On a Petit Jean Mountain cliff, overlooking the expansive Ada Valley, stands a cabin that’s belonged to my family for 24 years.
The land on which it was built has been with us for longer: my great-grandmother was one of the first Arkansans to claim land in that wooded, remote area, where cicadas screech and turkey vultures haunt the dead. The cabin’s modest exterior contrasts with its vibrant, eclectic living room and bedrooms, which were thoughtfully adorned with trinkets and folk art.
In 2021, I watched my mother say “I do” against a backdrop of the valley. As a child, I spent hours exploring Petit Jean’s natural landscape and whispering with my two brothers until the wee hours of the morning under an old quilt. As an East Coast transplant, memories of The Cabin define many descriptions of the Natural State I adore.
