[whatever75]

Hello everyone,

after searching every possible web-page on Arkansas and Fayeteville, I stumbled upon this forum and thought it would be a good chance to get some advice and info that is not so official...

My situation is this - I come from Zagreb, Croatia where I work on the University. I got an US scholarship to spend one semester on U of A as a visiting scholar. My stay begins in January and ends in May 2009.

From what I've seen so far on the Internet and on this forum, Fayetteville seems very interesting Moving from Zagreb, which is a city of one million people and a capital, this will be a change, but I don't mind escaping the city life for a few months, in fact I am really looking forward to it.

So, any information on everyday life in Fayetteville would be great, where to eat, where to go out, where to go shopping... Since I am not flying my car over the ocean, how's the public transportation? The weather? Coming from a Mediterranean country, I really dislike very cold weather so I hope winter will be gone by March... will it?

Thanks for your help and advice, I am really looking forward to staying in Arkansas, always have been a fan of Clintons

[linicx]

Lucky you!!! UA is an awesome University. I've spent hours and hours in Fauetteville with friend. We are all older so I can't answer all of your questions. But I can give you an idea of what you're in for. Bring a heavy winter coat. Most of the mid-section of the US has been in the grip of an Artic storm and another is on its way. Buy a down-filled coat or a wool coat with wool lining or sheepskin. Do not buy the classy anything leather to wear as it has no protection from the Tundra cold you might find. So is suede. The three warmest natural fabrics are mink, duck down or wool. Snowsuits are well insulated too, but they are awkward in warm weather.. Be sure to buy your coat BEFORE you board. It's alredy snowed once in Florida. You'll most likely need it when you deplane or shortly theerafter. You'll alsp need heavy sweaters..At least one set of flannel pajama's, too. You A wool coat is too warm for 50 degrees, but you are coming out of the Mediteraan so 50 will feel like you're freezing. Most living places in Ark. have central heat and air-conditioning. You'lll need it.

You are moving from sea level to mountains. Not as high as the alps, but well above sea level. Fayetteveillvis sandwiched in between the Ozark Mountain Range and the Boston Mountains. There are a lot of high hills that surround it. It is also surrounded by history. Movie history, UA history, architechural history, American Civil War hostory, cultural history, city hsitory, notanical gardens, etc. Eureka Springs is built like a Swiss village on the side of a mountain. It's your basic artists colony but it is a must see. Tontitown is an Italian community about 30 miles w pf Fayetteville. War Eagle Mill on the floor of the forest has a 200 year old millstone that grinds fresh flour every day. There's a Spring Arts and Crafts festival held there every Spring and Fall. Pea Ridge Civil War battleground is due north of Fayetteville on the Missouri border. There's a shopping mall too. It is not grand, but it is very nice. And the girls are very pretty.

You're going to wantt to rent a car. You'll need plenty of ID: Birth certificate, passport, driver's licnese, and maybe one piece of mail from the local utility company. The folks there drive like they are on the Autobahn. Drive on the right side of the road, pass ont he left. Pull off the road when an emergency vehicle with sirens and lights are flashing unless to do so would cause an accident. USE turn signals. Do not talk on a cellphone and drive. Some states will fine you a small fortune.. Pull off the road. One other thing, when approaching a curve, and it is marked 15 mph, do not drive 20mph for you may find yourself on the express elevator going from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the forest.. If you can drive in the Alps you candrive in the Ozark Mountains with no trouble. Respect the ladies and you'll have many new friends for the effort. Date rape is not tolerated - you do not want to spend time inside a southern jail waitng for a court date.

The nice thing about UA is that it is not too far - within 3-8 hours in any direction - of several major US cities: Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis and Tulsa, plus smaller very nice cities to visit are Tulsa, Branson, Hot Springs, Shreveport - Bosier City abd Grove, Oklahoma. They all offer something unique to do, or see,or exprience besides shopping.

I do not know your religion; I don't need too. Fayetteville is decidedly conservative Christian. there is no Eastern Orthodoxy. You;ll find Roman Catholic, Jewish temples in Fayetteville and Stpringfield and Tulsa. many Christian faiths. I don't believe you will find Bah Hai or Hindu, but I do know you can find a Muslim community in Columbia, Missouri. The U of M Hospital has a lorge Muslim support staff who were not born to American parents.

The one restaurant I know in Fayetteville is I-HOP. Veru casual dress; iusally gopd food and varied menu. I preferthe I-Hop Cheese Blintz and German potato pancakes over all other menu offerings. The kids on campus will know what's hot and what isn't. Just remember they do not have your developed palate. It makes a difference. Washington Hospital is good. If you are a strick Vegetarian, the school might need to help you with your dietary needs.

March is usually blustery. April has warm days and cold nights and gradually increases temperature until the opposite it true.

My purpose in doing this is to give you an idea of what you can do when you don't hit the books.
I think once you get the hang of the of Fayetteville and the people you will love it and won't miss the million people cities. When you're in Fayettevillel you can get those in any direction for hte price of gasoline. The currancy is US dollars. You'll want to exchage currencies once you enter the U.S and vice versa before you leave.

I spent 25 years in these areas. I know a fair amount about each and I can give you good driving directions. What I cannot give you is specifics about restaurants, taxes, school systems, rentals. etc., but the school can.. They may have a listing of available housing.

You will have jetlag and sleep for at least two days. Vitamin C seems to help. An international traveler told me. It won't hurt for you to bring some Asprin from home because your body is used to those drugs. The US drugs may be compounded differently and give you side effects you were not expecting.

Welcome Home! Got questions? IM me.

[bagelw]

A friend of mine moved here from Albania and he was very sad to go back home. He really enjoyed his time here. You shouldn't have trouble making friends but it will be a culture shock as it was for me when I moved here and I'm American. The area is small but there is quiet a bit of cultural diversity thanks to the University.

The University has a bus system that will pretty much get you to where you want to go. As long as you live on or near campus then pretty much everything you need will be nearby. The area is definitely built around the automobile so you will have to bum rides from someone every once in a while. Getting to the grocery store may be an issue for example since the closets is about a mile from campus. However, the bus does take you to the mall and other shopping centers.

As far as eating and entertainment there is Dickson Street. Dickson is just off campus so it's very easy to walk to. It has just about any food from sushi to indian to spanish to mediterranian. There are also plenty of bars and clubs that stay open till 2am. I could give you names of some of my favorites but you'll just have to walk around a find places that suit your taste.

If you are into biking, hiking, or canoeing then this place is a paradise. Within the city are several biking trails and just a few miles outside of town there are fantastic mountian biking trails, hiking trails, and rivers perfect for canoeing or kayaking. In fact you should probably invest in a bike while you are here so you can get around town more quickly. However, Fayetteville is a very hilly city so you will be getting a work out traveling around town.

The weather should be warming up around March but it has snowed here in April before so you never can tell. The weather can change very drastically here. One day it can be in the 20s and the next day it can be in the 60s. By the end of April it will be warm and stay that way until mid October. December thru March can get cold but it seems most people get used to it. Do bring some warm clothes for walking around, especially on the campus. The University sits on top of a hill and the winter winds can freeze you.

[whatever75]

Thank you, great info, it is very helpful

I forgot to say, I'm 33, I have been working for some time now, but student days are not so far behind me, so I should be able to blend in... I saw that Arkansas is also named Natural State, that's great, hope to do some walking and visit national parks.

In Croatia we are predominantly Roman Catholic, so I'll be able to attend mass on Sundays (not that I am a devout catholic, but I like to go to mass, especially in another country, to see the differences).

Since Zagreb is not on the Adriatic coast, I am no stranger to cold winters, and it seems that Arkansas winter is similar to ours, hopefully I'll survive till March or April, warm clothes are ready to be packed.

One more question - I have an aunt living in Sacramento, CA... How expensive are flights within US? If I decide to fly over to California for a visit is it affordable, any suggestions, low-cost flights?
And regarding renting a car - I suppose it is cheaper if I rent it for the weekend or for the entire week, maybe you know some reliable rent-a-car company? I do hope they have gear-stick cars, not used to automatics here

Thanks again for posting

[Penguin_ie]

Hi there!
I just moved from Ireland to Rogers, which is near Fayetteville (about 30 mins drive). If you get home sick for foods, try to find a White Oak gas station, they have lots of European foods, but it is expensive!

I would definitely recommend a car- it is just assumed you have one here, for everything...

You can get some cheap flights is you are flexible with times and dates, like in Europe there are some cheap airlines. Check out South West! For the cheapest flights though, you may need to drive to a furhter away airport such as Tulsa, rather than going for XNA.

[linicx]

Southwest is definately the airline. Whether you fly Arkansas Regional Airport of Tulsa - 4 hours northwest - you'll still be routed through Dallas or one of the other large US Cities.It's nearly 1500 miles from Grove to Oceanside CAlifornia. That's two nights in a motel and six hours the next morning. From N border to S border Claifornia is almost 800 miles long.

[bagelw]

There are flights out of XNA which is the regional airport for reasonable prices. Southwest does not fly out of this airport so it is sometimes cheaper to drive over to Tulsa and fly from there. However, if you have to rent a car then you might as well just fly from XNA. The only direct flights to California go to LA so you will probably have to connect in Dallas, Denver, or Salt Lake City. You can usually save a ton of money by buying the ticket several weeks in advance.

As far as renting a car I'm not sure who would be cheaper. I usually use Enterprise and they usually run specials on the weekends. You'll have a tough time finding a rental car with a manual transmission. Most Americans drive automatics. I'm like you and prefer a manual car. I've never owned an automatic. Another issue with renting a car is that most companies don't like you driving the car out of state and will charge you more if they find out that you did.

[whatever75]

well, I already feel very welcome written everything down, it will come in handy, I'm sure...

if I think of some other pressing issue, I'll holler

and if any of you should decide to have a summer vacation in Croatia, don't be strangers, I'll tell you all

[Bull Winkus]

Four and five month car leases are not the norm here in the US, but you may be able to find one that works for you. There's the car rental companies, the used car sales establishments which are generally small locally owned enterprises, and the new car dealers. Don't forget to take into consideration the cost of insurance.

You can pre arrange for a weekly rental car online with [presumably all] the major rental car agencies; Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty. Some may have monthly rentals for less than the equivalent weekly rate.

My own experience is with Budget, and I have always been completely satisfied. I have used them at least 3 times for weekly rentals and a few shorter term rentals.

Keep in mind that here in the US with such companies, 'buyer beware' is the rule of law. These companies deal in contracts. It is best to read the terms and understand them before signing anything! You can usually find their terms available online to study. In the US, with existing car insurance in place for most people, we don't have to accept the rental company's overly expensive insurance coverage. Our own insurance will cover us in the rental car during the rental period as well as in our own cars. If we go to a foreign country, that luxury is generally no longer available. If you own a car, check with your insurance company. They probably wont cover you, but if they do then problem solved.

If you don't like the terms of any of the major rental car companies, don't be afraid to rent an Arkansas Whoopty (used car) and get insurance from an agent on your own. Many used car sales places will rent someone a car. The terms are usually less restrictive, but be careful. The cars are not new and not always reliable.

Currently in the US, new cars are in steep surplus. You may be able to get a dealership to rent you a nearly new vehicle. Many of them keep rental cars from their fleet to offer to service repair customers during the time a car is in the shop. Due to currently slow demand, you may be able to find one that will be interested in taking your money for a 4 or 5 month lease on one of their slightly used demo or rental models.

You'll love Fayetteville and The University of Arkansas. It is a beautiful setting for a university and the school is top notch. I went there for a semester of engineering and found it very challenging. The people are very friendly. Simply ask them. They love people from far away lands. If you've got an accent, let it shine. You'll make friends faster than Jesus in a leper colony. Well, maybe not that fast.

[linicx]

Whatever 75, listen to Bull Winkus; he's right about car rentals. There are a dozen different ways to fleece you or at least try.

What I hate about national companies like Enterprise is they have ho idea what happens in the local office 1000 milles from Corporate. l was parked putside a restaurant, in the drivers seat waiting to eat. The front entrance was blocked by a meat purveyor. The driver didn't like to deliver at the designated entry point. He parked out front. To exit he had to back up before he could pull forward. At best, it was a poorly designed parking area with a miserable access and exit area for deliveries. When the delivery guy got ready to leave, he backed into the side of out truck with me in it. Took about the whole door, power windows, mirrors, power locks, door handle, inside panelt, etc. The driver was riightly horrified. It ruined my anticipated elegantt lunch. I was more worried over the five mile walk home if the truck wouldn't run. We exchanged numbers and I called the meat purveyor. Their insurance company was perfecly happy to provide me with transportation to stay out of court. And I finally wound up at Enterprise.

I eye-balled the new Marquise; she eye-balled me. Apparently I did not meet her Daddy Warbucks standards for she was determined to put me into car smaller than a VW, and not nearly as safe. The idea of moving from a one ton dually to roller skates was offensive and unacceptible.
She clearly did not want me as a customer. This woman had more excuses and reasons why this deal would not happen than a Las Vegas bookie. I called the meat purveyor and handed her the phone. My mother was terminal: I couln't take the car out of state. I called the purveyor again.
I don't know what was said, but I took the Marquise for 6 weeks, my poodle went where I did, and I was allowed to drive anywhere in the continental US. It took two hours and three phone calls to accomplilsh what could have been done in 15 minutes. Before I left she insisted she would walk around the car and note EVERY SINGLE ding, nick, etc., on every inch of the car. That was the fourth phone call to the purveyor. Then I had annoying phone calls from Enterprise for six weeis. If this is Enterprise policy, it sucks. If the vehicle was a true luxury vehicle like a Rolls, I be nervous too. But it wasn't. It was a Ford fleet vehicle.

What Ever 75 is probably better off watching the newspaper ads and buying a beater than messing with short term rentals.