My Scenic Life...Views from a Road Less Traveled: Mountain View, I Hear Your Music Ringin'

After writing about food and travel for two years, it's a real treat to write this article about one of the best vacation spots I know: Mountain View, Arkansas. I've been going to this small town in the Ozarks since I was a baby. The area features several notable attractions, and it's a perfect, affordable family getaway. The points of interest I'm referring to include the town itself (a hub of folk music and local arts), the Ozark Folk Center, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and world-class fishing.

In case you're not familiar with the area, Mountain View is located in Stone County, Arkansas (picture credit: www.city-data.com/city/Mountain-View-Arkansas.html). It's nearly due north of the capital city and hidden away in the beautiful high country. Mountain View is the self-proclaimed "folk music capital of the world" and for good reason. The town kicks off the tourist season with a spring bluegrass festival. This is followed by an annual folk festival, and throughout the summer, anyone visiting the town square after twilight will be serenaded by bands and patchwork groups of local musicians playing traditional mountain music. Pull up a chair (guitar, banjo, or bass) and enjoy...no cover charges here! The shopping is also pretty nice, especially if you like local arts, crafts, jewelry, or antiques. You can visit any time of year (I actually love spending Thanksgiving and Christmas here), but the tourist season tends to quiet down after October's Beanfest and Championship Outhouse Race. Next month will be the 50th Annual Folk Festival, and I would encourage everyone to check it out! (www.yourplaceinthemountains.com).

The Ozark Folk Center is another nearby gem. It's operated by the Arkansas State Parks system and has the purpose of educating visitors about the skills, crafts, and lifestyles of early Ozark settlers. There are classes, craft shows, and demonstrations throughout the year. There are comfortable cabins for rent, a nice gift shop, and a wonderful restaurant. There is also a large auditorium where the Center hosts concerts and live radio broadcasts of folk and bluegrass music. To find out more about the schedule of events, check out http://ozarkfolkcenter.com/.

Blanchard Springs Caverns is a USDA Forest Service operated park that features a beautiful public cavern system. For a relatively modest price ($12.50 for children/seniors and $25.00 for adults), you can tour one of two trails through the heart of the cave. For the more adventurous, there are wild cave tours available at certain times of year. In addition to this feature, there are beautiful camp grounds, picnic areas, swimming areas, trails, and a unique fishing opportunity at the CCC constructed mirror lake. This is one of my favorite places to camp during the week or in the off season. During the peak of the summer rush, I like to go to the nearby Gunner Pool or Barkshed camping areas for a slightly less crowded experience. To get more information about what this recreation area has to offer visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/osfnf/home.

Mirror Lake, Blanchard Springs Caverns

I really love everything about this area, but the thing that brought my family here originally was the fishing. My grandfather started using Jack's Fishing Resort in the mid 1960's. He eventually became a part-time guide, and my dad has followed in his footsteps. Jack's is a classic family resort complete with hotel, camper sites, playground, restaurant, canoe rental, and full service fishing dock in Allison, Arkansas. It sits on the White River, a fishing spot with a really unique story. Following upstream damming that dramatically reduced the temperature of the river, the federal government started a long term mitigation project for the loss of the warm-water fishery. This has included the stocking of trout throughout the upper white and has resulted in a terrific recreational opportunity. To learn more about this resort and to get out on the river, please check out http://www.jacksresort.com/.

I'm taking the time to write about these family classics now because my husband and I recently took a spring break trip back to the area. It was just as great as I remembered! We drove from our home in Georgia and stopped for some fantastic, local BBQ in Dora, Alabama (http://www.greentopbbq.com/). We got to Mountain View around dinner time and spent the next three days fishing, camping, and eating great camp food! Below are some pictures of our trip. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.