>> WHAT IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO EXPLORE THE HIGHEST PEAK ITHA FOUR WHEELER.

LET US TAKE YOU ON A TOUR.

>>> WITH MORE THAN ONE UNDER 70 MILES OF ATB CHILD UPON MOUNT MAGAZINE WEST ARKANSAS IS DEFINITELY A WHEELER PARADISE.

>>> WE HOOKED UP WITH GOD KEVIN SCHLUTERMAN WHO'S BEEN PROVIDING BOATS TO ATB EXPLORATION ON MOUNT MAGAZINE FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW.

>>> WELL, IT ALL STARTED WITH ME AND MY NEPHEW COMING OUT.

WE USED TO RIDE OUT HERE ABOUT 12 ENJOY THIS THEM OUT AND SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAIN ESPECIALLY THIWTHE WINTERTIME W LITTLE BIT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND.

OF COURSE, YNGBUTTINYOU AND THE-AND DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUTTING OUT.

SO IT'S REALLY AN ADVENTURE IS WHAT WE TRY TO DO.

WE TRY TO BE VERY FAMILY ORIENTED THE GOT ATVS THEY'LL ACCOMMODATE COUPLES THAT THE LADIES DON'T WANT TOFLITTLE KIDS THATYEARS OLD WITHOUT A VALID DRIVERS LICENSE THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

THE KIDS CAN RIDE WITH THEM.

BUT THE REASON WE STARTED ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BUILD A LARGE ON TOP OF MOUNT MAGAZINE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE TDO.

SO, WITH THE FOREST RESERVE IS TAKING RTY OUT HERE AT THE TOP WLO OF MOUNT MAGAZINE.

IN FACT THERE'S A LOT OF OLD THAT WE ALSO SEE.

WHEN WERE COMING DOWN SPRING LAKE ROAD.

USING THE CEMETERY AND THIS ONE LIBERTY SCHOOL THAT'S THE GOT THE OLD MOUNTAIN GROVE CEMETERY THIS GOAL WAS BUILT IN 1880 7C CAN IMAGINE ALL THIS PLACES.

BUT, WE HAVE SOME GREAT TRAILS APPEAR.

WE'VE GOT OVER 176S OF ATV TRAILS AND HORSE SHOW.

WE'VE A LOT OF FORE HMOUNT MAGA ON TOP OF MOUNT MAGAZINE AND UNKNOWN BELOW, THE MOST PATH THROUGH THE-COURSE CAMP THE WALNUT COURSE CAN.

OF COURSE, THOSE ALL WERE SCAMS AATV CAMPS.

LIKE I SAID WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ATV TRAILS UP HERE.

A LOT OF STUFF TO SEE.

A LOT OF BEAUTY.

SEE APPEAR.

>> KEVIN SCHLUTERMAN OFFICES ATV TOWARDS OF MOUNT MAGAZINE THURSDAY-SUNDAY EITHER WITH A FIVE-HOUR MORNOMTO OPERATE.

ARK DOESN'T HAVE A HELMET LAW, BUT KEVIN SCHLUTERMAN WEAR ONE BUT ARE PROVIDED.

SO, HAD OUT ON THE TRAIL ATOP OF THE STATE'S HIGHEST PEAK BECAUSE AS KEVIN S THERE IS A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL STUFF TO SEE UP HERE.

>> EVERY AUTUMN IN OCTOBER FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE MID-SOURG T K SETTING OF FOR TH ANNUAL MEGA-I DO MEAN MEGA CRAFT FAIR.

IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN HERE LET ME TELL YOU IS TT.

>>> AN AVERAGE 250 CRASS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY INTO THIS FAIR AT WAR EAGLE IN HOPES OF SELLING THEIR WARES.

SUH AS MUSICIAN AND THIS WE, ON THE HAMMERED DULCIMER.

>> A GOOD FRIEND AMONG THE GROUP HERE.

HE BOUGHT ONE AT A BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL AND I STARTED I NOTICED HE'S GOT BIT ALL THIS INSTRUMENTS.

SO, I WENT AHEAD ASELF-TAUGHT MYSELF, IT DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG AT ALL TO LEARN.

SO, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING AS A LIVELIHMBWONDER EXPERIENCE.

THIS IS A BIT AND I THINK MY 17TH YEARNGLIKE THAT.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SO MANY NICE PEOPLE.

IT'S A WELL ORGANIZED.

IT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SETTING.

IT JUST A GIFT TO BE HER.

I GET AS MUCH FROM EVERYBODY AS EVERYBODY GETS OUT OF MY MUSIC.

I HEAR THAT A LOT.

PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY MY MUSIC.

PEOPLE HERE I SEE PEOPLE YEAR AFTER YEAR.

IT'S JUST A LOT OF FUN.

>> IT'S A REAL OLD INSTRUMENT.

IT GOES WAY BACK TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND IT'S WHAT THE PN OH EVENTUALLY CAME FROM.

WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF A POPULAR TCIVIL WAR AND YEARS AGO YOU COULD BUY THEM OUT OF THE SEARS AND ROEBUCK CATALOG.

HENRY FORD, BEFORE CARS, HE HAD ADVANCED AND HEAD A HAMMERED DULCIMER IN THE BAND.

>> .

>> YES.

>> WHAT MAKES THE WAR EAGLE CRASS FARE SO UNIQUE AND POPULAR IS THE QUALITY OF THE HANDCRAFTED ICHMIKE MCCARTHY.

>> SEVERAL YEARS AGO MY FATHER HAD A STROKE.

HE WAS A PATTERN MAKER FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

HE WOULD MAKE A WOULD SOMETHING OUT OF WOOD THAT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY CAST IN METAL AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS VERY PRECISE ART AND YET ALL VERY NICE WOOD TOOLS.

GOOD WORK AND WOULD TOOLS TO WORK WITH CHISELS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

SO, RATHER THAN SELL THEM PEAT $.10 ON THE DCOSOME WEIGHT THAT TO USE THEM ANASTHAT HAPPENS I BUMPED INTO QUITE A GROUP FOR CENTRAL ILLINOW AND INDIANS AND START HANGING AROUND WITH THEM.

THEY VERY TALENTED PEOPLE.

THEY GOT ME KIND OF WHERE I AM TODAY.

I BEEN DOING THIS FOR MAYBE 7-8 YEARS.

TWO YEARS FULL-TIME.

THE REST OF IT WAS A MON ANYTHING E GENERALLY GET SUPER SERIOUS UNTIL ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO.

>> WHAT YOU THINK BY THE CRAFT AIRFARE.

>> LAST YEAR WE WENT TO THE FAIR DID OKAY.

WE DID WE HAD A GOOD TIME.

WE ENJOY THE PEOPLE.

THE PEOPLE MORE THDFIGU WE'D COME BACK THIS YEAR AND GIVE IT ANOTHER GO.

WHEN DELIGHTED WBO WE'VE GOT A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF CARVINGS IN HERE.

LIKE I SAID, WHICH IS VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE.

WE REALLY ENJOY THE PEOPLE.

ENJOY THE FAIR.

>> ALONG WITH THE ARTISTS SELLING THEIR HANDIWORK, JUST AS INTERESTING ARE THE 100,000 OR SO PEOPLE WHO COME HERE TO BUY.

>> YOU-ALL ARE JUST WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR >> HUNTER?

>> CRAFT HUNDRED.

>> ORANGE VEST.

I GET BACK HERE.

>> OKAY.

>> IN OUR GAME BAGS.

>> HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN COMING NEAR?

TO VISIT MY 21ST YEAR.

>> WOW.

WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS CRAFT FAIR >> NO MAN.

>> NO MAN.

GOOD.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

SPEED OF LIGHT IS LOVING BEING TO M BEST FRIENDS IN THE WHOLE WORLD .

THEY'RE AWESOME.

WE ENJOY EACH OTHER DATABASE WE COME VA GOOD TIME.

>> WELL, I THINK I FOUND MY SPECIAL BY HERE.

UP PAIR OF SNOW SKIS.

THAT'S RIH SNOW DAY.

>> THE EMPRESS OF LITTLE ROCK, BUILT IN 1880 AT EXORBITANT COST OF $20,000, IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE NARBEST EXAMPL VICTORY AND ARCHITECTURE IN ARKANSAS.

LET'S GO IN AND TAKE A TOUR ANABOUT IT MY SHALL WE?

>>> THE HORNIBROOK ROOM IS NAMED AFTER MR. WATERBROOK AND THE CORPORATE FAMILY THAT BUILT HIS HOUSE ORIGINALLY IN 1880.

YOU CAN SEE SOME LOVELY HAND-PAINTED TILE HERE ON THE MANTLE.

HIS SISTER AND PAINTED THAT TILE.

INSTALLED IT SHE WAS AN ARTIST IN DETROIT.

WE GOT A PICTURE OF YOUR UP OVER THERE.

THE ROOM ALSO HAS A LOVELY BEDROOM SET AS YOU CAN SEE AND WITH CANOPY BED HEAR FROM THE 1870S.

>>> AT THE TIME JAMES HORNIBROOK WAS ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST MEN IN ARKANSAS.

TO FLAUNT IT, HE BUILT ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND ELABO THE ST FLAUNT SOCIETY, HE ADDED A SPECIAL SECRET CARD ROLTATTIC A TOWER FOR HIS INVITATION ONLY ONGOIN POKER GAME ALONG WITH A WHISKEY AND BRANDY IS THAT JAMES HORNIBROOK NEVER LEFT.

WHICH HE MAY NOT HAVE.

DURING THE RENOVATION OF THE HOME IF THE SECOND-FLOOR KITCHEN THAT WAS TO BE DEMOLISHED OWNEROBTHE INT ENCOUNTER.

>> IN JANUARY OF 94 DURING THAT RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE IT WAS A KITCHEN IN HERE.

I WAS WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH A KITCHEN.

WHAT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE INVOLVED IN GETTING THE KITCHEN OUT OF HERE, WHEN SU I LOOKED AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN MOVING DOWN THE STAIRS.

I WOULD SAY HE WAS FLOATING.

I WOULD SAY HE WAS WALKING.

HE WAS JUST MOVINN THE WHITE SCARF AND A BLACK OVERCOAT .

JUST AS THIS THING WAS LOOKING AS HE COULD BE.

I LOOKED FOR MY WIFE TO GET CONFIRMATION.

SHARON, COME HERE YOU'VE GOT I OF COURSE HE WAS GONE BY THE TIME SHE SHOWED UP BUT THAT TITHE HOUSE.

>> SHARON BLAIR SAID IT WAS REALLY MEANT TO BE FOR HER AND HEOW THIS HOUSE AND TURN IT INTO A BED AND BREAKFAST.

>> IVAN LOOKING DOWNTOWN FOR AGES.

I HAD THIS VISION AND THIS IDEA AND GET DRAGGING HIM DOWN TO HOUSES TO GET SAYING, NO.

I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

WHEN WE FINALLY FOUND THIS HOUSE , AND A FRIEND OF MINE CAME IN ON AN OPEN HOUSE ONE SUNDAY TAT I E ROOMS UPSTAIRS.

YOU GOT THAT CALL WHAT YOU CAN GET TO OTHER PLACWHILE EVERYBODY DOESN'T SEE YOU AND YOU GOT BEAUTIFUL FRONT PARLORS.

SO, I REALLY JUST FIGURED THAT'S NOT EVER HAPPENING.

THEN, THE REALTOR CALLED ME AND SAID NOBODY'S MADE AN OFFER ON THIS HOUSE.

WE HEARD YOU MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT A BED AND BREAKFAST.

WE JUST WANT TO CALL YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THE OWNER WOULD ENTERTAIN AN OFFER.

I SAID, WELL REALLY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS, I DON'T THINK IT'LL ENTERTAIN WHAT I WANT TO PAY FOR IT ASAT HAD AN IDEA.

BUT, ANYWAY, WE CAN BACK DOWN A WITH ME IT WAS YES.

I GOT THE IDEA.

I WAS JUST LIKE, YOU ARE KIDDING.

I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.

HE WAS GETTING GO ALONG WITH IT.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THETERM BY MR. JAMES HORNIBROOK OR HE JUST GAVE UP.

HE DIDN'T.

>> LET ME BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT.

I'LL BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT.

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SHARON AWAY FROM HIS HOUSE FOR 10 YEARS BECAUSE I KNEW WHEN SHE LAID EYES ON THIS HOUSE SHE'S GOING TO WANTED.

HER GOOD FRIEND WHO LIVES A COUPLE BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET FROM HERE CALLED A HOUSE THAT YOU WOULD JUST LOVE AND IT'S FOR SALE.

AS SOON AS SHARON STARTED TO DESCRIBE THE HOUSE TO ME AFTER SHE HADSEEN IT I KNEW EXACTLY WHICH HOUSE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

I THOUGHT, OH LORD.

HELP ME HERE.

BUT, AS SOON AS WE WALKED INTO THE HOUSE SHE TALKED ME INTO COMI FRONT DOOR AND JUST, THE HOUSE JUST SCREAMED OUT AT YOU.

SAVE ME IS WHAT IT DID.

SUDDENLY, OU THE PROPERTY ITSELF.

SO, I CANNOT SAY NO TO MY WIFE.

IT WASN'T HER.

IT WAS THE HOUSE.

IT SOLD ME ON IT.

>> BOB BLAIR SAID HE NAMED THE HOUSE THE EMPRESS AFTER HIS WIFE WHOM HE CALLS THE EMPRESS.

>> I KNEW WHO REALLY WAS THE EMPRESS.

AND SHARON HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS THING FROM DAY ONE.

IT'S AN EMBODIMENT OF HER.

YOU SEE IT IN THE PICTURE.

YOU SEE IT ALL AROUND HIMALL THE INTERIOR DECORATION IN-HOUSE.

IT IS ALL GOOD PRAETORIAN INTERIOR DECORATION.

TOYOU AND CENTURY, NOT QUITE AS ELABORATE BUT SHE'S DO GREAT JOB WITHOUT >> AND RIGHTFULLY SO THE HOUSE SHOULDE REAL EMPRESS.

THANK YOU, CHUCK.

>> IT'S BEEN A GREAT ADVENTURE FOR 20 YEARS.

WE OPENTHE HOUSE REALLY WHAT WE ENJOY SHARING WITH PEOPLE.

IT'S A ARKANSAS HISTORY,, AND IT HAS THREADS THAT REACH OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, SO, THAT'S BEEN A BIG PART OF IT.

>> SO, COME AND STAY A NIGHT OR TWO AT THE EMPRESS.

ONCE YOU'RE IN THE SECRET TOWER ROOM, IF YOU DARE,, YOU JUST MAY BE ASKED TO JOIN IN WHERE SOMEONE ELSE MAY STILL HAVE A HAND IN THE GAME.

>> IT'S CALLED THE TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY SCENIC DRIVE IN WEST ARKANSAS.

IT' MOTORCYCLE ROUTE, WHETHER YOU'RE ON YOUR HARLEY IN YOUR CAR OR WHAT HAVE YO,THIS DRIVE DEFINITELY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME.

>> THE TAKE AWAY YOUR BREATH SYNAGOGUE IS ABOUT 90 MILES IN LENGTH FORMINGNGS FOUR HIGHWAYS FROM DARDANELLE ALONG HIGHWAY 27 TWO DANVILLE, AND THEN HIGHWAY 10 TO HAVANA.

THEN, NORTH ON HIGHWAY 309 OVE MAGAZINE, MOUNT MAGAZINE SCENIC HIGHWAY TO PARIS.

AND THEN FROM PARIS GOING EAST ON HIGHWAY 22, BACK TOWARDS DARDANELLE.

>>> MOUNT MAGAZINE IS A FORCED THE STATE'S HIGHEST PEAK WITH ELEVATION OF 2007 OR 53 FEET AND A BEAUTY FROM THE TOP OF THIS MOUNTING WILL DEFINITELY TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.ON THE MOUNT MAXINE SENA BY WEIGHT IS ALSO ONE OF THOSE PINTHE STATE ROSIE BEAR CROSSING SIGNS, BUT NOT TO WORRY.

AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, IN ALL MY YEARS OF EXPLORING EVERY RANDY OF THE STATE I'VE YET TO ENCOUNTER A FIRST TIME.

>>> ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THIS ROUTE WHERE YOU WANT TO SPEND A IMIS THAT SUBIACO 5 MILES EAST OF PARIS ALONG HIGHWAY 22.

SUBIACO SUBIACO ABBEY IS A BENEDICTINE MONASTERY WHICH WAS ESTABLIS IN 1878.

IT IS ALSO A COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY AND BOARDING T TO MENTION, AND ANGUS BEEF CATTLE FARM AS WELL.

HIGHWAY 22 IS ALSO A TRAIL OF TEARS ROUTE AND A PORTION OF THE HISTORIC ORLIN BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH ROUTE.

>>> ALONG THE TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY SCENIC DR., LAKESIDE BEAUABA BREAK, AND JUST TAKE IT ALL IN.

>>> SO, WE TAKE A DIVE FOR YOURSELF ALONG THE TAKE YOUR BREATH A WEST ARKANSAS.

AND TO VIEW THIS EPISODE AGAIN WERE ANY ONE OF OUR OTHERS, IT OUR AETN.ORG/EXPLORINGARKANSAS