The colors were so breathtaking and the warm breeze caressed the skin like a hug when it blew…
Okay...Okay, It was really 53 degrees, wet, and dark as hell at times, but The Discovery National Recreation Trail at Blanchard Springs Caverns was beautiful, exciting, and educational. But let me start from the beginning and take you the long way back around to that wonderful trip through some amazing caves.
We set out on the Third of July without a destination in mind and headed north. Halfway to anywhere we decided that Mountain View, Arkansas would be the next place to take our Burks’ Adventure. Never visiting the quaint little town before we were thrilled to find the kind of little town you see in Movies or read about in books. They already had their Old Time Gathering on The Square in honor of Independence Day in full swing. The festivities included games, music and watermelons along with good old time fun. A fireworks celebration concluded the evening, or so I’m told! Us being the adventurous family we are and not knowing where we are going on our adventures caused us a few headaches this trip. When we arrived in this wonderful little town imagine our surprise to find all of their hotels, cabins, and camp grounds completely booked. Well no problem, we’ll just skate on over to the next little town and get a room and come back…Wrong! After a considerable drive we finally found a hotel in Harrison, AR. Lessons Learned!
But all was not lost. Along our tiresome and long journey we did find a wonderful little shop that offered some beautiful rocks and stones from the grand state of Arkansas. The Rainbow Rock Shop has something for everyone, from rocks to copper jewelry. The shop owner is a happy wonderful older man. Who not only treats you like an old friend that he hasn’t seen in a while, but also takes the time to explain the stones and rocks to you, ask you questions and makes sure that you are happy when you leave his home away from home. This a highly recommended place to stop if you ever find yourself on US65 N in or around Marshal, Arkansas.
On the Fourth, we woke up from our travel induced comas and set out again for that wonderful little town of Mountain View, home of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests and Blanchard Springs Caverns. After a short wait and a self guided tour through the Discovery Room we set out for The Discovery National Recreation Trail tour. We were led into a small room where we along with several other people met the most charming guides. After the ground rules were set and several jokes cracked we were taken into an elevator and slowly dropped into a vac room then led into one of the most breathtaking tours I have ever witnessed. The temperature dropped about 30 degrees but was hardly noticed at first by anyone due to the beauty that this cave has to offer. The guide questioned everyone’s knowledge of the Stalagmites and Stalactites then explained the differences so cheerfully you didn’t even notice you were learning as you witnessed one wonderful exhibit of nature after another. Keep in mind that this trail offers several and I will repeat several stairs and enough walking to clear your workout schedule for the week, but it’s well worth it. It lasts about an hour and a half, and you will need a light jacket before it is over, again it is worth it.
This weekend trip provided my family with many laughs and wonderful memories. I was able to feed me and my hubby’s (and our children’s) hobbies in Photography. Witness some of the most beautiful places that Mother Nature has to offer. And feed my wanderlust all at the same time. I know that some people prefer a planned out vacation to prevent the headaches of anything going wrong. And I do to…sometimes. But I also enjoy breaking out of the mold and letting things just happen. If we would have had a plan I would have never found the best hamburger that I have ever eaten at The Hungry Man Restaurant in Newport, AR or even that wonderful Rock Shop in Marshal. I wouldn’t have been surprised by the wonderful little town of Calico Rock and its cute little Ghost Town. All of the places that are off the beaten path for me and probably many others. So I am glad that we decided to take this trip at the last minute by just grabbing one bag each, jumping in the car and heading out. Life is full of surprises and you never know what you’re going to find.
Happy Traveling!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
I-40 catfish....
After a long day of Flea-Marketing and loafing around with the hubby and kids and not wanting to have to come home and cook dinner for five, I suggested a new restaurant that had opened up in Lonoke, AR. The new sign boasted the offerings of Catfish, Chicken, Shrimp and Burgers. Thinking that we might all find something that we could enjoy we pulled in. Walking in, I noticed that the restaurant was clean, freshly painted, and newly designed. It used to be one of my favorite Pizza places and no longer boasted the buffet or game room that the previous owners offered. But Hey, new place, new design, and new management. Let’s see what they have to offer.
We were seated by a smiling young girl and discovered that most of the tables are for a party of four and had to bring over another chair. This not being our first time in this situation it really wasn’t a problem. I then noticed that the options were party of four or much larger and we didn’t fit into either category. Our menus were handed out and I found myself grinning at the homemade, home printed folded menus. The choices were limited and some of the options were contradictions with each other. Like a twelve piece fried shrimp for $11.99 or a twelve piece Seafood plate (Which is either Shrimp, Catfish or ‘chicken’) for $12.99. Hmmmmm…..????
The last time I checked ‘Chicken’ DID NOT qualify as seafood!
We made our orders of Shrimp plates, seafood plates, and burgers. Three of which came with “salads”. The salads contained of only lettuce and tomato and nothing else. Our main dished arrived and my son loved his burger, my husband loved his hamburger steak and my daughters and I hated our Shrimp plates. The Shrimp were obviously previously frozen and the breading to greasy and over cooked. The catfish was overly salty and the french-fries not salty enough.
There isn’t really much else to say about this place. Pretty basic menu, pretty basic atmosphere, and pretty basic food. This place may become something in the future, but they would have to seriously step it up a notch to keep in the running with another restaurant just few more miles down the interstate that offers all this place offers and more and with much better quality. This will not be one of my go to spots and I doubt I could ever be talked into returning again. I hope that they do well because obviously it is someone’s dream to run a restaurant, but the quality and service are more of a nightmare.
We were seated by a smiling young girl and discovered that most of the tables are for a party of four and had to bring over another chair. This not being our first time in this situation it really wasn’t a problem. I then noticed that the options were party of four or much larger and we didn’t fit into either category. Our menus were handed out and I found myself grinning at the homemade, home printed folded menus. The choices were limited and some of the options were contradictions with each other. Like a twelve piece fried shrimp for $11.99 or a twelve piece Seafood plate (Which is either Shrimp, Catfish or ‘chicken’) for $12.99. Hmmmmm…..????
The last time I checked ‘Chicken’ DID NOT qualify as seafood!
We made our orders of Shrimp plates, seafood plates, and burgers. Three of which came with “salads”. The salads contained of only lettuce and tomato and nothing else. Our main dished arrived and my son loved his burger, my husband loved his hamburger steak and my daughters and I hated our Shrimp plates. The Shrimp were obviously previously frozen and the breading to greasy and over cooked. The catfish was overly salty and the french-fries not salty enough.
There isn’t really much else to say about this place. Pretty basic menu, pretty basic atmosphere, and pretty basic food. This place may become something in the future, but they would have to seriously step it up a notch to keep in the running with another restaurant just few more miles down the interstate that offers all this place offers and more and with much better quality. This will not be one of my go to spots and I doubt I could ever be talked into returning again. I hope that they do well because obviously it is someone’s dream to run a restaurant, but the quality and service are more of a nightmare.
**UPDATE**
Unfortunately this place has since closed down. I truly hope that whoever started I-40 Catfish does not give up on their dreams. Another restaurant was opened in the same location since I-40 Catfish closed down and has also closed. Location and parking also seem to be a huge issue with this building.
The Villa Italian Restaurant...
Coming from a family that can and does make homemade pasta, sauces, and bread, which is by the way always referred to as Macaroni and Gravy no matter the style of pasta or the ingredients in the sauces! I do set high standards when going to a restaurant that claims to be “authentic Italian food”. Also, being a born and bred Florida girl I set high standards on the preparation and taste of seafood of any and all kinds.
So, always on the lookout for an authentic Italian Restaurant I found The Villa in Little Rock, AR. My husband received some good personal reviews from some of his co-workers about the place so we set out on our Anniversary to have a romantic dinner for two. And boy were we both sorely disappointed…
We arrived at this quaint little place in The Rock Creek Square and from the outside I found it somewhat cozy. There is a little patio surrounded by a wrought iron fence with lots plants, table and chairs, and Tuscan whatnots. Inside it has a Homey Tuscan theme with yellowish walls with original artwork that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. I was however a bit put off with exactly where the polite young door greeter had seated us. It was a bit chilly outside that night and we were seated beside the double doors leading to the little patio on the front of the building. I know that we could have asked for better seating, but as to not ruffle anyone’s feathers we took our recommended table. The waiter that arrived very shortly after provided wonderful service but was useless as to any information about the menu. I asked several questions as to what type of bread was in the basket that is apparently a standard table staple for every customer and his answer was “regular bread”. A few more questions were answered with “I don’t know”. So I therefore temporarily gave up. After giving our orders of Seafood Bake for my husband and Seafood Pasta for myself that are served with soup and salads. We settled in to wait. Very shortly after our soup and salads arrived. I was charmed with the serving technique of the soup and salads. The salad bowl was stacked neatly atop the soup bowl to make it look like a small pedestal arrangement. I figured out pretty quickly that this was not the best of decisions on the parts of the kitchen staff. Whilst being transported from the kitchen to our table the soup sloshed up onto the underside of the salad bowl and then transferred onto the table cloth once removed, thus leaving an oily ring right in front of me. Very unattractive!
The soup, that they claimed was Minestrone was not like any Minestrone that I have ever had in my lifetime. It was however beef broth with “pasta” and a few very small veggies. It did have a good flavor and I enjoyed it, but I was looking forward to “authentic minestrone”. The salad was a wonderful Caesar Salad. A short time later our main courses were served. And this where it got worse! My husband’s Seafood bake had so much basil that the smell of it assaulted my senses from across the table. I took a nibble and couldn’t taste any of the pasta, seafood, or tomato sauce for the overabundance of basil added to the dish. He commented on it once but didn’t complain any further. I however took a couple of bites of my Seafood Pasta that did smell wonderful and froze! The Crab meat was not fresh; the Shrimp was over cooked to the point that it was more like a rubber band, and there wasn’t a clam in sight. All of this was sautéed and nestled over a bed of plain spaghetti noodles. It was in short….AWEFULL!
I told the waiter that I did not like the dish and he promptly and politely took it from the table and I ordered Shrimp Scampi instead. I thought, “really, who could mess that up”! I was about to find out. The Shrimp Scampi, I kid you not, was sautéed with mushrooms and served over a bed of lettuce. And as a nice addition I received a side dish of Spaghetti Noodles and Red Sauce. Again the Scampi dish smelled incredible and the shrimp themselves tasted really good, but again were over cooked. The mushrooms added to the dish only took away from the wonderful flavor the shrimp, garlic, butter, and herbs offered. The side dish of noodles and sauce were almost unpalatable and did not suit the dish that they were served with. I would have personally served the Scampi over a bed of Rotini with bread sticks. It only take a minute or two to think these pairings up. Maybe I should have suggested it to them. I don’t know!
I did find their Cannoli’s wonderful and after asking found that they were ordered in from another state and not made on the premises. Go Figure!
So I will now cross The Villa off of my list and continue my search for the “Prefect Authentic Italian Restaurant” hopefully I will find it in the great US of A and not have to travel to Italy to find it.
So, always on the lookout for an authentic Italian Restaurant I found The Villa in Little Rock, AR. My husband received some good personal reviews from some of his co-workers about the place so we set out on our Anniversary to have a romantic dinner for two. And boy were we both sorely disappointed…
We arrived at this quaint little place in The Rock Creek Square and from the outside I found it somewhat cozy. There is a little patio surrounded by a wrought iron fence with lots plants, table and chairs, and Tuscan whatnots. Inside it has a Homey Tuscan theme with yellowish walls with original artwork that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. I was however a bit put off with exactly where the polite young door greeter had seated us. It was a bit chilly outside that night and we were seated beside the double doors leading to the little patio on the front of the building. I know that we could have asked for better seating, but as to not ruffle anyone’s feathers we took our recommended table. The waiter that arrived very shortly after provided wonderful service but was useless as to any information about the menu. I asked several questions as to what type of bread was in the basket that is apparently a standard table staple for every customer and his answer was “regular bread”. A few more questions were answered with “I don’t know”. So I therefore temporarily gave up. After giving our orders of Seafood Bake for my husband and Seafood Pasta for myself that are served with soup and salads. We settled in to wait. Very shortly after our soup and salads arrived. I was charmed with the serving technique of the soup and salads. The salad bowl was stacked neatly atop the soup bowl to make it look like a small pedestal arrangement. I figured out pretty quickly that this was not the best of decisions on the parts of the kitchen staff. Whilst being transported from the kitchen to our table the soup sloshed up onto the underside of the salad bowl and then transferred onto the table cloth once removed, thus leaving an oily ring right in front of me. Very unattractive!
The soup, that they claimed was Minestrone was not like any Minestrone that I have ever had in my lifetime. It was however beef broth with “pasta” and a few very small veggies. It did have a good flavor and I enjoyed it, but I was looking forward to “authentic minestrone”. The salad was a wonderful Caesar Salad. A short time later our main courses were served. And this where it got worse! My husband’s Seafood bake had so much basil that the smell of it assaulted my senses from across the table. I took a nibble and couldn’t taste any of the pasta, seafood, or tomato sauce for the overabundance of basil added to the dish. He commented on it once but didn’t complain any further. I however took a couple of bites of my Seafood Pasta that did smell wonderful and froze! The Crab meat was not fresh; the Shrimp was over cooked to the point that it was more like a rubber band, and there wasn’t a clam in sight. All of this was sautéed and nestled over a bed of plain spaghetti noodles. It was in short….AWEFULL!
I told the waiter that I did not like the dish and he promptly and politely took it from the table and I ordered Shrimp Scampi instead. I thought, “really, who could mess that up”! I was about to find out. The Shrimp Scampi, I kid you not, was sautéed with mushrooms and served over a bed of lettuce. And as a nice addition I received a side dish of Spaghetti Noodles and Red Sauce. Again the Scampi dish smelled incredible and the shrimp themselves tasted really good, but again were over cooked. The mushrooms added to the dish only took away from the wonderful flavor the shrimp, garlic, butter, and herbs offered. The side dish of noodles and sauce were almost unpalatable and did not suit the dish that they were served with. I would have personally served the Scampi over a bed of Rotini with bread sticks. It only take a minute or two to think these pairings up. Maybe I should have suggested it to them. I don’t know!
I did find their Cannoli’s wonderful and after asking found that they were ordered in from another state and not made on the premises. Go Figure!
So I will now cross The Villa off of my list and continue my search for the “Prefect Authentic Italian Restaurant” hopefully I will find it in the great US of A and not have to travel to Italy to find it.
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