Read more about the article Scenic Arkansas and Eureka Springs
Along Scenic Highway 7

Scenic Arkansas and Eureka Springs

This was our second day of our “Wild, Wacky Adventure” in Arkansas and Oklahoma. I knew that travel from point A to point B would be easy if I followed the interstate, but that would be too easy. Instead, we opted go the long way from Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton to Fayetteville, AR via Scenic Byway 7 through Jasper and head through Eureka Springs, make a quick detour in Missouri, and then head south to Fayetteville.

Scenic Highway 7

When we left Petit Jean, we went out the back way through Dardanelle and Russellville to get to Hwy 7. This north-south highway was first state designated scenic highway and I could see why. First it twists and turns and goes up and down a lot. We stopped at one of the first rest stops in Arkansas. The wives of Rotary Club members, fondly called Rotary Anns, got the restroom built in the 1930’s.  It’s not a typical rest stop, but a stone structure and picnic tables, which was kept very nice. Yes – there were restrooms too and our first view of the Boston mountains. Signs detailed the history of the road, the rest stop and the mountains.

Arkansas Grand Canyon

Before we got to Jasper, we stopped at the famous Cliff House Inn & Restaurant. Nestled in the side of the mountain, we had a view of the Arkansas Little Grand Canyon. Not a canyon in the sense of rocks, but more of a canyon of green trees. An outdoor deck with hanging baskets of flowers offered more views. (more…)

Read more about the article College Visit Trip to the Mid-Atlantic Region
Lots of tours that day

College Visit Trip to the Mid-Atlantic Region

We did our first college visit trip to the Mid-Atlantic region over our spring break. What made it so flexible was that we drove. Yes – it was long, but we covered a lot of ground. Below is our itinerary with links to the places we visited. For details about visiting New York – see my post  https://findingfamilyadventures.com/2016/03/27/trip-report-new-york-city/. This will give you links to more posts I wrote about NYC in 2016. (more…)

Read more about the article Dunaway Gardens – Newnan, GA

Dunaway Gardens – Newnan, GA

I read about Dunaway Gardens from an Atlanta blog called 365AtlantaTraveler several years ago. When I looked up Dunaway Gardens’ hours, they were only open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the springtime and then closed for the summer months. I always intended to visit, but would get busy and forget about it.

Fortunately last week I happened to look at the website again. They were only open on Saturdays during the month of May before closing for June, July and August. If I was going to visit, it would have to be now. (more…)

Read more about the article 24 Hours in Nashville

24 Hours in Nashville

We wanted a quick getaway and since Nashville is only about a 4-hour drive, it was the perfect choice. Because of other commitments, we weren’t able to get up there until Saturday afternoon. It turned out to be a good thing as Vanderbilt’s Homecoming football game against University of Georgia was earlier that day so we didn’t have to fight traffic and crowds.

The Hermitage – Home of President Andrew Jackson

The Hermitage – the sprawling plantation of 7th U.S. President Andrew Jackson lies on the eastern outskirts of Nashville. The visitor center had a large exhibit called Andrew Jackson: Born for a Storm. In it we learned all about Jackson’s meager beginnings to becoming a large plantation owner, his political career and his role in the War of 1812 – especially in the Battle of New Orleans. (more…)