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STORY BY LIZ PENSONEAU
Undoubtedly some of the most beautiful country in the United States is found in deep southern Illinois along the River-To-River Trail. The passage runs from Battery Rock on the state's eastern boundary, through the Shawnee National Forest and on to Devil's Backbone Park at Grand Tower on the banks of the Mississippi River, covering 175 miles and requiring about two weeks to hike in its entirety. It is rugged terrain, comprised of rocky wilderness, wetland bayou, plains and inspirational views. And it may well be the only trail in the nation that has 12 songs written in tribute to the feelings it invokes in the heart of one Southern Illinois musician, Zola Van. Van, herself, is a product of Southern Illinois. Both of her grandparents resided in Johnston City, and Zola settled there with her mother and infant twin sisters, while her father, an enlisted Navy man, was on a tour of sea duty. When she was in kindergarten, her father returned to Johnston City for good, continuing his military career as a Navy recruiter.
Zola's mother, an accomplished artist, frequently would load up her three daughters and head for the Garden of the Gods near Camel Rock, where she would spend the day sketching as the girls swam in Pounds Hollow and scampered around enjoying their time outdoors in the beautiful setting. It was during those outings that Zola's deep-rooted love of the area was born. Zola's maternal grandfather, Milton Eberhard, an organic farmer by day and a musician by night, would play Paganini on the violin, inspiring his granddaughter's love of classical music. He also filled her head with stories about the history of the Shawnee National Forest—its lure and legend. However, it was her Grandmother Myrtle Eberhard's incredible talent for playing the piano that really captured Zola's youthful interest and prompted her to turn to the keyboard at age six. Her very first recital was later that year at the local Free Will Baptist Church, where her piano instructor, Marilyn Burwell, played for the congregation every Sunday. The six-year-old aspiring pianist made her debut with White Seals Lullaby. "My grandmother always said she played the piano at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. Well, she did. It just wasn't in New York City. It was in Johnston City," Zola said. "My mother played the piano too, and Chopin was her favorite. My father never took a music lesson in his life, but he was very sup-
portive for a guy from Johnston City who joined the Navy at age 15. Whenever we sat down to practice, the television was off—the living room was quiet. My sisters also played, but they didn't like to practice. As for me, I loved to." And practice she did. Enough so that word of her talent reached Dr. Robert Mueller, then chairman of the music department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, who provided private instruction to Zola throughout her high school years. Zola went on to graduate in 1977 from SIUC, where she received a bachelor's degree in music education. Today, Zola is the one teaching the youngsters and serving as a substitute teacher and sought-after performer for numerous events in the Herrin community, where she resides. But, it wasn't until Zola and her husband, Jack Van, a retired English teacher, heard about the River-to-River Trail, that a remarkable chain of events occurred. As outdoor enthusiasts, the couple became involved in exploring the trail and obtained a copy of the River To River Trail Guide written by John O'Dell, the founder of the River-to-River Trail Society. As Zola read O'Dell's words, she realized that he, too, shared her love of this land—land so beautiful that both found it inspirational. O'Dell wrote: "To honor the spirit of those who first immigrated to Illinois, this
guide follows an east to west description. It is interesting to consider the hopes and dreams of those people as they viewed the new land and began the search for their place in this wilderness. We can still see some of the beautiful vistas and gorgeous valleys of those early days and in some small way compare our efforts with theirs. Perhaps, as we notice that all of the most beautiful places have old wagon road remnants, we will realize that they too shared a spiritual need for the power of such beauty." Perhaps it was 'the power of such beauty,' perhaps it was the wind in the wilderness, or perhaps it was a youth-instilled love of nature and the land. But whatever it was that inspired her while on the River-to-River Trail, Zola felt compelled to return home and compose 12 songs that pay tribute to different sites along the way. Those songs are now available as a collection of piano solos on a CD entitled. River to River Trail: The Hike through Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. The CD is accompanied by a brochure that gives meaning to the various songs, such as "Angels' Dance at Garden of the Gods," "Broken Wing at Lusk Creek," and "Rain at Ghost Dance Canyon Trail: Dixon Springs." Zola's own words tell her story best. In a recent article she prepared for The American Hiker, she wrote: "The Shawnee Forest has always been a part of me. Long before I realized this forest has a heart that speaks to those who listen, I had been drawn into a connection with it that I carry with me wherever I am. I find that when I visit other places, I catch myself comparing these new locations to the forest, and no matter how beautiful, I have found none that compare to the Shawnee. Its very heart has spoken to me in its language of beauty, solitude and timelessness, and when I am out there, I own a personal claim to my connection with it. Each visit is a filling up of thoughts, sights and sounds. I can touch what is untouchable. I can move slowly through the place and hear voices of the past speak in whispers of wind. I can fill my soul as the forest speaks to me and return to my home content and connected to my past and present. I leave the forest, thankful that I can feel so passionately for it and with a sense of peace, knowing that it is always waiting patiently, changing as it must and awaiting my return."
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