Arkansas
Arkansas has long attracted visitors for its outdoor activities. Since the Clinton presidency, many Americans also come to explore Clinton’s political roots. Create a vacation with a great mix of history, exploring, horse and dog racing and more.
At the center of the state, the capital city of Little Rock provides diverse attractions. Visit the William J. Clinton Presidential Library to learn about the world leader’s early years, activities in office and post-presidency philanthropic work. Inspect a presidential limo and a replica of the Oval Office. See Clinton’s boyhood home in Hope.
Go to the Central High School National Historic Site to understand how Arkansas struggled with racial desegregation problems in the late 1950s. Take kids to the Little Rock Zoo, the Museum of Discovery and the Children’s Museum. Walk or ride bikes along the Arkansas River Trail and across the Big Dam Bridge spanning the Arkansas River. Shop and dine in the River Market district.
Appreciate the state’s geology in several regions. Visit some of the more than 2,000 underground caves in the Ozark Mountain area. Join a very structured show tour or arrange a guide for a wild tour. In the light of your headlamp, you may see stalactites and stalagmites, fossils, underground waterfalls and blind fish and salamanders. Find sparkling quartz crystals or even diamonds in the Ouachita Mountain area near Hot Springs. Dig your own or purchase them from a gift shop. Listen to Ozark folk music while you’re digging.
Hot Springs National Park surrounds the city of Hot Springs. Hike the trails, test the temperature of the water and take a soothing bath in a bathhouse or pool. Watch thoroughbred horse races in Hot Springs and greyhound dog races in West Memphis.
Arkansas claims to be the birthplace of cheese dip, invented in 1935. Now travel around the state to find samples of the spicy concoction, starting with the original home, Mexico Chiquito, in Little Rock.