Visiting Arkansas

Hi

Visiting Arkansas next month for 3 weeks. Will be based primarily around Ozark,Ft.Smith,Paris area.

Looking for general advice on where to stay, what to see, what to avoid. Will have a car and hoping to see lots of the state and maybe others nearby.

I am 50 yr old Englishman travelling alone. Do have friends in area mentioned above but not limited to that. Not on poverty line budget but by no means unlimited.

Have visited States before but only to areas with more foreign tourists i.e New York and Florida. So this a step into the unknown for me.

Grateful for any advice or tips.

Thanks

Visiting Arkansas

First of all , you will love northern arkansas, the ozarks are beautiful.

I would go into little rock for a day and see the river market area, It has the president clinton library/museum. And there also is the old state house and surrounding museum, There are a few good hotels in that area, like the peabody, the doubletree,

Little Rock has three replica vintage trolleys operating on the 2.5-mile route. The River Rail route includes Alltel Arena, the Statehouse Convention Center, the River Market itself, both state houses, the historic Argenta neighborhood, numerous restaurants and hotels, the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Museum of Discovery, the main branch of the Central Arkansas Library System, two Chambers of Commerce, courthouses, the Robinson Auditorium Concert Hall, the Riverfront Amphitheater and more. Hotels that can be reached on the River Rail include the DoubleTree Hotel, the Capital Hotel, the Peabody Hotel (home of the ducks) and the Courtyard By Marriott.

I also would suggest a day in hot springs national park, The city is called a national park, because of it%26#39;s bath houses and it%26#39;s natural hot water springs, It has alot of old gangster history , like gangster Al capone, ...And it%26#39;s The oldest national park in the united states.

http://www.nps.gov/hosp/

The older hotels in the historic district are kinda pricey, but are rich in history.

And don;t miss out on Eureka springs , It is , a 19th century Victorian village nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, is known for its numerous bed and breakfast inns.

Look around and you can find alot out about eureka springs.

And Branson Missouri Ir just a few miles from eureka springs and it is A las vegas like city without casinos and crime. They are based on music theaters, they have a strip like in las vegas with theaters and hotels, there are some great places to stay , and you can stay really quite cheap.

Visiting Arkansas

I can suggest some places to stay in branson,

There is a group of sister hotels , that are great priced and have breakfast included , as well as ice cream and cobbler, with cookies in the evenings, they are really clean,

http://www.whisperinghillsinn.com/

http://www.savannahhousebranson.com/

http://www.bransonsbest.com/

There are some real good shows in branson from country to hits of the past to comedy.

Here is a web site to get some good info on the shows, sign up on the forums and ask away, there are alot of locals on the forum,,

www.1branson.com

The worlds largest titanic museum is in branson, and many other fun things to do and see.

you will find that the people of arkansas, and in branson are warm friendly people , just sit back and talk to them and you will see. Feel free top ask anything you need to know..And have a great trip...

Thanks for that Fordarama. Will make a note of your suggestions. Thanks for replying.

What are your interests? There are many varied attractions in Arkansas as well as surrounding states. For example Northern and Western Arkansas are mountainous and have several state parks with wonderful lodges, Little Rock has many historical buildings and museums, and fine old residential neighborhoods. The Clinton Library and Little Rock Central High School are also here. Hot Springs is certainly worth a day or two. A side trip to Memphis might be in order to visit Graceland and Beale Street. Let us know your interests and so we can give better advice.

Thanks oldcpa.

I wil be spending the majority of my time in Western Arkansas so hope to see lots of that. Also already factored in a trip to Little Rock. I Have looked at a lot of literature about Arkansas and browsed websites. It looks ideal for covering my interests which include photography, fishing, walking and visiting museums,art galleries etc.

I suppose what I am after, is local knowledge of anything of interest that the mainline tourist brochures and websites miss out. Also would like to know of any particular areas that should be avoided for whatever reason.

Have thought about a trip to Memphis. Will see how I get on with driving on ';wrong'; side of road, for me, first.

Appreciate your time

Thanks

There are a few casinos just south of memphis, I just thought I would mention them.

There are some wondeful state parks in arkansas, and I think you will be surprised at the beauty. You should check out Devils den state park, It is breath taking, and would offer some great trails, and photo opps....

www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/park.asp…

Oops, I see you like fishing, Some of the best trout fishing in the world is in branson on lake taneycomo, it runs right thru branson,

Lake Taneycomo has the characteristics of both a river and a lake for anglers to enjoy. The shallow colder water, located near the Table Rock Dam, averages 48 degrees F, resembles a river and permits wading and bank fishing for trout. The average temperature of the water gets warmer and the depth of the Lake deepens to depths in excess of 50 feet near Lake Taneycomo and the Power Site Dam in Forsyth. When Table Rock Dam is generating power its current is very strong throughout its whole length, its water temperature drops, and for all practical purposes it becomes a very deep, cold, fast running river. Exactly how deep, cold, and fast depends on how many generators are being used to generate electricity at Table Rock Dam.

I just thought I would add it in... you may have to add a few weeks more for all that there is to see.

Thank You for the further information. It all sounds wonderful. I think yor last comment is probably true. I could do with extra weeks to cover everything. But alas not possible at this time. But if I like Arkansas there is always next year to carry on exploring.

Thanks again

pwac50

The NW section of the state has two state parks that might be of interest for their scenic beauty; Devils Den and Mount Magazine.

To the north of Ft. Smith visit Fayetteville, the home of the University of Arkansas%26#39;s Fayetteville campus. Beside the University the town offers a number of fine restaurants. On the campus is Carnell Hall, a former dorm converted to a guest house. It has comfortable rooms and a good restaurant.

East of Fayetteville is Eureka Springs. It%26#39;s an old resort town with an atmosphere unlike anyplace else in the state.

South of Ft. Smith, on the Oklahoma border, is Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Once again natural scenic beauty and, like the two Parks mentioned above, lodging is available for overnight visitors.

Southeast of Ft.Smith is Hot Springs with its three lakes and National Park. This town is unique with the Park%26#39;s bathhouses, its arts community and historic hotels.

Little Rock is the state capital. Located here, in a very compact area, is the River Market, the Clinton Library, The Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum. There are hotels and restaurants within this district and all can be reached on foot.

Nearby is the Arkansas Arts Center is an easy walk away.

Certainly the things I%26#39;ve mentioned are by no means and exhaustive list. Here are web sites with maybe more information than you need but usefull neverthe less:

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/

http://www.mountainstateparks.com/

http://www.hotsprings.org/

http://www.littlerock.com/

http://www.experiencefayetteville.com/

http://www.eurekasprings.com/

One other thing. You don%26#39;t have to leave Arkansas to experience some of the best fishing in the country. Northern Arkansas has several large lakes located on the White River. These Lakes were created for both flood control and power generation. Today they fulfill their initial purpose plus providing recreation both on the lakes and in the rivers below the dams. Google ';fishing in arkansas'; for many fishing sites.

Unless you enjoy theme parks and man-made attractions I%26#39;d avoid Branson, Missouri. It%26#39;s sort of Las Vegas without the gambling. Entertainment by performers, many of whom are long past their prime, is the primary feature. Branson is just over the Missouri line so a quick drive up and a tour of the strip would likely tell you if you wanted to spend more time there.

Once more the only out of Arkansas trip I recommend is Memphis which is only two hours from Little Rock.

http://www.agfc.com/fishing/default.aspx

www.swl.usace.army.mil/parks/index.html