Arkansas joined the union as the 25th state (and 13 slave state) in 1836. Nicknamed the Natural State, the state flower of Arkansas is the apple blossom. If you really want some details, the state tree is the pine tree, the mockingbird is the state bird, the white-tailed deer is the state mammal, largemouth bass is the state fish, and the state insect is the honey bee. The pronunciation of the state as "arkansaw" was made official by an act of the state legislature in 1881. Lots of famous people claim Arkansas as their place of origin, including Johnny Cash, trainwreck golfer John Daly and Rudy Ray Moore!
Arkansas
The drive through Arkansas should only take us about 4 or so hours ... if we don't stop at the Family Pie Shop in DeValls Bluff. Piemaker Mary Thomas starts early, and "by lunchtime there might be half a dozen varieties available, the favorites including pineapple, apple, lemon, cream, coconut, and sweet potato, all laid out in gorgeous golden brown crusts that rise up like fragile pastry haloes around their fillings." Take a look at the righteous looking fried pie (below)!
Great -- now I'm hungry!
