Day 142, 143 & 144 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Day 142 for us was day 6 for the caravanners on the American Mountain Music Tour. It was Friday September 25th for all of us! No walk this morning, because we have to get ready for our move to Memphis.

On our drive to Mountain View, I gave the directions from our road log over the radio. I also interjected information about the area and interesting points we were passing. Here are just a few:

As we leave Branson, it is a unique community with a powerful visitor base. On an average day, there are 100,000 visitors in Branson, but its population is only over 10,000. Though there are few, Branson locals are likely to greet you with a smile and an Ozark hospitality spirit.

Buffalo National River was America’s First National River. Established in 1972, Buffalo National River flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. The river includes running rapids to quiet pools while surrounded by massive bluffs of the Ozark Mountains.

Harrison was named after Marcus LaRue Harrison, a surveyor who laid out the city along the Crooked Creek at Stifler Springs. The community has a sad history of racism. There were two race riots in the early 20th century and an influx of white supremacist organizations during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Because of this, a few sources have called this town “the most racist town in the US.”

The history and Folklore of Searcy County Arkansas states that St. Joe was originally called Monkey Run. No one liked that name. Around 1900 when six miners from St Joseph Missouri, received the largest quantity of mail to come into the post office, the town name of St. Joe was adopted.

In Marshall AR, we used the South Mountain Scenic Overlook, as our spot for our rest break. Situated at an elevation of 1,386 feet along Highway 65 it is the perfect place to pull off for our rest stop. 

There is enough room to stack three rows of RV's. 

 

It is one of the most panoramic Ozark vista's in all of Arkansas!  It also comes with two amazing swings to enjoy the view from "The Sunset Vista of Mid-America!" We are too early in the day to see the sunset!

American Indians inhabited these Ozark hills for thousands of years until the turmoil of European exploration and long periods of drought caused their movement out of the highlands at the same time that European trappers, hunters, and explorers began moving in. This hunting ground of the Osage Indians was acquired by the United States from France in 1803 in the Louisiana Purchase. The Osage sold their land to the US in 1808. This area became a Cherokee Indian Reservation from 1817 till 1828. Shortly thereafter American settlers came and many of their descendants are here today. The town of Marshall, previously named Burrowville, was founded in 1857. The American Civil War divided the people of this area from 1861-1865 and several minor battles took place here. Post-Civil War this area prospered in mining, timber, and cattle and was once known as the “Strawberry Capital of the World." Today tourism is a vital part of the economy and Searcy County is home to America's 1st National River, the Buffalo National River!

We arrived at the church across the street from Mt View Guest House and RV Park and the caravanners started unhooking their tow cars, while I got together with Shawna and determined the order that the caravanners had to enter the park and get into their spots, so no one blocked anyone else from getting in. It is really a great way to move in! Since we have a small group, we don't need a dawn patrol. So, a bit of time to organize our arrival at the campground is helpful!

  

Shawna does a great job assisting us while we are in Mt View. She caters a lovely pizza dinner with entertainment every year. This year she had Prince & The Paupers play for us. They are an acoustic folk music group based in Mountain View.

The group originally formed in 2018. After taking a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they reunited in 2022 and have been regularly performing together since. They play a unique blend of local folk and acoustic music, frequently appearing at local community venues in North Arkansas.

Band members are Alex Prince on vocals, Gresham McMillon on bass and comedy and Duane Porterfield, a multi-instrumentalist who plays a variety of instruments, notably the mountain dulcimer. Duane also works at the local dulcimer shop. There are caravanners who are going to visit him tomorrow!

Every Friday and Saturday night you can enjoy the music on the square. We gathered up riders and most of us headed downtown.

Yes, it is literally in front of the Stone County Courthouse.

On Friday night, Matt Curry and the Red Hot Pickers played on the stage. Matt Curry is a country music singer / songwriter / pro-musician who has toured with country music legends such as Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, Kenny Rogers, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and Hank Williams III. He has also made guest appearances on stage with Billy Ray Cyrus and Charlie Daniels. Matt has performed numerous times on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, on two CMA Awards Shows, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He played the fiddle and sang background vocals in Alan Jackson’s Pop A Top video on CMT.

Matt grew up playing bluegrass music with his grandpa, Merton Keith, on the court square in Mountain View, Arkansas. He graduated high school in Heber Springs, Arkansas, spent a couple years at UofA in Fayetteville before finishing up his undergraduate degree in Louisiana and in 1998, just before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, he became The Louisiana State Fiddle Grand Champion! After eight years in Nashville, he returned back home to Arkansas where he currently enjoys playing shows with his new band.

Matt‘s favorite instrument is the fiddle, but he also plays the Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Bass Guitar, and Electric Guitar. He enjoys singing a wide variety of country / bluegrass songs as well as some of his own original music. Country music artists who have inspired Matt are: Alan Jackson, George Strait, Trace Adkins, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Hank Sr., Hank, Jr., Hank Williams III, Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Merle Haggard, Chris LeDoux, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Travis Tritt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kid Rock, Dierks Bentley, John Anderson, and Dwight Yoakam.

A few of us left the music in front of the courthouse and ventured over to the square to see a little bit of pickin' in the park at Washington Square Park.

It is Saturday September 26th, day 143 for Charlie & I and it is day 7 for our caravanners enjoying Yankee RV Tours American Mountain Music Tour.

It was my first walk in Mountain View for this trip and I took Becky to my happy, peaceful place... the stone amphitheater. "Energy and persistence conquer all things." - Benjamin Franklin 

I have talked about this place in earlier blogs, but it is such a special place, it is worth mentioning again. It stands to reason that the Folk Music Capital of the World, Mountain View, Arkansas would have an amphitheater.  They do and it is quite unique!  It was built between January 1966 and December 1969 by Arkansas Farmers Union Green Thumb workers using native fieldstone. Mountain View is also in Stone County. The amphitheater features a grand stone stage, tiered stone bench seating, walking paths, walls, and staircases, all split by a meandering creek complete with a small waterfall and an arched stone bridge. There is not much water in the creek right now, but in the spring it can be very full!

Shawna has coffee and donuts for us every Saturday morning that we are here with our caravan. We get to enjoy a leisurely morning at the campground before everyone heads out to see what they want to see on their free day in Mountain View. There is so much here to enjoy, besides music!

This time is so relaxing and a great way to connect with the caravanners in a simple home like setting that Shawna and Greg provide us!

We have an entire free day in Mountain View, after our donuts and coffee! 

This year our visit coincides with the annual "Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour." This year’s studio tours were on September 25, 26 & 27, the same days we were in Mt View! You could visit the private working studios of local talented artists located “off the beaten path” within a 30 mile radius of the Historic Stone County Courthouse Square. This is the 23rd year of this free self-guided driving tour through the scenic Ozark Mountains which showcases the many talented artists in this region. You can step inside the private studios of painters, potters, weavers, jewelers, hat makers and more to see up-close and personal how and where art is created. Select one of a kind creations directly from the artists to take home and treasure. Rachel even got to paint on and sign a picture that will be auctioned off for charity!

You can visit McSpadden Mountain Dulcimers Shoppe. McSpadden Mountain Dulcimers made their first mountain dulcimer in 1962. Their craftsmen have over 75 years of experience among them. They use their hands at every stage of dulcimer making, thus you’ll find evidence of careful quality construction. The dulcet tones and harmonious drones of the Appalachian dulcimer have been an important part of American music for over three hundred years. It is classified as a diatonically fretted “zither” – a “zither” being an instrument with strings stretched across a box from end to end and having no neck as do guitars and violins. Autoharps and hammered dulcimers are also zithers.

 

Every Friday and Saturday night you can enjoy the music on the square.

The Silverado Band was playing tonight. It is a mostly classic country band that covers songs by many great artists like Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, George Strait, Restless Heart, Janie Fricke, Martina McBride, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, CCR, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hank Williams JR, Darius Rucker, Eric Clapton and many more.  With a repertoire of over 160 songs they are sure to play something for everyone.  

The band was originally founded by a father (Carrell “Pop” McCallister) and his two sons (Lynn McCallister & Glynn McCallister) in 1988.  After a few years of performing around Arkansas, with a lot of coaxing and convincing, a daughter (Janie “McCallister” Bryant) was added to the group.   The three siblings split duty singing lead and backup vocals with one another, and their three part harmony has become a signature sound for the band. 

After the passing of their dad in 2013, Lynn, Janie, and Glynn along with the other members of the band have carried on performing in and around Arkansas extending the band’s existence to over 35 years.  While only three of the members are actually brothers and sisters, the other members are more than great musicians, they are true friends and even more importantly, part of the family that is Silverado.  

Some caravanners went to the "Club Possum". “Club Possum” is a free music show every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Club Possum Event Center.  Every show features some of the most talented musicians in the Mountain View area. The intimate setting gives the audience a wonderfully close feel with the music and the performers. Club Possum is supported by the non-profit organization Ozark Roots Music and Art.

George Hulsey & Friends were playing there on Saturday night. Popular singer and musician George Hulsey is joined by an all star cast: Duane Porterfield, Zach Hulsey, Charlene Parker, and Chris Smith.

George Hulsey was the featured singer and guitarist. He is originally from Louisiana and later moved to Mountain View, where he became established in the Stone County traditional-music scene. Ozark Highlands Radio has featured him as a singer, and local coverage describes him as an accomplished ballad singer. His friends and admirers have even nicknamed him the “John Denver of the Ozarks.” He isn’t merely someone who plays the local jams. George has been a recurring performer at the Ozark Folk Center, including the Homecoming Hootenanny, and in 2017 he was a finalist for the Folk Center’s Adult Male Performer award.  Tonight’s Club Possum announcement called him a guitarist with a “golden voice,” which makes more sense knowing his reputation is particularly centered on his singing and ballads.

Duane Porterfield has the most extraordinary résumé of the group. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, although his parents and grandparents came from Izard County, Arkansas, right next to Stone County. He began picking out melodies on his grandfather’s harmonica before fifth grade, then took up guitar. Later he learned mountain dulcimer and became deeply involved in old-time music. And this is the impressive part: Duane is a former Kansas and Arkansas State Old-Time Banjo Champion and a former state, regional and national mountain dulcimer champion. He’s also a multi-instrumentalist who plays dulcimer, clawhammer banjo, guitar and other traditional instruments. Music wasn’t even his original career. He spent 32 years with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, retiring in 2013, then moved with his wife Cindi to Mountain View. Today he performs, teaches workshops and has worked at the McSpadden Dulcimer Shoppe, helping build the famous Mountain View-made instruments.  He was still competing at a very high level in 2022, when he won the senior division of the Arkansas State Old-Time Banjo Championship.

Charlene Parker is the youngster we saw, and she is already legitimately accomplished. In May 2024, the Stone County Leader identified her as 10 years old and a youth fiddle champion, which would put her at roughly 12 now, depending on her birthday. She’s from the Mountain View area and is the youngest member of The Parker Unit, the family band with her older siblings Mary and Gordon Parker. Mary is an exceptionally accomplished state-champion fiddler, while Gordon plays mandolin and sings. Charlene won the youth division of the Arkansas State Old-Time Fiddle Championship in 2022, competing in the same overall contest in which her older sister Mary became Grand Champion. So that little girl playing tonight isn’t simply a child brought up onstage with the adults. She’s already an Arkansas championship fiddler who has been performing with her musical family around Mountain View for years. That’s one of the neatest things about what you’re seeing there: the tradition really is being passed directly from one generation to another.

Chris Smith is important for an entirely different reason. He’s not just the bass player who happened to be backing George. Chris and his wife Shelley Smith helped create Club Possum itself. In 2017, while they were running the Wildflower Bed & Breakfast in Mountain View, they started the weekly program specifically to give Mountain View musicians greater exposure by broadcasting their performances online. Chris recognized that Mountain View had this remarkable pool of musicians playing old-time music, bluegrass, classic country, blues and other traditional styles, but much of it remained locally known. Club Possum was an attempt to put those musicians in front of a much larger audience through live streaming. He’s also an established bass player in this circle. Ozark Highlands Radio specifically lists Chris Smith on bass accompanying George Hulsey in an earlier recorded performance.

Zach Hulsey has been part of the Mountain View cultural scene for quite a while. In 2017, the Ozark Folk Center named Zach Hulsey a finalist for its Male Dancer award, so his involvement there goes beyond tonight’s performance. Yes, his father is George Hulsey.

Sunday September 27th is day 144 for us and day 8 for the caravanners on Yankee's American Mountain Music Tour. It is our last full day in Mountain View. We let caravanners have time this morning, if they wanted to sleep in or go to church services. Becky and I took a walk towards the Mt View airport.

After our walk, it was time to get ready for our trip to Blanchard Springs Caverns with the group. Blanchard Springs Caverns is located in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest. It is one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves found anywhere. 

You enter a "living" cave where glistening formations like stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstones are still changing.  These crystalline formations are the result of minerals deposited by dripping water.  Blanchard Springs Caverns has a constant year-round temperature of 58°F and nearly 100% relative humidity.

Blanchard Springs Caverns is a three-level cave system, two of which are open for guided tours.  Actually, the 2nd tour is currently closed, as the bats are beginning to hibernate there. We took the Dripstone Trail Tour. This trail travels through two huge rooms filled with an incredible variety and number of crystalline formations – sparkling flowstone, towering columns, curtains, and delicate soda straws. We strolled through the large, beautifully lighted rooms with handrails and paved trails for comfortable walking.

We even caught a glimpse of a cave dweller! We are blessed, as 2026 is the last year for tours, for a bit. Blanchard Springs Caverns is actually closing for approximately 18 months following the conclusion of its current operating season at the end of October 2026. While early rumors or rough estimates suggested a longer shutdown, official plans from Arkansas State Parks and the US Forest Service confirm a grand reopening is anticipated in 2028. The site is undergoing its first extensive modernization and infrastructure overhaul since opening in the 1970s. Upgrades will feature updated cave lighting, new wiring, handrails, and updated signage. The closure coincides with a major rebranding effort. The caverns are transitioning to officially become Arkansas's 53rd state park, managed under a cooperative agreement between the US Forest Service and Arkansas State Parks.

After the cave tour, we stopped at Blanchard Springs. There is a wide stone trail path where you can walk into the woods and see where Blanchard Springs spills out of the cave. 

A short flight of steps leads down to the water. Blanchard Spring then forms Blanchard Creek, which goes on to fill Mirror Lake, which then flows into North Sylamore Creek.

  

We took pictures of most of the couples that walked to the springs!

                      

 

We had our travel log review at the campground, before we went to dinner at Anglers. 

Our dinner at Anglers never disappoints. The group basically had a large room to ourselves! The service is outstanding and the portions are huge! 

Did I mention our guests could enjoy an alcoholic beverage if they so desired. Anglers is considered a private club, and even though it is located in Stone County, a dry county, they can sell and serve alcohol. 

          

In honor of Cyndi & Bill's 63rd wedding anniversary, we all enjoyed a slice of cake!

Several caravanners went to the Jimmy Driftwood Barn. Jimmy Driftwood's features folk, gospel, country, and bluegrass music performed by local performers and friends from around the country. James Corbitt Morris, known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood, was a prolific American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs “The Battle of New Orleans” and “Tennessee Stud”. Driftwood wrote more than 6,000 folk songs, of which more than 300 were recorded by various musicians. Jimmy Driftwood was born in 1907 in Richwoods Valley seven miles from Mountain View, Arkansas. He grew up working on his parent's farm. As a small boy he wanted to be a school teacher. When he was sixteen he finished the eighth grade and took the county teacher’s examination and got a three month’s summer teaching contract at $40.00 a month. There were no libraries in the hill schools, so Jimmy wrote poems, tales, songs and plays for his own students, In 1936 Jimmy wrote a song for his students, The Battle of New Orleans, in an attempt to get his students interested in learning history. In 1957 he recorded the song for RCA in an album. When recorded by Johnny Horton, the song was #1 of the Billboard Top 100 for the entire year of 1959. That song and others took Jimmy Driftwood out of the public schools and into concert halls over much of the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Ozarks Jubilee, the Louisiana Hayride, and he was a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!