Arkansas

I have never had a desire to go to Arkansas.  I have been there exactly once- when I was a road warrior for a large corporation and HAD to go for two days .  I did not consider it a desirable destination and made no effort to test my belief.  I went to the necessary meetings and hit the airport.

At this point, retired with a fair amount of time on my hands, I am taking a second look.   As foreign travel is beginning to look a bit, uh, questionable, I am thinking of some domestic trips in the future.  Arkansas, along with Mississippi (there is a great Amtrak ride there) are two such places. Heck, I might even throw in Tennessee and Indiana – who knows?  Today I am going to focus a bit on Arkansas.  

Arkansas is located on the Mississippi River and has an abundance of wilderness. The Ozarks, located in the northwest, have hiking trails, caves and much more.  And then there is Hot Springs National Park.  Hiking, swimming, camping in the park….not to mention the hot springs.   A bit of downtime soaking in the spring water sounds great to me!  Although no outside soaking is allowed,they have bathhouses for exactly this reason.  Buckstaff bathhouse has been in continuous operation since 1912 and offers a traditional bathhouse experience.  You can also stroll Bathhouse Row for a bit of history.

Do you love bikes?  Oz Trails Bike Park has over 20 miles of bike trails suitable for all levels – from beginner to advanced.  It is often referred to as the mountain biking capital of the world.  Lift access via a high speed chairlift is being added this spring.  It is capable of carrying up to 4 passengers as well as their bikes.

Arkansas seems to have much more!  What is your opinion?