Rogers, Arkansas: hometown & handmade
Rogers, Arkansas: hometown & handmade

Rogers, Arkansas: hometown & handmade

IMG_7049 © 2013 . All rights reserved.

Rogers, Arkansas: hometown & handmade

In August 2013, I was invited to attend a wonderful Rogers Getaway weekend. My trip to Rogers, Arkansas, was paid for by the Rogers CVB, but all opinions and recommendations are my own.

During our time in Rogers we saw all kinds of things the city had to offer, and it became clear that although northwest Arkansas is a bustling center of business with visitors and residents from all over the world, it also still has, at heart, the small town center that it grew from. I was completely charmed by this aspect of Rogers, so I wanted to touch on a few things I saw that weekend that were hometown & handmade.

pictured :: historic downtown Rogers

pictured :: walking downtown, Stache antique warehouse, Rogers Little Theater

Heirloom Food and Gifts

This place was simply precious. Very small, with a seasonal menu (I actually think they change it weekly) and lots of farm fresh food – and all of it delicious. They set out a sampling of lots of different things for us, including some lovely meats and cheeses, pickled cucumbers and onions, homemade spreads, lemon curd, bacon jam (yes, BACON JAM. You’ve never eaten anything like it.) They serve lunches, Saturday breakfast, and have a happy hour a couple of days a week – and their menu is limited. All of that is different from most restaurants these days but I’m telling you – the owner/cook is passionate about food and it shows. You should definitely overcome those obstacles and try to get into this place as soon as you can. It’s so worth it! [website | yelp]

pictured :: Heirloom Food and Gifts

War Eagle Mill

Growing up in Arkansas, I’ve known about War Eagle Mill grains and mixes for a long time – but I’ve never stopped to think about the actual mill at the other end. Well, you can visit it – see the actual wheel and stones grind the grain, walk the bridge over beautiful War Eagle Creek, and buy lots of wonderful handmade goodies to take home with you. I’ve used a few different grains and mixes from War Eagle and they’ve all been excellent – as were the peach, blackberry, and pecan cobblers I sampled in the restaurant on the second floor. This would be an interesting place to visit with kids – the staff there is friendly and ready to educate you on how the mill words, and there’s lots of room to run and roam outside. Plus, like I said, COBBLER. [website | yelp]

pictured :: the mill, the wares, the restaurant, the bridge

Jensen Boat Works & Beaver Lake

Beaver Lake is lovely and you can partake in all kinds of boating & camping adventures in and around it. Kerry and Bobbie Jensen were kind enough to show us around the lake in their beautiful sailboat, which they’ve just begun to rent out (They will drive you around! In their boat!). So lovely and quiet, it was a wonderfully relaxing hour. It also helped that they served us the cold beverage of our choice as soon as we stepped on board.

 

Daisy Airgun Museum

This place was adorable. I had my doubts – beyond being familiar with the “You’ll shoot your eye out” line in A Christmas Story, I have little connection to guns. In fact, it wasn’t until I got home from this Rogers trip that I realized that the BB guns my kids own were, in fact, Daisy guns – gifts from their Texas relatives. What can I say? I’m a girl who grew up with girls. No guns.

All that to say – if this place could pull me in I think it could get anyone. Go. Take the tour. It’s precious and it costs $2. You get a lot of the history of Rogers and a sense of how companies grow and change, plus so many fun stories (including a big controversy from the movie!) along the way. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with our wonderful guide.

 pictured :: Daisy Airgun Museum

pictured :: a Daisy company picnic, toy truck, and vintage advertising – which I completely nerded out over. Seriously, the fonts in this place – I couldn’t get enough.

A giveaway!

And now, I have something for you! Or for someone you love – a Christmas present, maybe? I’m so excited that one of you is going to win…

…a genuine Daisy Red Ryder BB gun!

Leave a comment below to enter – tell me, did you have a BB gun growing up? Do you wish you had one now – or who would you like to give one to? I’ve already confessed my complete gun ignorance – I’d love to hear your stories too!

I will leave this contest open for a week – until next Monday – then draw a winner. I hope it’s you!

 

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16 Comments

  1. My dad has two Red Ryders now – a pump and a lever. I want my own so I can shoot beer cans in his back yard with him. PLINK!

  2. Favorite story about my grandfather: When he was a young teen, he was courtin’ the girl who lived across the street from him, but she dumped him for somebody new. So he hid in the bushes on his front lawn with his BB gun. Every time the new boy came to her house to visit, my grandfather would shoot him in the butt. Eventually, the boy decided the girl was not worth the stinging butt.

    Favorite part of my childhood: Shooting a gun was the one traditionally male thing I could do better than my brother. We would spend hours in the backyard shooting BBs at targets, him desperately trying to outshoot me, me reveling in my ability to whoop HIS butt.

    I want to win so bad! Jack’s been begging for a BB gun for a while now, and we’ve finally decided he’s responsible enough for one. It’s on our Christmas list for him already!

  3. steph

    Would love a bb gun for my son!

  4. Kerri B

    I didn’t have a BB gun growing up, but I did get to shoot my big brother’s once in a while. I have an 8 year old son who has been out shooting BB guns with his grandpa and would love to have one of his own!

  5. First off, this dinner is delicious. Your salsa wins forever.

    Second, I need to win this BB Gun. I’m going to give it to my dad who is retiring this week and will have plenty of spare time to shoot stray cats, I mean squirrels, I mean cans.

    Also he actually literally got his own eye shot out with a BB gun when he was a kid. For real. He’s blind in one eye. Sidenote: This partial blindness saved him from the draft and Vietnam which probably saved his life which opened the door for me to be alive and get married and be in a community group with Lauren who later married Rob who invited us to fellowship north which then led to me commenting on this blog while I eat food that you made for my family. So I think it’s safe to say that BB guns save lives.

  6. My brother had a BB gun that I was allowed to shoot when I was a kid, need to win this cool one!

  7. Shannon S.

    I never did have one, I did get a dart gun which was fun. But now as a mom to 4 boys I really want one for myself so that I can teach them how to play with it properly. Of course they want one too!

  8. Tory powers

    Never had a bob gun growing up but my fav story involving BB guns was that every year without fail my dad would force me and my sisters to watch a Christmas story on repeat. Of all the craziness of being a kid thats one memory I’ll never forget.
    If I won I’d probably either keep it or give it to my baby bro since that’s what “good” big sisters do 😀

  9. I’ve NEVER had a bb gun. And I’m pretty sure you can’t mail that baby to Scotland, but one time my dad was shooting a bb gun and he hit a tree right in front of him but it ricocheted off the tree and hit him in the forehead. He had to tend his own wounds because he could never admit to parents + 3 brothers that he had shot himself. Not. At. All. Surprising.

  10. Kenia Perales

    I remember having a BB gun in our childhood. I grew up with brothers so I would just follow along. I loved putting up soda cans and the winner would be the first to hit one. My brothers would joke around when it was my turn but I ended up winning! Oh, the wonderful memories. If I would win, I will gift it in Christmas. I’m a Christmas baby and my husband’s birthday is on the 21st so we celebrate all week. Thank you for the opportunity!

  11. Jodie

    I wish I had a cool story, but my family didn’t own any guns while I was growing up. I was one of two girls, so there were no play guns either. *tear*

    Fast forward to now, my husband has more guns than I can keep up with. My two stepsons have more play guns, swords, etc., than I can keep up with. *another tear* 🙂

    A BB gun would be a good way to teach the boys some gun safety, so it would be one of those “it’s yours but only when I say you can have it” gifts.

  12. jeannine s

    I didn;t have a BB gun growing up but my older brother did and we did get one for our son

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