[nep321]

Hey guys (or y'all)....lol!

As part of my goal of visiting all 50 states, I have decided to plan my next visit to be in the great state of Arkansas during the week of mid July! It will be my 48th state ever visited. I will be traveling from Connecticut. I am a 32 year old gay male who will be traveling alone.

Anyway, I have not yet decided whether I will be driving there or flying. Driving would be a 20 hour trip each way, which means I'd have to spend the night half way there and half way back, which sucks, but the total vacation would only cost around $900 total (hotels, gas, tolls, fun things, food, etc.). If I fly, it will all cost around $1,600 (ouch). But the advantage to flying is less driving hassle and probably an extra day or two of free time while there.

Here is a list of things to do or places to go while I'm there, but it's just a draft so far. In any case, I will have a car, whether it's my own car or a rental.

William J. Clinton Library and Museum
Clinton House Museum
First Walmart store ever
Eureka Springs
Hot Springs National Park
Ouachita National Forest
Ozark National Forest

I am having trouble finding more places to go. I am also open to visiting places in surrounding states such as eastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, maybe Memphis and northern Louisiana, but the primary focus of the trip will be Arkansas. In general, I do not like crowds and I love the outdoors. I love sightseeing and photography and want to take amazing scenic pictures of places within Arkansas. I don't really care much about restaurants and bars, because I'll be alone. Museums are cool, too.

So please suggest to me where I can go and visit assuming I drive there and have Monday - Thursday (July 11 - 14) entirely within Arkansas.

Thanks!

[grampaTom]

Man you aren't going to be there long enough to see all that stuff. When you go see the first Wal-Mart go on over and see Crystal Bridges museum. If the river is up go float the Mulberry River -- they'll rent you everything you need. Arkansas has MANY state parks and they are all worth seeing. I have lived there twice (in Fayetteville) for a total of over 6 years and spent a lot of my weekends and days off 'exploring' and I probably have only seen about half of what I want to so far.
I assume you have gone to some of the Arkansas tourism websites...

[nep321]

Originally Posted by grampaTom

Man you aren't going to be there long enough to see all that stuff. When you go see the first Wal-Mart go on over and see Crystal Bridges museum. If the river is up go float the Mulberry River -- they'll rent you everything you need. Arkansas has MANY state parks and they are all worth seeing. I have lived there twice (in Fayetteville) for a total of over 6 years and spent a lot of my weekends and days off 'exploring' and I probably have only seen about half of what I want to so far.
I assume you have gone to some of the Arkansas tourism websites...

Yeah, Trip Advisor has a lot of good ideas. I also feel like adding Little Rock Central High School to the list. And the Old Mill and the Grand Promenade, etc.

I have to do whatever I can do within a 4 day period.

Which places do you think are TOP priority? i want to take amazing pictures and see amazing things!

[DC at the Ridge]

If you fly, where are you flying into?

Rather than fly to Arkansas, I'd fly to Tulsa or Kansas City, or Dallas and rent a car and drive in.

In Little Rock, the Clinton Library is very nice. And there are lots of historic buildings to take pictures of. You might want to visit the Old Mill. Beautiful setting. And there are several museums in the area.

Hot Springs is beautiful, but it's going to be blisteringly hot in July. That said, you should definitely visit Garvan Gardens.

As GrampaTom said, you're going to have a tough time seeing just the things you've listed. From Little Rock to Fayetteville it's a 3-4 hour drive (I recommend taking the pig trail, which will definitely take 4 hours or more, but it's very scenic, and very twisty. I have relatives who've rented motorcycles to take the pig trail, and enjoyed it enormously.)

Since you're visiting Walton's 5-and-10 on the Bentonville square, you could check out Compton Gardens and then Crystal Bridges. And you might want to check out the Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista. Or you might want to visit Devil's Den south of Fayetteville, and the Prairie Grove Battlefield. Downtown Prairie Grove is a flea market wonderland. And the Fayetteville Confederate cemetery might be interesting.

If you're into the Civil War, you could also visit the Pea Ridge Battlefield. When you leave there, you could drive out to the Beaver Lake dam. Then onto Eureka Springs. And when you leave Eureka Springs you could drive down towards Hindsville, checking out Withrow Springs (definitely dip your feet into the freezing cold spring water there. The best way to cool off.) And then wind back round to the War Eagle Mill, where you can grab a snack of cornbread.

Just bear in mind that you're list of places to visit are hundreds of miles apart. So you'll be driving a lot. Personally, I think how you plot the driving out to make that part of your visit will help alot.

Other suggestions, the US Marshall's museum in Ft Smith as well as the historic downtown.

The vineyards around Altus and Coal Hill and St Mary's Catholic Church in Altus which underwent a substantial restoration around a decade ago.

Boxley and the Buffalo River Valley where you can probably photograph wild elk.

The Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs.

Pivot Rock in Eureka Springs.

There's lots to see in Arkansas.

[DC at the Ridge]

Oh, and while you're in Eureka Springs you might want to check out Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. It's a sanctuary for big cats, and I believe they have a bus tour.

[Old Fossil]

Hey nep, you ain't gonna make it all . As grampa posted, you don't have enough time. All the places you mentioned are well worth a visit but you are gonna have to delete some. To see some wonderful outdoors, both the Ozark Plateau and the Ouachita Mountains can't be beat but are a full day drive apart. Also from north Arkansas to central Arkansas. If it was me, I would choose north Arkansas or central Arkansas, and spend my time sightseeing and not looking through the windshield getting from Point A to Point B.


The Ouachita Mountains are my favorite part of the world but you probably would spend a whole day just sightseeing there. Of course you could spend a night in the Inn on the top of the mountain at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park. That would be a great experience.


Any thing you choose I'm sure it will be a great experience, and welcome to The Natural State

[nep321]

how do you pronounce Ouachita?

[BobNJ1960]

I'd go one night to Beale St in Memphis, due to its historic music background.

[elkotronics]

how do you pronounce Ouachita?

All right, an outsider's gonna take a guess at this:


Oh - kee- ta


Arkansas naturals - please let us know if my pronunciation of Ouachita is accurate.

[DC at the Ridge]

Wash It All, leaving off the ll's at the end. Or Wash It Off, leaving off the ff's at the end.