Welcome
Everyone!
We’re
very excited to welcome all of you to our home and to the event of our union,
especially the out-of-towners who will be visiting Arkansas for the first
time. Here’s to you, and to a great celebration. See you in March!
Tentative
Weekend Schedule
Friday,
March 30 - rehearsal for the wedding party followed by a welcome dinner for
out-of-town visitors
Saturday, March 31 - wedding at 4:00 pm includes dinner and runs through the
evening.
Sunday, April 1 - brunch
Casual
Attire
The wedding
is casual and informal, set in a woodsy spot. We encourage our
guests to dress comfortably.
Directions to Ferncreek
From Little Rock: Take I-430 to the Cantrell Street exit. Make a left
onto Hwy 10 West. Take Hwy 10 west for 8 miles then turn left on Ferndale-cutoff
Road at the nursery. Proceed 5 miles to a four-way stop sign and turn
right. Continue approximately 200 yards. Ferncreek Retreat House is on
the left and set back from the road.
From Perryville: Go east on Hwy 10 for approximately 30 miles. Make a
right on Ferndale-cutoff Road at the nursery. Proceed 5 miles to a four-way
stop sign and turn right. Continue approximately 200 yards. Ferncreek
Retreat House is on the left and set back from the road.
A Word On Weather
With respect to weather, March is a somewhat unpredictable
time of year in central Arkansas. Years past have seen highs in the 90s
and lows close
to zero. However, we are more likely to see something closer to the averages:
68 during the day and 43 at night, with 30% chance of showers. The wedding
will be outside and while we have a backup location for the wedding activities
in the event of inclement weather, we recommend preparing for the weekend
with layers and a raincoat/umbrella. Gifts
The
gift of your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift you could
give us. We don’t
want or need anything else. Of course, we know that some of you will
insist on gifting something anyway, and
for those
people we request that your gift come in the form of a donation to Heifer
International
Places to Stay
While
the country is a scenic place for a wedding, and where we live, it
doesn’t provide an abundance of lodging options.
Below are some of the most convenient and affordable options.
In Ferndale:
Ferncliff
Camp & Conference Center - the site of the wedding -
has a variety of accommodation options, from tree houses
with bunk beds to standard motel rooms. The wedding will take place
on a section of this property that includes rustic
bunk cabins, which have access to a communal bathhouse and are free
and available Friday and Saturday nights. There are also motel style
rooms
available in William’s Lodge for about $25/night.
Each of these rooms is equipped with three twin beds and a private
bath.
Ferncreek Retreat House, the site of the wedding,
has 4 bedrooms with adult-size
bunk beds, as well as a full kitchen and lounging areas. Contact Katie's
mom, Cheryl Woodard for more information. 510-527-2666 or Cheryl@publishingbiz.com
In Perryville,
about 20 miuntes from the wedding site:
Rupel
Lodge, Heifer Ranch
We have made arrangements with Heifer Ranch to open one of their conference
buildings for our guests over the wedding weekend. With advance notice,
those who stay on the Ranch will also have access to their dining room
where
meals
cost
$6 per person. Rupel Lodge features four
bedrooms, each with its own private bath. Rooms #1 and #3 have 2 bunk beds,
sleeping 4 people and costing $60 per night. Rooms #3 and #4 have 3 bunk
beds, sleeping 6 people and costing $90 per night. You can also rent
just one bed if you don't mind sharing the room with other people. Bunks
are $15 per night per person. There is a large common area and full-size
kitchen. To reserve one of the lodge
rooms, or a bed in a shared room,
call Katie’s
mom Cheryl Woodard at 510-527-2666 or email cheryl@publishingbiz.com
Coffee Creek
Resort Landing is a lakeside fishing campground, RV park,
and motel on the edge of Harris Brake, a local lake. Rooms at Coffee
Creek have one double bed each and run $40 per night. Cabins
may also be available.
Information about Coffee Creek facilities is available online at www.coffeecreeklanding.com Phone
501-889-2745
In Little
Rock, about 10 minutes from the wedding site:
Holiday Inn
West Little Rock, 201 South Shackleford Road (877) 531-5084
Wingate Inn, 1212 S Shackleford Road (501) 227-6800
Amerisuites of Little
Rock, 10920 Financial Centre Pkwy 800-664-6835
La
Quinta Inn Little Rock at Rodney Parham Road, 1010 Breckenridge
Drive 800-444-6835
Springhill Suites By Marriott Little
Rock, 306 Markham Center Drive 800-664-6835
Courtyard by Marriott Little Rock, 10900 Financial
Centre Pkwy 800-444-6835
Eating in the Area
You will want to eat something outside of what
we can offer at the wedding-related events, and for those hungry periods,
these are your options.
Little Rock is
a friendly, sophisticated mid-sized city and has many restaurant choices.
Some of our personal favorites include
Vino’s (pizzaria and microbrewery) and La Palapa (Mexican food
on the western edge of the city). Here is a link to the city's tourist
offices www.littlerock.com
Restaurants in Perryville,
some open from 5:30am -8:00pm others open only for lunch, are all
quaint and full of local people.
Things
to Do While Visiting Arkansas
Heifer
Ranch - Beyond our whole-hearted support of Heifer's mission,
the ranch is a special place to us both as individuals and as a couple.
We both volunteered there (at different times) for several years, Travis
is now the Maintenance Department Supervisor, and Katie raises livestock
on Ranch land. Most importantly, we met through the ranch community.
In
addition to its draw as a sentimental landmark, Heifer Ranch offers
guided and self-guided tours and a variety of educational activities
based
on Heifer's work
and global hunger. Some highlights include exotic livestock species (camels,
water buffalo, llamas, wool-less sheep) and the annual lambing-centered educational
program.
Clinton Presidential Center and Park – located on the banks of
the Arkansas river in downtown Little Rock, the center includes a library
and museum. There’s a good café in the basement. www.clintonlittlerock.com
Central High
School in downtown Little Rock has an exhibit about school
desegregation in the South. September 2007 is the 40th anniversary
of the crisis at Central High and there are special exhibits to
mark the occasion. www.centralhigh57.org
Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock
is a museum of Arkansas's frontier days, featuring five pre-Civil War
houses restored to antebellum appearances. The museum also houses a
collection of decorative art, mechanical art and fine art in Arkansas. www.historicarkansas.org
Old State
House is the oldest standing state capitol
building west of the Mississippi housing exhibits on Arkansas
history.
www.oldstatehouse.org
River Market
District located along the river in downtown Little Rock
is a collection of shops, stalls and market-style stores including
a
farmer’s
market and several good restaurants. www.rivermarket.info
Petit
Jean State Park,
about an hour west of the wedding site, near Morrilton on highway
154. This is the oldest state park in Arkansas and
it offers wonderful hiking, great views, wildflowers, and a decent
restaurant. www.petitjeanstatepark.com
Automobile Museum, founded by Winthrop Rockefeller
and located near Petit Jean State Park, this museum houses antique
cars and motorcycles. www.museumofautos.com
Hot Springs,
Arkansas
About
50 miles from Little Rock, Hot Springs is a charming historic
town and
vacation
spot featuring natural hot spring spas, art galleries, shopping, and
the Garvan Woodland Botanical Gardens. www.hotsprings.org
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