Wyndham Wisdom

Funky Fayetteville

This off-the-beaten-path college town in the Ozarks has some quirky surprises

AFTER DRIVING through the hills and hollers--and past the strip malls--of northwestern Arkansas, Fayetteville (pop. 58,000) can seem like a cultural oasis when it finally pops into view. A quick tour of town might turn up busking banjo pickers, Civil War buffs in full regalia and a cosmopolitan crowd milling about the restaurants on Dickson Street. Add a burgeoning trail network, eclectic shopping and the Clintons, or at least their former home, and visitors have more than they can hope to take in over a long weekend.

HISTORY, AND THEN SOME
Fayetteville first emerged on the national stage in the mid-1800s, as a major stop along the 2,800-mile Butterfield Overland Mail trail. West coast-bound stagecoaches switched from horses to mules here to negotiate the rugged mountains west of town. In the early 1860s, the Civil War brought the area its share of death and destruction. Evidence of the havoc can still be seen in the town's Confederate cemetery, the only one in Arkansas (500 E. Rock St., on East Mountain).

Fayetteville's history became a little lighter and brighter with the 1871 founding of the University of Arkansas. The campus regularly pulls in 72,000 rabid Razorback fans during home games in football season. The school's most famous faculty members, Bill and Hillary Clinton, were married in the living room of the one-bedroom bungalow Bill bought in 1975 to woo Hillary. The building is now the Clinton House Museum, housing a tidy collection of Clinton memorabilia. Its gift shop sells bumper stickers proclaiming "I Miss Bill" and a stress-relieving squeeze toy shaped like a saxophone (930 California Blvd.; 479-444-0066; clintonhousemuseum.org).

GREEN SCENE
Fayetteville has 16 miles of walking trails and a staggering 113 miles more in the works. In other words, a good walk (and often a nice slice of the great outdoors) is never far away, even in the middle of town. Start with one of the self-guided walking tours (download maps from experiencefayetteville.com.)

You'll see another side of Fayetteville's green leanings at the eco-friendly Blair Library, where sun-drenched picture windows frame the mountains, and cork floors make tiptoeing unnecessary (401 W. Mountain St.; 479-856-7000; faylib.org). The library even has a fireplace and computers where you can catch up on your email. Budding young readers frequently drop in for story time, held here four times a week.

If you prefer to buy recycled books, check out Dickson Street Bookshop (325 W. Dickson St.; 479-442-8182). Ignore the fluorescent lights and threadbare carpets while you focus on the classical music and the deliciously intellectual scent of dusty pages and old glue. Can't decide between a first edition of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley--yours for $1,250--or a signed copy of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five? No worries, there's also a 99-cent bin out front, often filled with some unexpectedly good finds.

SHOPPING
If the weather turns chilly, pick up a snuggly Alpaca sweater (fair trade, naturally) at the newly opened Good Things Boutique (108 N. Block St.; 479-442-3689; goodthingsboutique.com). It's a hip shop with an urban feel, where you can buy note cards embedded with seeds (for planting after reading), cool English handbags fashioned from recycled inner tubes, and jewelry made of reclaimed rain-forest wood. There's a good selection of organic clothing, too. Even the walls are green.

For more of a diamond-in-the-rough shopping experience, breeze past the dusty sale rack, step over the sweet, shaggy dog, and let Bruce D. Walker trace your feet for a pair of his $300 custom-made hippie sandals at Flying Possum Leather (526 W. Dickson St.; 479-521-4940; flyingpossum.com). It's rumored that singer Neil Young owns one of his handcrafted, patented guitar straps.

If vintage boots, pre-owned purses and rhinestone tiaras are your thing, head to Cheap Thrills (120 S. East Ave.; 479-442-7735). For a taste of Fayetteville's hippie side, check out Sound Warehouse (17 N. Block Ave.; 479-442-4822; soundwarehouse.com). You'll find a wide selection of music (many local acts, Afrobeat, hip-hop and Americana), handmade jewelry and Grateful Dead bandanas, should yours have gone missing.

THE DEVIL'S DEN
For a nature break, hop in the car and drive 30 minutes through one-intersection towns and along narrow, wooded roads to Devil's Den State Park in West Fork (479-761-3325; arkansasstateparks.com).

Stop at the park's visitor center for a map. Highlights include the 15-mile Butterfield Hiking Trail and Devil's Den Cave. Potential cavers should bring a flashlight. Be warned: The sandstone tunnels are narrow, and in a couple of sections you'll have to stand sideways to squeeze through. And be prepared to see cute little bats curled up along the walls. On the way out, don't miss the turquoise water tumbling down the stone dam that spans Lee Creek.

Just outside the park you can hop on a horse if, you're so inclined, at West Mountain Trail Rides & Stables (20332 S. Hwy. 170, West Fork; 479-761-3555; westmountaintrailrides.com). The two-hour guided trail ride ($40) takes you through ravines filled with oak and hickory trees and offers bluff-top views.

If you're an athlete who likes to test your mettle, schedule your visit to coincide with the April 5th Hogeye Marathon (hogeyemarathon.com; full marathon, $55; 5K, $20), renowned for its beauty and difficulty due to the rolling hills. Or come for the April 25th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (komenozark.org; entry fee for 5K race, $20). There's no ready place to rent bikes in town, but if you bring your own you'll have plenty of company on the trails, though many of them are challengingly steep.

REFRESH AND ROCK
Whether you've experienced the great outdoors or a great race, refresh at East Meets West Spa & Salon. The aromatherapy massages employ organic botanical ingredients and techniques from lands as far from Arkansas as Bali, Thailand and India (4156 N. Steele Blvd.; 479-442-9555; emwspasalon.com; 30-minute massages from $32). Here you can get your second wind before heading to one of the two best spots in town to hear music.

The first, George's Majestic Lounge, is a hard-rockin' roadhouse-style joint that's not majestic in the least--but worth the decibels (519 W. Dickson St.; 479-442-4226; georgesmajesticlounge.com; ticket prices vary).

The second music spot, GoodFolk, is really just the living room of Mike Shirkey's 100-year-old Victorian house. Bigtime folkies such as Tom Paxton, Greg Brown and John Gorka have graced Shirkey's intimate stage, with its backdrop of quilt covered walls. Local artists also perform here, playing folk, bluegrass and jazz to an audience that often reverently sings along. Cookies, coffee and hot cider are available--donations accepted. Otherwise, it's BYOB. Look carefully, because there's no sign outside (229 N. Block St.; 479-521-1812; goodfolk.org). A Chicago-based arts quarterly put GoodFolk on its list of the 10 most interesting music venues in the world (two others are in Antarctica and Lebanon). And you thought you knew Arkansas.

EAT

Ozark Mountain Smokehouse
The space feels like a big, enclosed
rustic back porch. Listen to Johnny Cash
while you sink your teeth into juicy pork
ribs, or a BLT made with Arkansas
bacon. Despite the bevy of meat-centered
dishes, the smokehouse also
offers a great Veggie Reuben with
mushrooms, avocado, sauerkraut and
spicy Ozark mustard. 205 W. Dickson St.;
479-442-2152; lunch for two, $15*

Bordinos
Enjoy the grilled lamb chops (served in a
sweet fig reduction) in a sultry, red-walled
room that screams New York, not
Arkansas. The breads are baked fresh
and there's a gluten-free menu as well.
Jazz combos play most Thursday nights.
310 W. Dickson St.; 479-527-6795;
dinner for two, $70

Hugo's
This inexpensive basement joint is a
local favorite for families and college
students alike, thanks to its juicy burgers,
baskets of fries and perfect pecan pie.
25&fract12; N. Block Ave.; 479-521-7585;
dinner for two, $30

*Prices cover a three-course meal for two,
not including drinks, tax or tip.

STAY

RCI-AFFILIATED RESORTS NEAR FAYETTEVILLE INCLUDE:

ESCAPES! TO BELL A VISTA VILLAGE, Bella Vista, AR
(about 40 miles northwest of Fayetteville)