Chuck’s Blog – “Exploring Arkansas: June 2018”
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Exploring life-size sandstone castles, playing with the ultimate model train set, spending time with the “Fiddleman” in Bentonville and hiking to Big Creek Cave Falls – it’s all coming up in a brand new episode of “Exploring Arkansas,” Wednesday, June 6.
The “Sandstone Castles” in the Ozark National Forest near Lurton are actually caves that have been carved into the sandstone bluffs in the Richland Creek Wilderness. It’s an area that Ozark Bluff Dwellers may very well have occupied thousands of years ago.
In an old, country-style railroad depot in Heber Springs is the model train set of train sets. The Ruland Junction Toy Train Museum is actually one family’s collection that spans more than ninety years. Taking up two levels, it’s a massive setup with dozens of trains, hundreds of feet of track and numerous handcrafted little towns that are laid across from one end of the building to the other.
88-year-young Arnold Layne is the “Fiddleman” of Bentonville. He began making fiddles when he was only 14. To date, he’s approaching 280 fiddles. Layne’s “Layneivarius” fiddles are everywhere – bedrooms, closets, you name it. He makes them out of every type of wood imaginable, even eucalyptus.
Big Creek Cave Falls south of Jasper in the Ozark National Forest, takes a bit of getting to … but, once you do finally reach these falls, it’s all well-worth it! The sight of water gushing out of the mouth of a cave is quite the scene to behold and admire. The hike requires at least two creek-crossings, but the entire area is a true wonderland of caves, waterfalls and mountain streams.
Check it all out Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m.!
TUNE IN:
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
“Exploring Arkansas,” 6:30 p.m.
