9 Ways Arkansas Has Quietly Become The Coolest State In America
By Carol Ann Carson|Published January 12, 2018
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Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
If you’ve stayed in Arkansas for more than a minute, you already know it’s one of the coolest places to visit. This is one state that can appeal to any personality. If you want small-town southern charm, we’ve got it. Busy night life with no shortage of activities? Don’t worry we’ve got that too. Let’s look at just some of the ways Arkansas has become the coolest place in America.
There's no question that we live up to being the Natural State. We're more than just a pretty face, too; this is beauty that you can hike, canoe, bike, climb or camp.
Arkansas has always embraced its weird. After all, we have a 500-lb Humpty Dumpty hanging out in Eureka Springs, a theme park dedicated to the comic strip Li'l Abner and our own version of Bigfoot. It's pretty cool that we can embrace our more quirky side.
Want to stick to Arkansas classics like sweet tea and cornbread? Easy, can do. Want to splurge on French Mediterranean flavors or Nuevo Latino cuisine? Not a problem! Arkansans are big foodies, without a doubt.
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4. There's no where else in the world where you can dig for diamonds.
It may be old news to us that we have a state park dedicated to digging for diamonds for keeps, but the fact that it's the only place in the world that lets visitors do so gives us major cool points. We're also the quartz capital of the world, so you could say Arkansas really rocks. (Feel free to eye roll).
No matter if you're a Civil War buff, or just love a good story, Arkansas has some pretty cool history. We have areas dedicated to preservation and reenactments as well as living history villages.
Arkansas has some fantastic ghost stories. We have unsolved paranormal phenomena like the Gurdon Lights and urban legends like the White River Monster. We're also home to the most haunted hotel in the U.S., the Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs.
7. We have some weird ways to showcase our many talents.
We'll race our toads at the annual Toad Suck Daze, sculpt masterpieces at the Chainsaw Carving Competition, race our rotary tillers, and compete in the World's Championship Duck Calling Contest. We're a state of many talents, albeit odd ones.
Arkansas has no shortage of idioms and accents. "Cattywompus," "conniption fit," "yonder," are just some of the more creative words in our vocab. If anyone complains that they can't understand us, we'll just bless their hearts.
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9. The rest of the U.S. is finally realizing just how cool Arkansas is, too.
The U.S. News and News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, rated Arkansas in the top five of best places to live. Fayetteville outranked cities such as Seattle, Boston, and Salt Lake City. They took ease of finding a job into account as well as earning enough to buy a home, good schools, and feeling like part of the community.
These are just some of the cooler features of Arkansas. Share with us what you think makes Arkansas cool!
I wanted to share with y’all that this is my 100th article for OnlyInYourState! Before I began, I didn’t really have any particular feelings towards Arkansas. I liked living here but I didn’t think it was any place special. After working here and having the chance to research all the unusual, fun and beautiful places in the state, I realized this is one of the best places in the world to call home. Anyone that doesn’t like Arkansas just needs to spend a little time finding the hidden gems and unexpected charm this state has. Thanks for reading! – CA
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