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!
