ANTIQUES Antiquing is hugely popular in Arkansas, with more than 200 shops and flea markets that offer everything from authentic period pieces to primitive farm implements. The Antique Warehouse of Arkansas in Botkinburg is a must-see, and you might want to pack a lunch for your exploration of this 90,000-square-foot complex of timeless treasures. Its location on US 65 will take you by dozens of smaller shops and roadside markets worthy of a true bargain hunter’s time. Just southeast of Little Rock, you will find Old Gin Antiques in the small town of Keo. It has garnered regional and national attention for the quality and quantity of pieces in its inventory. If you prefer the serendipitous shopping experience of flea markets, Bargains Galore on US 64 is an annual event held in August that spreads over 160 miles of the two-lane highway from Beebe to the Oklahoma border and was designated a Travel Treasure by Southern Traveler magazine. Launched nearly 20 years ago, the event draws dealers and collectors from throughout the South every year.
ARKANSAS.COM The state’s tourism division publishes a ginormous clearinghouse of travel-related information on the website at arkansas.com. The home page includes direct links to handy travel planning tools like a trip-building program that delivers a thorough itinerary based on the destinations you pull from the site’s database. Maps are posted for each region, as well as specific routes of interest, such as noted hiking and biking trails, plus an interactive map that allows you to select the features highlighted, such as state parks or waterways. The site organizes the information by interest, geography, and the calendar, which gives you a variety of ways to explore the state from the comfort of your own home before you travel. The City Listings section includes lodging, dining, and attraction offerings in the majority of cities and towns in the state and is an invaluable resource when planning a road trip in Arkansas. You can search the Calendar of Events section by travel dates, city names, and selected keywords to link to festivals and special events happening throughout the state.
ARKANSAS WELCOME CENTERS One of the more important tips to know when traveling in Arkansas is the location of the closest Arkansas Welcome Center to your chosen destination. Thirteen are located at the major gateways to the state, and another is housed within the Department of Parks and Tourism offices on the grounds of the state Capitol in Little Rock. Each is staffed with travel consultants well versed in Arkansas’s scenery, lodging, events, and history; they are also well stocked with free maps and literature about the state’s destinations and attractions. Over a million people a year use their expertise for local lodging and dining recommendations, driving directions, and attractions in their area and the entire state. In 2005, Parks and Tourism joined with the state’s Department of Transportation and began replacing the more heavily trafficked locations with larger, native stone and pine structures with state-of-the-art technology and engaging local exhibits that give you an excellent overview of the area’s points of interest while checking your e-mail or booking your room. Most are open daily, excluding holidays, from 8–5.
The centers in Helena–West Helena and Red River close at 4 p.m. During the extended days of summer, you will find them there until 6 p.m. Cities hosting welcome centers include Siloam Springs, Bentonville, Harrison, Mammoth Spring, Corning, Blytheville, Van Buren/Fort Smith, West Memphis, Helena–West Helena, Little Rock, Texarkana, Red River, El Dorado, and Lake Village.
BBQ You could literally travel from one end of the state to the other, sampling the slow-smoked, hickory flavor of slab ribs and pulled brisket, and not taste the same recipe twice. Hot and spicy, sweet and tangy, off-the-bone with fresh white bread, layered with beans and coleslaw over flaky baked potatoes, or spread over hand-rolled tamales and smothered in cheese, Arkansas has almost as many versions of BBQ as it does places that serve it. Every town, and many otherwise deserted roadways between, has at least one local landmark surrounded by diners waiting for a seat at one of its handful of tables. Perhaps the most famous in the state is the presidentially preferred McClard’s BBQ in Hot Springs, naming Bill Clinton among its devotees. Nearby Arkadelphia is home to my personal pick, Allen’s Barbeque, which serves its fire-kissed fare from a trailer wedged in a Y in the roadway to Crater of Diamonds State Park. But it would be blasphemous to disregard the Delta from the Q question, particularly in Arkansas, where the BBQ shacks boast recipes perfected decades ago and served by third- and fourth-generation family members. Here, you will find the epitome of the Southern BBQ shack you might drive past without noticing if not for the throngs of cars and tantalizing smoky aromas. The Cross-Eyed Pig in Little Rock is known for its ribs.
Craig’s Brothers Café in DeValls Bluff has been a destination of choice in east Arkansas since the 1940s. Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna is believed to be the oldest continuously operated African American–owned business in the South, and it was declared an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation in 2012.
BIKING Street cycling and mountain biking are gaining ground in popularity with travelers to the Natural State. One big darn reason is the Big Dam Bridge in central Arkansas, spanning the Arkansas River and connecting the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock with the nation’s longest bridge built specifically for pedestrian/bicycle traffic. Just down the river, near the Clinton Library, the Junction Bridge has been renovated into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and is believed to be the only converted lift span bridge in the country. Visitors ride elevators up to and down from the 360-foot lift span as they cross the entire 1,800 feet of the bridge. Events like the Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville annually draw amateur and professional cyclists and have earned a spot on the National Racing Calendar for the sport. Arkansas is one of the top three destinations in the country for mountain bikers, home to five Epic Rides designated by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). This places the state tied for second with Colorado and just behind California, which has seven official routes. The IMBA also named Bentonville, Fayetteville, and Hot Springs as Ride Centers due to their world-class facilities and welcoming hospitality. In fact, the entire region of northwest Arkansas was distinguished as the first Regional Ride Center noted by the IMBA.
BILL CLINTON From his birthplace home in the city of Hope to his presidential library in Little Rock, you can follow the footsteps of the nation’s 42nd president from the Ouachitas to the White House. Four communities—Fayetteville, Hope, Hot Springs, and Little Rock—offer numerous locales that provide a glimpse of Clinton’s personal and political past in the state. In Fayetteville, the Clinton House Museum, the house where Bill and Hillary Clinton married, is convenient to the University of Arkansas, where he taught law during the couple’s newlywed days. Clinton’s childhood in Hot Springs is marked in a former family home, the church and high school he attended, as well as the YMCA where Clinton and his high school band, The Three Kings, frequently played.
BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES Arkansas’s location along the Mississippi Flyway, plus numerous expanses of unblemished natural habitat, provides birdwatchers with a resource that contains 400 species, including rarely seen coastal birds venturing through on their annual migration. In 2005, the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas was the site of all sightings when Gene Sparling and David Luneau generated worldwide interest with their grainy footage of an ivory-billed woodpecker, previously believed to be extinct, flying through the swampy bottomland. While the formal search for the bird has now subsided, avid birdwatchers still man blinds in the bottomland forest, drawn to the 310 species regularly observed in the state in the appropriate season, including the brown-headed nuthatch, Bachman’s sparrow, and Henslow’s sparrow. Arkansas’s butterfly population includes more than 150 species as well as a few transient visitors during the annual migration season, which lasts from March through early December. A butterfly festival is held in early June at Mount Magazine State Park, easily the most popular location for observation, with more than 90 species spending their summers here. In southwest Arkansas, the Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Wildlife Management Area, the nation’s largest contiguous tract of publicly held blackland prairie, attracts a diverse selection of species to a butterfly garden on its grounds. The unique plant life found on Crowley’s Ridge draws the fluttering creatures to the grounds of Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro, where elevated walkways enhance your perspective.
CROWLEY’S RIDGE NATURE CENTER ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & TOURISM
BLUEGRASS The small, Ozark Mountain town of Mountain View is the Folk Music Capital of the World, where traditional folk instruments like the fiddle, dulcimer, and mandolin celebrate the genre daily with performances on the stage of the Ozark Folk Center and the square of its historic downtown. Eureka Springs is home to an annual bluegrass festival that fills its winding streets with amateur and professional musicians drawn to the eclectic community and its funky venues. Every show during the weeklong event is free, making it one of the state’s most popular music festivals for families. Located in the beautiful Ouachita Mountains near Waldron, Turkey Track Bluegrass Park hosts one of the largest bluegrass festivals west of the Mississippi River, holding two festivals in June and October every year.
BLUES Roads lined with soft tufts of cotton are among the first harbingers of fall for the thousands of people making their way through east Arkansas for the King Biscuit Blues Festival. For more than 30 years, this annual event has been held every October on Cherry Street in historic downtown Helena, which has its own place of significance in the history of blues. Legendary artists like B. B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Dr. John, Greg Allman, Buddy Guy, and Taj Mahal have graced its Main Stage, while its six city blocks have been lined with up-and-comers. The Delta Cultural Center is also here. It offers interactive exhibits that tell the story of the Delta’s role in the development of the genre and is also home to the longest-running daily blues radio show in the United States. Bubba’s Blues Corner nearby stocks an amazing collection of records, CDs, tapes, and memorabilia that intrigues both amateurs and aficionados.
BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES The clean, clear waters of the state are showcased in the beers brewed by craftsmen throughout Arkansas. In 2016, the state was home to 30 breweries, with nine in Little Rock, 10 on Fayetteville’s Ale Trail, and the remainder scattered throughout the state. Pub crawls and brewery tours attract locals and visitors and are frequently paired with gallery walks, music festivals, and exhibitions. Crafted spirits are constantly evolving in Arkansas, with local distillers bottling more than moonshine in them thar hills. Bourbons, vodkas, and hard ciders are just a few of the spirits you can sample during your visit or purchase for your bar at home. Tours and demonstrations are also offered at many of these fine establishments, spotlighting the science behind the magic in the bottle.
CAVES The subterranean splendor of the Ozarks is easily explored in guided tours in show caves such as Hurricane River Cave, Cosmic Caverns, War Eagle Cavern, and Blanchard Springs Caverns. These locations also offer guided wild caving tours for the physically fit. Hikers exploring the mountains near the Buffalo National River may also encounter wild caves such as the Lost Valley Trail Cave, which houses a 35-foot waterfall. Some wild caves in the Ozark Mountains require permits or guides for entry. Hikers may also come across cave openings with grated entries designed to protect endangered species whose year-round homes are in the caves.
Additional information on the caves and obtaining permits is available from the Harrison office of the Buffalo National River (870-741-5443).
CIVIL WAR Arkansas’s role in the Civil War is diversely depicted throughout the state in battlefields with self-guided tours, annual reenactments, and more modern, interactive displays within historic structures. Battlefields at Prairie Grove and Pea Ridge alternate as the annual site for reenactments of the deadly battles that occurred there in 1862. Pea Ridge National Military Park’s 4,300 acres offers visitors a 7-mile, self-guided tour daily. The battlefield at the state park in Prairie Grove is nationally recognized as the most intact Civil War battlefield in the country. Arkansas Post’s proximity to the Mississippi River in southeastern Arkansas made it a critical site for both Union and Confederate forces. The museum there today offers interpretive displays and programming on the post’s history with both sides and the battles that led to its fall to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and his troops in January 1863. The last major Confederate offensive in the state was also fought near the banks of the Mississippi River at Helena in east Arkansas. Several sites, including the Confederate Cemetery, are part of a Delta heritage tour on the city’s Civil War history guided by area experts. State parks mark three battle sites that were part of the Union Army’s Red River campaign at Poison Spring, Marks’ Mills, and Jenkins’ Ferry. The Old State House Museum was one of two of the state’s Confederate Capitols. The 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse at Historic Washington State Park near Hope is also open to the public and is just one part of the park’s interpretation of daily life in Arkansas during the era.
CAVING AT DEVIL’S DEN STATE PARK
DRIVE-IN MOVIES Arkansas’s temperate climate is perfect for outdoor recreation and entertainment, so you will find a number of communities in the state where you can still experience the magic of watching a movie under the stars. Mountain View’s Stone Drive-In and the 112 Drive-In in Fayetteville are traditional, old-fashioned venues with concession stands serving up buttery popcorn, cheesy nachos, and nostalgia nightly.
EQUESTRIANS Arkansas’s reputation with equestrians has been on the rise for a number of years, and if you like to pack your own pony when you travel, Village Creek State Park on Crowley’s Ridge offers you and your steed all of the luxury you would find in the Bluegrass State on the loess-covered hills of the ridge. Its facilities have earned it the nickname Horse Hilton, but its paths alongside the Trail of Tears draw riders back every year. Experienced and novice riders alike seek the sage wisdom of Arvell Bass, Arkansas’s horse whisperer, at Stone Creek Ranch in Mountain Home. Brilliant cutting horses aid his tutorial process, which ranges from locating the equine emergency brake to cutting a cow from its herd. Near Jasper, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch saddles horses in one of the most scenic settings in the Ozark Mountains.
THE BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE REENACTMENT ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & TOURISM
FALL COLOR Arkansas travelers eagerly await the advent of autumn and the flourish of fall color that paints our state in a Technicolor display reminiscent of Dorothy’s landing in Oz. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism has a network of color spotters in every region of the state who supply weekly updates that are compiled into one report that is posted on Arkansas.com every Thursday evening. The reports describe foliage changes in these three regions: northwest/north central Arkansas (Ozarks), central Arkansas/Ouachita Mountains, and southern/eastern Arkansas, though specific areas and highways are cited when notable.
There are a number of variables that affect the intensity of fall’s display as well as its timing. As a rule, significant color change begins in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas in late September or early October. The trees in central Arkansas and the Ouachita Mountains of west-central Arkansas reflect a noticeable change by early to mid-October, and the color finally reaches the southern and eastern forests during mid-October. There is usually a period of a week or so when the fall foliage in a particular area is at its best. Normally, the peak of color occurs around two or three weeks after color changes begin, meaning late October for the Ozarks, late October or early November for central and western Arkansas, and early to mid-November for the southern and eastern sections. The state’s scenic byways wind lazily through the striking canopy, past roadside stands brimming with the season’s harvest, and through communities celebrating nature’s bounty. While the rugged slopes of the Ozarks provide an abundance of panoramic perches for soaking in the splendor of the season, the ethereal golden glow of the unique vegetation on Crowley’s Ridge in eastern Arkansas remains my personal favorite.
FESTIVALS The friendly folk who populate the state take great pride in their communities and great pleasure in showcasing their distinct destinations in festivals that are held all over the state throughout the year. You can pay homage to watermelons, strawberries, peaches, raccoons, crawdads, trout, elk, butterflies, birds, ducks, or toads. Immerse yourself in the sultry strains of the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena or the refreshing waters of the Cardboard Boat Festival in Heber Springs. The award-winning thoroughbred facilities at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs are spotlighted in spring during its Racing Festival of the South. The highlight of the weeklong celebration, the Arkansas Derby, attracts prominent Kentucky Derby contenders and is now considered a major prep race for the Run for the Roses. You can race horses, dogs, toads, outhouses, and tillers, and if you really want to get your thrill on, try spending Labor Day in Clinton, Arkansas, at the National Chuckwagon Race Championships.
Arkansas’s temperate climes extend the season for outdoor music festivals, and the tranquil banks of our pristine rivers have hosted artisans of both sight and sound for decades. The shores of the White River in Newport entice national country and rock acts, as well as tens of thousands of people, to Portfest—a large water carnival that includes fishing and horseshoe tournaments and handmade crafts. The King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena sprawls along the levee of the mighty Mississippi River, the perfect proving ground for the genre born in the heart of the Delta. As for the state’s namesake—the Arkansas River—Fort Smith, Little Rock, and Pine Bluff are just a few of the cities hosting large riverside music festivals annually. The granddaddy of the three, Riverfest, features several stages spanning both sides of the river, drawing over a quarter of a million people every May. Newcomer Bikes, Blues, and BBQ in northwest Arkansas draws hundreds of thousands of bikers, as well as those who simply want to enjoy good food and music in the hip college town of Fayetteville.
FISHING If you think you need saltwater or a deep-sea rig to land a trophy fish, think again. The Natural State claims no fewer than five world records in the sport, all landed within a few hours of each other in the northern half of the state. The small town of Greers Ferry in north-central Arkansas boasts two: a 27-pound hybrid striped bass and a 22-pound, 11-ounce walleye. Bull Shoals Lake was the site where a skilled Arkansas angler caught the mini but mighty Ozark bass, weighing in at 1 pound. Without a doubt, though, a guided float-fishing trip down an Arkansas river is an idyllic and iconic experience that electrifies fishermen in a most relaxing way. The ever-changing tapestry of Arkansas’s rustic landscape is a hypnotic backdrop as your mind visualizes the lunker swimming just beneath the river’s crystal, reflective surface. You’ll want to fish for bass on the Spring River; an 11-pound, 13-ounce shadow bass caught on the Spring holds the world record for the species. There are several tributaries that are fruitful for trout. Arkansas’s aggressive and cooperative natural resource management partnership with the Corps of Engineers has resulted in an abundant population of trout that thrive in many of its rivers. A 40-pound, 4-ounce brown trout, caught on the Little Red River in the Ozark Mountains, holds the world record for browns. Arkansas.com is an excellent resource for researching and planning your trip. Fishing reports (they will tell you what the fish are biting and when) are posted for waterways throughout the state, along with videos and photos of fish tails (tales).
FOUR-WHEELING Riding ATVs and other motorized vehicles is a rapidly growing recreational use of the national forests in the state. Brock Creek, Huckleberry Mountain, and Mill Creek Trails in the Ozark National Forest are most popular in northern Arkansas. The entire forest includes over 1,100 miles of designated routes available for off-highway vehicle use. Riders are responsible for obtaining a copy of the most recent Motor Vehicle Use Map to show the legally designated routes. The map is reprinted each year and is available online at www.aokforests.com or at any Ozark National Forest office. The gently folding hills of the Ouachita National Forest in western Arkansas are also popular with four-wheelers.
GOLF If you have your green jacket, you will probably be scheduling a round at the Alotian, founded in part and inspired by the late and legendary Jack Stephens. The Alotian in Little Rock is one of the newest and most exclusive golf clubs in the South, maybe even the country. It is also reported to rival the natural beauty of Augusta with its lush greens and constantly changing elevations. And while the majority of us may never play there, it has drawn the attention of nationally renowned golfers such as Tiger Woods to the state. And just as a rising tide floats all boats, Arkansas courses reflect a sophistication many golfers find surprising, set in natural beauty usually found only at high-end resorts or members-only clubs. A coalition of courses that meet strict standards of quality for their course and facility formed the Natural State Golf Trail a few years ago, and now numbers 15 courses in 13 locations accessible to you while on vacation in the state (www.naturalstategolftrail.com). You will even find an Andy Dye-designed course, the Ridges at Village Creek State Park.
HANG GLIDING On a clear day in the Arkansas River Valley, the winds that bluster along the river’s path give flight to eagles, falcons, hawks, and humans. Both Mount Magazine and Mount Nebo State Park offer launch pads adjacent to cabins to accommodate those that do and those that are just fine watching from over here in the hot tub. But even the most acrophobic will find the hang gliders’ flight mesmerizing as their path takes them past sights only the daring can see.
HOGS At over 100 years of age, the University of Arkansas’s Fayetteville campus is considered the flagship of the state’s collegiate programs. Its mascot, the Razorback, is sacred to most Arkansans; many will tell you that if you cut them, they’ll bleed Razorback red. We are also convinced that most people do the same, whether they are willing to admit it or not. The university’s public facilities include Barnhill Arena, which houses the nation’s first on-campus museum dedicated solely to female athletes at the collegiate level. Bud Walton Arena, home of the Razorback basketball team, is the fifth-largest on-campus basketball facility in the country; it displays Razorback highlights and memorabilia in a museum on its concourse. The Tommy Boyer Hall of Champions Museum in Bud Walton Arena and the Jerry Jones/Jim Lindsey Hall of Champions Museum in the Frank Broyles Athletic Center also display a century of Arkansas sports memories.
HUNTING Several million acres of public land make Arkansas prime ground for hunters, and big game hunting is popular in the state. With a herd of white-tailed deer estimated at 1 million, plus black bear and elk, the Natural State’s reputation with hunters predates its European settlement. Liberal regulations for big game hunting seasons are set for archery, crossbow, muzzleloaders, and modern guns. Arkansas is also famed for its small game, and duck hunting along the famous Mississippi Flyway in the Arkansas Delta is prime fare.
For hunting seasons, regulations, licenses, permits, and guides, visit the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at www.agfc.com.
LAKES More than 600,000 surface acres of lakes provide year-round water-borne recreational opportunities for visitors to the Natural State. Damming projects created many of the larger lakes found in northern Arkansas, such as Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry, and Norfork. In the Ouachitas, the Diamond Lakes of Catherine, DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton, and Ouachita are among the most popular in the state with recreational boaters. In the River Valley, Lake Dardanelle, Blue Mountain, Cove, and Ozark Lakes are popular recreation areas.
The lakes of southern Arkansas—Chicot, DeQueen, Gillham, and Millwood—are more popular for their fishing.
MOTORCYCLING Arkansas’s scenic roadways bank along a verdant landscape that beckons motorcyclists year-round to explore historic sites, luxurious resorts, and national forests rich with wildlife and lush vegetation. Biker-friendly towns include Hot Springs, Eureka Springs, Harrison, and Mountain View, each hosting large rallies and events every year. Bikes, Blues, & BBQ in Fayetteville is one of the fastest-growing rallies in the country, as every year more bikers embrace the town’s cosmopolitan personality surrounded by unspoiled natural beauty.
MUSEUMS Former Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s contribution to the state’s museum system is evident both in its art museums and its state history museums. The Winthrop Rockefeller Legacy Gallery on Petit Jean Mountain is the only museum in the country strictly dedicated to the life and achievements of a Rockefeller. Just an hour away, in Little Rock, the Arkansas Arts Center offers numerous galleries and exhibits that display the works of European masters. The state’s newest and most prestigious art museum is Bentonville’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, with a collection that includes several national art treasures.
LOCAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY ARE PRESERVED AT PEEL MANSION MUSEUM AND HERITAGE GARDENS
NATIONAL FORESTS The Ozark National Forest sprawls through the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas and features miles of hiking trails, including the 165-mile Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail, which runs from Clarksville in northwestern Arkansas to Ozone. Though its 22,000 acres of grounds make it one of the smaller national forests in the country, the campgrounds at St. Francis National Forest in east Arkansas are my personal favorite in the state. Situated strategically for privacy, many are set on small peninsulas that make you feel like you are the only campers in the forest but still not too far from the Blues Festival in Helena, the casinos in Lula, or Beale Street in Memphis if you need urban relief from this pastoral setting.
OPERA One of the oldest summer festivals in the country, Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point is a series of three fully staged operas performed annually in June and July. Money magazine rates it in the top 10 in the world, with an open venue that resembles the Santa Fe Opera.
PASSION PLAY In 2009, The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs celebrated its 40th anniversary and updated its scripts to include text from different New Testament passages, focusing on more of the miracles performed by Christ in the days immediately prior to, and following, the crucifixion. Elaborate costumes and sets, as well as a large multigenerational cast, create a sense of pageantry for their performances. Performances are held from late April through October.
PIE Arkansas has great pie. Icebox pies, fried pies, meringue pies, peanut butter, and snickerdoodle all vie for counter space with Mom’s apple pie. Truth is, you don’t have to go far to find a pie that literally inspires folks from off (non-Arkansans) to take its picture. But if you are a true pie person, one who believes that the right slice of pie can cure anything that ails you, then DeValls Bluff, just east of Little Rock, is a must-see, or must-eat, for you. You will have to judge between Ms. Lena’s and The Family Pie Shop as to which might just make the best pies on the planet. Just to be certain, though, as you pass through Keo on your way east, a quick stop at Charlotte’s Eats & Sweets in town will ensure that you have a proper basis for comparison.
RAILROADS Just as the waterways of eastern Arkansas were critical to the settlement of that sector of the state, the railroad was equally essential to the development of communities in the Ozark Mountains.
Passenger excursions are still offered aboard the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, which bridges the communities of Winslow, Van Buren, and Fort Smith. The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway also offers a variety of trips and is well known for the food served in the Eurekan Dining Car.
The Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff displays samples of rolling stock, railroad memorabilia, and model trains, and will give you a historic overview of its contribution to the state’s economic and cultural advancement.
FLATWATER KAYAKING IN THE DELTA ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & TOURISM
RIVERS Over 9,000 miles of stream traverse the Arkansas landscape, tumbling through the mountains of the Ozarks and Ouachitas and meandering along the flatlands of the Delta.
The nation’s first federally protected river, the Buffalo, is in the Ozarks, and it is also one of the state’s most popular for canoeing. Also in northern Arkansas, the Kings, White, Little Red, and Spring Rivers are popular with paddlers and fishermen alike.
White-water kayaking on the Cossatot River in southwest Arkansas is considered to be the most challenging in the state, with the rapids showcased in the River Valley on Mulberry, Big Piney, and Illinois Bayou running close behind. The Caddo, Little Missouri, and Ouachita Rivers offer a more leisurely float for families and beginners. The wild environs of the cypress-lined Cache River in eastern Arkansas have been compared to the Amazon River in South America and brought flat-water kayaking into the national limelight in 2005, when a kayaker spotted the ivory-billed woodpecker while paddling the Big Woods area that borders the river.
SPOOKY SITES The 1882 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs is considered to be the most haunted hotel in the country. More than 70,000 sightings have been logged on the hotel’s site; footage captured by the acclaimed Ghost Hunters camera crew launched their fall season in 2006, the first to capture spectral images visible on film. Ghost tours are also offered of the hamlet’s historic downtown and the 1906 Basin Park Hotel. The towns of Gurdon and Crossett have attracted attention from nationally recognized paranormal researchers investigating ethereal lights that hover over specific sections of railroad tracks, swaying back and forth as they move down the track without casting light below. The Gurdon event has been broadcast on national television and is regularly photographed by tourists. Though there is debate as to whether or not it is the result of supernatural intention or scientific anomaly, it is generally accepted as “real” and is a present-day phenomenon that you can see yourself on dark and overcast nights. The lights are not visible from the highway; you will have to hike a couple of miles to see them. Haunted Tours of Little Rock explores the capital city’s sites from a funeral car and includes Mount Holly Cemetery, private homes, and government buildings reported to be home to spirits dating back to the state’s origins.
TROLLEYS Trolley service is available in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock, providing connecting service between the Argenta entertainment district of the north shore, the River Market district on the southern shore, and the Clinton Library and Heifer Global Education Center.
VERMIN In addition to the flora and fauna found in our forests, you will also meet up with a few unsavory characters when playing in the woods. Hot summers and high humidity create the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. You will want to use a strong repellent in spring, summer, and fall, and check yourself frequently for offenders, quickly removing any ticks you find. Though rare, cases of West Nile virus, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been reported. All of that virgin forestland is a haven for elk and bear, and also timber rattlers, cottonmouths, and water moccasins. Forewarned is forearmed: wear insect repellent and watch your step. The majority of snakes in the state are nonpoisonous, but it is recommended that, if bitten, you assume the snake is poisonous if you are unsure. Most severe snakebite injuries are the result of mishandling the injury rather than the venom itself.
VROOOM, VROOOM Take I-167 (Batesville Boulevard) to north-central Arkansas and the “dirt tracks of Batesville,” the home of the Mark Martin Museum (1-800-566-5561; www.markmartinmuseum.com), 1601 Batesville Boulevard, Batesville. Mark Martin may have retired from the NASCAR circuit, but his legacy still draws crowds to the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Martin’s 40 years of racing are immortalized in this state-of-the-art museum displaying the cars, races, and accolades that made him famous. Martin was inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.
WINERIES As the oldest and largest grape juice/wine producing state in the southern US, Arkansas’s viticultural history dates back 120 years. The state’s most prominent vintners are located in the Altus region in northwest Arkansas, with some of the wineries now run by the fourth- and fifth-generation descendants of the original families. Four wineries—Chateau Aux Arc, Mount Bethel, Post Familie, and Wiederkehr—are located in Altus and offer free tours and tastings for visitors. Nearby Paris is home to the Cowie winery and the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum, the only museum in the nation dedicated to a state’s wine history. The new cask on the block is in Eureka Springs, where Keels Creek Winery offers retail sales, a tasting room, and an art gallery.