NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Some days turn out to be better than others and occasionally one really stands out. I would have to say that last Wednesday made the cut for the short list of favorites.

It was my last free day before going back to work, so I called Glendon, the middle of my three grandsons, and asked him if he would like to go someplace with me. By the time this goes to print, he will have turned 13. At this stage of his life, there are no guarantees he will be available, but this day he said yes. Good start, already.

I planned a little trip I thought we both would enjoy. We drove to Fort Smithand found our way to the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. This would be my first visit to the center and, not knowing exactly where I was going, I depended upon my “tweenage” passenger to help. He practiced his navigation skills using a road map and my Garmin GPS to get us through Fort Smith. We made a pretty good team and only had to stop once to ask for directions.

The nature center is located in the area that once was part of Fort Chaffee. Before we arrived, I attempted to give Glendon a little background on the old army basebut realized I didn’t know much about it. The one historic fact I could recall off the top of my head was that Elvis Presley had gotten a haircut there during his early army days. The significance of the famous haircut seemed to go unappreciated by my young passenger.

The nature center is a nice, large building and has many interesting things. It provides a fun learning environment focusing on unique features of our state, as well as the importance of habitat, wildlife and outdoor recreation. Displays include a 1,700 gallon aquarium, stocked with fish found in the Arkansas River, and other interpretive exhibits featuring birds, animals and reptiles of the area. The Discovery Room provides hands-on activities for kids. We wrapped up our visit by spending a little time outdoors, watching birds and a squirrel eat at feedershanging in a wooded area next to the building. The place is landscaped with native plants and wildflowers which draw many butterflies, and a water feature near the front entrance includes a neat sculpture.

A cool autumn day would be a terrific time to go back to further explore the four miles of trails surrounding the place or to make use of items (kayaks, canoes, fishing rods and more) offered for checkout at the front desk.

After leaving the nature center, we went to get an ice cream cone, a mandatory stop when out having fun on a hot day.

I mentioned to Glendon that I was planning a stop at Natural Dam on the way home. He logged on to a website and discovered a listing for a geocache treasure hidden in the area.

He is an experienced geocache hunter, something Iknow very little about. So, when we arrived at the dam, he became the instructor and I followed his lead during our hunt. Using the Garmin GPS from my car and some instructions he had jotted down from the website, we moved “north of the dam and 25 feet off the trail.” Wading through wet weeds (yes, there had been some rain, another “plus” to the day), we saw briars, not what I had in mind that morning when I dressed in sandals and capris, but I wasn’t going to miss out on this experience. We successfully located the GPS coordinates, although the hidden treasure - a box with a combination lock according to the website - eluded us. We decided to continue the search on another day.

I really enjoyed the outing with my favorite now-13-year old. As he gets older, these kinds of days happenless frequently and I don’t take them for granted. I have the memories of this one tucked away in the special “cherished days” file.

By the way, if you are looking for a way to spend a fun day, you might consider attending the Ozark Society Celebration at Compton Gardens and Conference Center in Bentonville on Saturday, Aug. 18. Activities begin at 10 a.m. and last throughout the day until 5 p.m. This event is planned in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ozark Society, the 40th anniversary of the Buffalo National River and the year Dr. Neil Compton would be 100. The public is invited.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at awalkinthepark50@ yahoo.com.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 08/15/2012