I took Friday as a 'personal' day for me. I left Springfield, drove to just east of Joplin and headed to Bella Vista,AR, Bentonville, AR, Siloam Springs,AR, Colcard, OK, back across the line to Rogers, AR, Pea Ridge, AR, and last stop was Holiday Island, AR. I had decided to see if I could come up with a mini quilt shop hop in one day that would work if a group of friends wanted something to do in one day. Wanted to go to War Eagle but there was an accident with a boat that had Highway 12 blocked and traffic was backed up several miles and couldn't get out there that way. I turned around and then drove to Pea Ridge, AR. Always thought Pea Ridge was the Civil War battlefield area, never really thought it was a real town. Well it is and there was my greatest find. The quilt shop there had a wonderful man, Harold, and he was quilting with a Gammill Statler. He had lots of everything, even a fabric that I had been looking for, he had 2 yards left. Then he gave me a nice discount on top of another discount and said if I come back (which I will), I would get 20% off anything. Most of the shops give 10% of if you are a quilt guild member or Project Linus contributor. The store in Holiday Island, AR, was super nice, too. Accidently took the 'scenic route', another word for kinda lost, but found it taking the long way into Holiday Island. I was heading towards Eureka Springs, took 187 to Holiday Island, should have took 23N but again, didn't know just where it was, but it was a super nice shop. The long way took me to a town called Beaver, it is where Table Rock turns in to Beaver lake. There is an old wooden one-lane bridge for traffic. The whole area on the lake is beautiful and scenic. Crossed the bridge and proceeded to wind around here and there and finally found the quilt shop. I told her of my scenic route. She said that I was lucky, due to the high waters, the bridge had been closed for months and just deemed safe by the Army Corps of Engineers this past Monday. Then headed home content in the knowledge that going to the Branson/Kimberling City area on Friday of a holiday weekend sucked as I watched miles of bumper to bumper traffic heading southward on Highways 13 and 65 as I was going north. My biggest treat was eating AQ Chicken in Springdale. No one makes better chicken. Have a great 4th of July!

Sounds like a fun trip

Thanks for sharing your very own shop hop. Living in NW Arkansas it sounds like I could do some of the shops one of these days.

Thanks for sharing your very own shop hop. Living in NW Arkansas it sounds like I could do some of the shops one of these days.

My son lives in Fayetteville, I'm gonna have to do your route next time I'm up there!! Glad you enjoyed your Arkansas trip!

I have done your mini shop hop on several occasions. I live in NE AR and my sister lives in Fayetteville. We get together several times a year for our own shop hop. The best thing is that my DH does all the driving, and we just visit and visit and visit! He takes some woodworking magazines along and reads while we are in the shops! It is a wonderful day for us. Glad you enjoyed your day!

Darn, Diane, I would have gone with ya. LOL Can't wait til our shop hop trip to Batesville in Aug.

Well, Jackey, I wasn't sure just what I was going to do, took my dog, won't do that again, and just wanted to scout out the area for a day long shop hop. I would do it again and instead of going 44, I would drive down to 86 and head out that way and make a nice circle and come back that way. I was going to spend the night but the trip moved along pretty well and fast. I didn't want to go to any Hobby Lobby's or Hancock's or even Joann's, I wanted the shops for that area. Besides, I thought you were on a trip to Massaschusettes.

Here is a pic of the wooden suspension bridge at the town of Beaver, north of Eureka Springs, the looooooooong way to Holiday Island. I just loved how quietly beautiful the whole area was, not many tourists visit here and the flooding ruined the traffic light that signals when you can cross the bridge. You can view the other side but you have to really be watching carefully.

We used to live in Springdale. All the LQS's in the area are wonderful. Sounds like there are a couple that weren't there before. You missed the one in Harrison, AR. The area around the Beaver Dam is beautiful. We used to go there fairly often. Is the store that specializes in Hawaiian prints in Eureka Springs still there?
The craft fair at War Eagle in the fall is amazing. You need to try to make it. I got flour at the War Eagle Mill pretty often. Some of the bags for the flour are fabric. Depends on the size. They have a good restaurant , too.

I have been visiting that area since I was a child. Because of the holiday weekend, didn't even want to try to get into Eureka Springs. I had planned on buying some cornmeal and biscuit mix but by the time I would have backtracked and got on 412 to 303, would have lost about an hour. War Eagle Mills also has a website now, but it is more fun to visit. The spring show was cancelled due to flooding and all the rain. Sad, too, they had just put in brand new flooring in the mill. I love eating at the Bean Palace. I call it my introspective sabbatical. I have been to the quilt shop off the corner of 412. Not much in Harrison, didn't want to go that far south. I do like The Curiosity shop outside Yellville.