by Joe David Rice Not many Ozark communities can claim that slaves named the town. That’s just one way that Mountain Home is unique among Arkansas cities. The first white pioneers moved into the region around today’s Mountain Home well over 200 years ago. Maps of early Arkansas from that era show a village known…
by Joe David Rice Try as I might, I am not a snake person and never will be. But there’s no avoiding the fact that Arkansas is a haven for a wide range of these reptiles — some three dozen species altogether. Over the years, I’ve become less fearful and more tolerant of our slithering,…
By Joe David Rice, Photos by Casey Crocker Mena itself got its name from the nickname of the wife of one of the railroad’s Dutch financiers. I can easily think of half a dozen reasons that you might want to visit Mena: food, hiking, craft beer, shopping, scenery and history. But if you’re looking…
By Joe David Rice Ask the average Arkansan about the state’s retailing giants and he or she is most likely to bring up Sam Walton or might possibly mention William Dillard. In any event, Dorothy Shaver won’t be part of that dialogue. And that’s a shame, because she deserves to be in the conversation.…
By Joe David Rice I can think of few better ways to spend a hot summer afternoon than splashing around in one of the state’s many swimming holes — especially if a rope swing’s available. Soaring out over the water and then plunging into the clear, cool depths is a memory that’ll last forever.…
By Joe David Rice // Photos By Casey Crocker Richard J. Wegner never had any intention of settling in Arkansas when he stayed in Hot Springs Village and later camped out at Lake Ouachita State Park with a friend back in 1978. They’d left their homes in upstate Illinois, heading south for a few…
By Joe David Rice Most Arkansans are vaguely familiar with the state’s diamond story. They’ve read about John Wesley Huddleston, an illiterate yet charismatic hog farmer, who discovered some yellow flakes on his rural property near Murfreesboro and — thinking they might be gold nuggets — scooped them up. When he washed his find,…
By Joe David Rice Culinary enthusiasts find all sorts of especially notable goodies across Arkansas: apples, peaches, tomatoes, fried pies, barbecue, watermelon (both red- and yellow-meated), catfish and, of course, poultry. However, certain vocal foodies will claim the state’s signature dish is cheese dip — and they can present a convincing case. For…
By Joe David Rice, Photos by Casey Crocker Editor’s note: Obviously, amid a pandemic, we know that making immediate travel arrangements falls counter to the state’s social distancing guidance. We want all of our readers to continue abiding by this directive so we can all do our part in flattening the curve of COVID-19…
By Joe David Rice Want to swim among jellyfish without worrying about those nasty, painful stings and unsightly welts? It can be done and, better yet, it can be done locally. You only have to travel to Lake Ouachita and the best time is in the summer months, especially in early September after the…
