Here's a note from Mom. I need to show her how to post directly to the blog. Somehow that doesn't sound just right. Me showing Mom how to do something. But she'll enjoy this, almost as much as I enjoyed raking that shag carpet when I was a kid :)
From Sarah:
For a small town, we do have a lot to do here. I'll start with Blanchard Springs Caverns. They are absolutely spectacular! So many formations you can't see them all in one trip. And it's always 58 degrees inside! They're about 14 miles from the court square, in the Ozark National Forest. The entire area is wonderful. You can walk a short distance to see the spring flowing out of the side of the bluff, fish in Mirror Lake, which is always stocked with trout, have a picnic at the tables under very tall pine trees, swim in the clear creek as I did as a child, and even camp in the camping area. There are no hook-ups, just lots of trees close to the creek. And you're not elbow to elbow with the next camper. A hiking trail starts close to one of the swimming areas. There are other hiking trails, along with mountain bike trails in the forest. Information about these trails can be obtained at Blanchard Springs Caverns or the Forest Service Ranger's Office in Mountain View. You can call them at 870-269-3228 to send information and maps.
A few miles after leaving the Blanchard Springs area and starting toward town on highway 14, you can go horseback riding on a trail through the woods.
Then a little closer to town is the White River. You can fish from the bank or rent a boat and even a guide if you like. The guides always know where the fish are. Angler's Resort, at the junction of highways 5, 9 and 14 is one place to rent a boat or a raft. Another is about a mile on down highway 5, at Jack's Fishing Resort. Both have great restaurants where you can eat while watching the river flow by. One of our cabins, Hilltop Retreat, is a little over a mile from this junction at Anglers toward Blanchard Springs, on top of a hill. There's a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains there.
It's about 6 miles on to town from the White River. One business you will pass on the way back to town is Mellons Country Store, where you can get old fashioned stuff, such as R. C. cola and a moon pie. After driving a short distance farther, you pass the Jimmy Driftwood Barn where music shows are scheduled each Friday and Sunday evenings throughout the year. Closer to town, you can turn right at the Dulcimer Shop (where you can watch dulcimers being made to ship all over the country), take the Jimmy Driftwood Parkway about a mile to the Ozark Folk Center. The Folk Center was opened in 1973 to preserve the old ways of doing things. There are around 20 cabins on the craft grounds with demonstrations of various things such as basket making, pottery making, quilting, a gunsmith, knife making, a blacksmith, an old fashioned kitchen with wood stove where you can get fresh baked cookies each day. Many other demonstrations are going on in other cabins. Children's activities are planned daily also. A large auditorium is the site of old time music each evening when the center is open. It is usually open from the third week-end in April until the last week-end in October from Wednesday through Saturday. It is also open on Sunday and Monday on holiday week-ends.
As you drive on toward town, you will pass the White River Hoedown, with music shows on Thursday through Saturday nights spring through fall. Then in town, Brickshy's Back Street Theater has a similar schedule. The Mountain View Folklore Society, also in the downtown area, has music a couple of nights during the week all through the year. A couple of miles from the court square on highway 9 south is another show, John Taylor's Sons of the Ozarks.
One of the biggest draws for the downtown area are the musicians who come out to the court square and to the Pickin' Park just west of the court square in the evenings to play informally either individually or with others. Take your lawn chair and go from group to group as you like. They're there about any day the weather cooperates, with more being there on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Then there's the shopping in town. We have great, unusual shops. Remember, most of them close at 5:00 p. m. since Mountain View is still a small town. So go early enough to browse through the Arkansas Craft Gallery, where the best craftsmen in the state have their wares; the Cornerstone, which is in a building I remember as a child housed the one department store in town and sold everything from groceries and clothes to caskets; across the street is The Dude Ranch, with great western clothes and Zeke's Music Store; on down Main Street across from the court house are Nana's Place, the Candy Bouquet, the Olive Tree featuring great art work and a coffee shop; and other great shops with irresistible flea markets here and there among them. Then on the corner across the street is a must see: The Ironworks. The beautiful iron products in this store are made a couple of miles west of town at the Stone Co. Ironworks and have been for many years. On down the street at the end of the block is Woods Old Fashioned Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. My favorite treat is their old fashioned chocolate ice cream soda Other great stores are on the west side of the court square, and on up the street and across is another music store. Then go west to the Pickin' Park, try out a bench and listen to the music in the evening.
Another suggestion for a treat is to go to Tommy's Famous Pizza about one half mile west of the court square on highway 66. Get one of his wonderful pizzas, then ask someone how to get to the city park north of town; go to the park, relax and enjoy your pizza while enjoying the view of the unique little bridge over the creek below you. Our beautiful city park is a well kept secret.
So, come to Mountain View, relax, and enjoy all the things the natives take for granted, and tell us again (as many before you have) how wonderful the people are here and how lucky we are to live here.
