[tamaralj]

I've been on this forum off and on. I was exploring NWA, but have looked a little toward the East corner. Pocahontas caught my eye. It seems to be a livable small town to maybe retire to. It's not too far from larger cities. Can anyone share their insight on this town? Can you see any of the Ozarks from there?

[Luvvarkansas]

You can "drive" in and around Pocahontas on google street view and get a pretty good idea what it looks like and what you can see from there.

[btoverdrive]

I have never lived there but have driven through many times. I have never been off highway 67 but it looks like a pretty nice town from the highway. There is a very pretty park in town with the Black river running through it but I would have no idea what there would be entertainment wise. And no you cannot see the Ozarks from Pocahontas. It is pretty much surrounded by farmland but if you drive west on highway 62 towards Imboden you will start getting into the foothills.

[tamaralj]

I have google Earth, and I am always playing on it. I did a virtual tour. When I am interested in an area I always go on google Earth and "look" around. Yeah I couldn't see any of the Ozarks so figured you'd have to go more west to see them. Still interested in NWA, and it's on the list of places. Once I can do it, I plan to take an epic adventure and visit these places. I did the cost compare calculator and most of the area is a lower cost of living than Northern Kentucky where I live now. So that's what I've been doing now. Visiting via Google Earth, doing the cost compare thing, and making a list. Reading up on taxes in the states I am interested in too. And chatting with nice helpful folks on the forums.

[asimov]

Pocahontas has its good points and its bad points, like any other town. It is good that it is small and those with whom you have business dealings quickly learn who you are and are generally friendly. The bad thing about Pocahontas is that it offers little in the way of entertainment. There are no really good restaurants. Those that are here rank from avoidable to pretty good. There are no theaters. If you want to go out for dinner and a movie, you will have to go to Jonesboro. Randolph is a dry county which indicates an excessive influence of religion. They don't drink and, by golly, they won't let you drink either. As a result Pocahontas and other Randolph County towns miss out on alcohol taxes and the improvements they could bring. If you want to buy a bracer, you'll have to drive to Missouri, O'Kean, or, now, Sharp County. On the other hand, in the days of lower gas prices, an expedition to "the line" was an entertainment good for a couple of hours of diversion and known as a "beerrun." (bee double e double are you en) Memphis is about three hours away, if you want big name concerts, fancy restaurants, theater, or some of the world's best bar be que. Not far south of Memphis is Tunica with its many casinos. Or you can go to Little Rock, also about three hours away. It is Memphis lite. I'm not sure how far Branson is, having never gone there, but it's not too far.
All in all Pocahontas is a pretty nice place to live. Small enough to be quiet and personable but large enough to support a Super Wal-Mart, a KFC, and a McDonalds, two nursing homes, and a hospital. It's within easy reach of big cities but far enough away you'll be safe if they're ever nuked. Pocahontas and Randolph County have an interesting history, if you're into that sort of thing, and lots of picturesque cemeteries. Randolph County is the home of five rivers (if you include the Forche River, which I have trouble doing), a very nice state park, a couple of pretty good city parks and quick access to counties west and the Ozark Mountains. One of these days, if they ever finish Hwy 67, St. Louis and Little Rock will be within easier reach.