Every Family Should Take This Unforgettable Arkansas Road Trip
By Carol Ann Carson|Published May 28, 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.
One of the best things about Arkansans is that we treasure the drive to a destination just as much as the actual attraction. No matter if it’s taking the long way so we can enjoy one of the scenic byways or making sure we hit every side-stop along the way to our next vacation, we’re not a hurried group of folks. An epic road trip that needs to be taken by every Arkansan at least once is along the Great Highway 65. Drivers can tour the whole of the Midwest from Iowa to Louisiana, tackle the full stretch that covers Arkansas, or just make a day trip of it. Let’s plan a weekend excursion along one of the legs of this main thoroughfare.
The full state stretch of Highway 65 will take drivers over 300 miles.
This remote ham house is filled with locally made jerkies, jellies, and honey. Coursey's is a must-stop for any road trip (even if it's just the road trip to Coursey's). Head to the back counter for a sandwich or mail-order mouthwatering smoked bacon. Coursey's is located at 152 Courseys along U.S. 65 North in Saint Joe.
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We'll take our sandwiches and have a picnic along the Buffalo River.
It'd be impossible to drive over the Buffalo and not make at least one stop. We'll head to the Tyler Bend Visitor Center for a scenic lunch. Really we could spend a week just exploring the Buffalo but we'll go ahead and move on to our next destination. The visitor center is located at 170 Ranger Rd., St Joe, AR 72675.
We'll wrap up our first day with a nostalgic drive-in movie.
Kenda Drive-In is Arkansas' oldest drive-in theatre and still uses the old school speaker boxes (radio transmitting is available too). Adult tickets are only $6. The theater is located at 107 Westwood Dr., Marshall, AR 72650.
This circa-1906 inn is the perfect stop to end our first day's journey. The colonial-style B&B has five rooms to choose from and two property trails for a morning jaunt. Killebrew House is located at 306 Main St., Leslie, AR 72645.
Day two of our road trip! We'll try not to get lost inside the Antique Warehouse of Arkansas.
This isn't any old antique store. The seven warehouses hold the largest inventory of antiques in the nation. You should really make your way to the stained glass section, the 5,000 pieces are downright mesmerizing. The warehouse is located at 9256 Ar 65 Hwy N., Clinton, AR 72031.
After that amazing antique labyrinth we should take a nature stop at the Natural Bridge.
The Natural Bridge just outside of Clinton is unbelievable huge. The 100-ft. sandstone formation was actually used as a bridge in the pioneer days. This stop is located at 1120 Natural Bridge Rd., Clinton, AR 72031
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The next must-stop for food will be at Frank's Hickory House.
This little hole-in-a-wall is a delicious barbecue pit stop. Be sure to pair your pulled pork with a cherry coke, their cherry and strawberry syrups are made in house. Frank's is located at 4736 Hwy 65 S., Choctaw, AR 72028.
We'll take a slight detour to visit the animals at Rabbit Ridge Farm.
This farm in Bee Branch is a family friendly stop with pigs, cows, and chickens (as well as a friendly dog or two). See the animals, learn about the day-to-day farm life, and take home a fresh cut of your favorite meat. Rabbit Ridge is located at 484 Rabbit Ridge Rd., Bee Branch, AR 72013.
We'll spend the rest of our trip at Woolly Hollow State Park.
Reflect on our fun journey while paddling around Lake Bennett and pitch a tent for another Arkansas adventure. The state park is located at 82 Woolly Hollow Rd., Greenbrier, AR 72058.
To take this trip, use this map that has all of today’s stops. Of course you can add as many detours as you want! Share your must-visits along this route with us in the comments below!
