Paradise in Arkansas
July 8 – 15, 2025
📍Location: Fairfield Bay, Arkansas 🏕️Campground: Fairfield Bay Campground
📍Location: Harrison, Arkansas 🏕️Harvest Host: Norton Farm Stays
Exhausted after a string of busy city visits, we finally crossed the Mississippi River from Memphis and watched the landscape shift immediately. Huge areas of agriculture of various kinds – rice fields, potatoes, and grasslands – showed Arkansas from a different side than the almost tropical Deep South.
Our first stop in Fairfield Bay gave us a private slice of paradise right on the shore of Greers Ferry Lake. At a higher altitude, the cool breeze was a glorious relief. We had a beautiful, terraced campsite all to ourselves. Looking across the water at the Ozark Mountains, the scenery felt incredibly reminiscent of the canton of Ticino back home in Switzerland.
In the search for hiking trails we only found some shared paths - for hikers, bikers and ATV drivers. We followed one of them and made our way through the cobwebs connecting the branches on both sides of the road. The only wildlife we encountered were tiny frogs and the rear end of a deer, which, frightened by the sound of our approaching footsteps, jumped deeper into the forest. As the trail is not really designed for hikers but rather is a paradise for ATVs, we had to walk part of the way back to the car along the road. That is some hiking we are definitely not used to. What we enjoyed though was our little paradise by the lake, watching the fireflies and the almost full moon, which was beautifully reflected in the lake, in the darkness of the evening.
Fercho's Tantrums and Harrison Mechanics
Our route deeper into Arkansas ended up being dictated by our truck's sudden mechanical issues. We made an appointment at a “car doctor” in a town called Harrison, as we decided to get an aftermarket radio installed professionally. But on the way there, Fercho threw a new major tantrum: whenever we switched into four-wheel drive to climb a hill, a terrifying, violent clanking noise echoed from under the hood. So, we added this to the list of what has to be looked at in Harrison.
Southern Hospitality at the Norton Farm
Our biggest find in the area was our next Harvest Hosts stop at the Norton Farm. What was supposed to be a quick two-night stay turned into an unforgettable week of Southern hospitality. The Norton family welcomed us like old friends. Farm life was delightfully chaotic. Our mornings were spent hanging out with a very affectionate ginger cat named Mabuko and gently shooing horses away from our breakfast muesli. But the true highlight was the cultural exchange. On our way towards the Ozark National Forest, we had already noticed an enormous number of churches – small sectarian churches, countless Baptist churches, and Catholic churches. In one very small village, there were three churches within two blocks – unbelievable! On Sunday, we got to experience this deeply rooted culture firsthand when the family invited us to their local Baptist church. Coming from Europe, the intimate, deeply personal service was unlike the formal masses we are used to, and the congregation welcomed their "exotic" Swiss guests with open arms. We also got a crash course in true Arkansas traditions: a Sunday afternoon barbecue followed by shooting clay pigeons.
The Little Switzerland of the Ozarks
While trying to get Fercho fixed, we took a day trip to Eureka Springs. Known as the "Little Switzerland of the Ozarks," this lush, hilly town is full of winding streets and Victorian charm. We visited the breathtaking Thorncrown Chapel—a stunning glass-and-wood structure hidden deep in the forest that blends perfectly into its surroundings. Afterward, we hopped aboard a 1928 vintage commuter train, listening to a conductor in full uniform tell stories of the rails as we rode through the countryside.
The Great Mechanic Saga
As for Fercho? Getting a straight answer took days. We bounced between garages, underwent a few misdiagnoses, replaced parts that didn't solve the issue, and even received a phone consultation from a bedridden specialist! Finally, a team of mechanics listened to Alex's research and pinpointed the culprit: a faulty vacuum valve.
While they didn't have the time to fix it right then, they gave us the best news possible: Fercho was perfectly safe to drive as long as we kept him in two-wheel drive. Relieved to finally have an answer, we hitched up Minnie, said a genuinely hard goodbye to the Nortons, and chased the sunset across the state line into Oklahoma.
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