Throwback Thursday - Bull Shoals, Arkansas

Right before I got pregnant we took a little mini-vacation to the north of Arkansas to Lakeview, Arkansas and Bull Shoals, Arkansas.  It's a beautiful area full of locally owned hotels like the one we stayed in, roadside attractions, and some pretty decent places to eat. Lakeview sits on the White River and the Bull Shoals Dam. 

I grew up looking at the postcards my mom and dad brought back from Ruby Falls and Rock City and have always wanted to go see a cave.  I loved learning about them in school and will watch anything that comes on TV about them.  I looked up several in the area and finally found one that was inexpensive and I asked the hubby could we go.  The hubby indulged me and off we went after checking into our hotel, the Twin Lakes Inn.  Gosh I wish I had taken a picture of it in all it's 1970's sea foam glory.  It also had a "classy" above ground pool.  See the link to their website HERE.  But that was pre-blog and I didn't know at the time I would need pictures of such a thing.  I will say this it was safe, clean, and independently owned by a lovely man that told us all the best places to go.

We went to the local visitor's center at Bull Shoals Dam which was free and had great exhibits about the area and a cute gift shop.

I have no shame when I travel and will completely act the tourist.  I love traveling when I get the chance and love to learn a little bit about the area.  It's the history nerd coming out in me.  So, I really enjoyed the Mountain Village 1890.  It had a cave and restored pioneer village. 



Did you know it is blessed difficult to get decent pictures in a cave?  Even one with lights?  I took lots and lots of pictures and these were really only the decent ones.  And a couple of those at the top are pretty crappy to me.  

The tour guide we had was wonderful.  He really knew his stuff and didn't sound stilted or overly rehearsed.  He told us a great story about these iron pots, that were HUGE by the way.  During the later part of the Civil War the confederates were using the caves here to make gunpowder.  The Union soldiers found them and destroyed the pots so they couldn't make any more gunpowder.  They are so heavy and big sat by the entrance to the caves for years and no one tried to move them. 

The pioneer village was exactly the stuff I love.  The little girl in me that read Little House on the Prairie was in love. 

Of course I'm going to take pictures of the sewing machine

Blacksmith's Shop

I really enjoyed myself that weekend and I think that's why I didn't take that many pictures.   Sometimes as photographers we need to just put the camera down and live in the moment.

Still I wish I had more pictures of the Arkansas delta and all those rice fields.      

And that kitschy hotel. 

Have a great day my lovelies!