Having been raised in Arkansas, I offer my experience. I was born in Hot Springs, a beautiful town with mountains, bathhouses, and a lot of culture. I spent my formative years there. Compared to larger cities, the crime rate was almost nothing. The schools were great, the people were friendly, and I made some great friends. As a state, Arkansas is a beautiful place. As with everything, there's a stigma, though if you set aside the silly, 50+ year old prejudice, it's not much different from anything else. As far as Bill Clinton is concerned, the general vibe concerning him in Arkansas is negative.

Things to do in Arkansas.

As you enter Arkansas, you think to yourself, "What in the hell is there to do here?". Have no fear.

Little Rock
Little Rock is a beautiful city with a dense population and large crime rate.
The west part of the city, known as "West Little Rock" is the higher class area of the city. Places like Chenal, Pleasant Valley, and The Heights are in this area. The crime is lower, and the area is a little more "relaxed".

If you go East, you soon enter the ghetto. Crime is very high here, but most of the high schools are located in this area.

Keep going East, and you soon enter downtown. It's a fairly sized business area with a lot of history. Go North towards the river and you will reach Rivermarket. Rivermarket is where you can find interesting foods and peoples. It is also where "Riverfest" is held.

Travel Southwest, and you enter the area known, creatively, as "Southwest". Moderate crime rate, and lower class housing.

Outside of Little Rock, about a 2 hour drive, is Hot Springs. This is where you can find "Lake Ouachita". Its a huge, and beautiful lake covering about 30 miles. No housing is allowed. Near Ouachita is "Lake Hamilton". This is where all the housing is allowed. It's notoriously dirty. The city itself is host to much history, and as you cruise the area, its a lot like stepping back in time.
A good ways away are the Ozark Mountains. This beautiful mountain range is host to a wide variety of animals and plants.

Arkansas can be a good trip if you are interested in flora and fauna, and you are on a moderate budget.

Incidentally, dannye happens to be an Arkansas, so if you tend to talk trash, you probably should watch your door as you sleep.

Hand-rolled cigarettes
smoke hard
leaning against the cinderblocks
of a warehouse
hastily converted to a dancehall
tube amps soaring
at 3 AM.

The sky, yellow-pink
with the glow of vapor lamps
casts its sickly pallor
on tumbleweed
and import station wagons.

We were the last ones
to see his shiny face
wearing plaid shirts
pearl snap buttons
and western yokes.

There's just a little rock
in Little Rock.
Down on the waterfront
where the trolleys run
you won't find it.

Even still
Lake View and Heber Springs
are more than
mere dots on a map
of a dry and thirsty land.

Little girls frolic
we smoke some more
the harsh gray vapor
fills the lungs and
reminds us of our own mortality.

Drinking coffee
outside in the underground
Campfire singing
accordions and washboards
by a misty river
we burned the shale oil
way past midnight.

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