[travel] + [outdoors] + [family] Summer Travel ... Northern Wisconsin

Travel has been the name of the game this past month in our household - bummer for the kitties and pup. But it's been pretty great for D and I to get outta town and outta the Arkansas heat. We happily have family and friends near and far, so it's a great reason to hop a plane and catch up with our loved ones.

First up is our trek up to Northern Wisconsin for a family...er...TOWN reunion in Washburn. It's "just a little town on a big lake" - a really big lake - Lake Superior. It's the largest, coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes (remember H.O.M.E), and has the biggest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world.

My mom's hometown, Washburn, is up on the tippy top of the state near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It's a remote and truly beautiful part of Wisconsin and is on many an outdoorsperson's bucket list of place to visit. We were fortunate enough to explore the lakeshore and sea caves by kayak - even though some rough waters tried to stop us. Our day started early at Living Adventure kayak and canoe outfitters a few miles north of where we were staying in Bayfield. They're a great operation with guides that give the right balance of instruction and information about the area.

// apostle islands national lakeshore //

We made it into "the crack", but couldn't meander through the rest of the sea caves thanks to some choppy waves dipping us up and down. Paddling along the shoreline, we spotted a soaring eagle landing on a huge nest - the size of a small car. Also caught a glimpse of skull rock - aptly named - and some breathtaking sandstone rock formations up and down the shore. Thanks so some unseasonably hot weather we cooled off with a dip in the normally icy waters of Lake Superior before loading up the boats and heading back. 

// sandstone formations // skull rock // the crack //

22 islands make up the Apostle Islands, and all but Madeline Island are part of the National Lakeshore. A ferry from Bayfield services Madeline Island and it's residents - a whopping 246 according to Wikipedia! We loaded ourselves into two carloads on the morning ferry over to the island for a day of exploring. Rain threatened but we lucked out with blue skies and sunshine. We divided our day into beach activities at Big Bay and in-town fun in La Pointe. Big Bay State Park beach is 1.5 miles with views over sandstone bluffs and calm waters of the bay. We braved the chilly water, skipped stones from the beach and enjoyed the sunny day. Beach Club in La Pointe was the perfect spot for a bite to eat and a enjoy a pint of Spotted Cow. The fish fry was the winner - both the white fish and the walleye were awesome. Pretty sure D and I ate our weight in fish during our time in Wisco...starting with the smoked fish at Everett's in Port Wing on the drive up from the Twin Cities. Our Madeline Island adventure rounded out with an early happy hour at Tom's Burned Down Cafe. It's junk yard meets Waterworld - eccentric might be the word to best describe this spot. But either way, it's awesome. The whole place is open air and everywhere you glance you're met with a witty quote or clever one-liner. Not a bad way to top off the trip to Madeline. 

And if you're up for experiencing a SWEET Angelfire website, check Tom's out http://www.tomsburneddowncafe.com/).

// ferry ride // big bay beach // tom's burned down cafe //

// more of tom's // madeline island ferry // rock skipping at big bay // fish fry //

Back in Bayfield we explored the beachy shops and cafes before heading to Washburn for the night. Big Water Coffee is a local roastery and cafe dedicated to some seriously good coffee. They also have a talented graphic artist handling their branding - love that kraken on the sea smoke blend. We missed grabbing the whitefish salad sandwich this time around at the Fat Radish but will be back in another five years in 2020! Joanne's Scandinavian is another great boutique for Scandinavian designed homegoods, footwear, clothing and artwork. They also carry the Oiva Toikka birds, collectible Finnish handblown artglass birds in nearly 400 species (my mom really nerds out over these). After some time poking around stores and lounging at Big Water we walked back to Winfield Inn for some time on the porch overlooking the lake. 

// bayfield // big water coffee roasters //

// bayfield // winfield inn //

My mom and aunt's 45th high school class reunion was being held back in Washburn, so the rest of us went to a local supper club, the Steak Pit. Naturally, they offered ice cream drinks, in true supper club fashion - Pink Squirrel and Golden Cadillacs for us. Reminds me that I still need to watch the Supper Club movie - from 2012, visiting 50 supper clubs around the state.  Next up was a Washburn Homecoming classic - Souvenir Views at the catholic school gym (used to be at Big Top Chataqua - pics below of our Hawaiian night). Souvenir Views is an illustrated musical history of Washburn devised in 1983. It's fun to see my mom's family history intertwined with the town's history. Photos of my grandma at the library, my great uncle catching fish and Wendy and Wanda in front of DuPont Elementary. After Souvenir Views, we walked over to local hangout, Patsy's to cap off the night. Pretty standard to shut down the highway for a street party right? 

// washburn // souvenir views // patsy's // steak pit //

Our family really looks forward to getting together for Homecoming every five years. It's a unique thing to head back to such a pretty area of the country where our family has so much history and special memories.

// washburn homecoming 2015 // 

[sightseeing] + [history] + [fun] Exploring Little Rock

Little Rock is next! It was a spur-of-the-moment jaunt downstate thanks to D's work obligation, but glad I tagged along. We made a pitstop a few months back, but didn't have a chance to see a lot of the city (although we managed to fit in Pinnacle Mountain, Little Rock High School the Arkansas State Capitol and lunch with a pal - read the post here).

// david's burgers //

The drive down bled into lunchtime, so we popped into David's Burgers for a quick bite - glad we did! Their steakburger style "Butcher Boy" burger is pretty darn good, dare I say Culver's good. Yes, I said it. I'll let the photo do the talking. And here's a little more about the history of David's - there really was a Butcher Boy.

// quapaw quarter historic district // arkansas governor's mansion //

After dropping D off to take care of business near the Capitol, I headed a short distance over to the Quapaw Quarter. The Quapaw Quarter is the downtown area of Little Rock that is home to the city's most historic homes and mansions, some predating the civil war and many on the National Register of Historic Places. Named for the Quapaw people who were the original inhabitants of the area (and mentioned in my blog about Arkansas Post - the first European settlement in the region). The Arkansas Givernor's Mansion is also located within the Quapaw Quarter. It famously housed past Governors Orval Faubus (boo!) and Bill Clinton (yay!).

// green corner store // loblolly + izard chocolate // main street //

After meandering around the historic district I wound my way over to Main Street, part of the newly revitalized SoMa neighborhood (read more about it here). Back in March we lunched at Root Cafe and sampled some of Loblolly Creamery's ice cream. With lunch already in check, I made it a point to grab a Peach Buttermilk scoop from Loblolly and do a little browsing at the local shops. Picked up the creamiest, most intense dark chocolate / coffee bar by local chocolatier Izard Chocolate, with coffee sourced Mylo Cofee Co., also local to Little Rock. Glad to discover that here in F-ville Mama Carmen's carries Izard...although not the coffee variety. // I'm still buzzing. //

// diamond bear brewing co. // awesome quote //

After picking up D from his meeting we headed to North Little Rock - across the super flooded Arkansas River - to get settled into our hotel and regroup before dinner. Turns out until quasi-recently North Little Rock wasn't somewhere you wanted to find yourself. But thanks to things like the Travelers' Baseball Stadium and local businesses and residents taking over the historic bungalows it's a safer, growing extension of Little Rock proper, while being decidedly separate. We walked (rookie mistake, it was 90 degrees) over to Diamond Bear Brewing Company's tap room to thankfully cool off and see what they were up to. Turns out they brew some pretty tasty beer and offer an awesome menu of bar snacks and grub - next time we will be sure to eat (can you say cheese curds?!?). Personal fave was the Dogtown, a brown ale that's surprisingly light but still malty and a touch nutty. And aptly named for the brewery's North Little Rock location, once referred to as "Dogtown" harking back to the late 1800s practice of Little Rock residents dumping stray dogs across the river in North Little Rock // super sad, right? //

// made the list with luger's + bavette's ??? //

Sufficiently refreshed we trekked back to the hotel where we had early reservations for dinner at Riverfront Steakhouse. Thanks to a Thrillist article calling out the Top 21 steakhouses in America, we put this spot on our radar. Turns out they also have incredibly ridiculous early bird bogo specials...on wine AND steak. Not lying when I tell you our ribeye, filet, bread basket, baked potatoes (replete with a mound of all the dairy-based fixins you can imagine), salad bar and a bottle of wine was...drumroll...$55. Yes, I said $55. There are perks to living in Arkansas, ya'll. All in all, a good steak, decent wine and ambiance that makes you forget you're in the base of a two and a half star hotel.

// crossing over from north little rock to river market district //

We walked off our massive meal with a stroll across the Arkansas River to get to the River Market Entertainment District to meet some of D's pals at Flying Saucer. Named a draught emporium for their crazy selection of beers. The hot weather pushed me towards the hefeweizens while the others at the table were ticking off beers on their "to-drink" lists compliments of the Flying Saucer beer club. After parting ways with friends, D and I wandered around the River Market area a bit and scoped out some spots for next time. // Samantha's Tap Room and Wood Grill, three words - grilled.shishito.peppers - I'm sold //

// river market // sweet soul //

Woke up needing some caffeine and breakfast so we headed to the River Market. Reminded me so so much of Milwaukee's Public Market. Indoor, sun-filled hall with food vendors and some stands for local businesses and Little Rock tourism outposts. We found a southern kitchen stand and had a decidedly not light breakfast of biscuits and gravy with a side of mac and cheese. Nap-inducing is an understatement, but we powered on. The Clinton Presidential Center was next on the agenda.

// clinton presidential campus // major flooding of the arkansas river //

The campus sits on the banks of the uber-flooded Arkansas River (notice the pics) and is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Musuem, The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and the Clinton Foundation. Architecture firm Polshek Partnership (now Ennead Architects) designed the building - a bold rectangular aluminum structure extending toward the river.

// clinton presidential library //

This excerpt from a 2004 NYT review encapsulates the building's design. "With its sleek horizontal form hovering at the edge of the Arkansas River, the new William J. Clinton Presidential Center has been called by promoters a 'bridge to the 21st century,' a trite allusion to one of the former president's favorite themes. Locals snicker that it looks like an enormous double-wide trailer. Actually, its best elements fall somewhere between those two extremes."

// views from the railroad bridge //

Because the river was super flooded, the 28-acre park (landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Associates) that usually runs below the museum and along the shore was totally underwater. We walked across the railroad bridge turned pedestrian bridge and couldn't believe how fast-moving the water was. Incentive to not fall in. Once inside the museum, we spent a good bit of the afternoon following Bill's voice in his self-narrated audio tour through the space and exhibits. Touched on much of what I knew about his presidency and much of what I didn't. Enjoyed reliving those moments in time, reflecting back to the years between 1993-2001, much of my youth.

// another local gem // lost forty brewery tap room //

On the way out of Little Rock we popped over to Lost Forty Brewing's tap room tucked into a industrial pocket right by the Clinton Center parking lot pretty close to the Clinton School of Public Service parking lot. Turns out this newer brewery is turning out some inventive brews and even yummier food. The bacon cheese dip, smoked kielbasa plate and chicken salad were spot on. And although a tad sweet for me, the Love Honey Bock really did taste like honey...not a cruddy imitation. Not to mention their eye for industrial design and overall attention to details of the menu, space and brand were just lovely. Still waiting on some swag to come available and for a real deal website. In the meantime they've got a pretty robust social media presence - FB, Insta, Twitter.

Little Rock treated us well once again. // Until next time. //

In the words of Collin Raye's 1994 smash hit "I think I'm on a roll here in Little Rock".

Going back for...
War Memorial Stadium: annual Razorback football game will be hosted here on September 9th.
Hillcrest: Unique, historic neighborhood with local shopping and eating. I've already got quite a laundry list of restaurants and shops to explore. Oh, and for my caffeine fix, Mylo Coffee, Co.
Big Dam Bridge: Longest bicycle and pedestrian bridge built for that purpose.
Dickey-Stephens Park: Home to the Arkansas Travelers, a double-A affilate of Los Angeles Angels and close to Diamond Bear Brewery in North Little Rock.

[sightseeing] + [history] + [fun] Exploring Branson

Used our NWA location as a springboard for a couple more roadtrips - this time to Branson (yes, we went to Branson) and Little Rock.

Let's start with Branson, Little Rock is next.

There are lots of preconceived ideas about Branson, most negative. Is it a tourist town? Oh yeah. Are there tacky shows and country-themed tourist traps at every turn? Oh yeah. But what I didn't realize is that it's nestled into a really beautiful pocket of the Ozarks. Quick changes in elevation and windy roads give way to views of Table Rock Lake and rocky outcroppings. Natural beauty in Branson; who knew?

// enyndlessphotography.com //

Branson is absolutely a family vacation destination. For you Wisconsinites, think Wisconsin Dells on steroids. Oh and add in a big 1800s-themed amusement park. Silver Dollar City! This is where D and I, and D's parents spent a sunny May day, and had a great time. The two-part secret to our fun-filled day was the fact that it was beautiful weather in the low 80s and that it was a weekday while kids were still in school. Pretty sure the outcome would have been markedly different if we were swarmed by thousands of kids on an August scorcher.

Silver Dollar City grew around the popularity of Marvel Cave (which was closed due to flooding while we were there) and was run by Chicagoans Hugo and Mary Herschend. The family came up with the idea of recreating a 1880s Ozark town around the cave to increase tourism. Mary didn't want cheap storefronts, she commited herself to authenticity and preservation during the development of what is now Silver Dollar City (named for the idea of giving silver dollars as change).

// marvel cave then and now // photo credit: silverdollarcity.com //

I'm admitedly not much of a thrill-seeker when it comes to roller coasters but D managed to get me on a few! Upside-down is my roller coaster M.O. - WildFire. Big drops and jerky turns are very much NOT - Outlaw Run. Bonus of riding the roller coasters are the views - gorgeous! With feet planted firmly on the ground we had fun exploring the craftsmen's shops: glassblowing, candy making, pottery, leather, blacksmiths, creamery, furniture making and carpentry. And there is some serious skill and artistry - these are not just trinkets with a Silver Dollar City logo slapped on.

// roller coaster with a view // fire in the hole! // not-so-lazy river //

After a full day roaming the park and riding the rides we headed back to our hotel at Branson Landing for a quick refresh and then dinner. The Landing was built in 2006 along Lake Taneycomo. It offers some shopping, restaurants and entertainment geared towards the familys and tourists pouring into the area. We found a pretty outdoor dining area at Cantina Laredo to enjoy the riverwalk water and light show. Bottomless chips and salsa with margaritas on a 70-dgree night is the perfect end to any day in my book.

// the fam at branson landing // photo credit: bransonlanding.com and cantinalaredo.com //

We topped off our Branson excursion the next day with a requisite stop at a Northern favorite: Culver's Frozen Custard. Got my standard order - butter burger with cheese, fried onions and ketchup with a side of fries...and that scoop of Snickers custard (how could I say no). Didn't get the chocolate malt this time // regrets //

// culver's // a wisco fave //

[outdoors] Whitaker Point / Hawksbill Crag + Glory Hole Waterfall

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area has no shortage of hiking trails. Especially good day-hiking trails...which are right up my alley. D might be of another opinion, as overnight backpacking is more his cup of tea.  Me? Well I'm happy to have a day exploring the great outdoors capped with AC and a down comforter.

The Upper Buffalo Wilderness (part of the Ozark National Forest) is one of 154 national forests, operated by the U.S. Forest Service. Most of the trees here are oaks, hickory and pine. In the 12,108 acres of the wilderness, the only official trail is the one leading to Hawksbill Crag. This area is remote and pretty uninhabited!

Check out this cool National Forest locator map.

We set out with a pretty ambitious agenda for our day. Knowing we wanted to see Hawksbill Crag / Whitaker Point , we decided to tack on a hike to Glory Hole Waterfall (let's take a moment to get our giggles out of the way).

See why we were set on seeing this? Beautiful.

// flickr // exploretheozarksonline.com //

After a pretty hour and a half drive over hills and into valleys (with a couple large coffees and breakfast), we hit the Glory Hole Waterfall trailhead. It is NOT marked from the highway, so use GPS coordinates (35.828473, -93.390474). Understand that there isn't any designated parking here, so pull over onto the generous shoulder off the highway at your own risk. The trail starts as a jeep road that we didn't feel like testing our Outback on - a bit muddy and rutted out. With the extra 1/4 mile to the trailhead, it's a 2.5-mile round trip. The trail winds down along the unfortunately named Dismal Creek and dumps you at the base of the overhand and Hole. It's a 30-foot fall that bore straight through the limestone rock overhead. Pretty fun to take some time exploring inside the overhang and watching the water rush out.

Overall, it's a quick, fairly easy hike to a unique waterfall that's absolutely worth it...all jokes aside.

// our pics //

Next up...one of the most iconic places in our state, Whitaker Point. Outside of Boxley Valley, Cave Point Road took us waaaaay up a dirt road to the trailhead. When I say 'waaaaay' I mean about 5 miles. At the top there's some parking and a dedication to Governor and Senator Dale Bumpers who was dedicated to preserving Arkansas' natural beauty. Seems it's aptly placed!

Check out these awesome photos from the interwebs. Isn't this place amazing?!

// fineartamerica.com // thousandwonders.net // buffaloriver.com //

The hike to Hawksbill Crag is about 1.5 miles (3 round trip). You wind down through a forest and creek and hit Haley Falls below you. It's a wide, trickling fall, so you could easily miss it! We opted to continue along and get to the Crag - next time it would be nice to hike down around the falls. But we pressed on, followed the bluff line and kept anticipating the view of the Crag. At last we got to see our first glimpse from an overlook - breathtaking. Made me wish we had come at sunrise or set for that beautiful light. Next time. And there definitely be a next time.

// view from Hawksbill Crag // our pics //

[food adventures] Good Eats Lately: NWA

D and I have been here in Fayetteville going on four months and we've eaten our way through a good portion of the food trucks and restaurants around town. We have our favorites and we have a long list of spots still left to check out. Here are some places we've tried and love.

Apple Blossom Brewing Company
Fayetteville
Grilled polenta: tomato, squash, corn salad, buffalo mozzarella, balsamic pesto viniagrette over grilled polenta. Seems to be a strange choice for an order at a brewpub, but trust. This dish is awesome. We order it EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
Going back for...
Fayettechille Weiss on the patio after a full day of sand volleyball at Veterans Memorial Park.

Grub's Bar and Grille
Fayetteville
Buffalo chicken sandwich: absolutely huge - so share or come hungry. Fried to perfection and smothered in blue cheese dressing, what's not to love?!?
Pizza dip: good, but could easily whip this up at home. And probably will thanks to lots of Pinterest posts.
Going back for...
Trivia (now that the students are gone!), fried pickles and half price patty melts on Tuesdays (AFTER the gym).

// photocredit: my own and allrecipes.com //

Meiji
Fayetteville
Chirashi: the premium platter serves up a selection of super fresh fish on top of sushi rice (Meiji's is cooked to perfection - mushy rice seems to be the norm around here). Also comes with with squid and seaweed salad. Fish selection of the day was octopus, salmon, yellowtail, superwhite, maguro.
Grilled Shishito Peppers: basted in soy, these semi-spicy skewers of peppers were perfection. Hoping that we can find some at one of the local Asian Supermarkets.
Going back for...
The exact same meal, plus a bottle of sake. And the Tune Poke...see the next listing.

Wasabi
Fayetteville
Hawaiian Poke: spring mix tossed in a spicy ponzu, topped with a generous amount of maguro pieces,  seaweed salad and roe. I have a love for poke thanks to our trips to the Hawaiian Islands - such an easy way to eat fresh fish! And a refreshing change from the heavy rolls of NWA...where cream cheese, tempura crumbs, spicy mayo and eel sauce are king.
Going back for...
The patio! And a tall glass of Sapporo on a summer night.

// photo credit: luvmetender and my own //

Cafe Rue Orleans - Avenue Seafood Lounge
Fayetteville
Oysters: the meatiest, freshest, most delicious (seriously) Gulf oysters I've ever had. Briny and soooo good - we just kept ordering more. We lucked out stopping in here after a few hours sampling beer with Hogshead Tours. *UPDATE* We went again on a Friday night and had THE BEST oysters...AGAIN. Turns out they get them in fresh on Thursdays.
Going back for...
Brunch upstairs in their dining room (although the building is strangely in the center of a run-down motel). Eggplant Napolean, Shrimp and Grits, mimosas - sounds like a perfect nap-inducing Sunday brunch.

Arsaga's at the Depot
Fayetteville
Salted caramel chocolate chunk cookie: Self-explanatory. If you like salty and sweet, this is the treat for you.
Ethiopian Michele Yirgacheffe: French pressed for a deeper flavor. Medium, but complex - fruity with a touch of cocoa. My go-to is the Farmer's Market Blend when I'm drinking a whole pot, but this is perfect for a one-cup sitting.
Going back for*...
Salad Nicoise (had this for brunch a few weeks back...delish!) and the Butterbean - espresso pulled over butter?! Sign me up. *Arsaga's has never disappointed, everything we've had, we've loved! I'd go back for it all.

La Hacienda
Fayetteville
Stuffed, fried avocado: This is an off-menu special, so make sure you ask for it! It's a grenade...avocado stuffed with steak and cheese, battered and fried. AND smothered with queso. Voila! Three day's worth of calories and worth every bite. But the queso served with the chips was goopy, and room temp, ick. And margaritas were pre-mixed and weak. Sticking with la cerveza next time.
Going back for...
Fried avocado, chips and salsa, and Pacifico on the covered second-story deck. 

// photo credit: my own and freeweekly.com //

Crepes Paulette
Bentonville Food Trucks
Elvis: bananas, bacon, peanut butter, dark chocolate ganache
Thai: chicken, cabbage, cilantro, sunflower seeds, peanut sauce
Going back for...
EVERYTHING, but have my eye on the sweet and salty caramel with pecans.

Big Rub BBQ
Bentonville Food Trucks
Jordan sandwich: Costini bun, burnt ends, shredded cheese, blue cheese, bacon and brisket sauce. Best thing we've eaten in a long time. I mean it's essentially a maxed out burnt ends sandwich, can't go wrong.
Going back for...
A repeat of the Jordan sandwich and Hero taco (brisket, Doritos, avocado, cheese...sounds like a yummier Doritos Locos).

Trick Dilly Tacos - "no son los tacos de tu papa"
Bentonville Food Trucks
PorkDilly taco: smoked pork belly, queso fresco, shaved radish, green apple. Super rich and meaty pork belly - cooked perfectly with a little crunch. Yum!
Smoked brisket taco: brisket, pickled watermeloon, daikon sprouts, stonefruit bbq sauce. This was just *meh*. Flavorless brisket, but good crunch and zest to watermelon and sauce.
Going back for...
Finger-lickin' tater salad made with bacon lardons, oh and it's the warm German style. Just grill me up a brat and I'm in heaven (brat taco in the works?).

// photo credit: my own and yachtcluboncollege.com //

Zuppa Zuppa Soup Kitchen
Yacht Club Food Trucks, Fayetteville
Corn chowder: rich, creamy and spicy take on corn chowder. And man is it GOOD. Sweet corn is a fave of mine, so naturally corn chowder is right up there with elote on my Top Ten list. Order this, you won't be disappointed.
Ensalate erotica: greens, strawberries, sunflower seeds, red onion, cucumber, avocado and feta. Topped with the most flavorful and delicious balsamic-y viniagrette dressing you've ever had. I think we licked the bowl.
Going back for...
The chowder of course. But gotta try the crostinis and dumplings.

Baller Food Truck
Fayetteville
Bacon cheeseburger: hamburger meat blended with melty velveeta, breaded with bacon, fried and topped with all the fixin's. Why grill when you can fry?
Mac n' cheese: Just like it sounds, but better. Batter a ball of super rich (not mushy!) mac n' cheese and throw it in the fryer. Soooo gooood.
Buffalo chicken: shredded chicken with buffalo sauce, rolled in Doritos and fried and served with ranch. Yummy, but not as yummy as the top two.
Going back for...
Banana + nutella. Is there any way this won't be amazing?

The Pie Hole
Food Truck, Little Rock (at Block Street Block Party)
Ice box lemon pie: tart and creamy with a not-too-sweet graham cracker crust.
Going back for...
Oatmeal creme pie. Have always been a sucker for the Lil' Debbie version, Pie Hole's looks divine.

// photo credit: my own and freeweekly.com //

Burton's Creamery
Shulertown Food Trucks, Fayetteville
Mocha Lisa: soft-serve shake blended with fudge and Onyx cold brew/grounds
Salty Dog: waffle cone, vanilla soft-serve, rolled in crushed pretzels, injected with caramel
Going back for...
"Pup cups" the friendly folks at Burton's have on-hand so our furry friends can have a treat too.

[sightseeing] + [outdoors] + [history] NWA Exploring

Still so much to see in our new home state! Got the chance to take in more of NWA and explored a bit around Beaver Lake - a man-made lake formed by damming the White River in the 1960s. The lake itself is big - almost 500 miles of shoreline - and has beautiful limestone bluffs, lots of fishing (not so much my bag) and recreational boating (can you say pontoon?!). Can't wait to spend more time here as the weather warms up.

capturearkansas.com //eric studer

We stopped by the dam that forms the river - Beaver Dam - built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Learned a bit about the dam's construction, made a few "dam" jokes and took in the view.

Because the White River was dammed to form Beaver Lake, there were areas of land that are now submerged. One of those is an early 1900's health resort called Monte Ne. The amphitheater and several buildings are now under water and the remaining others are on the National Historic Register. But thanks to growling stomachs and a poorly (or perfectly!) timed thunderstorm we opted to get some of the Monte Ne Inn's well-known broasted chicken. //great decision

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my first experience eating crawfish! We popped into Ozark Brew Company to fill a growler and it just so happened they were setting up a crawfish boil. All in all, it's a lot of work and a lot of mess for a little nibble of tail meat. But hey, it's part of the fun! And as an added bonus, I got to try the local collab brew between Ozark and Onyx Coffee Labs - cream stout infused with Guatemalen french roast. //now that's a go together

We also squeezed in some military history at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Lucked out with a visit during National Park Week - all parks granting complimentary admission. The park itself sits on the site of a Civil War battle that took place in 1862, significant because it saved Missouri for the Union. The national park building shows a 20 minute film setting the stage for the battle before you take off on a seven-mile loop with points of interest around the battlefield. Absolutely worth the stop to take in this place and learn a little more about our country's history.

[cooking] Lasagna cupcakes

Working from home has it's perks. Aside from having the luxury of working from my kitchen table and living in yoga pants, getting the laundry done and spending some QT with the pup and kitties; I also have some time to cook, try out a few new recipes and listen to new tunes and latest Audible purchases (will share a couple book reviews as soon as I wrap up listening Dead Wake and reading All the Light We Cannot See.)

Back to food - yeah! An old faithful that's tried and true (and one of D's faves) are lasagna cupcakes. Sounds downright strange, but man are these delicious.

Start off with your preferred meat sauce. I opted for a jar of Prego, doctored up with a 1/2 pound of italian sausage, a 1/2 pound of ground beef a dash of allspice, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Oh and some sauteed carrots, onions and celery that happened to be in the fridge. But, hey, this adds time. The extra stuff makes for a tastier lasagnas, but they will still be super yummy if you opt to used plain old jarred marinara sauce, promise. So its your choice!

While your sauce simmers, get your layers ready and prep your full-size muffin tins with a good coat of non-stick cooking spray. And now's the time to preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

(Always thought these would be fun to make in mini muffin tins too, but would be much fussier to assemble.)

Ricotta: 1 container of ricotta, some chopped fresh basil, a pinch of salt and pepper and a little bit of shredded parmesan - borrowed from the bag you're using for the cheese layer. 

"Pasta": Potsticker wrappers (round) work GREAT to layer the circular muffin tins. If you use wonton wrappers (square) you will need to use a juice glass to cut them into circles or just leave 'em as-is for a more unfinished lasagna. You can find both the wonton and potsticker wrappers in the grocer's produce area near the tofu and Shirataki noodles (my fave).

Cheese: 1 small bag of shredded parmesan and 1 large bag of shredded mozzarella. Or grate your own - I was feeling lazy! 

Now start assembling. First, push a potsticker wrap into the bottom of each muffin tin. Top with a tablespoon of tomato sauce, then ricotta, then cheese. Add another potsticker wrap on top of that and repeat sauce, ricotta, cheese. Voila! Make sure you're ending with the shredded cheese so you get a pretty, melty, cheesey top to the cupcake. Depending how much meat is in the sauce, you might have room in your muffin tins for three layers...mine just allowed for two.

Fill the empty muffin cups with a bit of water so they don't burn. Now pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes - check the tops to be sure they're not burning. That would be the worst //

Once they're out of the oven resist the temptation to dive right in with a big bite. Your mouth will suffer! Patience young grasshopper.

Once cooled a bit these are great eaten right away but they also reheat and freeze super well. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Bon appetit//