My next stop in Arkansas took me to Jasper, and I started the day the only way you really can: by trying to take down the Excalibur Burger at the Ozark Cafe. Two patties, all the fixings, and the buns are literally grilled cheese sandwiches—beautiful… and kind of horrifying. After that, I headed just outside town to Round Top Mountain for an easy hike with big payoff views. It’s a great reminder that not everything has to be extreme—this is the kind of quick, family-friendly trail that still delivers that Ozarks panorama. From there, I went full “playground mode” at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. I did the via ferrata (clipped into a cable the whole time) and talked through why it’s such a safe, approachable way to get altitude without needing full rock-climbing skills. Then it all wrapped with a rocket-fast zipline through the fall canopy. We also hit the North 40 climbing area where I got back on the wall for the first time in a while—Arkansas rock can feel tricky at the start, then it eases up as you climb. To cap it off, I got on the White River for my first-ever fly fishing session at Gaston’s. I learned nymphing/drift fishing basics, lost a fish (because fly fishing will humble you), and finally landed a great rainbow. After a week in Arkansas, I get why everyone kept telling me it feels like a playground—hiking, climbing, fishing, and more, all packed into one place.