Focus on Lifestyle & Entertainment
Aug 25 2008
Written by Jae-Ha Kim
The Diverse Traveler: Arkansas
By Jae-Ha Kim
Arkansas? Really?
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Lennix says, chuckling. “It’s an amazing place. I wasn’t sure what to expect about Arkansas and I admit I was a little wary. When I got there, I didn’t see any other black faces. But the residents could not have been any more welcoming to me. I was probably looking a little defensive at first and doing the New York thing of walking fast and not looking anyone in the eye. But that changed quickly. I walked past a gentleman who was sitting on his porch and he said, ‘Good morning!’ and we had a really nice talk. So many people were like that. They really have that Southern hospitality that is so refreshing.”
Like many U.S. states, Arkansas has been making efforts to attract more diverse visitors. The state’s tourism bureau has placed ads in local ethnic publications and produced spots on Hispanic radio stations. Because Arkansas draws 95 percent of its tourism dollars from domestic travelers, the state knows how important it is to cater to a diverse clientèle.
“We’ve published a 36-page guide called ‘African American Heritage in Arkansas,’ which has proven quite popular,” says Joe David Rice, Arkansas Tourism Director. “And we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock’s Central High just last Fall with the opening of a six million dollar visitor center at the National Historic Site. It was one more unifying event that made all of us proud.”
Lennix agrees that Arkansas – and Eureka Springs in particular – has a lot to offer. You can walk through town, enjoy a leisurely dinner and then work off that meal with a peaceful hike through the Ozarks.
“I loved it because it was a blast from the past, and I mean that in the best possible way,” he says. “There were cherry red saloons, gorgeous houses and picturesque hotels. When I was there, the locals all told me that [Eureka Springs] was the second most popular place to get married outside of Las Vegas.”
Laughing, he adds, “I didn’t get married there, but it’s a good fact to tuck away for the future...just in case!”
Lennix stayed at the Crescent Hotel & Spa ,which has a reputation for being haunted.
“I’m not superstitious and I am definitely a science type of guy, but I can assure you that my room was haunted,” Lennix says. “It was actually fantastic, although one of my friends was scared out of her mind! I love the history of this hotel. It had been a hospital and an insane asylum at one point and they even have a lounge named after one of the proprietors, Dr. Baker’s Lounge. I didn’t have a bad meal at any of the restaurants in town. If you like fish, order the fried grouper at the Crescent. It is out of this world.”
Lennix says that people often return from vacations more exhausted than before they left. That wasn’t the case with his trip to Arkansas. He didn’t need to rest upon his return home.
“When I’m on vacation, I just want to relax,” he says. “I don’t even bring cameras to take pictures. It’s more important for me to live the trip than remember it later with photos. I do bring my laptop, though, and send emails home to friends and family and tell them about what I did that day. That serves as my travel journal.”
Arkansas? Really?
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Lennix says, chuckling. “It’s an amazing place. I wasn’t sure what to expect about Arkansas and I admit I was a little wary. When I got there, I didn’t see any other black faces. But the residents could not have been any more welcoming to me. I was probably looking a little defensive at first and doing the New York thing of walking fast and not looking anyone in the eye. But that changed quickly. I walked past a gentleman who was sitting on his porch and he said, ‘Good morning!’ and we had a really nice talk. So many people were like that. They really have that Southern hospitality that is so refreshing.”
Like many U.S. states, Arkansas has been making efforts to attract more diverse visitors. The state’s tourism bureau has placed ads in local ethnic publications and produced spots on Hispanic radio stations. Because Arkansas draws 95 percent of its tourism dollars from domestic travelers, the state knows how important it is to cater to a diverse clientèle.
“We’ve published a 36-page guide called ‘African American Heritage in Arkansas,’ which has proven quite popular,” says Joe David Rice, Arkansas Tourism Director. “And we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock’s Central High just last Fall with the opening of a six million dollar visitor center at the National Historic Site. It was one more unifying event that made all of us proud.”
Lennix agrees that Arkansas – and Eureka Springs in particular – has a lot to offer. You can walk through town, enjoy a leisurely dinner and then work off that meal with a peaceful hike through the Ozarks.
“I loved it because it was a blast from the past, and I mean that in the best possible way,” he says. “There were cherry red saloons, gorgeous houses and picturesque hotels. When I was there, the locals all told me that [Eureka Springs] was the second most popular place to get married outside of Las Vegas.”
Laughing, he adds, “I didn’t get married there, but it’s a good fact to tuck away for the future...just in case!”
Lennix stayed at the Crescent Hotel & Spa ,which has a reputation for being haunted.
“I’m not superstitious and I am definitely a science type of guy, but I can assure you that my room was haunted,” Lennix says. “It was actually fantastic, although one of my friends was scared out of her mind! I love the history of this hotel. It had been a hospital and an insane asylum at one point and they even have a lounge named after one of the proprietors, Dr. Baker’s Lounge. I didn’t have a bad meal at any of the restaurants in town. If you like fish, order the fried grouper at the Crescent. It is out of this world.”
Lennix says that people often return from vacations more exhausted than before they left. That wasn’t the case with his trip to Arkansas. He didn’t need to rest upon his return home.
“When I’m on vacation, I just want to relax,” he says. “I don’t even bring cameras to take pictures. It’s more important for me to live the trip than remember it later with photos. I do bring my laptop, though, and send emails home to friends and family and tell them about what I did that day. That serves as my travel journal.”
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