Arkansas is always lovely to visit but especially so in the fall foliage splendor. A quick getaway from Tulsa (1 hour, 50 minutes), we were there in time for an early lunch at the famous Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese. Every variety of tasty grilled cheese sandwich configurations and those oh so delicious fried artichoke hearts was a great way to start our pleasurable afternoon of shopping and strolling along the quaint Dickson Street and Downtown Square. Emelia’s Kitchen ( a Mediterranean restaurant) is another personal favorite. To be able to order an Armenian dish is a plus! College towns are wonderful that way! The Antique store French Metro Antiques there can transport you to France. Incredibly top notch!

Dickson Street is full of treasures. E.Leigh’s Contemporary Boutique among many other boutiques was definitely worth a visit as well as Foxtrot Boutique. Dickson Street Bookshop kept us mesmerized on a treasure trove of vintage books.For more international flavor, stop by World Treasures; authentically Guatemalan apparel, accessories and home decor and the Himalayan Mountain Shop for gorgeous textiles and outerwear. Next to World Treasures are bakeries, sweet shops, vintage musical instrument shops, etc. Block Street Records was inviting with its new and vintage vinyl, CDs, tapes and posters. Who doesn’t love getting lost in books and albums? Working up an appetite for a caffeine break after all this leisure, we stopped at Jammin Java for lattes, cappuccinos and tea. Hit with the scent of rich, aromatic coffee as soon as we entered, we decided to sit to drink our beverages and enjoy the ambience.Crystals, rocks, incense—-that’s my thing! Color and energy is always on my list.Another trip back to the bookstore finished off our day of sauntering and it was time to hit the road back to Tulsa. Left at 9:00a.m. and returned at 5:00 pm., we were recharged and refreshed. Driving 412 is simply divine with its pastures, farms, trees, and fall foliage among the Ozarkian beauty. If you budget the time in, you could also visit Natural Falls State Park on the way to or from. In Siloam Springs, (the Oklahoma side), it’s a stunning park of waterfalls, a cave and steep trails. Short road trips are easy ways to get away from the routine of life but be back home in time for dinner, even. For me, a pre-Hygge ritual like this is always a good way to celebrate the seasons.

Not every trip has to be international or exotic! “Gypsy family travel” is also about domestic trips and quick get-away road trips. What is important is to get away and peruse a used bookstore or eat exotic food.

You can shop in a Guatemalan or Himalayan store or buy crystals and semi-precious stones. Try a matcha or a chai and get away from it all. The drive back home rocking out to your favorite CDs is a therapeutic way to break up the monotony of your routine.

1 hour and 50 minutes away from Tulsa, Fayetteville is worth the drive to take in the fall foliage, squeeze in a hike at a state park and enjoy some shops and cafes.

© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

photos by Gina