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AL TOPICH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
(Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Al Topich)
Even though the film festival season in Arkansas is over until next year, there are still plenty of film-related events. Last week, there were two such events, one in Northwest Arkansas at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the other taking place outdoors at a flower farm outside…
Budget first travel by booking with flexibility
How to use Skyscanner Everywhere and KAYAK Explore to find flights that fit your budget with flexible date and destination booking.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Look what has happened to Fayetteville.
This city, once considered a quiet hamlet tucked in the Ozark boonies, has blossomed into a dynamic travel destination.
“I think Fayetteville is very magnetic,” says Landry Chopin, horticulture assistant at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. “People in this community just want to be together outside doing things. It’s a little bit of everything for everybody here.”
Northwest Arkansas offers much to love: fresh mountain air, spring-fed lakes, miles of hiking and biking trails and small-town hospitality.
The U.S. Census ranks this city and surrounding Northwest Arkansas with a population of more than 600,000 among the top 10 fastest-growing regions in the country.
Fayetteville is home to the University of Arkansas, which consistently ranks as a favorite SEC campus. Yet, it is more than a college town. Fayetteville and nearby Bentonville present performing and visual art centers that draw nationwide attention.
Whether it is racing down the Razorback Greenway, swarming to bluegrass jams at Gulley Park or browsing the tables at the Fayetteville Farmers Market, people in this inclusive community have deep local pride.
Here the saying goes, “Visit three times, and the third time you stay.”
The University of Arkansas is the heartbeat of Fayetteville. With sweeping views of the Boston Mountains, the campus rates among the most beautiful in America because of its towering trees, expansive lawns and stately buildings. Old Main, the oldest building, completed in 1875, is constructed in the French Second Empire style with mansard roof and towers at each end.
Chimes sound throughout the day, with a rendition of the university’s alma mater each evening. These melodic tones float across campus and envelop the wide porches at The Inn at Carnall Hall. Built as a women’s dormitory in 1905, the light-filled rooms have transitioned into a stylish hotel. Together with its restaurant, Ella’s Table, the accommodation exudes welcoming Southern hospitality.
A walk across campus reveals the names of more than 200,000 graduates, each name imprinted in the sidewalks. Students study at the David W. Mullins Library, enjoy productions at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center, and socialize at the Arkansas Union and the outdoor Chi Omega Greek Theatre.
Fans go wild and loud on football weekends.
“On Razorback game day, you can smell it. It’s in the air. So much energy. So much fun,” Jill Rohrbach tells us over dinner. She is the author of “100 Things to Do in Fayetteville Before You Die.”
Red-shirted Razorback fans meet at the fearsome “Wild Band of Razorbacks” statue outside Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium. They flood parking lots and the Hog Pen to tailgate and holler the “Woo Pig Sooie” cheer.
The celebration goes on all day, and the party along nearby Dickson Street rocks well into the night, regardless of whether the Hogs win or lose.
Townspeople’s love for the university interweaves with their affection for all things local.
At the downtown square, the Fayetteville Farmers Market sells handcrafted artisan goods and fresh produce. Locally owned clothing stores like Riffraff have a steady clientele. Shops selling Arkansas-made products line the square and its side streets. Bright, splashy murals, secondhand shops including a vinyl records store, art galleries and restaurants populate this walkable area.
A standout in the downtown dining district is Calle, serving Latin cuisine. Hugo’s, operating out of a basement since 1977, serves beer, burgers and sandwiches. Feed & Folly offers wraps, sandwiches and smoked meats, plus expansive views of the Boston Mountains from its rooftop. Nine local breweries provide enjoyable stops along the Fayetteville Ale Trail.
Eating local means getting a Tex-Mex meal with an Arkansas twist at Fayetteville Taco and Tamale Co. Patrons meet their friends for tasty housemade pappardelle at Bocca Italian Eatery and Pizzeria.
Breakfast is a big deal here. Made-from-scratch bakery goods and eye-opening coffee are the specialties at Little Bread Company, while flaky pastries and signature egg dishes highlight Prelude’s morning fare. Onyx Coffee Lab, a Northwest Arkansas specialty coffee company, has earned international accolades.
The entertainment area near campus features the Walton Arts Center, just around the corner from TheatreSquared, Arkansas’ largest professional theater company. The college crowd gravitates to George’s Majestic Lounge, a live music venue. Another venerated institution, Dickson Street Bookshop, has been operating for nearly 50 years. Shoppers get lost amid capriciously catalogued books and magazines cluttered in multiple rooms.
A quiet retreat, The Stonebreaker Hotel has 78 guest rooms overlooking the Markham Hill Nature Preserve. A restaurant serving local farm-sourced fare adjoins the inn’s native stone patios. The eco-resort is within walking distance to the campus and retail district.
“I’m always surprised with how many people specifically come here looking for this,” says Cesar Acosta, director of horticulture and operations. He points to a blue telephone in the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
The wind phone is placed here for people who want to imagine speaking with a departed loved one. The unconnected device sits in a quiet spot in the garden’s eight cultivated acres. People find it restorative to carry on heartfelt, long-distance conversations.
The rotary phone is just one of many innovative attractions. The garden is divided into 12 themed areas including a Japanese Garden and Children’s Garden. Sculptures accentuate a wide variety of plant life.
Fayetteville boasts numerous other parks, gardens and public spaces. From the Overlook at Mount Sequoyah, visitors take in panoramic views of the city at sunset. With lodging, educational programs and art exhibits, the park serves as a community gathering place. Faces representing the four seasons top The Castle, a whimsical sculptural work at Wilson Park. A small park features a Trail of Tears Memorial noting the path taken by bands of Cherokee in their forced move west.
A garden dedicated to the country’s First Ladies enhances the Clinton House Museum. Bill and Hillary Clinton lived in the Tudor Revival cottage after their marriage in 1975. Both the former President and Secretary of State once taught at the university’s School of Law. The house served as a campaign headquarters for Bill Clinton’s successful run for state attorney general in 1976.
“I think people love President Bill Clinton for the one fact that he has a humble background and he made it to be president. And, that’s kind of what America is all about – the American dream,” says Bailee King, museum director.
A group of children on a field trip scramble for a spot in the cargo area of a Lockheed C-130 H Hercules plane at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum. The plane with the 132-foot wingspan is one of about 20 aircraft among the 2,000 artifacts on display.
At Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, visitors venture across fields where Union soldiers stopped the advance of Confederates in 1862. Covering more than 1,000 acres, it is considered one of the most perfectly preserved Civil War battlefields.
Fayetteville makes a strong case as the nation’s No. 1 biking city.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) designated Fayetteville as a bike city, the only U.S. city with that honor. The League of American Bicyclists honored the city as Arkansas’ first and only gold-level bicycle friendly community.
“Bicycling is an integral part of this city,” says Brannon Pack, a cycling tourism leader. “We have 60 miles of paved trails and 60 miles of mountain trails, giving our residents direct access to a 120-mile network within the city limits.”
Kessler Mountain Regional Park has more than 20 miles of meticulously constructed mountain bike trails. Hiking is also popular through the park’s hilly terrain. Kessler Mountain is also the starting point for the amazing 40-mile Razorback Greenway which runs past Bentonville.
“We see people all over the greenway,” Pack says. “Walking, biking, rollerblading. We see it used for recreation and transportation. Bikers commute to work.”
Bicyclists particularly like the stretch where the greenway weaves through the Ramble. A trail offshoot twists and turns passed woodland gardens and art structures.
In addition to greenways, Fayetteville’s streets are exceedingly biker- and walker-friendly with well-marked bike lanes and sidewalks. Pack says the goal is that by 2040 every structure in the city will be within a two-minute bike ride of the trail infrastructure.
A short drive through the verdant Ozarks leads to the Victorian-era resort town of Eureka Springs.
The glass walls of Thorncrown Chapel rise nearly 50 feet into the leafy woods. Architect E. Fay Jones’ inspiration was to blend the structure perfectly with the surrounding trees as if “man and nature had planned it together.” Visitors sit in pews and feel peacefulness.
Nearby at Lake Leatherwood City Park, kayakers and canoeists paddle across the water and spot turtles, herons and hawks. Other visitors fish from the banks and hike on 25 miles of trails.
Downtown Eureka combines historic structures and quaint tourist attractions. People roam among eclectic shops to the soundtrack of motorcycles, bluegrass music and children’s laughter.
Abundant freshwater springs brought folks to the town 150 years ago. Original stonework structures adorn the predominant springs, including Crescent, Grotto, Magnetic and Basin Springs.
The wedge-shaped Flatiron Building is the city’s signature structure; however, the allegedly haunted 1886 Crescent Hotel competes for fame. Visitors often sense creepy vibes during nightly ghost tours.
The 67-foot Christ of the Ozarks statue is said to be the tallest statue of Christ in the United States. It was erected in 1966 on Magnetic Mountain as a symbol of hope. The Great Passion Play and other religious-themed attractions are nearby.
Linda Lange and Steve Ahillen, longtime Knoxville residents, are travel writers living in Nashville, Tenn.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —The identity of the winner of Arkansas’ record-setting $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot has now been confirmed through Arkansas Scholarship Lottery documents, revealing that the prize was claimed by Tracy Hartwick, the brother of North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick.
Lottery records show Tracy Hartwick claimed the jackpot in January after purchasing the winning ticket in Cabot. After electing the lump-sum cash option and paying taxes, Hartwick received $565,873,785.82, according to the documents.
The records also show Hartwick signed paperwork to remain anonymous for six months after claiming the prize. Under Arkansas law, that is the maximum amount of time a lottery winner who is related to an elected official can remain anonymous before their identity becomes public.
According to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery documents, Tracy Hartwick received 94 percent of the after-tax winnings. His brother, Timothy Allen Hartwick, received 3 percent, while another 3 percent was distributed to a third claimant whose name was redacted in the released records.
The Powerball jackpot, announced by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery after the winning drawing in late December 2025, remains the largest lottery prize ever won in Arkansas. The winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot on 208 S. Rockwood Drive.
The revelation of the winner’s identity surprised many across Central Arkansas.
“That’s crazy news but you hear something crazy every day,” said Benjamin Britton.
Others said they understood why Hartwick chose to remain anonymous for as long as the law allowed.
“I think waiting over time and then thinking about it and then coming to claim it would be good,” said Ricky Rhodes.
The documents show Hartwick waited the full six-month anonymity period before his identity became public.
We reached out to the City of North Little Rock seeking comment from Mayor Terry Hartwick regarding the records. A city spokesperson said the mayor would not be providing interviews or commenting on the matter.
The newly released lottery documents provide the first official confirmation that the record-breaking Powerball prize claimed in Arkansas belongs to the mayor’s brother, ending months of speculation about the identity of the state’s biggest lottery winner.
To manage hunting traffic at St. Francis Sunken Lands Wildlife Management Area, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission proposed a permit-only system for the lower portion of the WMA at its monthly committee meetings Wednesday at Little Rock.
The debate over the proposed regulation lasted about an hour. It passed 6-1, with Phillip Tappan of Little Rock dissenting. It’s the first split vote within the commission in years. Tappan did not oppose the idea as a whole or the reasoning behind it. He argued for a slightly different format.
Having passed out of committee, the proposal will be subject to a 30-day comment period, after which the commission will vote to approve or reject the proposal in August.
Randy Zellers, assistant chief of communications for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said the proposal would establish permit-only waterfowl hunting on about 1,000-acres of tupelo and cypress forest along the St. Francis River. The 4.6-mile section is on the southernmost part of the WMA, which is more than 30 miles long. If the commission approves the regulation as currently worded, the permits will be awarded weekly through a random, online drawing. The format is similar to the one used at Steve N. Wilson Raft Creek WMA.
Doug Schoenrock, the Game and Fish Commission’s director, said the proposed regulation will create 20-25 public “markers” or hunting spots. A successful applicant may bring as many as three companions, with a maximum of four in a hunting party. A permit will be good for one day only. Schoenrock said this will eliminate one group of hunters monopolizing a hunting spot for multiple days.
There will also be a 150-yard buffer between the markers to avoid conflicts. Private landowners will not be required to have a permit to hunt on private land adjoining the WMA.
The most vigorous debate centered on whether hunting should be allowed for seven days or four days. Tappan advocated reserving four days per week for hunting and suspending hunting for three days to allow ducks to rest. The other six commissioners demurred, saying they did not want to reduce hunting opportunity. Tappan felt strongly enough about creating a rest period for ducks that he voted against the proposal.
Zellers said commissioners want to know if hunters prefer having rest days each week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which he said is consistent with other waterfowl hunting areas where hunting is allocated by permits only.
“Permits will be for marked locations within the unit.” Zellers said. “Permit winners will be able to bring three hunting companions on their designated hunt day. Permit winners and their guests must remain on public land within 150 yards of their designated location. The exact number of locations has not been finalized, but will be based on safety and consideration to distance from area boundaries and private land. Traditionally popular locations within the unit will be prioritized for inclusion in the draw.”
Hunters will be able to apply for a single day of the weekend, from Thursday through Sunday two weeks before the week they are applying for.
Knowing the agency’s tumultuous history with hunters in this area, commissioners were extremely cautious about the precise wording of this regulation. In 2012, the commission enraged local hunters in this area when it outlawed private duck blinds in the St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA. Private duck blinds had been long established when the commission, then under the leadership of the late director Loren Hitchcock, banned private property on the state-owned WMA. The action prompted multiple hearings within the Arkansas legislature.
The southernmost portion of the WMA is very popular for its excellent duck hunting. Overcrowding is a chronic issue, Schoenrock said. Separating hunters and allocating opportunity through a randomly-drawn permit system will alleviate overcrowding and provide a more enjoyable hunting experience.
“We’re making it safer and providing more opportunity for people to use it,” Schoenrock said. “The place has been like a Walmart parking lot. We’re talking about 4.6 miles of river on a 30-plus mile WMA. The rest of the WMA will be open seven days a week with no draw on a navigable waterway.”
Brad Carner, the AGFC’s deputy director, said the drawings will be held weekly, and the first application period will open two weeks before duck season. The drawings will be conducted on Monday mornings, and applicants will be notified by email about the status of their applications.
Despite concerns expressed by some non-hunters and non-anglers, the commission did not discuss its new regulation that requires non-hunters and non-anglers to purchase a $10.50 permit to use wildlife management areas. Zellers said purchases of the new permit will not increase the commission’s apportionment of federal aid dollars.
“If non-hunters and non-anglers want to contribute to the mission, they would help us more if they buy a fishing license for the same price,” Zellers said.
Fishing licenses and hunting licenses contribute to the formula upon which the federal government apportions federal aid dollars for fish and wildlife conservation.
Also, the commission did not discuss a new regulation that eliminated Special Use Area designations from portions of Camp Robinson WMA and Perry Mikles Blue Mountain WMA. These areas were previously reserved for bird dog field trials. Even when field trials were not being held, the public was not allowed to hunt on the SUAs, which totaled about 9,000 acres.
Zellers said the former SUAs are now subject to the standard wildlife habitat management practices, the most important of which is prescribed burning. Zellers said prescribed burning must be conducted in a narrow time window, and bird dog field trials often conflict with the agency’s prescribed burning schedule.
Zellers said that field trials may still be held at Camp Robinson and Blue Mountain WMAs, but that the commission will no longer manage the areas around field trial activities.
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