Spring Break Day 3: Mammoth Springs & Hardy

Snow was put into the forecast, and snow never goes over well in Arkansas.  Being a true northerner, I was not worried about a little snow, so I convinced the wife to go back up our route to Mammoth Springs and Hardy.  She is good to me, so she came along.

 We started off stopping in Cave City.  There is a cave under the town, but I hear it isn't as exciting as it sounds.  The town has two little shops, owned by the same people.  The first one is JB's Flea Market.  The second one is Melon Town Mall.  JB's is two-story building with several booths, and Melon Town Mall is a single-story building.  Both of them have a lot of stuff in there at reasonable prices.  The wife found a really nice tray and a little metal canister.

Then it was off to Mammoth Springs.  If you ever find yourself in this area, this is a neat town.  The main street isn't much, but they have a really neat park right off US 63.  In the spring and summer, it is a perfect spot for a picnic.  When the wife and I were dating, we had a picnic there with my family.  This is first-hand experience, so it has to be true.  I'm sure every resident around that area will agree.  Anyway... There are a few shops in Mammoth.  Two are on Main Street, and the other is south on US 63.  There is a third on Main Street but I was told that it hasn't been open for three years although all of the merchandise is still in it.  Oh, how I would love to get to look inside...

Ozark Heritage Mall was the first stop for us in Mammoth.  The wife went in before I did because I saw the closed shop and had to peek in through the window.  When I got to Ozark Heritage Mall, I started to look.  I noticed everything had auction tags on it.  The wife found me and told me that the man tending shop said that the items were going to auction but could be sold today if we found something we liked.  However, it was not easy to look at the items since some of them were boxed for the auction.  I looked through some of the boxes, but I felt like I was doing something wrong (like going through someone's house or something).  So, the wife and I looked at the stuff that was not boxed yet.  There is a back room to the store, and it was full of furniture when we were there.  The man at the shop told us that everything was to be auctioned in April in order to bring new items into the store.  So, the inventory should change constantly in theory.  We did not find anything we had to have.  I found something I wanted but walked away.

Down the road was The Dusty Cupboard.  It is a small shop with an odd second story.  The lower level was full of glassware and the usual items you find at most antique stores.  The second level was a hallway that led to a large room.  The upstairs was more kid themed.  I found a glass from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back that I wanted.

Log Cabin Antiques is the shop on US 63.  We have been in there before and have purchased items there before as well.  One year, I bought my nephew a throwing star for Christmas from this shop.  It is two levels, but the second level is not a full level (covers the perimeter of the building).  This store has more of a flea market feel to it.  There are some older items in it, but I'm not sure if I have ever noticed anything to be truly antique.  There used to be a vendor there who was selling old military items, which I always found interesting.  However, that vendor was no longer there.

We then headed south on US 63 towards Hardy.  On the way, there is a place that you absolutely cannot miss called Dear Crossing.  The building and property is covered in old road signs and random stuff.  The location even has two pieces of movie props from "Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas."  The place is full of stuff.  The wife and I went in expecting chaos, but the place is organized super well.  I was completely shocked.  Want toy cars?  They've got it.  Old advertising signs?  Check!  Glasses, oil cans, Barbies...?  Yep, There, and Oh yeah!  This place has a little bit of everything.  It was a lot of fun to walk through, and I am not sure why we had not been before this.  I did find three of the King Kong glasses that I had to buy (this is the set that was completed from the previous post at a shop that wasn't visited until a later date... time warp...).

Down US 63, you reach Hardy.  Hardy is right on the river, and it is a very cute town.  There used to be antique stores that lined Main Street, but some of them have disappeared over the time.  There are still plenty of shops to stop at and look through.

Memory Lane Mall is the biggest shop in Hardy.  There are two levels to shop.  Both levels were full of merchandise when we were there.  Their inventory usually has several unique pieces in it.  The wife always like looking at the cabinets.  It is a fun shop to visit because you are never sure what you are going to find.  We did not find anything this time around, but my wife did find some items she liked.  Gift ideas for down the road occasions.

Another shop on Main Street is Cluttered Cupboard.  This shop is ran by an elderly couple, and it is true to the name.  It is definitely full of items. There is a small room in the back that also has stuff, but the best stuff is in the main section of the building.  I found some stuff I liked, but we did not wind up buying anything.

The snow started, and we felt we should head back.  This cut our trip a little short, and there were a few more shops that we were not able to get to that day.  We planned to swing by on the way back to Missouri.  But, we headed back to where we were staying and called it a day.

Until next time... Happy Hunting!