Matador Network's Blog, page 1410
February 5, 2018
map of NFL fan base by county
Now that the Philadelphia Eagles won their very first Super Bowl, it is safe to say that the streets of Philly are about to get wild. Like, “the city needs to grease up its lampposts to keep people from climbing them.” But which counties beyond the banks of the Delaware River have the sudden urge to scream-sing “Fly Eagles Fly”? As it turns out, not very many outside of southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.
This is based off a 2014 map put together by Facebook’s Data Team that showed which team was the most “liked” in each US county. While a lot has changed since then (Los Angeles has two of its teams back!), there are still a few basic truths in the NFL fan map of the United States. The Cowboys and the Broncos dominate the Heartland, the Pats rule New England, and Jets fans are few and far between. 
Photo: Gawker Media
More like this: How the Super Bowl impacts America the day it happens
Mexico City restaurants, street food
1. Different dishes in Mexican cuisine and secret locals’ spots for finding them
2. Where to find the best tacos
3. Vegan and vegetarian restaurants
4. Best cafés
5. Traditional markets
Guide contributors: Agustín Córdova Cuitláhuac, Rulo Luna, Odette Andrea Mireille, Odette Herrera
Last updated: 7/11/2017
Overview
With almost 21 million people, Mexico City is the fourth most populated city in the world, and at the very top of the list in terms of countries with the greatest food cultures. Indigenous people began cultivating corn and other foods in this area some 7,000 years ago. And so, when you drink pulque, eat tortillas, or taste the different chiles in your salsa, you’re connecting with one of the world’s truly ancient culinary traditions.
Although there are countless great restaurants in Mexico (dozens of which we’ll profile below), the beating heart of Mexico’s food culture is found in the streets. Mexico City’s food stands decorate the urban landscape and range from fixed and semi-fixed stands, swap meets, stalls in markets, vendors selling tacos de canasta from their bikes, small restaurants (called fondas), to even food trucks.
It’s all out in the open and gives a certain rhythm to each day. At sunrise, little clouds of vapor rise all over the city from the tamaleras (large cooking pots where tamales are made). And long after the sun goes down, taco stands transform in rowdy little late night spots that could only exist here.
Unlike other countries, eating in the street is part of Mexican culture and traditions. As Agustín Córdova Cuitláhuac writes, “We are all the same when eating in a street food stand, food unites us and creates emotional ties. Social hierarchies drop away momentarily. Office worker, student, taxi driver, hipster, business professional: we all share the space equally.” As a traveler, in Mexico City, you can enter this special feeling or onda just by getting in line.
Surreal aerial photos
Sometimes we just need a pick me up. Coffee works, or funny cat videos, but as a traveler, nothing boosts me up like consuming a few epic travel images. It’s like nourishment for my brain and fuel for my creativity. With that in mind, here is a delicious collection of aerial photos to take you around the world and back again. I hope it perks up your day and gets your feet itchy for new adventures.
1
NYC, USA
It seems right to begin with the city that never sleeps.
Photo: Denys Nevozhai
2
Pointe Figuier, Haiti
Not a bad place to shipwreck.
Photo: Caleb George
3
Harbour Island, Bahamas
Because these colors are dreamy.
Photo: Patrick Tomasso
Intermission
Culture Guides
13 memories you have if you grew up in Michigan
Cathy Brown
Jan 31, 2018
Infographics
Mapped: The most distinctive causes of death in each state
Henry Miller
Jan 17, 2018
Galleries
18 reasons to visit Cappadocia in the dead of winter
Steve Brock
Jan 9, 2018
4
Ponta Negra, Brazil
Tip back a caipirinha here, if only in your mind.
Photo: Pedro Menezes
5
Cape Town, South Africa
Look out over the horn of Africa.
Photo: Marcelo Novais
6
Hardap Region, Namibia
Whoa.
Photo: Mickael Tournier
7
Skoagoss, Iceland
Even from this point of view, the falls are incredible.
Photo: Brian Botos
8
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Okay, Iceland gets two. Because the Blue Lagoon is where we need to be.
Photo: Balazs Busznyak
9
Skagsanden Beach, Norway
Because Hawaii is always .... wait, what? This is Norway?
Photo: Johny Goerend
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Dec 5, 2017
10
Yyteri, Finland
In the summer, this is a beach. It's pretty in the winter too, though.
Photo: Jonny Johanson
11
Schladming, Austria
Because winter forests from above never get old.
Photo: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos
12
Majorca, Spain
Then again, some sun is always nice.
Photo: Johannes Schwaerzler
13
Bologna, Italy
Chill in this square for an afternoon?
Photo: Bogdan Dada
14
Alonnisos, Greece
This is what I call clear water.
Photo: Rory Collins
15
Odesa, Ukraine
Let's get lost.
Photo: Sasha Set
16
Izmir, Turkey
Just some ancient ruins.
Photo: Rebecca Georgia
17
Afghanistan
Where the hills are alive with that golden light.
Photo: Pierpaolo Lanfrancotti
18
Kuramathi, Maldives
This would be like living inside a postcard.
Photo: Francois Hurtaud
19
Shanghai, China
Join in the mad rush that is life.
Photo: Denys Nevozhai
20
Tokyo, Japan
Just try not to get lost. Or do.
Photo: David Sobolewski
21
Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam
Everybody get cozy now.
Photo: Peter Nguyen
22
Supertree Grove, Singapore
Breathing life into the big city.
Photo: Chuttersnap
23
Fraser Island, Australia
Because shipwrecks from above are fascinating.
Photo: Erynn Peperkamp
24
D'Urville Island, New Zealand
Who wouldn't like to wind their way down that path?
Photo: Alex Siale
25
Hawaii, USA
Kauai county to be exact. Not a bad backyard to have, eh?
Photo: Braden Jarvis
26
San Fransisco, USA
Somewhat back where we started. And just like that we went around the world. Hope your adventure jets are all fired up!
Photo: Omer Rana
More like this: Earth from above: Incredible aerial pictures of the world’s great landmarks
Spend less and see more in Amsterdam
Many people come to Amsterdam intent on visiting every landmark they’ve ever heard about from friends, family, classroom history, and their Lonely Planet guidebook. Gotta see the Anne Frank House. Can’t miss the Van Gogh Museum. Must catch Rembrandt’s Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum. And on and on.
But making a beeline down Amsterdam’s tourist track can be a costly pitfall. While depleting your energy and wallet, visiting one famous attraction after another can leave little time for soaking up authentic local color and culture. Rather than using your finite resources to earn bragging rights for checking off every sight on your bucket list, here are five ways to spend less and see more in the Dutch capital:
1. Get beyond the historic center.
Zevenlandenhuizen
Photo: Author
Beyond the must-see sights and pricey tourist traps in Amsterdam’s historic center are hip neighborhoods that were once the haunt of artists, immigrants, and construction workers employed to dig the canals of the 17th-century Grachtengordel. Among the first to evolve was the Jordaan, now a living picture postcard with an eclectic mix of shops like Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje, an old-fashioned candy store piled high with drop, the national sweet.
In the Oud-West, Zevenlandenhuizen showcases a melange of architectural styles with seven distinctly different houses lined up in a row — a visual feast that appealed to the 19th-century fascination with all things far away. Find fare from many distant lands at De Hallen, a transformed turn-of-the-century tram depot that’s now a buzzing weekend hotspot with an indoor food court, cinema and cozy library.
In De Pijp, the price is always right at Trust, a funky bistro where you determine the bill. For dessert in Amsterdam’s Latin Quarter, check out Taart van mijn Tante, a fantasy tearoom replete with kitsch and cakes with sassy names like “Chocolate Bitch Pie.”
Get further off the beaten path in Noord, a dilapidated shipyard-turned-hip ‘hood, accessible via free ferry from Central Station. On the northern banks of the Ij, discover an homage to international cinema at the EYE Film Institute, swing over the edge of the old Shell Tower at A’dam Lookout, and hang with a bohemian crown at Café De Ceuvel in Amsterdam’s clean-tech playground.
2. Think markets, not museums.
Albert Cuypmart Market
Photo: Author
Amsterdam’s museums may be world-renowned repositories of Golden Age art, but hefty admission fees can mount up to drain your wallet. After visiting a few, refuel at street markets offering both cheap eats and a healthy dose of local color and culture.
The city’s largest street bazaar is the Albert Cuyp Market, centerpiece of De Pijp and an Amsterdam institution since 1905. Reflecting the neighborhood’s diversity, 260+ stands proffer everything from Vietnamese loempia to Dutch stroopwafels, as well as fresh produce at below-supermarket prices and an array of treasures you never knew you needed.
Other neighborhood markets offer the same range of products in less overwhelming settings. Find a true local vibe at the Ten Katemarkt in the Oud-West. On the other end of town, shop where 19th-century Jewish merchants once hawked their wares at Waterlooplein Flea Market, a source for vintage clothes, antiques, ’50s vinyls, and other curiosities. If you’re in Amsterdam on a Saturday, check out the Lindengracht market in the Jordaan for daily rations, as well as specialty edibles.
3. Connect with locals.
Open Meal with Refugees
Photo: Author
If you limit your visit to popular attractions like the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum, you’ll see how visitors, not residents, experience Amsterdam. Similarly, touristy areas like Dam Square, Leidseplein, and Rembrandtplein may be great for people-watching, but bars and cafés in these high-traffic squares tend to serve inferior, overpriced fare, as they cater to tourists, not locals, and don’t rely on repeat business.
Better to chill at waterfront dives like Sound Garden in the Jordaan or Hanneke’s Boom near Central Station, where you’ll imbibe alongside regulars who’ve been drinking at these joints for decades. Have your fill of a local delicacy at “Eat Real Dutch Pancakes,” one of many experiences offered by With Locals, as well as EatWith.
Other opportunities to mingle with locals are listed on Meetup, as well as Internations, an activity club for Dutchies and expats. Find friends from around the world at Open Meal with Refugees, a monthly potluck dinner. Save on accommodations while engaging in cultural exchange through Couchsurfing.
4. Find cheap fun.
From tip-based walking tours to free afternoon performances at the Concertgebouw and Dutch National Opera & Ballet during cultural season (September–May), Amsterdam offers myriad opportunities for budget-friendly fun, including many listed in 18 Awesome Things to Do in Amsterdam For Free. For spontaneous culture, discounted tickets are available on the day of selected theater, comedy and opera performances through the online Last Minute Ticket Shop.
The best way to experience Amsterdam on any budget is to wander the UNESCO-recognized canals with no agenda. Lined with storied sights and gabled mansions tilting at odd angles, the 400-year-old canals, which outnumber those in Venice, form a free, living museum stamped with the architectural legacy of the 17th-century Golden Age. A map will inform your adventure, but even a good one can’t reveal everything in Amsterdam’s narrow, cobbled alleyways.
5. Visit in low season.
Admittedly, January and February can be cold, wet months in the Netherlands. But Amsterdam offers plenty of indoor fun for dreary days. Inside many cafés and restaurants, roaring fireplaces thaw the winter chill. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and other popular attractions are open, but with smaller crowds and shorter lines, making for more intimate experiences. The ICE rink on Museumplein prolongs the year-end festive spirit through early February.
Save for holiday dates in December, airfares, accommodations, and tourist numbers are priced lowest in winter. Hostel accommodations that fetch up to €50/night with a two-night minimum on summer weekends can be had for less than €20 in off-season — a good reason to spend twice as much time in one of Europe’s most popular destinations on a winter visit.
More like this: 18 awesome things to do in Amsterdam for free
Know before visiting Stockholm
A beer or glass of wine will usually cost you between $6 and $10 in a bar or restaurant. There are always happy hour deals to be found — so keep an eye out for good deals.
Road trip from Alaska to Calgary
Our car is smaller than it should be. It’s packed with dirty gear, warm sleeping bags, tasty snacks, and two people ready to sit in its small seats for 40 hours. After exploring the breathtaking Turnagain Arm, my adventure buddy Doug and I are ready for the reason I flew out to meet him in Alaska: a road trip from Anchorage to Calgary. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we loosely map our course and dive into the unexpected of the Great White North.
1
It’s slightly overcast as we begin our drive toward Calgary. Cruising down the Seward Highway, we take in the hillsides and the rocky shorelines around us.
2
The windows of our tiny car are ever-changing paintings as towering peaks rise from the landscape. Doug is forced to pull over every few minutes as I press my face to the glass and excitedly exclaim I need another photo. It is hard to grasp how tall the peaks are in the distance, and they are a steady reminder of how small we really are.
3
Sections of the drive are populated with miles of nothing but fields and the occasional tree breaking into a flat horizon. As we near the Canadian border, we stop to stretch our legs and find a beautiful reflection on the gray surface of a lake. We lose ourselves in the sight before us, easily forgetting which way is up.
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4
We cross into Canada and find ourselves in the vast wilderness known as the Yukon. From wolves to voles, the Yukon is filled with incredible wildlife. As a gentle snowfall begins, we round a corner in the road to find a field full of bison. They move slow but purposefully, barely acknowledging our presence as we hear low grunts rising from their furry masses.
5
We cruise through the Yukon and slowly roll into the sleepy town of Watson Lake - home to the famous Sign Post Forest (there are 77,000 of them). We meander about the posts, reading signs ranging from toilet seats to dinner plates displaying the names, dates, and hometowns of their owners. Doug looks for the sign of our Anchorage Couchsurfing hosts in the cluttered mass of color and history.
6
After five days of traveling with no shower, we find ourselves at the boardwalk to the Liard Hot Springs. Eagerly, we pad along the wooden planks that carry us over crystal-clear wetlands and toward the springs. A beautiful wooden structure comes into sight, and we find ourselves stripping down to swimsuits and slowly submerging ourselves into the steaming water. The hot springs wash off hours of hiking and the stagnant sitting car life we’ve been enjoying.
7
The wheels on our tiny car kick up dust as we pull onto a dirt shoulder running along one of the landscapes that caused us to change our initial destination of Seattle to Calgary. Jasper National Park, over 4200 square miles of beautiful wilderness and roaming wildlife.
8
At 2 AM, Doug shakes me awake as I snooze in the passenger's seat and he points to the sky as a faint “I think it’s them,” crosses his lips. A faint wisp of white that looks like a cloud causes us to turn down a dirt road and get out of the car. I wrap a blanket around myself, and we wander out into a nearby field to stare at the sky. And then, the white light grows. It begins to transform, to flow. From a white to a glowing green with streaks of purple as it undulates across the sky. I stare at the sky and my mouth drops, as a combination of laughter and tears come from me. I stop taking photos and watch as the night swirls into an indescribable natural wonder, the Northern Lights.
9
Traveling on the cheap, our wallets are doing alright. We sleep in the little sedan carrying us from one town to the next, and our daily activities typically involve nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other up a steep, snow-covered hill. So, after days of driving and chilly winter camping, we find ourselves splurging on a warm, cozy hotel in Jasper. A local coffee shop, the Wicked Cup, is connected to our home for the night. The smell of baked dough and freshly-brewed coffee radiates from its doors and we can’t help but indulge on a freshly crafted flatbread pizza.
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Sunrise to sunset in the Northern Territory’s Red Center
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10
It’s cold, snowing, and our last day in Jasper National Park. I’m a bundle of fleece, and as the flurries fall, Doug decides to go for a dip in the beautiful frigid waters of Emerald Lake. We heat up tea for his exit, he strips down, and cannonballs in.
11
Sad to leave Jasper but excited for our next destination, we make sure to visit the 80-foot force of Athabasca Falls as we drive toward Banff National Park. Viewing platforms and roads separate the falls, with one side home to the powerful waterfall which carved the gorge, and the other with water morphing into a calm, meandering river that glows turquoise in the evening light.
12
In photo essays, we usually only see the glamorous side of road trips. You never get to see the parking lot spaghetti dinners eaten out of a single pot, or the chilly nights bundled in a sleeping bag in a car that isn’t long enough to stretch out in. For all of those mountain shots comes the gritty work behind getting there. Headlamp illuminating the words on pages filled with adventure, Doug reads as my heavy eyelids begin to accept their fate on our last night in Canada.
13
Our last day ends with sightseeing in the morning and a flight out of Calgary in the evening. Beanies on and hot chocolate in hand, we wander up to Lake Louise and watch visitors snap photos of the iconic view as we breathe in every last bit of Canada we can.
More like this: Turnagain Arm: One of Alaska's most beautiful destinations
What happens when you leave Alaska
At some point in their lives, most Alaskans feel an itch to leave the state. Some consider it a rite of passage and split as soon as they turn 18, while others take longer to succumb to the urge. Either way, leaving can be exhilarating — but we’re not always prepared for the culture shock. We know things are different Outside, but sometimes getting acclimated takes more prolonged exposure than we would have thought.
Here’s what happens to Alaskans when we decide to leave Alaska.
1. When you can’t wait to GTFO.
You love Alaska, but you’re ready for sunshine, some conveniences, and a new adventure.
2. Counting down the days ’til you leave like.
Are we there yet?
3. How you feel on your last day of work.
Time to get outta here!
4. On your flight out of Anchorage.
Until we meet again, Alaska!
5. You’ll have to learn to navigate a new city.
Driving around Anchorage did not prepare you for this.
6. You’ll realize Costco, Home Depot, and your favorite fast food joint are within a 15-minute drive of each other.
No more long car trips or stocking up on a month’s worth of goods for you!
7. And spend less than $100 dollars at the grocery store.
You can’t believe how cheap the produce is.
8. You’ll discover chains that don’t exist in Alaska.
Red Lobster, Popeye’s, In-N-Out Burger — what is this magic?
9. And everyone will ask you what it’s like to live in Alaska.
You only get a little carried away.
10. None of your footwear will be socially acceptable.
But you still refuse to throw out your Danskos or Xtratufs.
11. Someone will offer you farmed salmon.
Trying to educate them on the superiority of Wild Alaska salmon doesn’t always go over well.
12. When it’s dark by 6 in the summertime.
Is this a joke?
13. People will freak out after seeing a moose.
Noobs.
14. Meeting someone else who’s from Alaska.
Finally — somebody who gets it!
15. And you hear juicy gossip about people from back home.
His ex got together with who??
16. All your friends will post about fishing and their summer adventures.
And your FOMO will kick in hard.
17. When you go back to visit.
And do everything you’ve been missing out on.
18. You’ll have mountains on the brain.
And only Alaska will cut it.
19. And you’ll no longer be eligible for the PFD.
Nothing prepared you for this pain.
20. When you realize you might not be cut out for this non-Alaska life.
And finally, accept that nowhere in the world compares to back home.
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Commandments for New Mexico living
1. Thou shalt have chile on everything.
2. Thou shalt have to explain thousands upon thousands of times that New Mexico is not a part of Mexico.
3. Thou shalt not eat Colorado green chile, for it is lesser than and beneath us and shall not pass our lips.
4. Thou shalt always step outside when someone says “come look at the sunset,” for each is beautiful and unique.
5. Thou shalt take a crappy cell phone picture of each sunset that won’t capture its full majesty.
6. Thou shalt know someone who works in the movie industry in one way or another.
7. Thou knows that the pain of stepping on a goat head is far greater than any other.
8. Thou shalt NEVER. USE. TURN. SIGNALS. EVER. Indicating your turns is for losers.
9. Thou shalt end every question with “…or what?”
10. Thine default answer is “I know, huh?”
11. Thou shalt chuckle when out-of-towners say “Oh wow, Las Vegas is so close! Let’s go there!” And then relish the look of disappointment on their faces when they find out the truth.
12. Thou shalt never cross the threshold of a Taco Bell or Chipotle. We have the real thing all around us, don’t commit blasphemy with a *shudder* burrito bowl.
13. Thou shalt never spell it “chili” unless thou art referring to Frito Pies.
14. Thou shalt know that Dion’s is the best pizza in New Mexico.
15. Thou shalt call it the Fe, or Fanta Se.
16. Thou shalt always ask out-of-towners to try and pronounce the names of towns and streets — Pojoaque becomes Po-Ja-Q, Cerrillos is now Cer-il-os.
17. Thou shalt suffer greatly during juniper season — runny noses and watery eyes galore. Statewide misery.
18. Thou shalt agree that Blake’s is the best fast food chain in the state, and to question is heresy.
19. During chile roasting season, thou shalt always pause and relish the scent.
20. Thou shalt have serious doubts about whether the Spaceport will ever be completed.
21. Thou shalt answer in the affirmative when out-of-towners ask if you know someone who has been abducted.
22. Thou shalt never forgive Anthony Bourdain — he knows what he did.
23. Thou shalt know that New Mexico is the best state to live in — you’re goddamn right.
More like this: 18 dead giveaways you're from New Mexico
12 incredible moments in Arkansas
Arkansas may be nicknamed the Natural State, but this year-round destination is also packed with historical attractions, award-winning foodie hotspots, and geological wonders too great to pass for “natural.” We’re talking much more than you’d expect — from the hills of the northwest to the Delta region, here are 12 incredible moments to experience in Arkansas.
1. Ordering a pint at the first and only national park brewery
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs National Park uses the area’s thermal spring water (and ingredients from all over the world) to create its brews, from German-style ales to stouts. You heard right — a brewery in a national park.
Located in Bathhouse Row on Central Ave, the brewery is housed inside one of the eight bathhouses built in the early 1900s. The park itself is located within the city limits of Hot Springs (it’s the smallest national park of the nation’s 59), and its hot springs pump out over 700,000 gallons of thermal water per day. For the record, Buckstaff Bathhouse is the only bathhouse that has been in continuous operation since it first opened (in 1912). In addition to Superior, other buildings have been renovated into a family-friendly spa, the park’s visitor center and museum, and the Bathhouse Row Emporium.
2. Climbing to the highest point in the state
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Hike the Signal Hill trail at Mount Magazine State Park, and you can brag that you climbed to the top of Arkansas. The 1.4-mile loop is an easy-to-navigate, moderate hike that reaches 2,753 feet. Find the trailhead a quick walk from the Lodge at Mount Magazine, a resort-style hotel looking over the Petit Jean River Valley. The park has 14 miles of woodland hiking trails and connects to another 60 miles of trails in Ozark National Forest, and there are areas for technical rock climbing and hang gliding, too.
3. Chasing down waterfalls
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
The Natural State has tons of waterfalls tucked away in its hills and hollows, including Hemmed-in Hollow, touted as the tallest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians. Located in a difficult-to-reach area of the Buffalo National River, the 209-foot falls tumbles down a sandstone bluff and forms pools below. Another must-see waterfall in the region is Glory Hole Falls, which flows through a hole eroded in a ledge and into a shelter cave, creating an Instagram-worthy photo op.
While hiking is required to reach many Arkansas waterfalls, there are a few exceptions. Natural Dam Falls, which stretches some 200 feet across Mountain Fork Creek, can be viewed from your car just north of Van Buren, while an accessible boardwalk leads visitors to an overlook of 95-foot Cedar Falls in Petit Jean State Park.
4. Stepping inside Johnny Cash’s childhood bedroom
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Down a dirt road in Dyess, you’ll find the boyhood home of Johnny Cash — Cash fans will recognize the little white farmhouse from the movie Walk the Line. This single-level, two-bedroom house with just one electric light socket was home for the Cash family (and its seven children), and Cash’s experiences there influenced some of his music, including the song “Five Feet High and Rising.”
The Dyess Colony, which provided homes and delta farmland for nearly 500 families after the Great Depression, has been preserved by Arkansas State University and is open for tours. The Cash boyhood home has been restored inside and out, complete with front and back porches, 1930s-era furniture, and Cash’s mother’s piano.
5. Mining for diamonds — and keeping any you find
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Murfreesboro, is the only place in the world where you can go diamond mining and take home whatever you find. Since the park opened in 1972, visitors have found over 30,000 diamonds, including the one-in-a-billion Strawn-Wagner Diamond, the American Gem Society’s most perfect diamond.
The park’s 37.5-acre search area is a rockhound’s paradise, with an average of two diamonds found per day. The surface of this ancient volcanic crater has also yielded agate, garnets, jasper, and quartz — and you can keep those, too.
6. Envisioning Hemingway at work on A Farewell to Arms
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Ernest Hemingway and his second wife Pauline Pfeiffer traveled across the globe, visiting Paris, Africa, Key West, and even the northeastern Arkansas town of Piggott (spoiler alert: that’s where Pfeiffer’s family lived). The Pfeiffers converted a barn loft into a writing studio, where Hemingway retreated to focus on his first bestseller, A Farewell to Arms.
Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the barn studio has been renovated as part of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, complete with several original pieces of furniture, including Hemingway’s poker table and dresser.
7. Spelunking 20+ stories underground
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Climb, crawl, and squeeze through undeveloped areas over 200 feet deep inside Blanchard Springs Cavern on the four-hour Wild Cave Tour. The caving adventure will take you to spots with names like the Birth Canal and the I’ll Miss You Hole, and is so rough and dirty that coveralls, a headlamp, gloves, kneepads, and a helmet are provided.
Also led by US Forest Service interpreters, other tours in this living cave full of ever-changing crystalline formations include the accessible but steeply inclined half-mile Dripstone Trail and the longer Discovery Trail, which takes you to the cave stream and requires climbing nearly 700 steps.
8. Discovering fairytales and ghosts in Eureka Springs
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Visit the Ozark mountain town of Eureka Springs, and you’ll encounter streets brimming with shops, restaurants, and galleries inside historical Victorian buildings. You won’t find any stoplights or streets that cross at right angles downtown, but you will see a fairytale glass chapel, underground tunnels, and perhaps even a few ghosts.
Thorncrown Chapel is a 48-foot-tall building with over 6,000 square feet of glass. If the supernatural is more your style, take the city’s Downtown-N-Underground Tour, or check into one of the town’s two haunted hotels — the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa or the 1905 Basin Park Hotel — for an overnight stay or ghost tour.
9. Eating at the first James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Arkansas
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Step into Jones Bar-B-Q Diner on Louisiana Street in Marianna, and your dining choices are: a) pulled pork barbecue sandwich with slaw, or b) pulled pork barbecue sandwich without slaw. Yep, you’re in the right place.
A James Beard Foundation America’s Classic Award winner in 2012, the tiny diner has been at the same two-table location in the heart of the Arkansas Delta since the 1960s, but the Jones family has been serving up its secret family recipe for over 150 years. If you go, go before lunchtime — the diner, open six days a week, often sells out well before noon.
10. Having dinner in a Boeing 737
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Bring your appetite instead of luggage to the Parachute Inn, a Boeing 737 converted into a restaurant with an old-school Southwest Airlines vibe, down to its vintage seats and overhead bins. The menu is a mix of Southern classics — think fried catfish and hushpuppies — and diner favorites. While waiting for your food, take some selfies in the cockpit. Your Instagram will thank you later.
The Parachute Inn is located at the Walnut Ridge airport, which had a moment of fame when the Beatles made a stopover in September, 1964. Sensing an opportunity, the town also hosts the Beatles at the Ridge Festival, celebrating — you got it — everything Beatles.
11. Re-enacting the beginning of Tuck Everlasting
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Whitaker Point, also referred to as Hawksbill Crag, is an Arkansas landmark with birds-eye views of Ozark National Forest and is reachable via a three-mile out-and-back hike. Disney fans might recognize the formation from the opening scenes of Tuck Everlasting — it’s also one of the most photographed spots in the state.
Find the trailhead via a rough dirt road on the northern edge of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. Hike out early in the morning to catch the sunrise, or pack a lunch for a picnic on the overlook.
12. Sipping a glass (or three) on the Arkansas Wine Trail
Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Grab a designated driver and hit the Arkansas Wine Trail, a collection of wineries that stretches from the northwest of the state to just north of Little Rock. The route features over a dozen wineries large and small, including several that have been producing wine for over a century.
Your stops might feature drinking wine from the hand-dug cellars of one of the oldest wineries in the United States, Wiederkehr Wine Cellars; sampling vino from the massive Chateau Aux Arc Vineyards (they’re the largest US Chardonnay grower outside of California); or touring the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum at Cowie Wine Cellars and Vineyards. Who knew Arkansas was wine country? 
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