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Autumn is the perfect time for an Adventure. 

There is no better Adventure than going 

somewhere you likely have never been. 

Northwest Arkansas has tons of 

awesome hidden Adventures! 

Late October is the peak of 

Fall Color in the Ozarks! 

Come along with us for 

An Awesome Autumn Adventure! 

 

Day 1 – Home to Overland Park, KS 

We travel straight south today through Iowa and into Missouri. We note that the fall colors that have started to fade in Minnesota are beginning to reappear as we head south. 

Included Meals: Manager’s Reception 

Hotel: Drury Inn & Suites 

 

Day 2 – Overland Park to Springdale, AR 

We always enjoy the Drury’s full hot breakfast before we start out the day. Continuing south through Missouri, the autumn color of the Ozarks start to surround us as we enter Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas – here we are for our Autumn Adventure! Our first stop is the totally amazing Crystal Bridges Experience. Crystal Bridges, opened in 2011 & created by the Walton Foundation, is a unique collection spanning five centuries of American masterworks. Your own “credit card” is provided for lunch today at “Eleven,” a fresh dining experience right at the exhibit. We are in Bentonville, home of Walmart, so a visit to the Walmart Museum in the Original Walton 5 & 10 Store is a must! Relive the full story of Walmart, maybe the greatest of all American success stories! See an exact recreation of Sam Walton’s office and his actual pickup truck. This is a must see venture. Dinner tonight is at the delightful Market Grill right by our hotel. This is a favorite for locals. Our accommodations for the next four evenings is the Hampton Inn & Suites in Springdale, centrally located for all our activities the next four days. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites (4 Nights) 

 

Day 3 – Springdale 

Breakfast is served at our hotel before we begin our day. The Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks showcase the natural beauty of the Ozark Mountain Region. Twelve separate themed gardens are featured including a butterfly and a seasonal garden, highlighting the vibrant fall colors of the mountains. Shiloh Museum of the Ozarks takes its name from the pioneer community of Shiloh, which became Springdale in the 1870’s. This exhibit highlights the real shapers of Ozark history, the everyday lives of men, women and children who shaped this area. Visit six historic buildings depicting life in these settlement times. Lunch is the “real thing” today. Chicken doesn’t get any better than in the home of Tyson, and the AQ Chicken House is the best! Enjoy your lunch! We make our way just up the road to historic, brick-paved, downtown Rogers, the home of Daisy Airguns. Who didn’t have a B-B-Gun when they were a kid? We’ll see an example of the very first Daisy made and an incredible collection of all the rest. Just across the street we have arranged for a delightful afternoon adventure! Fresh Harvest and Honeycomb Kitchens are teaming up to provide us with a tantalizing food preparation and tasting experience. Explore the latest in olive oils, balsamic vinegars, savory seasonings, kitchen and bakery tools, and culinary preparations in a fun and festive atmosphere. We then return to our hotel to refresh before our next adventure. What a pleasant adventure this will be! Tontitown Winery is a delightful place. This is a good time to just relax as we are treated to a winery tour complete with wine and beverage tasting. The winery is housed in the Taldo House, built in 1917, with all the charm of that era. Wines are made on site from local Tontitown grown grapes. Dinner is served here this evening while we enjoy the soothing and nostalgic sound of Cliff Shelder. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

 

Day 4 – Springdale 

We arise a little earlier today, but it’s well worth the ‘sacrifice.’ Remember how excited you got when you were a kid and you were going on a train ride? Well, we get to be kids again today! We depart from the historic train depot in Springdale and “ride the rails” on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad for a 2-1/2 hour journey to Fort Smith. We will ride in-style in a restored vintage Pullman railcar. Relax as we wind through the river valleys, traverse high trestles, and cut into a quarter mile tunnel. Marvel at the fall colors now at their peak in the scenic foothills of the Boston Mountains of the Ozarks. Since we got up so early we are ready for lunch. So “let’s do lunch” in true Arkansas style. That would be at Calico County. This is Home Cookin’ Good, made from scratch recipes, served in an atmosphere full of American Memories! Fort Smith is a colorful, festive, and historic frontier border town. Art is important here, as witnessed by over 25 brilliant murals placed throughout the city. We are pleased to observe a number of these, aided by the interpretation of a local guide on our way to the US Marshals Museum. Today we are privileged to be welcomed by the CEO who will introduce us to this amazing new facility. The just completed US Marshals Museum was created to honor the 230 year history of the Marshals Service, telling the deep and rich story of America’s Constitution and the Rule of Law. Our group is honored to be one of the very first invited to visit. Fort Smith National Historic Site is just down the road. Explore life on the edge of the Frontier through the stories of soldiers, the Trail of Tears, scandals, outlaws and the lawmen who pursued them. Our own motorcoach will transport us back to our hotel. Dinner and the evening are on your own to relax, reflecting on the experiences of the day. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 5 – Springdale 

Have breakfast at the Hampton before we venture out. Fayetteville is one of the anchor cities of this area and the home to iconic University of Arkansas. A local step-on host will give us an informative guided tour of the highlights, including a driving tour of the University and a view of Bill & Hillary’s house where they were married and established their first home. The Arkansas Air & Military Museum are thrilled to have us visit at Drake Field. Follow the colorful history of aviation in Arkansas and American military conflicts through numerous displays of original aircraft and aviation memorabilia. The historic aircraft in the AAMM are unusual among museum exhibits because many of them still fly! Static displays at the museum range from the golden age of aviation to the jet age, including Vietnam-era Army helicopters and a Navy carrier fighter. The vast, all wood white hanger, which houses part of the aircraft is the former headquarters for one of the United States’ many aviator training posts during World War II. Penguin Ed’s will be delivering our Arkansas BBQ lunch right to us at the airfield. What a fabulous way “to do lunch!” We journey now across the rolling wooded pasture land to the little town of Lincoln, Arkansas. Remember when the doctor made house calls?! Lincoln is the home to one of America’s most unique and intriguing places: The Arkansas Country Doctor. The Country Doctor Museum, the 2nd of its kind in the US, preserves and celebrates the history of health care in rural America and the people who served their fellow man by providing that health care. Housed in a building which served as the home of three doctors from 1936 to 1973, the museum presents the life of a small town doctor and the history of medicine as it was practiced in the early 20th century. Just outside of Lincoln, in the Ozark foothills, is Historic Cane Hill. An alluring, almost mysterious community that has a fascinating story to tell. A local guide will help us understand that story. It will be tempting to lay your head back and close your eyes as we ramble back to our hotel. If you do, you’ll miss the scenery! You are on your own this evening, so you can relax then! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

 

Day 6 – Springdale to Blue Springs, MO 

Today wraps up our time in NW Arkansas. But before we go, we have a few more adventures to take in. The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel is unlike any place of worship you have ever experienced. What explodes onto your senses when you first behold the Chapel is not what you anticipated when you began down the meandering trail. It is not only the Chapel’s lofty heights, or the massive wooden doors, or even the arches upon arches that gracefully flow above and below each other giving the impression of airy wonder. What is most impressive is that a building of this magnitude could so seamlessly fit into the natural scene which envelopes it. What a truly peaceful, inspiring, and reflective place. The Peel Mansion & Heritage Gardens, located in Bentonville, offer a unique look back to a simpler time. The abundant gardens surrounding the Mansion invite visitors to slow down and take in the scenery and view the beautiful flowers, plants, and trees. The Peel Home is chock-full of fun facts, fascinating architecture, and more. One more southern comfort lunch is featured before we start our trek back home. This afternoon we make our way back to Blue Springs and one of our favorite overnight homes, Drury Suites. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Manager’s Reception 

Hotel: Drury Inn & Suites 

 

Day 7 – Blue Springs to Home 

Enjoy a great Drury breakfast before we board our coach. Today is a full travel day while we observe the fall colors fading as we journey north to Minnesota and wrap up our wonderful Autumn Adventure and the month of October! 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Motorcoach Per Person Pricing Information

Double: $1,599
Single: $1,979
Triple: $1,499
Quad: $1,439

Motorcoach Travel Protection Per Person

Double: $116
Single: $116

Travel Bucks

$30 Travel Bucks per person earned with this tour

Deposit Due

$100 deposit per person due at time of reservation. Full payment due 30 days prior to depart.

Passport Needed

No

Tour Pace

Moderate Walking

Price Includes

13 Meals & 2 Manager’s Receptions, Hotels & Activities as stated in brochure, Luxury Motorcoach



The average temperature while R&J is visiting is 67°
Travel with R & J Tours to a warm destination where it is...
52°
Minneapolis, Mn
65°
Autumn Adventures: Northwest Arkansas
Motorcoach Departure Date:
10/24/2021
Motorcoach Return Date:
10/30/2021

Make a Reservation Online

Tour Highlights

Incredible Crystal Bridges Experience
Original Walmart and Museum
Arkansas Botanical Gardens
Shiloh Museum of the Ozarks
Fresh Harvest & Honeycomb Kitchens
Original Daisy Air Guns Collection
Tontitown Winery
Music of Cliff Shelder
A & M Railroad Journey thru the Ozarks
Calico County Dining
US Marshalls Museum
Fort Smith – Gateway to the Frontier
University of Arkansas
Clinton’s First Home
Arkansas Air & Military Museum
Fascinating Country Doctor Museum
Cane Hill Settlement
Peel Mansion
Inspiring Cooper Outdoor Chapel
Peak of Ozark Fall Colors
Scrumptious Southern Comfort Dining
4 Nights in Beautiful Hampton Inn of Springdale



Travel with R & J Tours to a warm destination where it is...
52°
Minneapolis, Mn
65°
Autumn Adventures: Northwest Arkansas
The average temperature while R&J is visiting is 67°
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