November 17, 2025 (Mon.) - Ozark Journey: Scenic Travel and German Food in Altus.
We packed up and left Forrest City this morning, heading northwest toward Altus, Arkansas—closer to the Ozarks and the ride Kirk has been looking forward to.
Lynn was up at 6:15, already working on the long-delayed blog post about our Tail of the Dragon ride from November 8. Kirk finally rolled out at 8:30, ignoring Lynn’s 8:00 wake-up call, and we began our usual travel prep. By just before 10:00 we were on the road, greeted by a windy morning.
The drive was about 203 miles—just over three hours—straight along I‑40. It was a gloomy, sometimes rainy, but still beautiful drive with interesting views and objects (foliage, vehicles, birds, farms, etc.). Less than an hour into our drive we need a rest stop. Of course, the first one we see said closed! But as we drove by, there were porta-potties and vehicles stopped there. We also passed a few ‘truck parking’ areas (meant for truckers to park and take a short break), none with restrooms, though a few had porta-potties. We decided to stop at the next truck parking area, but of course, the one we decided to stop at didn’t have any porta-potties! Technically, we could have just opened up the RV to use the bathroom, but it wasn’t that urgent. We stopped anyways for Kirk to take a quick ‘nature’ break. We finally got to a ‘normal’ rest area at 12:35, in Big Piney near Russelville where we stopped, took a break and ate lunch that Lynn packed.
By 1:30 we were near our destination, but the GPS led us past the campground! We saw the sign for Wine Capital RV Park but kept following GPS directions a few miles down the road, only to end up at a completely different campground. Luckily, there was space to turn around, and we made it back to the right spot.
Wine Capital RV Park turned out to be a tiny place—only about 12 sites, full hookups, but no real amenities (no picnic tables or fire rings). There is no designated check-in area and everything is done via text messaging. Payment was cash-only, dropped in an envelope at the laundry room. At $40 a night for three nights, it worked just fine.
After setting up, we went exploring and grabbed groceries. To our surprise, Altus is full of wineries, with signs everywhere. One caught our eye: Wiederkehr Village Wine & Spirits and the Weinkeller Restaurant. Despite having just spent $250 on groceries, we couldn’t resist.
Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, founded in 1880, remains Arkansas’s oldest operational winery and is still run by the family’s fourth generation. In 1967, they opened the Weinkeller Restaurant, nestled inside the original hand-dug wine cellar from the 1800s, where authentic Swiss-German cuisine is served in a historic setting. Our meal was a feast—Swiss onion soup, a hearty sausage sampler, pork schnitzel, beef stroganoff, a Swiss apple dumpling topped with ice cream, cheesecake, and a full bottle of their own Wiederkehr Cabernet Sauvignon. Every bite was delicious, and the entire experience cost less than $100!
By 6:30 PM we were back at the RV in a food coma. Kirk relaxed while Lynn returned to blogging. A call from Kirk’s son Tyler made his day. We love hearing from our kids (unsolicited)!
At 10:45 PM, Lynn finally published the Tail of the Dragon/Cherohala Skyway post from November 8—a satisfying end to a full day.
Weather – High 66*, Low 45*. Winds 6-12 mph with 26 mph gusts. No rain, no humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – Weinkeller Restaurant – delicious.
Notable – Weinkeller Restaurant, phone call from Kirk’s son Tyler.
Screen time – Dark Winds.
