According to Aerial America, Arkansas is known as “The Natural State,” and watching this latest episode of the fly-over show, I would have to agree. What we mostly see is miles and miles of trees and trees and more trees, and some rivers, mainly the Mississippi River. And why not? It’s a pretty big river! And there are also lots of pretty trees.
But other than that, I did not find much in Arkansas to make me say, “Ooh! I can hardly wait to visit ‘The Natural State’!” But then again, I’m not a really big nature person. Maybe if I liked camping and hiking and that sort of thing, I would be more enthusiastic.
But here’s what did intrigue me:
FOOTBALL
As I’d mentioned previously, the University of Arkansas is the home of Razorback football, and I’m all about college football, especially if it’s the SEC. I was shocked to learn, however, how very small the University of Arkansas is! This Aerial America program, done in 2009, reports enrollment of 18,000. Currently, the enrollment is more like 26,000, so that’s a significant increase, but still way below the two universities I have ties to: Alabama and Florida. I guess the University of Arkansas has sort of a quaint, small-town university atmosphere. And there’s no denying the beauty of its Fall colors.
DIAMONDS
The Crater of Diamonds is a state park where anyone can pay a small fee ($8 for adults, $5 for children) to search for diamonds. It’s the only diamond producing site in the world that is open to the public, and even though most people apparently find more in the way of “family fun” than actual diamonds, family fun is nothing to sneeze at. Hey, we all play the lottery, right? There are a lot worse things you could do with $8.00. And what if you just happen to actually find a diamond…or two?
RICE LEVEES
Now how can you not possibly be blown away by THIS? I remember years ago, flying from Atlanta to San Francisco, looking out the window and seeing these unusually beautiful land formations, but having no idea what in the world they might be. For years these images have haunted me. Of course I’m imagining…alien crop circles? Right? No! At last I have my answer! Seems Arkansas is the leading US producer of rice, and these artistic patterns are simply man-made rice levees! Thank goodness aliens are not involved! Whew! One of life’s great mysteries finally cleared up!
DOGPATCH
Now this strikes me as most amusing. Back in the late 1960’s, “when hillbilly culture was at its heyday” (think Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw), Arkansas played host to a theme park called Dogpatch USA, which went belly-up in 1993. Amazing it lasted that long, if you ask me. The theme park was located in the town of Marble Falls, which changed its name to Dogpatch for the duration of the theme park’s popularity, then back again four years after the park’s demise. My only question in all this: why did it take four full years to lose the name “Dogpatch”?
NAME DROPPING
One thing this Aerial America series does excel at is dropping names at every opportunity. I guess while we’re looking at all those trees and rivers there might be a tendency to nod, but we perk right up again when we hear:
- Johnny Cash was born and bred in Arkansas
- Bill Clinton was born and bred in Arkansas
- Daaaav-eeey! Dav-ey Crockett! (You remember the song…)
- James Bowie invented his famous knife in Arkansas (also known as an “Arkansas Toothpick”)
- Elvis Presley was inducted into the US Army in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
- Al Capone frequently visited the bathhouses in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where the waters are rumored to have healing properties
- Bonnie and Clyde robbed many banks in Arkansas
I could go on, but you get the idea. Arkansas is rich in history, and a lot of it is controversial. For instance, did you know that Miss Laura’s Bordello in Fort Smith is the only bordello on the National Registry of Historic Places? Or that the town of Toad Suck is (reportedly) so named because “idle rivermen would congregated at the local tavern where they ‘suck on the bottle till they swell up like toads.’ Back in the day, Arkansas was a real frontier-like town, where wild characters and respectable society were always bound to collide. It makes for a rich and colorful history.
CHRIST OF THE OZARKS
Okay, but let’s get back on track to something that I find inspirational and amazing about Arkansas. On top of a mountain in Eureka Springs, there stands a 65 foot tall statue of Jesus, which can be seen from twenty miles away on a clear day, and which serves as the backdrop for an annual Passion Play. Now, that’s something you don’t see every day! And certainly a good reason to visit Arkansas. (I’ll stop there to take a look on my way to the diamond fields!)
MUST DO OR SEE:
THE CRATER OF DIAMONDS
CHRIST OF THE OZARKS
RAZORBACK FOOTBALL!
ARKANSAS THE BEAUTIFUL:
