Fall break. It kind of makes me giggle. Because here in Mississippi, even though the calendar says October, we still have summer temps and very few sights in nature that would indicate the change of seasons.

We had flights booked for a quick trip to Universal Orlando, but 2020. The airline changed our flight dates and times so much so that we couldn’t make that trip work. When life gives you lemons…you redirect. :)

I started looking at our surrounding states for places we’ve never explored. When I came across Arkansas, I knew I had found our next destination. The Ozark Mountains did not disappoint! We approached this as true road trip with no real destination city in mind. We only looked for the scenic routes.

The pictures speak for themselves and at the same time pictures don’t do it justice.

Our first day of driving through the mountains left us very close to Bentonville. And if you don’t know, Bentonville is where Wal-Mart got its start. The actual museum was closed due to COVID, but the town itself is beautiful and worth a stop.

We ended our first day by staying in a cozy cabin in Eureka Springs. From natural springs and natural bridges to the most amazing downtown area, we needed more time here.

The next morning we wanted to check out some of the caverns and made our way to the Cosmic Cavern. Not gonna lie, walking the steep stairs down into the cavern made me feel claustrophobic and hyperventilate for a minute. But once we reached the bottom, I caught my breath and was ok. You guys! Not only is this place beautiful, it’s so interesting. The bottom of the underground lakes have never been discovered!

From there, we headed to the Rush Historic District and found a great place to walk along the Buffalo River on our way. The Buffalo River has the clearest, bluest river water that I have ever seen. (Again, pictures just don’t do that water justice.) And the Rush Historic District is a real standing Ghost-town. Super creepy, but full of history.

Thinking about heading to the Ozarks? Here’s a few tips to make the most of your trip.

Get paper maps! Once you are on back roads and in the mountains, you cannot rely on cell phones and GPS.
Going off of #1, at the rest areas there are paper maps with the best motorcycle routes. Grab those. Those routes are the windiest, funnest and most scenic. Just watch for bikers!
Get gas when you come across a gas station and pack a cooler of drinks and snacks. There’s not always a store close by if ya thirsty and need gas.
Allow for a full day or 2 in Eureka Springs.
If you have several more days, Branson is not far away if you feel like hitting up Silver Dollar City.

If you’ve been to the Ozarks, what was your favorite thing? Want to go and have questions, let me know! :)