Author: Tessa Callen

Easter weekend always feels like a fresh start, so why not make it count? Grab your favorite snacks, text a friend, and get out of town for the day. Arkansas…

You know those places people keep bringing up until you finally give in and go? This is one of them. No big promises needed. You walk in, sit down, and…

Arkansas just gets comfort food. You sit down, the plate shows up, and suddenly everything feels easier. Crispy chicken, smoky barbecue, biscuits that fall apart in your hands, and milkshakes…

Open a door and everything shifts. Suddenly you are surrounded by furniture, toys, vinyl records, and collectibles that stretch across decades of American life. That is exactly how my Saturday…

You are driving through the Ozarks, focused on the curves ahead, when the landscape suddenly opens wide and pulls your attention off the road. It feels unexpected in the best…

Hot Springs has a way of pulling you in, and the food is a big reason why people keep coming back. You might show up for the scenery or the…

Ever taken a drive that felt like it might not lead anywhere… and then it totally paid off? That’s what eating your way through Arkansas feels like. Some of the…

I’ve been in a lot of bookstores, but this one completely caught me off guard. Walking into a huge warehouse in Arkansas, it is easy to stop right at the…

You walk through the Ouachita National Forest expecting a typical trail, nothing too dramatic. Then the sound hits. Water, constant and strong, pulling you forward before you even see it….

You hear the lions before you see them. Then come the penguins, waddling like they own the place. Next thing you know, a chimpanzee is inches away, studying you just…

Easter Sunday calls for more than candy and dyed eggs, and I wanted a brunch lineup that actually feels worth dressing up for. I pulled together these places across Arkansas…

Arkansas has a way of surprising you at every bend in the road, and this particular route is packed with the kind of scenery that makes you pull over just…

Something’s going on inside one of Arkansas’s oldest hotels this April, and I noticed it right away when I walked through the front doors. The dining room had that low,…

There is a bridge in the Arkansas Ozarks that has been standing since 1930, and it looks like something out of another time. That rainbow arch catches your eye immediately….

Bentonville mornings in spring have a rhythm you can feel right away. Slow steps, fresh air, and then that unmistakable bakery smell drifting across the square. It stops you in…

There’s just something about it. You pull up, engine off, window down. That soft crackle from the speaker kicks in, and suddenly everything slows down. In the best way. Out…

Somewhere in the Arkansas Ozarks, I came across a diner that feels like a real holdout from another era. I opened the menu and had one of those rare moments…

I found this botanical garden in Arkansas while passing through, and I still can’t believe how little people talk about it. The road in already felt different. Tall pines closed…

I found this Arkansas landmark on an unhurried drive, and it stopped me in my tracks. The whole place feels like a pocket of the nineteenth century that never gave…

One bite in, and I was already reaching for another napkin. I came hungry, but that first cheeseburger hit harder than I expected. The patty had that craveable griddled edge….

Arkansas will make you slow down when you least expect it. I’ve taken plenty of drives here that were supposed to be quick, only to turn into long stops on…

The smell off that griddle pulls me in every single time, like I already know what I’m about to order before I even park. I’ve eaten at plenty of places…

I went in thinking I’d be out in twenty minutes. That didn’t happen. The place just keeps unfolding, aisle after aisle, like it’s testing how long you’ll stay. I’ve stopped…

History doesn’t always come with a ticket price. In Arkansas, some of the most fascinating stories are tucked inside museums that open their doors for free, inviting visitors to explore…

The second I see sunlight hitting a garden just right, I’m already pulling out my phone. Arkansas makes that pretty easy. I’ve spent a lot of weekends wandering through gardens…

Arkansas doesn’t always get the credit it deserves when it comes to day trips, but there’s so much more here than meets the eye. I’ve spent years exploring this state,…

Ever wandered into a place that feels like it fell straight out of a time machine? That’s exactly what this place in Arkansas feels like today. Once a bustling amusement…

Waking up on a porch overlooking Arkansas’ own “Grand Canyon” felt like accidentally crashing a billionaire’s weekend getaway. Coffee in hand, I stared at a canyon so dramatic it could…

Coming out of winter, there’s that familiar urge to get away. Somewhere calm, somewhere open, somewhere near the water. In Arkansas, that escape comes easily. The state is dotted with…

What floats without wings, makes no sound, and somehow steals all your stress? I found the answer one sunny morning in Arkansas. I clipped on my life jacket, grabbed a…

I realized something was going on when I had to circle the lot twice just to park on a random weeknight in Arkansas. That almost never happens. Inside, every table…

You hear the water before you see anything, and it kind of pulls you along the trail without much effort. I’ve hiked all over Arkansas, but this short walk is…

I didn’t plan on stopping, but that apple-cinnamon smell hit me before I even parked, and that was it. I walked in half awake and walked out thinking about when…

My hands tighten on the wheel as soon as the road starts to bend. The curves don’t ease you in either. They show up quick and keep coming, like the…

Arkansas heat in the summer doesn’t mess around. On days like that, the only thing I want is a river, a tube, and a few hours to drift without a…

There’s something about biting into a piece of catfish so crispy it almost snaps. I’ve had plenty of fried fish in my time, but there’s one place that does it…

Rice and beans are the usual sidekick for Tex-Mex. So the first time I saw fries on the plate instead, I had to pause for a second. I spend a…

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to step into a scene from a fairy tale, this trail might be the closest thing. As you walk, the air shifts,…

The first time I walked into this museum, it felt like I had entered another world. Bright lights, whirring machines, and intricate contraptions surrounded me, and I couldn’t help but…

The smell of warm spices greeted me before I even reached the buffet line, and I knew right away I’d come to the right place. I’ve tried plenty of buffets…

Mid-March in Arkansas always seems to stir up my appetite for fried food. Not just any fried food. I mean a hot plate of fish and chips. That craving recently…

Does the aroma of cornmeal and hot oil hitting the air ever make you want to skip the wait and go straight to the first bite? I pulled over in…

A really good Arkansas burger doesn’t need much to impress me. Give me a well-seasoned patty, a soft bun, and a griddle that’s been working overtime for years, and I’m…

A railroad line still runs through this part of Arkansas, and reminders of that past show up the moment you roll into town. I noticed it right away on my…

Good lobster rolls are not something you expect to crave in Arkansas, yet here I am still thinking about one weeks later. I ordered it on a whim the first…

The road climbs for a bit, and then the view suddenly opens up. Wide Ozark hills roll out in every direction. I’ve driven plenty of Arkansas backroads over the years,…

Spring arrives in Arkansas in a burst of color. One week the trees are bare, and the next the roads are lined with pink redbuds and bright white dogwoods. That…

In Arkansas, a good buffet is serious business. I’ve seen folks walk in saying they’ll “just have a little,” then head back for a second and third plate without thinking…

Cold mornings and bright sunshine are a pretty great combination in Arkansas this time of year. March still carries a bit of winter in the air, but the days start…