Catching up

So, I have really been behind in my blogs.  I've been putting most of my travel information on Whrrl.com.  I have a widget on this page so you can keep up. Along with my Arkansas travels, I also went to Montgomery, AL where I was treated with wonderful Southern hospitality.

I spent the fall in the eastern Arkansas Ozarks, the northeastern Ozarks, the Ouacitas, the Arkansas Delta and the Timberlands.  I am still amazed by all there is to see and do in this great state.  I have now traveled from Ozark peak to Ouachita peak having spent time on Mt. Magazine (Mt. Magazine State Park) located near Paris, Arkansas and on top of Rich Mountain at Queen Wilhelmina State Park.  I have listened to the blues along the Mississippi River in Helena, AR and dined at a table set for 120 guests in Tyranza, AR.  I traveled to Camden, AR, Texarkana, AR, and Grady, AR through the vast timberlands of this state and visited pumpkin patches and historic buildings along the way.  I went to Piggott, AR where the Ernest Hemingway wrote several stories and 100 pages of A Farewell to Arms.

I visited a wildlife ranch outside of Pocahontas, AR (Warm Springs) called Buck Hollow Ranch were I listened to the eerie sounds of the bugle of a male Elk.  I was awed by the huge size of the animals and how they could still gracefully move through the grass or charge at another male who was entering their territory. I sat in the truck searching for signs of wildlife.  Just when I had given up, a deer would leap through the woods.  Having noticed movement, my eyes focused on a turkey hidden in the underbrush and a large elk resting under a tree.  I've been told that these tired elk have spent hours protecting their cows and then fighting with other males.  Many of them are so exhausted, they missed the chance to mate and don't even have the strength to eat.  That, I think, is pretty ironic.  All of that work and they missed the "opportunity" that they were working towards.

Last month, my friend Rebecca traveled all the way from Indianapolis, IN to visit.  We walked the River Market and visited the grounds of the Clinton Library. And, of course, were carried away by the sounds bands as we walked down Clinton Ave.  We stopped and listened to the tunes of Mysterious Ways, a U2 tribute band at Sticky Fingerz in downtown Little Rock. The next day, we took in all of the beautiful fall color in the Ouachita Mountains and visited the waterfalls at Lake Catherine State Park.

Last week, I visited downtown Conway where I dined on Italian food and experienced all of the wonderful downtown shopping available in that city.  There just aren't a lot of true downtown shopping locations like this anymore.  Old store fronts filled with modern wares, art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants.  They even have an Eiffel tower on display!

So, there is a brief summary of my fall travels.  I've left a lot out, but you can catch up on those by visiting whrrl.com and searching for me.  Next week, I travel to Paragould, AR, which, by the way, is the only town in the U.S. named Paragould.

Bikes, Blues & BBQ

Fall temperatures and colors of greens, oranges, reds and yellows displayed before a canvas of rich blue sky) and  coupled with the rumble of bikes creates a brand new image in my mind when I think about Fayetteville, AR.  As I rolled into town yesterday, I was escorted by a flowing river of motorcycles, as if I was the main float in a parade.  Immediately, the aroma of BBQ entered the car and the faint bluesy tunes (muffled by the roar of engines) serenaded me to the hotel.

The BBBQ committee has a unique way of transporting people from one area of the festival to another--a TRAIN.  They lease the Arkansas Missouri Railroad for the event.  At only a dollar a ride, this is the best way to travel through the streets--unless you have a bike.  I wondered through the crowd and beer garden while waiting on the train.  After a short ride, I found my friend Allyson Dyer, Director of the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau.  She grabbed me in the crowd, through a VIP pass around my neck and pushed me towards the VIP suite located in a 9th floor penthouse overlooking Dickson Street.

Looking down from the balcony, I couldn't believe how many people, lights, bikes, vendors, and police filled every inch of the surrounding streets.  WOW!

After I got back to my room, I noticed vehicles with license plates from Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Oklahoma!

Today, I'm heading to Devil's Den State Park to check out a few caves and hopefully find a waterfall..and then it is back on the train and down to Dickson Street for more BBBQ.  Follow me on Whrrl for pictures and comments as they happen.

Upcoming Fall Travel
As the weather turns cooler and nature's canvas begins is splashed with warm hues plan to enjoy all that Arkansas has to offer. Fall festivals are abundant in Arkansas. Just a few I have on my bucket list are Smoke On The Water in Hot Springs; Bikes Blues & BBQ in Fayetteville; Winefest in Altus, The Rock-n-roll Festival in Pocahontas, and Blues Fest in Helena--an those are just in September! Go to Arkansas.com and click on the Calendar of Events to find the complete list. I will be blogging from the Festival trail, so stay tuned...