North Central and North West Arkansas Day trip Aug 3rd.

[Wanderlusty]

Dan (Big_Geek) and I took a day trip last friday. I am posting the link to the trip report he put together on his site.

I have to admit....we didn't stray too far off pavement, but we still found some really cool stuff. We had intended to go off road more, but the roads we were on just took us some really cool places, so we just kept going!

http://www.danandshmo.com/blog/?p=504

 

[The BN Guy]

Cool. Oh how I miss Arkansas. So beautiful of a state it is!

 

[Wanderlusty]

Arkansas IS a beautiful state, and even many who live here often forget it. Central Arkansas is starting to get pretty urban-sprawled, so it takes day trips like this to 're-appreciate' Arkansas.

I pondered a lot how beautiful a state it is, and how few seem to trek here in the same numbers as many beautiful places. One particular outlook, I coulda sworn I was in the Smoky Mountains...well, except for the whole lack of a crowd.

And that lack of a crowd is what makes me :wings: about this little secret place called Arkansas. I am glad that everyone else is going all those other places.

It allows me to have what often feels like my own personal paradise. Several trips into the outback regions of Arkansas. Off-Road, we have never met another vehicle. Even on-road, traffic is pretty sparse. It's nice. Very nice.

 

[jrsteffes]

Very Nice! Looks like a great day in Arkansas!

 

[kcowyo]

Who let you out of the house? I figured you were still up to your eyeballs in dirty diapers and sippy cups...?

I've only done one non-I-40 trip across Arkansas, and it really is a beautiful state, mostly on the western side I've seen. Very green and lush. But Little Rock to West Memphis is comatose time.

 

[Dave]

Very nice! We've only been to the Buffalo once but we threaten to make a return visit every spring, just never seems to work out.

We ought to put together an ArkaMo Ozark back roads exploration trip sometime next year.

 

[Wanderlusty]

Who let you out of the house? I figured you were still up to your eyeballs in dirty diapers and sippy cups...?

Well, it was friday, so I took the day off, but dropped the kiddo at daycare. I know some may fault me for that, but this a once every 6 month thing. I was back in town by 7ish that night, and still got to see the little guy off to bed.

I've only done one non-I-40 trip across Arkansas, and it really is a beautiful state, mostly on the western side I've seen. Very green and lush. But Little Rock to West Memphis is comatose time.

Yeah, there is a lot of beauty in AR, like you said, mostly the west side. The stretch from LR to Memphis is dismal, and Memphis is hardly a reward for your determination. (It has a few bright spots, though)

If you think that stretch of 40 is bad, try taking the back roads through east arkansas. It's like 40, only you have to drive slower....

I am not a big fan of the Delta. My in-laws live there. They are great people, but the drive there....honestly....we have swapped drivers more times on the 2 hour drive there than some 12 hour drives across country. It is just numbing....

But yes, from Little Rock headed west, it gets really good, especially north of 40.

 

[maximumrob]

I see that y'all took Hwy 123. If I recall correctly, Byrd's Campground is on 123 and he has a dedicated off-road park. It's been a couple years, but the last time I was there in my bone-stock Rubicon, I had a ball leading my buddy's Z71 up and down those hills and through the mud bog a few times!