And now for something completely different.
Last month I traveled to Arkansas with my In-Laws to visit David’s Grandpa in Hot Springs Village. We made a week of it and got in some valuable outdoor time at Petit Jean State Park and in the Ozarks along the Buffalo National River. I wasn’t sure what to expect in Arkansas; while getting ready for the trip I sometimes felt like I was preparing for a more foreign destination than my regular work trips to Germany. However, I ended up having a great time enjoying the green forests, rocks, rivers and waterfalls of northern Arkansas.
Check out the tabs below for a sampling of some of the fun things we got to see – a departure from the typical scenery we get here in California.
Cedar Falls and Bear Cave Rocks, Petit Jean State Park
I saw many impressive waterfalls on my visit to Arkansas and this was the first. Cedar Falls is within Petit Jean State Park and involves a short but steep hike down into a valley, then up the creek to the falls. At the end of the hike you are rewarded with this:
Cedar Falls, Petit Jean SP
Cedar Falls, Petit Jean SP
Lost Valley
A nice hike to a couple of waterfalls near the Buffalo River.
Lost Valley
Lost Valley
Hawksbill Crag
A hike through the woods to a great viewpoint and rock formation over the Buffalo River.
Hawksbill Crag, Buffalo National River
The hike goes along this ridge
Ozark view from Hawksbill Crag
Blanchard Springs
There are a lot of caves in the Ozark region and we stopped for the basic tour of one of them, followed by a short hike to the outlet of the underground spring. It was a fun afternoon, I’d love to do the ‘wild’ cave tour though. The paved-trail-guided-tour-large-group-walk method isn’t my style.
Blanchard Caverns
Blanchard Caverns
Blanchard Springs
Hot Springs National Park
We spent one day wandering Hot Springs National Park. It’s weird to visit a National Park like this – where it’s all about the history and the buildings.
Bath House Row
There is nothing soothing about this
The Spring under the Bath House
Wildflowers
The wildflowers in Arkansas must have been close to their peak while we were visiting. We took several short wildflower strolls and I wanted to share some of them here. There were many similar flowers to the ones we get in California but I found some interesting different blooms as well.
These are some great pictures! I did this hike about a year ago after my hike down the Appalachian Trail. I went north-south with a group of guys and we decided to take another couple of weeks with my family down south seeing some great trails in Arkansas and Georgia. This one was one of the most memorable. You can swim right underneath that waterfall and stand there since its nice and shallow. Quite a reward after a great hike!
Great capture of the moments you had while here! Although you took some AWESOME shots, you left so much! We you return, be sure to visit Kings Bluff, the Glory Hole, and ending with a nice fat juicy burger at the Ozark Cafe (Jasper, AR). I enjoyed the photos. Thanks!!