On the road, again! We waited a year to get back on the road with the Arkansas Times’ second annual Road Trip issue (sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism). Last year, we named a destination in every county in Arkansas. (Surely you kept a copy of that — if not, find it here.) This year, we’re heading a different route, taking a guess at what most appeals to readers itching to get going.
We’re not into drugs here — at least not until the General Election — but sex and rock ‘n’ roll are right up our alley. So check out our listing of sugar shacks, out-of-the way weekend retreats for sweethearts (and families); and, read about our off-the-beaten track places to hear music, from Texarkana to Paragould.
We’ve created tours of real Arkansas — history museums that hearken to when we were French and Quapaw, when we were oil barons, when we were the residence of law school professor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham — and reel Arkansas, places preserved on popular celluloid. We’ve also got something for design buffs, a quick tour of the architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks.
For folks who want to go fast on two wheels, we offer rigorous rides: cycling trails for tires fat and thin and, borrowing from Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism’s guide, motorcycle trails. Folks who like to take it slow to better appreciate the beauty that is Arkansas — and sometimes Arkansas’s alone — will find an excellent guide to natural areas, compiled by one of the state’s top botanists.
And now, after all that travel, you’ll be hungry. So hit the tamale trail, Little Rock to points south. Ole and bon voyage.
11 romantic getaways in Arkansas
From lavish to laid-back.
by Leslie Newell Peacock
Follow the Arkansas tamale trail
Masa and the middle in the Natural State.
by Stephanie Smittle
Arkansas Sprouts
A brief tour of the state’s ecological riches with one of Arkansas’s foremost botanists.
by Benjamin Hardy
6 great Arkansas motorcycle trails
Hog the road.
10 examples of the best Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks
Homes in the hills, compared by style.
by Leslie Newell Peacock
9 essential Arkansas bike rides
Bike routes, paved and rocky.
by Leslie Newell Peacock
7 places in Arkansas made famous in movies
Take a jaunt through reel Arkansas.
by David Koon
Unsung places to see music in Arkansas
Take your travel playlist live.
by Stephanie Smittle
10 Arkansas museums to visit
Hit the road for a little history.
by Leslie Newell Peacock, Benjamin Hardy and David Koon
Essential Hot Springs kitsch
The tourist trap lives in Hot Springs.
by David Koon
Arkansas, Believe it or Not!
Five places mentioned in Ripley’s Believe in or Not!