Arkansas

Forming the mountainous joint between the Midwest and the Deep South, Arkansas (ar-kan-saw) is an often-overlooked treasure of swift rushing rivers, dark leafy hollows, crenelated granite outcrops and the rugged spine of the Ozark and the Ouachita (wash-ee-tah) mountains. The entire state is blessed with exceptionally well-presented state parks and tiny, empty roads crisscrossing dense forests that let out onto breathtaking vistas and gentle pastures dotted with grazing horses. Mountain towns juke between Christian fundamentalism, hippie communes and biker bars, yet all of these divergent cultures share a love of their home state's stunning natural beauty.