This is My State

Tiffany has requested to hear about Arkansas, which I'm happy to do =D I feel like much of the South gets typecast as being backwards, which can be true for individuals, but not for entire populations. It's honestly not that bad down here XD

Arkansas is actually a very beautiful state. The nickname is "The Natural State" for a reason. It seems like every other mile there's a trail or a park or some sort of preserve and I've been dragged all over it. My family was into GeoCaching a few years back and that's how I got to travel to a good chunk of the state. For those out of the loop, GeoCaching is a sort of modern treasure hunting game. You play with a GPS - someone who hides a cache will register the coordinates online and give the general area hunters need to start at (say, a park or building). The hunters then follow the GPS. Caches can be the size of an ammo box, but also a small as a Tupperware container or film canister for the really hardcore group (you have NO IDEA how hard it is to find a damn film canister in the middle of the woods).

But I digress. There are two main mountain ranges - the Ozarks and the Ouachita (pronounced wah-shi-taw). The Ouachitasare home to Arkansas' highest point, Mt. Magazine, one of the few major places I haven't been to in this state. The Ozarks meanwhile, are notable for their many natural bridges and the mountains I'm considerably more familiar with, though I actually live closer to the Ouachitas. The Ozarks are the setting for books like  Where the Red Fern Grows and The Shepard of the Hills (the latter has been made into an outdoor play which is quite good and I've attened several times). When you think Ozarks, think square dances. that's the kind of culture you're getting into - that sort of rustic charm and fiddle music everywhere.

My favorite I think though, is the waterfalls. Arkansas has a ridiculous number of waterfalls. A photographer named Tim Ernst has made an entire career out of it (and you should go check him out because he's awesome). The many lakes and waterways are fantastic. The Buffalo River is one of those places that people outside of the region don't seem to have ever heard of, but is an amazing place. Floating the Buffalo is practically a rite of passage for some families; the Buffalo was designated America's first national river and with good reason. This has protected it from any development or damming and kept it more or less intact over the years. Most of its 132 miles are safe for swimming - you can just hop in nearly anywhere (though you're probably better off sticking to the designated areas).

The Buffalo River

Arkansas is also the only place in the world where you can mine for diamonds. I think that's the thing that makes people out of state turn their heads XD I've been multiple times and it's not nearly as exciting as it sounds. It's a big dirt field. Really. That's what it is. There's an area you can sift your bucket of dirt, but that's the only other thing (and you either have to bring your own sifter or rent one). People do find diamonds, though no one I've ever known. They aren't diamons like you're thinking of either - uncut diamonds are actually kinda lame. They don't really sparkle in the dirt and they're teeny-tiny - your best digging tool is a plastic spoon. A few people have found gems of value, but it's a rare thing. Still, it's neat to have a keepsake like that if you get lucky.

As far as cities go, the biggest is Little Rock, which isn't exactly a hub of culture and trendsetting, but isn't terrible either. Most of the big name concerts pass through here and the Arts Center gets some good exhibits every now and then. Some of the smaller towns though, are really special. Van Buren is a neat place and I of course have a special place for my college town of Clarksville <3

If I were going to tell you the one place in Arkansas to visit though, it would be Eureka Springs. It is a beautiful town. It's a very Victorian resort town. I won't bother with a link; just have some photos here.

Really, the entire town is like this.

The place is just cool. There are over 125 bed and breakfasts in this town, which should tell you a lot about what sort of atmosphere to expect - that's more than San Francisco at 119. The numer of things to do is ridiculous - visit the railway, tour the river basins, fishing, check out the history - it's one of those places everyone can get on board with. There's a strong art community and the shopping is amazing. It's also nicknamed "The Wedding Capital of the South" - over 4000 weddings are performed annually. Here's why:

This place is gorgeous.

Thorncrown Chapel is actually a rather famous place, having been named one of the AIA's top designs of the 20th century. If it looks very Frank Lloyd Wright, there's a good reason for that; the designer studied under him. It's made almost entirely of glass and steel, so the outside rather blends with the inside and the effect is really something special. Go to Google Images to see more, because it's pretty freaking sweet.

And thus, you have a general idea of the sort of place I come from XD

No photos here are mine - I haven't been to most of these places since before college, back when I didn't have a camera ^^;