Conway, Arkansas

We took a trip to Conway, Arkansas yesterday for dinner. It is about 35-40 minutes from our house, but well worth the trip. Our primary objective for the drive-Ruby Tuesday. When we lived in Colorado, we had a RT less than a mile from the house and our good friend worked there, so we liked to go quite frequently. The best part about going to RT was that we never had to wait. It was one of the few places in town where we didn't have to make a reservation, get on a wait list, or get there at 5pm just to get right in. With kids, that was a huge bonus. So our trip was partially nostalgia, and partially a good deal-we had a coupon.

We knew the general location of the RT, but it was a chore getting to it once we got to Conway. It's tucked back in the middle of several hotels, but once you see how to get there, it's not so difficult. They definitely take advantage of the hotel guests convenient location, but we noticed several locals dropping in, as well.

Dinner was excellent, though we ordered way too much and took a lot of food home. Not a problem, we had enough for everyone for dinner tonight. The place was a little smaller than the one in CO, but the waitress was fantastic, and pregnant. We really enjoyed ourselves for the most part. Our oldest daughter was a bit sick from a bad headache and didn't eat much more than grapes and crackers, but all in all it was a good dinner.

We finally ventured into the heart of Conway;, something we've talked about doing every time we head north. What a great little town! We drove into the downtown area and it is quite a hidden gem-lots of stores, restaurants, Toad Suck area, and Simon Park (recall where American Idol winner Kris Allen played). Loved the old brick buildings. The area was full of people coming and going, and many were carrying take-home boxes, which tells me there is are some good restaurants down in that area. The streets were lined with tall lampposts, with beautiful hanging baskets overflowing with flowers, and then more pots of flowers at the base of each one, and many had flags flying stating the "Home of Kris Allen."

We missed finding the Dairy Queen, but that is okay. We have a while till the next birthday, so we'll be back to try to get an ice cream cake some other time. Had wanted to get some ice cream for the drive home, though.

Hope to get up there, again, when it is a little cooler, to check out some of the stores. All in all, a good trip!

West I-40 Arkansas Welcome Center

If you are traveling into the state of Arkansas from the west via I-40, a great place to stop is at the Arkansas Welcome Center, about 12 miles in from the state line. They offer plenty of parking for cars, pick-ups, and motorcycles, as well as RV's, travel trailers, and trucks. They also have several picnic table pavilions, and an area for walking pets.

The building is very new and quite nice with the outdoor, rustic appearance. Inside it has great amenities. They offer two very large bathrooms each for men and women and a family bathroom, along with a couple of water fountains. The Visitor Center area has hundreds of brochures from all over the state, and it is arranged by area of state. The only difficulty you may have is with determining where the town you're looking for is located within the state. This is quickly remedied by a chat with one of the helpful attendants at the main counter. They can provide guidance, a map, and a bag for holding all your travel information. Even if you don't need assistance, stop by and tell them how many you have traveling with you-it helps them get an idea of who is traveling through and using their facilities.

The Visitor Center also has a place where you can get a cup of coffee or iced tea, and a small snack. They also have juice and snacks for babies and toddlers. They provide nice area to sit down, and interesting artifacts from around the state for viewing. It has a very comfortable relaxed atmosphere and is definitely worth a stop in and check out.

Day Trip in January

We took a short day trip in January to Heber Springs, Arkansas. Read up about this neat little town on the lake.

January 2009-Day trips are an excellent way to get out and learn about a great, or not so great, travel location. This time, we checked out Heber Springs, Arkansas, located approximately 1 hour north of North Little Rock, AR. This is a beautiful drive through small towns, with a finish line at Greers Ferry Lake.

The town of Heber Springs sits on the east side of the lake and has many of the amenities not often found next to a lake. Most lakeside communities are void of the chain fast food restaurants (Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway, etc.), stores (Wal-Mart, Napa Auto Parts, Family Dollar), and motels (Quality Inn, Budget Inn), but Heber Springs offers both the familiar chains and mom-and-pop specialties. This makes it a great place to stop in whether you like to try something new or need your familiar comfort zones.

We took a side street and found a great little restaurant, Seven Springs Restaurant, for lunch-chosen by the number of cars in the parking lot and overflow lot across the street. The interior is your traditional small town décor, recycled tables and chairs, scuffed floor, and limited space, but with a few extra touches, such as the fireplace, decorative tree branches, and paintings from local artists. The service was fantastic, especially where the kids were concerned. They were a bit crabby from hunger and the waitress spoke softly, making recommendations, offering kid friendly and parent approved drinks, while smiling the entire time.

The restaurant has a small salad bar, soup bar, potato bar, taco bar, and hot bar in addition to a huge menu! As a family of five with very different tastes, we easily found something for everyone. The soup bar was phenomenal with chicken noodle, wild mushroom, hominy, and cheddar broccoli soups. The daily special was Chicken Monterey with mashed potatoes, roll, soup, and salad for $5.99. You cannot beat that amount of delicious food at such a great price.

After lunch was a quick stop by the local park. We checked out the seven springs scattered throughout the park, and the kids burnt off some energy at the large playground. The park also has a skate park, amphitheater, and picnic areas. Across the street are some specialty shops, and a little coffee stop, Jitterbug Coffeehouse, and small museum.

Next, we stopped at the Dam Site Campground. This location offers a marina, beach, diving cliffs, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, and very large camping area. For the RVer, many sites have electric and water, sit nestled into the trees, with some right on the cliffs overlooking the water, and bathrooms and showers centrally located. Some sites can be reserved (recreation.gov), which is a must during the summer.

On the other side of the dam, we found the JFK dam overlook (President Kennedy came for the dam dedication in October of 1963), fish hatchery, and campground. This side of the dam boasts the Little Red River, where the world record brown trout was caught. This campground area is also tucked into the trees, has a playground, electric at the sites, electric and water hookups on the upper level, and bathrooms and showers centrally located in both areas. Campers can walk down to the water to fish (make sure you are aware of flood times), with steps down to a walking trail for fishing access available to those on the upper level.

Even being during the winter, the trip was very nice. We would suggest this trip to individuals, couples, and families. We will definitely take another trip to the area, probably during the summer, and next time we will stop in the William Carl Garner Visitor Center (closed during winter months), along with visiting some of the local shops, and Panache, the Aromatique Gallery.

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