Spring vacation in Arkansas

Thanks also to Kit, who is also my neighbor.

My wife reminds me that it was not September, but last OCTOBER that we were in Mountain View, but not at the Bean Festival.

An aside: We are in Destin, FL riding out the storms.

SEE BELOW

padredw wrote:

jkmac wrote:
You might look at the Mountain View area, the town is really great with lots of things to do in the area.

Agree with my neighbor, who happens to live in one of our favorite towns, Henderson, Texas.

We made our first visit to Mountain View last September. We were fortunate to be there for the "Next Generation" concert in the Ozark Folk Center auditorium--very talented young musicians. We could walk right out from the RV park to the auditorium -- and to the rest of the interesting Ozark Folk Center.

You need to go there in October for the Bean Fest & Great American Outhouse Race. Lots of music on the courthouse square and plenty of fun.

Arkansas is a dirty, non camper friendly state with nothing to do. Go to Texas instead.

There, now maybe I can get a spot at our local campground this summer......

jkmac wrote:
You might look at the Mountain View area, the town is really great with lots of things to do in the area.

Agree with my neighbor, who happens to live in one of our favorite towns, Henderson, Texas.

We made our first visit to Mountain View last September. We were fortunate to be there for the "Next Generation" concert in the Ozark Folk Center auditorium--very talented young musicians. We could walk right out from the RV park to the auditorium -- and to the rest of the interesting Ozark Folk Center.

You might look at the Mountain View area, the town is really great with lots of things to do in the area. Blanchard springs Caverns have great tours and good fishing. The Ozark Folk Center is a state park dedicated to the old the old mountain music and way of life of the area. Also the White river runs thru here with great trout fishing. Good camping.

We never visited Arkansas until 2014. Absolutely had a blast on a fall RV trip and stayed at Lake Catherine SP, Petit Jean SP, and a private CG called Shady Oaks near Jasper. We always try to visit somewhere new, but we will head back that way soon.

Some repeats here:
Crystal Bridges Museum
Pea Ridge National Military Park (Civil War Battlefield)
Eureka Springs (we stayed at one of the COE parks around Beaver Lake - roads in and out of Eureka Springs are curvy).
Tompkins Bend on Lake Ouachita
Blanchard Springs Caverns north of Mountain View. Very nice, unspoiled cave
You mentioned gardens. Check out Garvan Woodland Gardens SE of Hot Springs. Associated with the University.
Talimena/Skyline scenic drive.
Buffalo River area.

Anywhere along the Buffalo National River river. We especially like the area between Jasper and Ponca. There are some really nice primitive campgrounds along the river as well as a couple of private rv parks in the Jasper area. Lots of amazing hikes and lots of water falls. Lost Valley trail and the hike to Hawksbill Craig are definitely must do hikes. There is an outdoor center in Ponca where you can get local maps and hiking trail advice. There is also a canoe outfitter in Ponca and this is one of the most beautiful and scenic river floats anywhere.

Arkansas is at least four different regions, with some local variation:

Ozark Plateau with deep valleys and reservoirs forming lakes, north central and most of northwest part of the state. There are many state parks and Corps of Engineers recreational access facilities on these reservoir projects. The area around Rogers and Bentonville in the northwest is becoming a major urban center with rapid growth of retirement communities that attract people who have jobs to provide services needed by us old folks.

Ozark Mountains, a small uplift in the plateau, NW Arkansas just north of I-40. Petit John State Park is the nicest place to visit, Mount Magazine SP is more into the mountain terrain.

Ouachita Mountains in the SW part of the state, old mountains a lot like the southern Appalachians. Hot Springs is here, on the highway going SW out of Little Rock, and Crater of Diamonds (a volcanic plug) is over by Murfreesboro. You can dig in the mud to look for gems at Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Delta Country in the east central and southeast part of the state. This is mostly agricultural, but there are small parks on some of the ox-bows, and it is a popular area for people who like relaxing types of fishing (just don't go sneeking in to fish someone's catfish farm). Lake Village, just across the Mississippi River from Greenville, MS is a popular area with campers and fishermen looking to relax.

Then there is Little Rock, a major urban center sitting at the point where all these different parts come together. Little Rock is the site of the Clinton Presidential Library, and is where you'll find the museums, theaters, orchestras etc that Arkansas has to offer.

By the way, May in Arkansas, after school has let out for vacation, is no longer Spring, it is already Summer. That's why school lets out for earlier for Summer vacation in the South than in the North. Not as hot yet as it will get in July and August, but usually already warmer in May than it will get in August in Michigan. That's why I go to Michigan for Summer.