Arkansas The Natural State

If you look at an aerial view of the Mississippi River, its path is really pretty straight coming out of its Minnesota headwaters and then framing the length of Illinois, but just as it hits the Arkansas border, the mighty river gets swirly as it slows down in the curves and starts to meander in broad loops for 240 miles. Slow down and start to meander. That sounds like a pretty good recipe for retirement. Maybe the river is trying to tell us something about Arkansas, a state graced with a wealth of natural beauty to explore at a leisurely pace.

When the dogwoods are in spring bloom, you should float the unspoiled Buffalo River, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the country’s very first National River. Or you can photograph the majestic elk as they graze in Boxley Valley. Maybe visit Bald Knob in May when the strawberries are ripe for the pickin’. Find a secret spot near an Ozark Mountain waterfall among the state’s 19 million acres of forestland. Or pack a picnic, grab some shoreline, and watch the ancient Mississippi River flow by. No wonder the moniker of Arkansas is the ‘Natural State.’

All that beauty is complemented by a burgeoning cultural scene, poignant historical sites, countless national and state parks, recreation opportunities galore, and, perhaps most importantly, the inviting affordability of living in Arkansas.

The state boasts the fourth best cost of living and the eleventh best property tax rate in the country. Arkansas does not tax social security benefits, and there is no estate or inheritance tax. The median home price is a modest $127,800.

From the streams and wetlands of the fertile Delta that stretches along the Mississippi in the east, to scores of lakes and gurgling rivers in the mountainous west, there is every imaginable fishing, fly-fishing, boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing option.

According to Travis Napper, director of the Division of Arkansas Tourism, “Arkansas is also quickly becoming a mecca for all manner of cycling, especially mountain biking, with world-class trail systems expanding every year. The state is also making a tremendous investment in the Delta Heritage Trail State Park that will stretch for 84 miles of bicycle touring or hiking on more gently contoured and groomed paths.”

Napper also recommends, among thousands of options, attending the King Biscuit Blues Festival held for three days in October, or Riverfest, Arkansas’ largest music festival held every Memorial Day weekend, or the

Johnson County Peach Festival held since 1938. Maybe also luxuriate in the healing waters at Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs.

Median Home Values

Little Rock $239,900

Jonesboro $204,485 Hot Springs $264,900

Under the watchful eye of Walmart heiress Alice Walton, history and culture will profoundly blend this fall with the “We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy” exhibit, on view through January 2, 2023, at the remarkable Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Not to be missed, the exhibit features a rare, original print of the U.S. Constitution (there are only 11 in the world), plus the Declaration of Independence, the proposed Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation, among other important documents and works of art. All free to the public. Slow down and start to meander. It sounds ever better and better with a move to Arkansas … the ‘Natural State.’