The Natural State’s Ultimate To-Do List: 80 Things You Have to See

There are certain things every Arkansan knows to be true (like the sanctity of float trips or the meaning of humidity), and there are certain things every Arkansan should do at least once.

Senior vice president and director of corporate communications at Simmons First National Corp. (and Southerner extraordinaire) Rex Nelson teamed up with our sister publication, Living in Arkansas, to compile an exhaustive list of the The Natural State’s must-sees (and dos and tastes).

We’ve listed a few below, but click here to see the full rundown.

Now let’s get going.

1. Eating an entire hubcap cheeseburger at the original Cotham’s in Scott.
2. Floating in a canoe down the Buffalo National River when the dogwoods are blooming.
3. Searching for the Gurdon Light late at night. First sighted in the 1930s, the Gurdon Light is a mysterious floating light above the railroad tracks near Gurdon in Southwest Arkansas. Many theories exist to explain the light. Seek, find and create a theory of your own.
4. Fishing for trout early in the morning on the upper White River.
5. Watching the sun rise on a winter morning from a duck blind on the Grand Prairie.
6. Spending the night at both the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs and the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs.
7. Attending a Battle of the Ravine college football game between Ouachita and Henderson in Arkadelphia.
8. Digging for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro. 
9. Visiting Bald Knob when the strawberries are ripe in May and ordering the strawberry shortcake at The Bulldog.
10. Sampling fried chicken at the Mount Nebo Chicken Fry in Dardanelle.
11. Picking wild blackberries while wondering how many chigger bites you’ll have at the end of the day.
12. Eating some peaches at the Johnson County Peach Festival. 
     
    
13. Kayaking on the Mulberry River.
14. Having a steak on a Friday night at Jerry’s in Trumann.
15. Hanging out with some bikers at Roy’s in Paragould.
16. Attending the Fourth of July community picnics at Corning, Portia and Piggott.
17. Crossing the U.S. Highway 62 bridge over Norfork Lake on a clear day and admiring how blue the water is.
18. Eating the Gear Salad and the filet mignon at Herman’s in Fayetteville.
19. Sitting outside at Basin Spring Park in Eureka Springs on a fall Saturday evening and enjoying the music.
20. Visiting Judge Parker’s courtroom at the Fort Smith National Historic Site.
21. Driving along the Talimena Scenic Drive as the leaves are changing.
22. Spending the day walking around Historic Washington State Park when the jonquils are blooming.
23. Taking a boat out onto Grassy Lake in southwest Arkansas at night to look for alligators. Each year, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission awards 72 exclusive alligator hunt permits to control the population.
24. Walking around the courthouse square in El Dorado and going into as many locally owned shops as possible.
25. Buying more than you need at Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart.

Want more? Click here to see the whole bucket list from Living in Arkansas.

About the author: Rex Nelson, curator of “The Ultimate Arkansas Bucket List,” is one of the state’s most high-profile writers and speakers. He is considered an expert on Arkansas history and Southern culture, and has appeared on radio and TV stations across the country. He Has a long career in government, journalism and public affairs, and has been honored by organizations like the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas and the Arkansas Municipal League. Follow his blog for more: RexNelsonSouthernFried.com.