyn loves the beeping followed by the click and flash. She laughs and laughs ... who knew it would be so easy to get her to look at the camera and smile!!!