Arkansas

Donnie Ferneau:
Little Rock, Arkansas, is just big enough to where you have a really cool food scene and enough to do on the weekends or during the weekday, but it’s small town enough to where you actually get to really know the people in your community.
One of the most unique things that I like about Little Rock is the outdoors. We’ve got the bridges, we’ve got the cool Riverwalk area, the River Market area. But then just within a few-minute drive, you’re in the middle of the woods. You can climb Pinnacle Mountain, you can ride the River Trails, you can go kayaking, whatever you want.
If someone was traveling in from out of the country and landed right in Little Rock, Arkansas, there’s a couple things you have to do. You have to definitely go down to the River Market area, see the street vendors, some really great outdoor art exhibits and of course all the pedestrian bridges here.
You have to realize you’re in an old Southern city and there’s a lot of history here. There’s a lot of museums, there’s a lot of art galleries. But then you know, you’ve got the Clinton Library, which is wonderful to walk through.
Everything is within walking distance. If you spent two hours just walking around, you could almost see all of downtown. It’s small but it’s just big enough to where it makes you feel like you can have a whole day of exploring.
Here at Cathead’s Diner, home cooking and Delta comfort food is our specialty. I love just paying homage to old Arkansas Delta cuisine and doing some of the originals back like grandma used to. Since I’ve lived here, I’ve seen the food scape change completely. All the chefs in general have really stepped up their game.
I love Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Strap on a backpack and climb Pinnacle Mountain. One of the most beautiful views you’ll ever see in this city is from the top of Pinnacle Mountain right at sunset. You can see the lakes around; you can see the city. It’s a very tranquil view.
Little Rock, Arkansas, is my new home. I love it here. Every time I travel, I always can’t wait to come back to Arkansas.

Rose Schweikhart:
Hot Springs is a quintessential Southern town, nestled in valley surrounded by lakes and national forests. It’s just the most beautiful place in Arkansas.
Hot Springs National Park is so unique because it’s one of our country’s only urban national parks. It features 9 former bathhouses that were built in the early 1900s, which are just a spectacular example of architecture. Bathhouse Row is perfect for families. It’s a great place to walk, take a nice stroll.
When I first learned about Hot Springs, I was amazed that there was hot spring water you could drink and also that there were these historic bathhouses that were available for use. The Superior Bathhouse Brewery is the only brewery in a U.S. national park, and we’re the only brewery in the world that makes our product with thermal spring water.
The Hot Springs area is becoming one the premier destinations in Arkansas for hiking and mountain biking. We have 27 miles of hiking trails right here in the national park. The Northwoods Trail has trails that are appropriate from the very beginner to a professional mountain biker.
Arkansas, and especially Hot Springs, is one of the hidden gems in America, full of beautiful outdoor spaces, national parks, hiking, mountain biking. We have a lot of culture, a little bit of everything.