Escape to the Southeast - 2009-10 Edition

ARKANSAS

State Park near Paragould. Drive south to Helena-West Helena where the Delta Cultural Center houses interactive exhibits on the region’s blues and gospel heritage. Continue south to Dumas to visit the Desha County Museum where 10 buildings re-create a typical south Arkansas farming community. In Lake Village, the Lakeport Project is located in the last remaining antebellum home on the Mississippi River in Arkansas.

➌ The Timberlands Region is a haven for hunters and anglers. Top-flight fishing can be found at Millwood State Park in Ashdown and Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge in Crossett. History buffs must make time for Smackover’s Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, which documents the 1920s oil boom; the McCollum-Chidester House in Camden, which served as a Civil War headquarters during the Red River Campaign; and former President Bill Clinton’s childhood home in Hope. El Dorado’s historic town square offers excellent shopping and dining.

➍ Fishing, boating and water-sports enthusiasts, the Ouachitas Region is for you. Take your pick from five sparkling lakes — Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton, Lake Greeson, Lake Catherine and DeGray Lake — known as the Diamond Lakes. Located on Lake Hamilton is Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210-acre botanical garden featuring a nationally ranked Japanese garden, waterfalls, stone bridges and hundreds of thousands of colorful plantings. Known as America’s First Resort, Hot Springs National Park is home to historic Bathhouse Row. Other unique attractions in Hot Springs include Oaklawn Park, a world-class thoroughbred racing and gaming facility; Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, the state’s only theme park and water park; and The Gangster Museum of America where visitors can learn about notorious mobsters and their Spa City exploits. DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Arkadelphia is a luxury resort with a 96- room lakeside lodge, a convention center, a restaurant, a marina, an 18-hole championship golf course, riding stables and more.

➎ The River Valley Region is home to three of the state’s highest peaks — Mount Maga-

zine, Mount Nebo and Petit Jean Mountain. Plan your River Valley adventures around a tour of Arkansas Wine Country where you’ll find Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards and Winery, Mount Bethel Winery, Post Familie Vineyards and Winery and Wie-derkehr Wine Cellers in and around Altus. Don’t miss the historic Wine Museum at Cowie Wine Cellars in nearby Paris. This region is also home to the historic Old West town of Fort Smith. Tour the Fort Smith National Historic Site, featuring two frontier forts, “Hangin’ Judge” Isaac C. Parker’s courtroom, the “Hell on the Border” jail and a re-creation of the 1886 gallows.

➏ The Ozarks Region boasts some of the most breathtaking views in the state. Towering bluffs loom over the Buffalo National River where fishing and float-

ing adventures are in high demand. For a scenic excursion through the Ozark Mountains, board the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway. Eureka Springs is a charming mountain town that’s known for unique shopping and dining. While in Eureka Springs, experience The New Great Passion Play, an epic drama depicting Jesus’ last days on earth, His death and resurrection. Explore what lies below at Berryville’s Cosmic Caverns, the site of the Ozarks’ largest underground lake. Fayetteville is home to the 86-acre Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, featuring nine themed gardens, a greenhouse and horticulture center. The Clinton House Museum is located at 930 California Dr. The 1930s bungalow, the first home of Bill and Hillary Clinton, now serves as a museum showcasing their years in Fayetteville. Located on Dickson Street, the Walton Arts Center is Fayetteville’s premier arts and entertainment venue for music and theater as well as gallery exhibits and arts education. During the spring and summer months, take in a minor league baseball game at Springdale’s Arvest Ballpark, home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. STS