[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Yeledaf

Back in Memphis. Missed Eureka Springs (time constraints). Stopped at Nick's again. Another first: fried okra -- a kind of chewy green tube.

Mrs. Yeledaf and I stopped in Greenbriar to stretch our legs and switch drivers. She noticed one of those beautiful magnolia trees with the creamy ivory blossoms (so much more succulent-looking than the pale pink ones in the NW, which lose their blooms in early spring) and was a angling to get a photo, when a kind gentleman passerby reached up and plucked one for her. The flower rode with us all the way to Memphis, gifting us with its citrusy scent, and currently rests in a glass of water in our room here in Graceland.

We love Arkansas. We're not telling anyone, but keeping it our secret. And we're coming back.

we promise not to tell anyone either. Ya All come back, hear? or is it here?

[btoverdrive]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

Summer is a good time to soak in those cool, blue-green, spring-fed northern Arkansas creeks and rivers - and to explore Blanchard Springs Caverns.

Are the Hope watermelons ripe yet? Another Arkansas summertime delight...

I drove through Hope Friday and again today returning home and did not see a single watermelon sign. I guess they're not ready yet. The watermelon festival is August 10 so we may have a while to wait for those beauties.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by btoverdrive

I drove through Hope Friday and again today returning home and did not see a single watermelon sign. I guess they're not ready yet. The watermelon festival is August 10 so we may have a while to wait for those beauties.

They're worth waiting for! I remember one of my relatives visiting my grandparents once when I was about nine or ten - he had a Hope watermelon with him which filled the entire trunk of his car, a big typical '50s sedan. Biggest melon I've ever seen, to this day.

That was probably late summer, come to think of it, as my parents and I usually visited in August before school started back home. Watermelons, Hope or otherwise, made those hot summer days a lot more fun.

Now, I have a younger cousin who is a "watermelonologist" - he's developed several popular varieties. Who knows, maybe it's the influence of those famous Hope, Arkansas melons that got passed down the family!

[spillerNburr]

There is not much between Memphis and LR. But if you get to LR at lunch time I would go down town to the flying fish. Great fish tacos. There are several good places to eat down town.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by spillerNburr

There is not much between Memphis and LR. But if you get to LR at lunch time I would go down town to the flying fish. Great fish tacos. There are several good places to eat down town.

The OP has already completed his trip to Arkansas. Perhaps your recommendation will be helpful to visitors to LR, however.

As I noted previously, the Old Sawmill Restaurant's buffet in Forrest City offers traditional Southern favorites at a very reasonable cost. Very homespun; nothing fancy here - just good food and pleasant service. It's just east of I-40 at the main Forrest City exit, and often fresh Arkansas peaches and other produce are for sale at a nearby stand.

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

The OP has already completed his trip to Arkansas. Perhaps your recommendation will be helpful to visitors to LR, however.

As I noted previously, the Old Sawmill Restaurant's buffet in Forrest City offers traditional Southern favorites at a very reasonable cost. Very homespun; nothing fancy here - just good food and pleasant service. It's just east of I-40 at the main Forrest City exit, and often fresh Arkansas peaches and other produce are for sale at a nearby stand.

Did you say PEACHES?

Okay, that's it. We're coming back.

....now how do I do GoFundMe? Let's see...."Senior citizen, disabled veteran, grandfather, needs price of ticket to Little Rock to address peach cravings..."

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by Yeledaf

Did you say PEACHES?

Okay, that's it. We're coming back.

....now how do I do GoFundMe? Let's see...."Senior citizen, disabled veteran, grandfather, needs price of ticket to Little Rock to address peach cravings..."

You don't even have to go all the way to Little Rock, though it's a good idea - Forrest City is closer to Memphis. I bought wonderful peaches at that fruit stand just a little over a year ago, en route to a family gathering in LR. A cousin later told me that Crowley's Ridge, which is adjacent to Forrest City, is famous for its peaches. The ones I got certainly were a testament to that claim!

Now, if your taste also runs to giant watermelons, Hope is the go-to place. 125 pounders are nothing unusual. See posts #32 and 33 above for more info.

[btoverdrive]

Originally Posted by Yeledaf

Did you say PEACHES?

Okay, that's it. We're coming back.

....now how do I do GoFundMe? Let's see...."Senior citizen, disabled veteran, grandfather, needs price of ticket to Little Rock to address peach cravings..."

The peaches are grown on Crowleys Ridge between Forrest City and Wynne. It was that little hump you went over just east of Forrest City. It starts in Helena and runs north into the bootheel of Missouri. I lived in Wynne for a few years and enjoyed many of those wonderful peaches along with swatting my share of mosquitoes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowley%27s_Ridge

[photobuff42]

Clarksville, between Little Rock and Fort Smith, has wonderful peaches. My mom used buy peaches there and can them.