NW Arkansas Day 2

Wednesday June 22, 2011

I continued driving North on Hwy 71. I stopped at the Visitors Center in downtown Fayetteville and walked around the area. This is a college town and there were a lot of restaurants and some shops, the items in the shops were very expensive.


I then stopped at Petco on the northern end of Fayetteville. I love it when I can go to a companies website and find out where the nearest store is located. I needed some cat food, and knew that Petco carried the brand "BLUE" that I wanted.


Continuing on Hwy 71 it becomes a scenic byway. It's a very hilly and curvy road but the speed limits are lower so it is a pleasure to drive without anyone speeding around. On some of the curves and when going downhill the speed limit is 25mph or less.


This area reminded me of the Smoky Mountains with a blue gray misty look to the mountains.


There is a turnout at "Artists Point" and an Art Center/gift shop. I didn't stop to take pictures because it was not well marked and I did not see a place that I could safely pull over. There was a gravel parking space in front of the building, but it didn't seem very large. Once you drive past the building, there really isn't any place to turn around on this narrow curvy road. The way it was mentioned in all of the travel books, I was expecting a larger pullout area.


I turned off Hwy 71 onto Hwy 62 East and stopped at the Pea Ridge National Military Park. There is a museum, theater, bookstore and a 10 mile driving tour around the grounds.

As I was going around the driving route, I thought - this would be a great place to camp (but wondered - would it be haunted). When you reach the top of the hill there is a nice breeze that would be perfect for sleeping with all the windows to the coach open.


My next stop before getting to Eureka Springs was the Blue Spring Heritage Center. This is a private business, they charge a $5.00 fee(less discount coupons) to walk around the gardens and spring. 
Brochure description "Visit this oasis in the Ozarks that nurtured the Cherokee people on the Trail of Tears. Walk under the historic bluff shelter. Allow yourself to connect with the natural beauty that surrounds Blue Spring."
It was a beautiful area and its a shame of the damage caused by a flood of  the White River, some of the walking paths were closed because of damage to the small bridges that would take you to those paths. The owners said many of their plantings were also washed away.  I noticed a greenhouse on the property, near the parking area. They grow many of their own flowers and plants to display around the spring so hopefully they will be able to replant some things this summer.

Next stop - Eureka Springs

Northwest Arkansas

After leaving Crater of Diamonds State Park, I headed north along the western edge of Arkansas. I made a stop at Fort Smith National Historic Site and walked around the trails and checked out the main building which is now a museum. The museum had displays about the Civil War and the "Trail of Tears".

painting by Cherokee artist, Dorothy Sullivan

Tuesday night I stayed at the KOA in Alma, Arkansas.  The entrance was right on Hwy 71. The sites were quiet, near the rear of the property. This campground had a few walking paths and a large pond with some unusual ducks. There were horses across the road.

I walked around the pond and sat at a picnic table on the shady side for a few hours, watching the ducks and chicks and just enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the park. This campground is owned by a retired couple from Illinois.

This is the type of park that I had considered buying when I sold my tax practice. I had done a lot of research about RV Parks and Campgrounds and read several books about Campground Management. I had a notebook full of information about different campgrounds for sale and had obtained the financial information for several parks. 


I thought that we could buy a seasonal park, work only 6 months of the year and then travel south for the winter. The campground would fulfill my wish for a place in the country and we would have a source of income at home. 


Currently I have no desire to own any property of any type. I don't want to be tied down to one location until I figure out what I'm going to do with myself.  I will try Workamping either this winter or next spring.


Workamping will allow me to stay in one area for three to six months and explore an area in depth. There are usually many things I would like to see in an area that I stop at, but staying for only one or two nights, I miss a lot. I like the idea of having a semi-permanent campsite for a few months at a time.


I'll be staying in Northwest Arkansas until Saturday morning and then moving into Missouri.