Arkansas (AR-KAN-saw) (AR)

Arkansas Flag

 

"The Natural State"

Why visit Arkansas?

Travelers seeking a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy biking, boating, camping, caves, diamond mines, Eureka Springs, festivals, fishing, forests, hiking, historical sites, horseback riding, Hot Springs National Park, hunting, lakes, mineral baths, mountains, music (bluegrass, folk, gospel, rockabilly), rivers, sports, thoroughbred horse racing, Ozarks, waterskiing and wildlife. 

At a Glance

• State Bird: Northern Mockingbird
• Capital: Little Rock
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Apple Blossom
• State Gemstone: Diamond
• State Mammal: White Tailed Deer
• State Rock: Bauxite

Lake Ouachita, Arkansas. Photo Credit: Oliver Graham/Unsplash

Fun Facts

• "Texarkana" is partly in Texas and Arkansas.
  
• In August 1906, John Wesley Huddleston found two diamonds while hog farming in Pike County.
• Headquarters to major corporations: Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (Trucking), Tyson Foods (Foods) and Walmart Inc (Retail Stores).
• The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum preserves the home of Hemingway's in-laws and a barn/studio where the Ernest Hemingway (Author) worked.  
  
• The only U.S. state with diamond mining.
• Offers 2,000 caves, 2340 lakes/reservoirs and 52 parks.
  
• Elvis Presley (Legend Singer) is said to have haircuts at Chaffee Barbershop (Museum).
• Leading producer of bromine used in flame retardants, medication, pesticides and water purification.
  

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Bill Clinton (Former President/Politician), Billy Bob Thornton (Actor), Herbert "Geese" Ausbie (Athlete), Johnny Cash (Singer) and Nathaniel Clifton (Athlete) just to mention a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Come Early Morning (2006), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Sling Blade (1996), The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972) and Walk the Line (2005) just to name a few.
• Novels Set in Arkansas: A Painted House (written by John Grisham) Hot Springs (written by Stephen Hunter), Lost Children Archive (written by Valeria Luiselli), Sweet Hope (written by Mary Bucci Bush) and With (written by Donald Harington) just to mention a few. 

Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, AR. Photo Credit:  Angel/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• The best way to see Arkansas is by car considering the distance between locations. 
• A scenic fall foliage drive is Arkansas Highway 7 from Arkadelphia to Harrison. 
• A popular drive is the Pig Trail Scenic Byway along Arkansas Route 23 from the southern edge of the Ozark National Forest to Arkansas Route 16 (in Brashears).

Prone to tornadoes between March-May.

• Best Time to Visit: Mid September - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July - August
• Peak Season: June - August

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Arkansas Governor's Mansion, Belle Grove Historic District, Boxley Valley Historic District, Dr Hudson Sanitarium Agricultural Building Historic District, Elliott & Anna Barham House, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Smith National Historic Site, Hillcrest Historic District, Historic Curran Hall, Hot Springs Central Avenue Historical District, Jacob Wolf House, Johnson Barn, Johnny Cash's Boyhood Home, New Fort Curtis, Magevney House, Porbeck & Bowman Building Historic Marker, President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site, Rice - Upshaw House, Rohwer Heritage Site, Scott Plantation Settlement, Shiloh Historic District, Rush Historic District, Site of Historic Fort Steele, Studebaker, The Booth Homestead, The "Little Rock", The Magnolia/Mobil Service Station, The Old Mill, Van Buren Historic District, Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 374-7 Site and War Eagle Mill.
• Museums: Arkansas Air & Military Museum, Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, Arkansas Post Museum, Bauxite Historical Association Museum, Central High Museum, Chaffee Barbershop Museum, Clayton House, Daisy Airgun Museum, Delta Cultural Center, Drennen Scott House, Eureka Springs Historical Museum, Fort Smith Museum of History, Gangster Museum of America, Grant County Museum, Hampson Archeological Museum State Park, Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum & Educational Center, Heritage Center Museum, Historic Arkansas Museum, Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village Museum, Lakeport Plantation, Lonoke County Museum, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, McCollum-Chidester Museum, Museum of Native American History, Old Independence Regional Museum, Old State House Museum, Ouachita Historical Society, Plantation Agriculture Museum, Randolph Co Heritage Museum, Rogers Historical Museum, Saint Joe Historic Depot Museum, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, St Francis County Museum, The Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens, The Walmart Museum, University Museum, Van Buren County Historical Society Museum,  Washington County Historical Society, William J Clinton Library & Museum and World War II Japanese American Internment Museum.
• National/State Forest/Parks: Arkansas Grand Canyon, Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas State Parks Regional, Beaver Dam Site Park, Bowers Hollow Falls, Bull Shoal-White River State Park, Cadron Settlement Park, Cane Creek State Park, Cossatot River State Park, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Crowley's Ridge State Park, Davidsonville Historic State Park, Delta Heritage Trails State Park, Elk Watching Pulloff, Fossil Flats Trailhead, Herman Davis State Park, Historic Washington State Park, Hobbs State Park, Hot Springs National Park, Jacksonport State Park, Jenkins Ferry Battleground State Park, Lake Catherine State Park, Lake Charles State Park, Lake Chicot State Park, Lake Dardanelle State Park, Lake Fort Smith State Park, Lake Frierson State Park, Lake Ouachita State Park Marina, Lake Poinsett State Park, Logoly State Park, Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park, Mammoth Spring State Park, Millwood State Park, Mississippi River State Park, Moro Bay State Park, Mount Magazine State Park, Mount Nebo State Park, Ouachita National Forest, Ozark National Forest, Ozark Folk Center State Park, Petit Jean State Park, Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Poison Springs Battleground State Park, Parkin Archeological State Park, Petit Jean State Park, Powhatan Historic State Park, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Reed's Bridge Battlefield Heritage Park, St Francis National Forest, Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, T.R. Pugh Memorial Park, US Pea Ridge Military Park, US National Park Services, Village Creek State Park, White Oak Lake State Park, Withrow Springs State Park and Woolly Hollow State Park.
• Popular Attractions: Arkansas National Historic District, Arkansas Post National Memorial, Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Blanchard Springs Caverns, Blue Spring Heritage Center, Buffalo National River, Centennial Baptist Church, Christ of the Ozarks, Clinton Library, Confederate Cemetery, Cooper Young Historic District, Department of Arkansas Heritage, Former Sharp County Courthouse, Fort Smith National Cemetery, Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Little Rock Zoo, Massey Hotel, Mount Nord Historic District, Natural Bridge of Arkansas, Old Spanish Treasure Cave, Ouachita Mountains, Ozark Plateau, Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, Thorncrown Chapel, Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge and War Eagle Cavern.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit:  Altus, Bella Vista, Benton, Bentonville, Cabot, Conway, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain View, Paragould, Pine Bluff, Rogers, Russellville, Sherwood, Springdale, Texarkana, Tontitown and West Memphis.
• Special Events: (February) Mid-Southern Watercolorists, (March) Annual Quilt Show, Camden Daffodil Festival, Clinton Gospel Fest Time, Eureka Springs Kite Festival, Jonquil Festival, Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, Ozark Foothills Film Festival, (April) Arkansas Folk Festival, Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival, (May) Arkansas Delta Family Gospel Fest, Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, Dermott Crawfish Festival, Hot Springs Music Festival, Magnolia Blossom Festival, Ozark Arts and Crafts Fair, Riverfest Arts & Music Festival, Toad Suck Daze, (June) Cleburne County Fair, Clinton Gospel Fest Time, Emerson Purplehull Pea Festival & World Championship Rotary Tiller Race, John Huddleston Day, Johnson County Peach Festival, Juneteenth, Malvern Brickfest, Native American Wildlife Festival & Powwow,  Oil Town Festival, (August) Hope Watermelon Festival, Northwest Arkansas Bluegrass Festival, Tontitown Grape Festival, Wiederkehr Weinkeller Weinfest, (September) National Championship Chuckwagon Races, Saline County Fair and Rodeo, Times-N-Traditions Festival, Trumann Wild Duck Festival, (October) Arkansas Apple Festival, Bikes, Blues & BBQ, Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival,  Arkansas Rice Festival, Arkansas State Fair & Livestock Show, Cabotfest, Johnny Cash Heritage Festival, Lepanto Terrapin Derby, Ozark Folk Festival, Pea Ridge Mule Jump and Show, Timberfest, Turkey Trot Festival, War Eagle Fair, World Cheese Dip Championship, World Championship Quartz Crystal Dig, (November) Annual Buck Fever Festival, Festival de Otoño and Original Ozark Folk Festival and World Championship Duck Calling Contest.

US Pea Ridge Military Park, Garfield, AR. Photo Credit: Petechacalos/Pixabay

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