There was something unexpected about Arkansas, maybe because, to put it rather horribly bluntly, I wasn’t expecting much. No one I knew had ever been anywhere near the state, or wanted to, but I was determined to find something to light up my eyes. So on the mini-last-minute-no-seriously-i-booked-everything-in-the-car-on-my-way-there-last minute roadtrip I took back at the end of September I decided to stay the first night in Little Rock, giving myself the day to explore the surrounding area.

I found peace and calmness by the edge of a lake, just off the main road, my first immersion into the stillness and beauty of nature in years.

From there I headed in the general direction of paved streets and ended up in Hot Springs, a town that I could have easily spent the day in. Pockets of urban decay right up against shining beautiful buildings, sunlit paved streets and gravel busted dirt trails, trying to find a parking spot near a coffee shop and getting to sit in the quiet park above it all, swinging my legs like a tired child.

After that excursion, the sun was getting ready to set and running on 4 hours of sleep like I was, I headed towards my rest stop for the night in Little Rock, but Arkansas wasn’t done surprising me and jolting me into awareness with its special brand of expresso exploration. Idley staring out my window while driving down a slightly narrow and out of the way road, I spotted this beautiful gem and had my heart well and truly captured.

Arkansas is for explorers and anyone willing to well and truly put all expectations aside and just go where the road takes you.