The organizers of a new initiative are hopeful that consumers will take a back road and help drive tourism dollars into rural Arkansas.

The Arkansas Agritourism Initiative, launched July 12 at Little Rock’s River Market, is offering a way for businesses as diverse as wineries, farmers’ markets and hunting and fishing lodges, to help develop tourism and reintroduce Arkansans to the rich heritage rooted in the Natural State.…[more]

Arkansas & 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 charters and group discounts available. 800-687-8600; http://www.arkansasmissouri-rr.com[more]

Near the site of the newly-closed Plantation Inn, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, City Director Joan Adcock, and other City officials announced a proposed new ordinance that would govern extended-stay motels.

“We stand here today to stress that public safety and the public welfare are our top priorities. When there are situations which seem to promote threats to the safety and welfare of our citizens and visitors, the…[more]

The stars of LPGA Tour will once again compete in a 54-hole format during the 2008 LPGA Tournament on June 30-July 6 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. The newly renamed P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship prize money will total $1.7 million, up $450,000 from last year. The tournament will host a July 4 celebration following the first round of championship play. Initial plans for the festivities include a musical…[more]

Tours 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 in the bowels of the massive concrete dam holding back the 45,440-acre Bull Shoals Lake; a heady sensation if you think about it too much, which I chose not to do during my…[more]

(LITTLE ROCK, AR)—Secretary of State Charlie Daniels today announced the summer 2008 State Capitol exhibit, Of Memories and Trees, which will examine Arkansas’s rural and urban forests and those who have made them their business.

From the late 1800s to today, Arkansas’s forest industries have contributed significantly to the state’s economy by producing fuel, timber, and raw materials from hundreds of thousands of acres. For many Arkansans, however,…[more]

OZARK—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 throngs of people.

Mulberry Mountain is located on the Pig Trail Scenic Byway, which is Ark. 23 from the south boundary of the Ozark National Forest to its intersection with Ark. 16 at Brashears.…[more]

Zoie Clift, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

Showdown at Sunset has been a summer tradition in El Dorado since the 1980’s. Each Saturday in June, July and August, the downtown area is transformed into a historical platform and venue to witness a notorious shootout.

The event, which was named one of the “Top-100 Events in North America” this year by The…[more]

Arkansas Places and Events You Won’t Want to Miss This June:

June 1-14 marks the 13th annual Hot Springs Music Festival in Hot Springs. For two weeks every June, the Spa City overflows with music as 200 international mentor and apprentice musicians converge to create 20 live concerts and more than 250 open rehearsals of symphony orchestra, chamber music and music theater in the city’s downtown historic district.…[more]

Gilbert, 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 is laid out along the banks of the rugged and free-flowing Buffalo National River in the Ozark Mountains.[more]