USPS Unveils ‘Flags of Our Nation’ Arkansas Stamp

USPS Unveils ‘Flags of Our Nation’ Arkansas StampA recent ceremony at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock unveiled the design for the Arkansas “Flags of Our Nation” stamp, one of 10 released this spring. The 42-cent stamp prominently features the flag and is accented by a wood duck. For more information,...

State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission Meeting Summary

June 24, 2008The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held June 19-20, 2008, at Fort Smith, Arkansas. For questions regarding this report, please contact Jana Greenbaum, communications manager, at 501-682-7602.Corps of Engineer Campground Update:The...

Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During July

June 18, 2008Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism  Note to Print and Broadcast Editors: We at the Arkansas Tourism Division recognize that our "Travelin’ Arkansas" media releases are frequently too lengthy to be used in their entirety. However, we feel an obligation to represent a variety of events...

Public Can Now Take the Bull Shoals Dam Tour

June 17, 2008Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writerArkansas Dept. of Parks and TourismTours of Bull Shoals Dam in north-central Arkansas are now being offered through the Bull Shoals-White River State Park in Lakeview. Thanks to an agreement with the Corps of Engineers, the public has the opportunity to stand...

Mulberry Mountain Events and Lodging Offers Diverse Adventures
Mulberry Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival Set for June 6-7

June 4, 2008Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writerArkansas Dept. of Parks and TourismOZARK -- Mulberry Mountain Events and Lodging near Ozark offers three diverse experiences – the solitude of a pastoral setting, access to outdoor adventures such as hiking and canoeing, and four big annual events enjoyed by...

State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission Meeting Summary

The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held May 13-14, 2008, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas at Best Western Inn of the Ozarks. For questions regarding this report, please contact Jana Greenbaum, communications director, at (501) 682-7606.Summer...

An Arkansas Legend Turns 100: The Centennial of Louis Jordan

May 15, 2008Kimberly J. Williams, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks & TourismA son of the Arkansas Delta, he would become world famous and his music blared from jukeboxes and radios throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Known as the "King of the Jukebox" and the "Father of Rhythm & Blues," Louis Jordan,...

Gilbert is Open for Business Despite Recent Rains

May 14, 2008Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writerArkansas Dept. of Parks and TourismGilbert, Ark. -- The "Coolest Town in Arkansas" is open for business despite being one of the wettest towns in The Natural State this spring. But what makes Gilbert prone to flooding is also what draws visitors to it. Gilbert...

Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During June

May 13, 2008Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism  Note to Print and Broadcast Editors:We at the Arkansas Tourism Division recognize that our "Travelin’ Arkansas" media releases are frequently too lengthy to be used in their entirety. However, we feel an obligation to represent a variety of events...

State Parks, Recreation & Travel Commission to Meet

NEWS MEDIA NOTICE ****The May 14-15, 2008 meeting of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission will be held in Eureka Springs at the Inn of the Ozarks Conference Center, Willow Room located at 207 West Van Buren. The full Commission will convene at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14 and reconvene...

Geocaching Event Celebrates 70th Anniversary of the National Great River Road

May 2, 2008Kimberly J. Williams, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and Tourism"The face of the river, in time, became a wonderful book . . . which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as if it had uttered them with a voice. And it was not a book...

Arkansas State Parks, Recreation & Travel Commission April Summary

The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held April 16-17, 2008, in Hope, Arkansas at Historic Washington State Park. For questions regarding this report, please contact Jana Greenbaum, communications director, at (501) 682-7606.Executive Director’s...

Breaking News

4/16/2008 - This report will be updated again on Monday, April 21, 2008.Heavy spring rains in The Natural State attracted national attention and the resulting increased water levels forced the temporary closure of a small percentage of the state's shoreline destinations. The following report is a compilation...

Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During May

April 8, 2008Arkansas Department of Parks and TourismNote to Print and Broadcast Editors:We at the Arkansas Tourism Division recognize that our "Travelin' Arkansas" media releases are frequently too lengthy to be used in their entirety. However, we feel an obligation to represent a variety of events...

Arkansas's North Central and Eastern Ozarks Attractions

January 2008Blanchard Springs Caverns -- Ranked among the most beautiful underground discoveries of the 20th century, this limestone cavern is located deep in the Ozark National Forest, 15 miles north of Mountain View (listed below). It is the only developed cave system operated by the U.S. Forest Service...

Northwest Arkansas Ozarks Attractions

January 2008Arkansas & Missouri Railroad -- Travel through the Boston Mountains on vintage rail cars, trestles over 125 ft. high, and the 1882 Winslow tunnel. Springdale to Van Buren with layover for lunch and shopping, Van Buren to Winslow, and Fort Smith to Winslow. Specials throughout the year. Private...

"The One and Only" and "One-of-Two Only" Attractions Highlight The Natural State

January 2008By Kerry Kraus, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismNo matter how many times superlatives are overused to the point of being almost meaningless nowadays, there’s still something about the descriptive phrase "one-of-a-kind" that, when used in its truest sense, grabs our attention....

Atmospheric Arkansas Locations Feature Out-of-the-Ordinary Dining

January 2008 Kerry Kraus, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismInterest in unusual places to eat has enjoyed a tremendous surge in the last few years. You only have to watch The Food Network and The Travel Channel, or read one of numerous articles, Web sites and guidebooks on the subject,...

Unique Arkansas Lodging: More than Just a Place to Lay Your Head

January 2008Kerry Kraus, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismLooking for a way to make your visit to Arkansas, whether it’s the first or the tenth, different? Why not try some of the unusual lodging opportunities available in The Natural State? Then every second of the trip will be...

Arkansas Delta Attractions

January 2008 Arkansas Post National Memorial/Arkansas Post Museum State Park – The memorial, a National Park Service unit, commemorates the first permanent European settlement (1686) in the lower Mississippi River valley. In 1819, Arkansas Post became Arkansas’s first territorial capital and it was...

Arkansas River Valley Attractions

January 2008Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway -- One of the most scenic drives in the nation, Scenic 7 runs from the Louisiana border to Bull Shoals lake near the Missouri state line, passing through both the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. Numerous resorts, attractions and scenic overlooks are found along its...

Arkansas Timberlands Attractions

January 2008Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources/El Dorado Downtown -– Near El Dorado, on Jan. 10, 1921, a geyser of “black gold” spewed far over the 112-foot derrick of Arkansas’s first productive oil well. The town’s population quickly skyrocketed, creating the need for a new courthouse, more business...

What's New for Central Arkansas

January 2008Mosaic Templars Cultural Center: The Mosaic Templars of America organization was founded in Little Rock in 1882 as a fraternal organization by John E. Bush and Chester W. Keatts. The reconstructed museum is dedicated collecting, preserving, interpreting and celebrating Arkansas's African...

Central Arkansas Attractions

January 2008Alltel Arena -- A state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility located on the Arkansas River in North Little Rock. The arena seats 18,000 for basketball and is home to the Arkansas Twisters Arena II football team and has hosted such special events as the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus,...

Hot Springs: On Tap for 2008

January 2008Zoie Clift, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and Tourism This is going to be a big year for the Spa City.The opening of the City of Hot Springs’ newest attraction, “The Gangster Museum of America” is set for March. Two shops next to the Colonial Pancake Shoppe on Central Avenue...

What's New in the Arkansas Ouachitas and Timberlands

January 2008Bathhouse Row Renovations: The National Park Service continues to press on with the rehabilitation of historic buildings on "Bathhouse Row" in Hot Springs National Park. If all stays on track, the Quapaw Bathhouse will re-open as a family-style spa by this spring. The National Park Service...

Corps to Open Arkansas Campgrounds

U.S. Army Corps of EngineersVicksburg District www.mvk.usace.army.milFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE11 February 2008All campgrounds at Lakes Ouachita, Greeson, and DeGray will open March 1 with modified services. This cooperative agreement is a result of two meetings between the Vicksburg District U.S. Army...

10 Top Places to Kiss in The Natural State

Jan. 28, 2008Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismARKANSAS – With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you might be looking for a special place to spend idyllic time with your sweetie. You can create a tale of love and adventure in Arkansas at numerous romantic...

Arkansas Tour Guide Goes Interactive

January 4, 2008*****Arkansas Dept. of Parks and TourismLITTLE ROCK – To give potential Arkansas visitors instant access to vacation information, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is making the popular Arkansas Tour Guide available in an electronic version on Arkansas.com, the state’s official...

Rare 1908 Sears Runabout Now on Display at Museum of Automobiles

Dec. 13, 2007By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer Arkansas Department of Parks and TourismA rare 1908 Sears Runabout has been donated by a Hot Springs family to the Museum of Automobiles, located on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton.Introduced in the summer of 1908, this roadster features a two-cylinder...

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Enhances Offerings for Individuals, Groups With New Lodge, Restaurant, Programs

Oct. 24, 2007Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writerArkansas Dept. of Parks and TourismMORRILTON -- Previously open only to groups, the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton has opened a new lodge, expanded its dining facility, and enhanced its programs for individuals and families.The...

Talimena Drive Named National Scenic Byway

February 2006 *****By Jim Taylor, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismMENA – With numerous vista overlooks and a surrounding forest that includes some of mid-America’s most rugged terrain, the Talimena Scenic Drive has for many years been listed by the U.S. Forest Service as a national...

Arkansas Wine Country: 120 Years in the Making

Arkansas Wine Country: 120 Years in the Making*****By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer Arkansas Department of Parks and TourismAltus was the place to experience "The Simple Life" long before the recent TV reality show of the same name billed it as such. For many, though, the simplicity of life involves...

Take a Tour of Arkansas's Wineries and Judge for Yourself

Take a Tour of Arkansas's Wineries and Judge for Yourself*****By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer Arkansas Department of Parks and TourismThousands of visitors stop to savor Arkansas's award-winning wines, tour its wineries and soak up the history of Arkansas Wine Country each year. When planning a tour...

Geological Wonder at Center of Hot Springs National Park

Geological Wonder at CenterOf Hot Springs National Park *****By Jim Taylor, travel writerArkansas Department of Parks and TourismHOT SPRINGS -- In a narrow, misty valley of the Ouachita Mountains, William Dunbar and George Hunter found in December 1804 steaming waters issuing from a lush hillside adorned...