Arkansas 9 of 49-Escaping the Ozarks-No Cell, No Internet, Too Cold

If you are a first-time reader, welcome to Lora and Erics RV Adventure Blog. You can read about us at http://www.LoraandEricsRVAdventure.com. We started our Full time adventure on December 27, 2017 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. You can catch up on our adventure by reading our previous blogs.

Arkansas is our 9th state of the 49 states we wish to visit. The roads in Arkansas are in really nice shape. Our driving time from Tom Sawyer RV Park in West Memphis, AR to Angler's Holiday Mountain Resort, 473 Swinging Bridge Road, Mountain View, AR is 3 h 2 min (153.7 mi) via AR-14 E and AR-14 W. The weather is in the high 40's.

Our reservation in Mountain View, Arkansas is from April 8 through April 12. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 60's. Heading down a moderate grade road, Angler's Holiday Mountain Resort is on the left before getting to the bottom. The road is narrow. Around the bend we pass a few cabins, then reach the main entrance to Angler's Holiday Mountain Resort. The office was closed, but there was a number on the sign to call. Calling the number, I reached Angler's Restaurant down the street. The cell phone reception was in and out talking.

The person set up on site 55 and stop by the restaurant in the morning. Heading through the gate we made a turn and there is a steep hill with a sharp narrow turn onto a concrete bridge.

After very carefully cross the bridge and finding our site, Lora helped to back me into the site. It took multiple tries of moving forward and backward. I not always easy for both of us and with the phones not working it makes it more challenging. There were 2 trees we needed to get near and in between to open the slides.

The site was on of the best rustic sites we have stayed out in many years. The river behind us was so clear you can see the fish swimming by. There were only 2 other campers with people present. There were 3 more RV's that looked closed up with no one staying there.

After setting up, Lora and I needed to make a wine run. We drove to Angler's Restaurant to check in. The clerk at the restaurant said Mountain View had a Wal-Mart just 5 miles up the road. We headed to Wal-Mart in town. We needed wine and wood for a fire. Walking around the store Lora finally asked a clerk where is the beer and wine. Go figure, we are in a dry county. The closest liquor was 30 miles away. We headed back to the campsite. Lora still had some wine, but not her brand. We walked around, took some pictures and made a campfire for the evening.

We woke up cold. The camper was at 50 degrees F. Outside the temperature is 30 degrees F. I had to get up 3 times for Bella last night. Today it is supposed to get up to 60 degrees F. The mission today is to make a wine and beer run. We asked a campground worker doing some weed spraying how to get to the closest liquor store. We headed to the store. We entered the Ozark National Forest.

We found the county line store, but it was closed. We kept driving... After another 15 minutes or so we stopped at a gas station. They did not sell alcohol. We asked where the nearest Wal-Mart was. Mountain View is all they know.

We left the parking lot and low and behold the liqueur store was just next door. We stocked up on the beer and wine. Lora asked how much cigarettes cost. Her brand cost $7.00 a pack. We asked the clerk if there was any thing to do around here. He suggested Jasper, AR. We would have a very good chance to see wild elk. The distance from the store to Jasper was 1 hr 38 minutes. It was a long drive, but there was nothing else to do. We looked at TripAdvisor for things to do in Jasper. We seen Arkansas Grand Canyon, so we headed there.

The drive was beautiful we stopped a couple times to take pictures. At about 15 minutes from the Arkansas Grand Canyon we turned off the road onto a dirt road. Google maps changed the route so we decided to keep on the road in 4WD. The road was narrow and if there was a truck coming someone would need to back up to a wider section. Luckily we only had one vehicle pass and it was wide at that point. We seen 2 deer and 2 quail. Along the dirt road there are a few homes in the wood.

After getting back onto the main road again we got back track to hit the Grand Canyon. Up and down some mountains we were seeing wonderful landscape and rock formations.

The last one mile Google Maps let on a dirt road. The road was very steep down and sharp turn. We placed the truck into 4WD and headed to the end point. Well we got to the point of Arkansas Grand Canyon and it was nothing. Two trees mark the point and the view is blocked by brush and trees. So disappointing. The map kept us on the dirt road for another few miles.

Once back on the paved road we were in Jasper. I small down with less than 500 people. We seen a sign for a museum and headed right. Never seen the museum, but the road lead us to a baseball park. We parked and took pictures of the river and the clear water.

Once again we looked at our options. We seen Hilary Jones Wildlife Museum. It is a small museum and office for the park service. The museum shows the wildlife in the area and displays them very respectfully.

The museum clerk gave us a location we can see wild elk right off the highway. It was 15 miles more west. We decided to not go because Google Maps had us getting back to Mountain View in 2 hr 15 minutes. We needed to get back to take Bella B out and feed her. Throughout the day we were able to see wildlife, but no elk. It was a nice drive worth the trip.

When we got back we started a fire for the evening, sat outside til the fire died down. If you are friends with Lora on Facebook you are having more fun seeing her continuous posts of our visits, her opinions, and anything else. Tonight she was talking about the Tumble Weed Fire Starter. She thought it was so great.

At one point I seen the chairs we have are Ozark Trail Branded, thus she had to take a picture and tell her Facebook Friends the chairs have the same name as where we are visiting currently.

And of course Belle Bee.

The night was cold, back into the 30's F. Our goal today is to stay local. I cooked McBenz's for breakfast. At 10:00 am we started off. The Folk Music Center is nearby, we drove up to an empty parking lot. Maybe it opens up later. I walked to the front and read the sign, they do not open up till April 17th. Our next place wax the Stone Museum in Mountain View. Just a few miles away. I seen a lot on the sign of the road so I stopped. Lora got out and struggled to get it into the bed of the truck. The Stone Museum was closed. Hours on the sign was 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Crap we are done. I suggested to Lora if she wants to leave today. Hell yea. Nothing else to do and it is cold. I stopped to top off the tank.

Back at the campground I checked our options. We are supposed to stay tilThursday and then head to Eagle's Nest, in Grove, Oklahoma. The weather in Grove is even colder since it is north-west Oklahoma. I seen campgrounds in Broken Bow, OK. The drive is over 5 hrs, more than we like to travel. The weather there was much better. Lora agreed.

We packed up in a little over 1 hr. When we were raising the hitch the trailer shifted falling off the blocks at the hitch. Shit, the wood under the wheel on the kitchen side rolled off. We managed to get everything right. Another lesson learned to secure the tires. I made a reservation for Tiny Town Campground online, set the Google Maps and headed south.

The route took us around the Ozarks and through Little Rock, home of the Clinton's. Lora snapped a few signs and we kept moving. It was nice to see the temperature go up as we headed south. We were glad to get out of Arkansas. Maybe one day when it is warmer we can visit again.

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