Arkansas borders six other states — Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri — making it a destination accessible from all directions. Its mountains, rivers and open spaces helped it earn the nickname of “The Natural State,” and its people make it appealing through their music, good food and beautiful art, both folk and fine. Groups will find plenty to explore, from a place to find diamonds just lying on the ground (well, some labor is involved) to surprising uses for sweet potatoes that result in distinctive cocktails.
Popular Demand
Crystal Bridges
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville doesn’t rest on its laurels. In January, it unveiled the Visions of America Galleries, a transformation of spaces that had been its Early American galleries. The reimagined galleries go beyond art history to create an immersive and interactive experience of art, artists and their stories. Topping that will be the June opening of an expansion that increases museum space by 50%. That’s 144,000 additional square feet of galleries, studio, dining options and event space.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Nobody is promised riches beyond belief at Crater of Diamonds State Park, but finding a gem is at least a possibility at the only place in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source. The park is 37 acres of opportunity to find diamonds, amethysts, garnets, jasper, agates and other treasures. Park staffers offer mining demonstrations and are happy to provide identification of rocks and minerals. Of the 35,000 diamonds that have been found at the park, the whopper is the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam.
Ozark Folk Center State Park
The mountain culture of the Ozarks will live forever because of the Ozark Folk Center State Park. More than 20 artisans demonstrate how they create pottery, knives, quilts, candles, baskets, jewelry, leather goods and more. Music from fiddles, banjos, guitars, mandolins, dulcimers and autoharps brightens every day of operation from mid-April through mid-November, especially in the 1,000-seat Ozark Highlands Theater. The region’s culinary and medicinal heritage is in focus at the Heritage Herb Garden, and food like grandma made fills the tables at the Skillet Restaurant.
Up-and-Coming
Argenta Arts District
North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District is well established, but it always seems to be “up-and-coming” and worth a new inspection. It’s a great place for a group to turn loose and explore shops, an abundance of murals and more than a dozen locally owned restaurants. Caverns & Forests is a board game cafe with a menu full of specialty paninis, salads and tempting desserts. Groups can check out Argenta Contemporary Theatre or Birdies Cabaret for live entertainment. Two new hotels, including a Tempo by Hilton, are on the horizon for the district, and a trolley system glides across the Arkansas River to downtown Little Rock.
OZ Trails Bike Park
OZ Trails Bike Park between Bentonville and Bella Vista proves that ski resorts aren’t the only places that use chairlifts to jump-start some outdoor recreation. It is the first chairlift-assisted mountain bike park in Arkansas. A high-speed quad lift takes cyclists to a spot that is the gateway to 20 miles of downhill trails. The trails have a mix of beginner, advance and expert ratings, and cyclists will find miles and miles of less-intimidating greenway-style biking opportunities nearby. A hiking loop winds through the park, too, for those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground.
Overnight Sensations
Crescent Hotel & Spa
The Crescent Hotel & Spa, which began building its reputation when Eureka Springs developed as a Victorian resort destination in the late 1800s, remains a landmark in Arkansas hospitality. It also has fame as “America’s most haunted hotel.” Hotel ghost tours and ghost tours elsewhere in this art-centric town are popular. Art galleries, studios and shops are around almost every bend of Eureka Springs’ winding streets. A modern aspect of the Crescent Hotel is the unhaunted New Moon Spa & Salon for some pampering high in the Ozark Mountains.
The Compton
A new Bentonville hotel, The Compton, looked to Arkansas’ natural wonders for inspiration, even for its name. It is named for Dr. Neil Compton, the late conservationist and savior of the free-flowing Buffalo National River. The architect of the 142-room property said he drew inspiration from nature. Native ferns and trees accent the lobby’s two-story atrium, and hardwood from native white oaks, hickories and walnuts adds special touches. The Compton is sleek and modern while reflecting its Ozark roots.
The Lodge At Mount Magazine
Perched on Mount Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753 feet, the 60-room Lodge at Mount Magazine is a destination unto itself. The lodge sits on the mountain’s south bluff, which offers panoramic views of the Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake. The lodge’s beauty and setting are complemented by other elements of Mount Magazine State Park, located within Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, including horseback riding and hiking and activities such as hang gliding and rock climbing, which most visitors consider spectator sports.
Memorable Meals
Delta Dirt Distillery
From the bounty of the Arkansas Delta’s rich soil, sweet potatoes take an unexpected form at Delta Dirt Distillery in Helena. The Williams family, which has had an 86-acre farm here for four generations, uses the tubers to make vodka — award-winning vodka. They also make gin and an interesting libation with a base of Kentucky bourbon and a sweet potato accent. Group tours can see the distilling operation at a downtown storefront that also offers some unexpected cocktail recipes.
Wright’s Barbecue
Anybody who likes smoked meats will be happy with a stop at a Wright’s Barbecue location; there are five in Northwest Arkansas, including the Walmart campus in Bentonville, plus one in Little Rock. Wright’s brags on its brisket, but the selections go far beyond that to include pulled pork, ribs, bacon burnt ends, smoked turkey, smoked chicken, sausage and a special jalapeno cheddar sausage. Other items include a healthy-sounding bacon chicken ranch salad and a bowl of mac and cheese topped with pulled pork for anyone wanting to carb-load for an afternoon hike.
