[littlebebe]

We plan to spend a few years in limbo traveling and living temporarily in other parts of the country.

Currently looking at towns in Arkansas and are drawn to areas that might have road cycling and hiking trails.
The Razorback Greenway from Fayetteville to Bella Vista is making NW Arkansas an attractive area to live. However, we also like to hike and believe the areas near the Ozarks will fit our needs more.

On top of this health insurance through the ACA is part of the equation that makes Arkansas more attractive than other areas in the south. Most states only offer one insurance company through the ACA but Arkansas currently has three but that could change later this year before open enrollment. Yes, we are already aware the ACA is falling apart and next year the plans available might be different. If the senate passes the AHCA it will change healthcare and things may change for us.

Bella Vista and Rogers seem to be areas that fit our needs. Being near larger towns with good restaurants and activities are also important. We considered Hot Springs Village but wonder if that area is more isolating than other towns. Any other cities we need to consider?

How is healthcare in the areas of NW Arkansas? Any feedback or the areas would be helpful and appreciated.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by littlebebe

We plan to spend a few years in limbo traveling and living temporarily in other parts of the country.

Currently looking at towns in Arkansas and are drawn to areas that might have road cycling and hiking trails.
The Razorback Greenway from Fayetteville to Bella Vista is making NW Arkansas an attractive area to live. However, we also like to hike and believe the areas near the Ozarks will fit our needs more.

On top of this health insurance through the ACA is part of the equation that makes Arkansas more attractive than other areas in the south. Most states only offer one insurance company through the ACA but Arkansas currently has three but that could change later this year before open enrollment. Yes, we are already aware the ACA is falling apart and next year the plans available might be different. If the senate passes the AHCA it will change healthcare and things may change for us.

Bella Vista and Rogers seem to be areas that fit our needs. Being near larger towns with good restaurants and activities are also important. We considered Hot Springs Village but wonder if that area is more isolating than other towns. Any other cities we need to consider?

How is healthcare in the areas of NW Arkansas? Any feedback or the areas would be helpful and appreciated.

NWA offers lots of good biking and endless hiking areas. Along with that, we have 3 major hospitals, well more than that. I am not counting the excellent VA hospital. We have Mercy in Rogers, NW in Bentonville and NW in Springdale as well as Washington regional and we have about every type of specialist anyone could need. We have lived in 4 other states, some with the best health in the nation and have found doctors we feel comfortable with here.

As for HSV, everyone has his/her own opinion on the village and many who live there love it, but when we decided to make what we hope is our last move before while we are still alive, Bella Vista had more to offer. Yes, mainly because of its proximity to so much, not only good medical facilities but restaurants, entertainment, shopping, etc. That is just my opinion. Others may differ from me. That is what makes these boards so valuable.

BTW: when you mention cycling I am assuming you mean on motor cycles, am I right? There are lots of very active cycling clubs here. Our pastor is a Harley rider as a matter of fact. And there is Bikes, Blues and BBQ hosted in Fayetteville every fall. It is a great event, bringing bikers all over the country together. I will add, a lot of the residents in Fayetteville don't seem to love the event. I think we can all understand that.

[littlebebe]

Originally Posted by nmnita

NWA offers lots of good biking and endless hiking areas. Along with that, we have 3 major hospitals, well more than that. I am not counting the excellent VA hospital. We have Mercy in Rogers, NW in Bentonville and NW in Springdale as well as Washington regional and we have about every type of specialist anyone could need. We have lived in 4 other states, some with the best health in the nation and have found doctors we feel comfortable with here.

As for HSV, everyone has his/her own opinion on the village and many who live there love it, but when we decided to make what we hope is our last move before while we are still alive, Bella Vista had more to offer. Yes, mainly because of its proximity to so much, not only good medical facilities but restaurants, entertainment, shopping, etc. That is just my opinion. Others may differ from me. That is what makes these boards so valuable.

BTW: when you mention cycling I am assuming you mean on motor cycles, am I right? There are lots of very active cycling clubs here. Our pastor is a Harley rider as a matter of fact. And there is Bikes, Blues and BBQ hosted in Fayetteville every fall. It is a great event, bringing bikers all over the country together. I will add, a lot of the residents in Fayetteville don't seem to love the event. I think we can all understand that.

Thanks for your detailed response.

From your previous posts I know you love living in Bella Vista which is an area we are highly considering. Is it more country than Rogers? We would like to find a place more secluded with access to restaurants, activities and healthcare facilities and it seems Bella Vista is like that.

The healthcare situation sounds better than where we currently live.

By cycling I mean road cycling (bikes). According to the new Razorback Greenway it is paved so plenty of people road cycle, walk and run which is something we enjoy.

[Rock Climber]

Cycling is huge here. The best road cycling/paved trail cycling network is in Fayetteville.

The best mountain-biking infrastructure is in Bentonville/Bella Vista/Rogers.

The entire area has more of both than most places you'll ever visit. The cities are all engaged with it, and the Walton Family Foundation has put millions behind it.

As for Hiking, Rogers has Hobbs State Park. Fayetteville has Kessler Mountain and Mount Sequoyah (both in the city limits) and pedestrians are welcome on all of the regular greenway trails.

Just outside of the cities, Devil's Den State Park and the Buffalo National River area are excellent areas for hiking.

[weezerfan84]

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

Cycling is huge here. The best road cycling/paved trail cycling network is in Fayetteville.

The best mountain-biking infrastructure is in Bentonville/Bella Vista/Rogers.

The entire area has more of both than most places you'll ever visit. The cities are all engaged with it, and the Walton Family Foundation has put millions behind it.

As for Hiking, Rogers has Hobbs State Park. Fayetteville has Kessler Mountain and Mount Sequoyah (both in the city limits) and pedestrians are welcome on all of the regular greenway trails.

Just outside of the cities, Devil's Den State Park and the Buffalo National River area are excellent areas for hiking.

Ditto. I'm south of Northwest Arkansas in Fort Smith and I traveled to Bentonville this past weekend to ride Slaughter Pen. The Razorback Greenway goes from Fayetteville to Bentonville and it connects with Crystal Bridges as well. There's a good road cycling network there and has a nice mountain bike network as well. There's Collier, Back 40, and Slaughter Pen, which are the main trails and there's pump tracks being developed as well.

[Regajohn]

NWA's Healthcare is second to Little Rock ... But that's not necessarily saying much. While I'd feel comfortable seeing physicians in either city for general / non-critical issues, definitely vet them very carefully ... and for anything major I'd head to one of the top national hospitals.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by littlebebe

Thanks for your detailed response.

From your previous posts I know you love living in Bella Vista which is an area we are highly considering. Is it more country than Rogers? We would like to find a place more secluded with access to restaurants, activities and healthcare facilities and it seems Bella Vista is like that.

The healthcare situation sounds better than where we currently live.

By cycling I mean road cycling (bikes). According to the new Razorback Greenway it is paved so plenty of people road cycle, walk and run which is something we enjoy.

yes, it is not secret I could be on the board of the chamber. We love BV. We have lived all over the country and to us BV is very close to heaven. i would rather spend a few more years living close to heaven than actually crossing the border to heaven. Certainly BV is secluded but close to good everything. we are actually even getting a few decent restaurants here, but it is still not restaurant row. Just 2 weeks ago a new one opened up overlooking one of our lakes. We haven't tried it but the reviews overall are very positive. It is upscale and a little pricey, but we need that.

Our Health care facilities, including emergency treatment and hospitals are within 10 to 40 minutes from anywhere regardless where you live.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Regajohn

NWA's Healthcare is second to Little Rock ... But that's not necessarily saying much. While I'd feel comfortable seeing physicians in either city for general / non-critical issues, definitely vet them very carefully ... and for anything major I'd head to one of the top national hospitals.

I know many may agree with you but overall, except for the children's hospital in Little Rock I think our medical care might beat Little Rock and we are building a new Children's hospital here. Would I seek care outside of the area for some things i don't know but i do know all the doctors who treated my husband and saw him through his cancer were top notch and the orthopedic doctors here come from some of the top universities in the country. I could not have found a better doctor to do my knee replacement than the doctor i had right here. I am sure if I had some really far out illness or something that seem to have no solution a nop notch facility would be the answer but i don't think most of us are thinking along those lines What you are saying is the excepting to the rule.

[Rock Climber]

Originally Posted by Regajohn

NWA's Healthcare is second to Little Rock ... But that's not necessarily saying much. While I'd feel comfortable seeing physicians in either city for general / non-critical issues, definitely vet them very carefully ... and for anything major I'd head to one of the top national hospitals.

Little Rock's healthcare advantage right now is primarily due to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences being located there, and the Arkansas Children's Hospital being located there. In another 15 years, I don't know if Little Rock will still be ahead of NWA in that department. We are building a campus for the Arkansas Children's Hospital Northwest, and UAMS has a satellite campus here. The local philanthropy will not allow NWA to have anything but the best medical care moving forward.

[littlebebe]

Thanks everyone for the responses to my post.

Looks we will be visiting the area this summer for a few weeks to see which city fits our needs.