THREE GREAT DRIVES TO TAKE FROM NWA WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

The coronavirus epidemic likely has you rethinking everything, including how you shop, how you work, how you educate your kids and everything else under the sun. It’s sure changed things for us here at McLarty Daniel Buick GMC, where we’ve instituted innovations like come-to-you test drives and at-home service pickups and deliveries to help our customers keep shopping for and servicing the cars vehicles need. 

While coronavirus may have put a damper on some of your plans, one safe thing you can do right now is get out and take a long drive. With gas prices at historic lows and spring in full bloom, it’s a great time for a drive, and as long as you don’t stop much, practice good hand-washing, pack a lunch and bring hand sanitizer in case you do have to stop, it’s safe, relaxing and fun. 

Lucky…

for us here in Northwest Arkansas, our region is home to some of the most beautiful scenic routes and all of the United States, and any one of them is ripe for a responsibly social-distanced day out of the house. Seen below, check out three of our favorite drives you can take from Northwest Arkansas. And if you need a great new or reliable used car to get you there, count on McLarty Daniel Buick GMC to help you get into the driver’s seat. Give us a call today, or check out our big selection at our website right now. 

Interstate 49

Bentonville to Alma

While interstates get a bad wrap when you’re wanting to do some sightseeing, Interstate 49 is no regular ol’ interstate! Weaving through some of the most majestic scenery of the Boston Mountains between Bentonville and Alma, including a dip underground through the Bobby Hopper Tunnel I-49 offers some truly breathtaking views, especially from the highway bridges that span between mountains along the way, with some of the bridges over 200 feet from the valley floor below. If you’ve never slowed down to marvel over the engineering feat of I-49, you should, not to mention some of the beautiful sights along the way. For a slower pace on the way back (and some equally-spectacular views) pick up U.S. Highway 71 out of Alma on the way home.

The Pig Trail

Fayetteville to Ozark

Though Interstate 40 stole a lot of the traffic from the iconic “Pig Trail” that was once one of the only sole way to get to Northwest Arkansas if you were coming from the central part of the state, if you’re looking for a relaxing drive full of breathtaking sights that will really help bust those quarantine blues, the lack of traffic is a feature, not a bug. The lightly-traveled highway is great these days when you want to really slow down and enjoy the natural splendor on display. Best of all, thanks to the Interstate 49, you can take your time coming down, then pop over to Alma and hit I-49 to put the pedal down and let the ponies run. Start in Fayetteville and head south on Highway 16 at Brashears, then follow Highway 23 down to Ozark, where you’ll meet I-40. 

Mount Magazine Scenic Byway

Havana to Mount Magazine State Park

Though it’s hard to beat Mt. Petit Jean near Morrilton for beautiful views, when it comes to the king of peaks in Arkansas, there can be only one, and Numero Uno is Logan County’s Mount Magazine, near the small town of Paris, Arkansas. Towering 2,753 feet high, with a winding road that takes you all the way to Mount Magazine State Park at the top, the only thing better that the mountain might be the drive you have to take from Northwest Arkansas to get you there. The Mount Magazine Scenic Byway runs 45 miles along Arkansas Highway 309, running from the town of Havana Yell County all the way to Mount Magazine. It is a true treasure of Arkansas scenic drives, rising more than 2,300 feet from start to finish. In the springtime, with the hills in bloom, it’s an incredible journey. Before you go, be sure to check the website of Mt. Magazine State Park online to make sure the park is open to visitors. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg to all the safe, scenic drives available to you here in Northwest Arkansas. What’s your favorite drive. Share it with us in the comments and maybe we’ll highlight it in a future post of the official blog of McLarty Daniel Buick GMC! Stay safe out there, and for all your automotive needs, trust McLarty Daniel Buick GMC to be there for you and your family.  

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