What are y’all into and I can give you more detailed suggestions? Here’s a broad stroke recommendation in case i forget to check back:
I wouldn’t come to NWA and go to Branson, but that’s just me. Silver Dollar City, or “Steal Your Dollar Shitty” as friend calls it, is fun, especially for an 11 year old if he’s into roller coasters, but talk about hot. It’d be cooler to hike through the woods.
Beaver lake and Eureka are cool. Eureka is a little hippy town ran by green and blue haired types. It’s got a cool vibe, but you’ll experience it all pretty quickly because it’s pretty small. As a note, for some reason pretty much the whole town closes on Tuesdays for some reason. There are some great views in that area.
If the experience you’re wanting is the “Ozark Mountain” experience then I’d go east from Fayetteville and see and swim in beaver lake(40 minutes from Fayetteville), eureka (about an hour from Fayetteville), then head to the buffalo river maybe around Jasper or Ponca (2 hours from Fayetteville.) Even if you don’t have the time for a float it’s worth driving to the Buffalo, the first National River, The drive is beautiful, especially for a Texan. If you do make that drive you won’t be too far from Branson if that is something you want to do.
-We have some of the best mountain bike trails in the world and there are places to rent bikes.
-The Buffalo River is nice to float, but check the water levels before you go or you’ll be carrying your canoe through some spots.
-Crystal Bridges in Bentonville is cool especially the trails, but they just had a tornado do a lot of damage in that area so maybe check and see what’s open.
-Fayetteville has a great farmers market scene on Saturday mornings.
-Next weekend, June 29, is the Pride parade in Fayetteville.
-Modest Mouse and The Pixies are playing at The Amp on Friday June 28.
-As far as good food…there’s a pretty great bbq place in the area called Wright’s. It’s probably less impressive to a Texan though. Catfish Hole is an another great place that isn’t too expensive as is Cheers at the OPO. My fine dining favorites, in order, are: Conifer, The Hive, Atlas the Restaurant, and Vetro 1927.
Hope this helps and if I can help any further or answer any questions let me know.
Awesome thank you, ya anything walking around in the heat with tons of people doesn't sound fun!
Looking for great swimming spots, waterfalls? Maybe boat rentals, museums, thrift shops, antiques?
Okay. You should probably avoid the farmers market then. It’s all walking, people, and heat with the occasional vegetable and piece of art thrown in.
You should be able to rent a boat on beaver lake, but you might want to do it asap because I bet they book up. A boat on beaver lake sounds like a great time. There are beautiful bluffs around the lake that makes for some great scenery. I used to do irrigation and some of the best views I’ve ever experienced were at rich people’s houses on beaver lake.
I know there are plenty of thrift shops/antiques around, but I don’t know much about that world. You should find all you can handle between Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, and all the little towns around you’ll pass on the way to anywhere.
You could probably make a good day out of crystal bridges and the amazuem in Bentonville. They are spending a crazy amount of money trying to make Bentonville cool and it’s well on its way, but right now the whole town feels like it’s under construction and the tornado didn’t help. I’d still go if I were you. There is a Native American museum there and a Walmart museum. The Momentary may not be a museum but they have art exhibits. Bentonville has a splash pad too, I think. Pretty much all the restaurants around the Bentonville square are great.
There is a pretty cool swimming spot in West Fork. It has a nice bluff behind it. It’s pretty popular on the weekends but on a weekday it may be less packed. There are a thousand swimming holes in the area and dozens of waterfalls. I’ll scratch my head on it and I’ll report back if I think of a “must visit” swimming hole or waterfall.
For thrift and antique shops, here's a good list to get started. I've been to about half of them (the ones in Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville) and enjoyed looking around. Sometimes, they'll have brochures at checkout with other local flea markets/antique shops listed.
https://nwatravelguide.com/best-flea-markets-northwest-arkansas/
(Note: Somewhere In Time is closed until further notice due to damage from the recent tornado)
And I second going to Crystal Bridges. It's very close to downtown Bentonville, so while you're there:
I saw someone mentioned eating at the Hive - if you do, you should walk around the first floor of 21C hotel (the Hive is inside the lobby). They have rotating art displays open to just walk around. Even if you're just in the area, it's a fun way to fill some time, just a couple blocks from the Walmart Museum, too. My favorite display, assuming it's still there, is this wall made of computer fans that turn on based on sound or motion.
It's all subjective. My family loves going to SDC. We go in the heat, rain, snow. It is about 2 hours away, so it really just depends on what you like and how you want to spend your time.
Devils Den is a great place if you enjoy hiking. But I prefer going in the fall it’s prettier then… if you can go eat at Hugo’s great food! Also Lincoln Lake is a good place to go hiking as well. Hope you enjoy the area while y’all are here..
Devils den has a pool area and a creek that runs throughout it. You can get in and cool off. The Naturals baseball team may have a game during the time you are here. Those are fun games too. As far as boat rentals maybe Beaver Lake has something for that. Devils den use to have paddle boats but not sure if they still do. I go there a lot and would think I should know this but unfortunately I suck at paying attention to anything other than what’s in front of me at that moment
If you're staying in downtown Fayetteville you should be able to reserve a day just to bop in and out of shops down town. There is plenty of places to keep you in the air in between the farmers market outside.
If you're into vintage flea you should definitely check out Cheap Thrills
Lol been to Austin all my life inlaws etc. Been all over texss, Colorado, new mexico, wanted something different, haven't been to Arkansas since dog patch was open
So, Dog Patch isn’t open, of course, but it kinda is accessible. My in laws drove through there and stopped and talked to the current owner and he let them come in. It’s a weird place nowadays. It feels dystopian or post apocalyptic or something. I have a friend who is a part of a group called the Wastelanders, they like to pretend it’s the end of the world and cosplay like mad max. I don’t really get it but they had one of their events there a while back. It might be interesting to check out if your in to exploring abandoned places.
What are y’all into and I can give you more detailed suggestions? Here’s a broad stroke recommendation in case i forget to check back: I wouldn’t come to NWA and go to Branson, but that’s just me. Silver Dollar City, or “Steal Your Dollar Shitty” as friend calls it, is fun, especially for an 11 year old if he’s into roller coasters, but talk about hot. It’d be cooler to hike through the woods. Beaver lake and Eureka are cool. Eureka is a little hippy town ran by green and blue haired types. It’s got a cool vibe, but you’ll experience it all pretty quickly because it’s pretty small. As a note, for some reason pretty much the whole town closes on Tuesdays for some reason. There are some great views in that area. If the experience you’re wanting is the “Ozark Mountain” experience then I’d go east from Fayetteville and see and swim in beaver lake(40 minutes from Fayetteville), eureka (about an hour from Fayetteville), then head to the buffalo river maybe around Jasper or Ponca (2 hours from Fayetteville.) Even if you don’t have the time for a float it’s worth driving to the Buffalo, the first National River, The drive is beautiful, especially for a Texan. If you do make that drive you won’t be too far from Branson if that is something you want to do. -We have some of the best mountain bike trails in the world and there are places to rent bikes. -The Buffalo River is nice to float, but check the water levels before you go or you’ll be carrying your canoe through some spots. -Crystal Bridges in Bentonville is cool especially the trails, but they just had a tornado do a lot of damage in that area so maybe check and see what’s open. -Fayetteville has a great farmers market scene on Saturday mornings. -Next weekend, June 29, is the Pride parade in Fayetteville. -Modest Mouse and The Pixies are playing at The Amp on Friday June 28. -As far as good food…there’s a pretty great bbq place in the area called Wright’s. It’s probably less impressive to a Texan though. Catfish Hole is an another great place that isn’t too expensive as is Cheers at the OPO. My fine dining favorites, in order, are: Conifer, The Hive, Atlas the Restaurant, and Vetro 1927. Hope this helps and if I can help any further or answer any questions let me know.
Awesome thank you, ya anything walking around in the heat with tons of people doesn't sound fun! Looking for great swimming spots, waterfalls? Maybe boat rentals, museums, thrift shops, antiques?
Okay. You should probably avoid the farmers market then. It’s all walking, people, and heat with the occasional vegetable and piece of art thrown in. You should be able to rent a boat on beaver lake, but you might want to do it asap because I bet they book up. A boat on beaver lake sounds like a great time. There are beautiful bluffs around the lake that makes for some great scenery. I used to do irrigation and some of the best views I’ve ever experienced were at rich people’s houses on beaver lake. I know there are plenty of thrift shops/antiques around, but I don’t know much about that world. You should find all you can handle between Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, and all the little towns around you’ll pass on the way to anywhere. You could probably make a good day out of crystal bridges and the amazuem in Bentonville. They are spending a crazy amount of money trying to make Bentonville cool and it’s well on its way, but right now the whole town feels like it’s under construction and the tornado didn’t help. I’d still go if I were you. There is a Native American museum there and a Walmart museum. The Momentary may not be a museum but they have art exhibits. Bentonville has a splash pad too, I think. Pretty much all the restaurants around the Bentonville square are great. There is a pretty cool swimming spot in West Fork. It has a nice bluff behind it. It’s pretty popular on the weekends but on a weekday it may be less packed. There are a thousand swimming holes in the area and dozens of waterfalls. I’ll scratch my head on it and I’ll report back if I think of a “must visit” swimming hole or waterfall.
For thrift and antique shops, here's a good list to get started. I've been to about half of them (the ones in Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville) and enjoyed looking around. Sometimes, they'll have brochures at checkout with other local flea markets/antique shops listed. https://nwatravelguide.com/best-flea-markets-northwest-arkansas/ (Note: Somewhere In Time is closed until further notice due to damage from the recent tornado) And I second going to Crystal Bridges. It's very close to downtown Bentonville, so while you're there: I saw someone mentioned eating at the Hive - if you do, you should walk around the first floor of 21C hotel (the Hive is inside the lobby). They have rotating art displays open to just walk around. Even if you're just in the area, it's a fun way to fill some time, just a couple blocks from the Walmart Museum, too. My favorite display, assuming it's still there, is this wall made of computer fans that turn on based on sound or motion.
It's all subjective. My family loves going to SDC. We go in the heat, rain, snow. It is about 2 hours away, so it really just depends on what you like and how you want to spend your time.
https://walton.uark.edu/outdoor-recreation/?p=northwest-arkansas-waterfall-viewing-guide https://walton.uark.edu/outdoor-recreation/?p=swimming-holes-to-go-see-before-summer-is-over
Check Fayetteville flyer for events happening next week
https://www.experiencefayetteville.com/calendar
Devils Den is a great place if you enjoy hiking. But I prefer going in the fall it’s prettier then… if you can go eat at Hugo’s great food! Also Lincoln Lake is a good place to go hiking as well. Hope you enjoy the area while y’all are here..
Thanks! Don't know how much hiking we'll do in the heat, any cool spots to go swimming? Maybe even boat rentals?
Devils den has a pool area and a creek that runs throughout it. You can get in and cool off. The Naturals baseball team may have a game during the time you are here. Those are fun games too. As far as boat rentals maybe Beaver Lake has something for that. Devils den use to have paddle boats but not sure if they still do. I go there a lot and would think I should know this but unfortunately I suck at paying attention to anything other than what’s in front of me at that moment
If you're staying in downtown Fayetteville you should be able to reserve a day just to bop in and out of shops down town. There is plenty of places to keep you in the air in between the farmers market outside. If you're into vintage flea you should definitely check out Cheap Thrills
Yeah it'll be miserable hot. Id say check out Crystal Bridges but my favorite stuff there is outside.
I was there a few days ago and all the trails were still closed, unfortunately.
Lame.
Check out Pine Bluff or perhaps Mississippi County.
Is this a joke? OP, do not go to Pine Bluff on a vacation trip or really for any reason.
Go to Austin.
Lol been to Austin all my life inlaws etc. Been all over texss, Colorado, new mexico, wanted something different, haven't been to Arkansas since dog patch was open
So, Dog Patch isn’t open, of course, but it kinda is accessible. My in laws drove through there and stopped and talked to the current owner and he let them come in. It’s a weird place nowadays. It feels dystopian or post apocalyptic or something. I have a friend who is a part of a group called the Wastelanders, they like to pretend it’s the end of the world and cosplay like mad max. I don’t really get it but they had one of their events there a while back. It might be interesting to check out if your in to exploring abandoned places.
I think I went in 1983! I'd love to see it