Appreciate advice / NW Arkansas

Hello -- I will be in Springdale for a week, and thereafter am free to take in the area. I am having some trouble researching via Google for the following:

(a) Springdale -- I am a vegetarian but do dairy. Besides pizza (have found some pizza houses) where should I look for resturants? Any Indian resturants?

(b) what is the general 'feel' of Springdale? City-like?

(c) I am looking forward to exploring the AR Ozark region. Where do I find the best guides for biking, hiking, kayaking and spelunking? Not interested in tours.

Thanks!

I have land around Hardy Arkansas it's part of the Spring River basin.
Pretty area but a little dull this time of year. If you like Country music or amusement parks Branson Mo. is pretty close. Bull Shoals lake and damn are kind of neat and their are many cave systems in the area. NW Arkansas has some of the best caving in the country. Being a Veggie will be a little tough but Springdale has a more small town feel. Hope you enjoy it.

and definitely more liberal. Lots of great places to eat all over NW Arkansas.

Springdale is bordering on sorta kinda being a Corporate town. Home of Tyson.

It's between Bentonville (yea, boo, whatever) and Fayetteville (yea, boo, whatever).

It's a strange blend of cultures for such a "small" town. It's a nice blend of Rednecks (both orthodox and un), Hillbillies (both orthodox and un) and Latinos (both orthodox and un).

Don't know how much free time you'll have during the week, but if you have a free day, be sure and make the trip over to Eureka Springs. http://www.eurekasprings.com/

Not sure about any Indian, but if you want some Tex-Mex, visit Casa Taco in Fayetteville. Ask for Shue and tell him what you want. Also tell him "Norm sent me. Yeah, that Norm."

and eat Italian at Mary Maestris in Tontitown.

downtown-buffet or menu.

And, no flames please, has a very distinctive odor from the Tyson plants. You will be about 10 miles from Fayetteville and 16 from Rogers. There are tons of restaurants in both of those, including a couple of vegetarian ones. Lots of Chinese and Mexican that will have vegetarian items...heck, even the Dixie Cafe offers a vegetable plate and McAlister's has supersized baked potatoes. Tontitown is the place for Italian and Eureka Springs can be like a trip back to 1880! The Ozarks are beautiful.

I'll be in Springdale purely for work-related reasons, and so, for about a week am limited to what Springdale has to offer. Thereafter I'm free to do what I'd like.

One more question: I'm having trouble figuring out what my transportation options are post-Springdale. I'm supposed to fly in to NWA regional airport and then go to Springdale. However, I'm considering driving (from DC), which gives me lots of options like bringing my bike, etc. Will this be convenient for my post-Springdale explorations/travels or do you think it's overkill?

there are some really great places to ride east of Springdale. Check out War Eagle Mill for the scenery, then head to Kingston and down into Boxley Valley, where you can see the elk herd, one of the largest east of the Rockies. Check out Llewellyn Springs and hike the Buffalo trail (Buffalo National River is the first National River-no dams on it, quite beautiful). Check out Lost Valley-a really neat natural place with caves, rock formations, etc. Be sure to go to Lost Valley Canoe in Ponca (the sign on their store says "No shirt, No shoes, No problem"). The owners are environmentalists and very progressive.

It's really a Persian restaurant in diguise, and you can get wonderful Persian salad, falafel, hummus, and vegetable kabobs. It is on Business Hwy 71, about three blocks south of the courthouse on the right.

Going to the peace demo this afternoon? If so, I'll see you there. You are also invited to the Dances of Universal Peace at the Unity Church (Hwy 16 East), from 7-9.

in Fayetteville, just off Gregg Street about a mile or so south of the Gregg Street exit of the 71 Bypass

http://www.packrat.biz/