Before You Go

Coordinates 36.0626° N, 94.1574° W
Baton Rouge to Northshore 529.7 miles
Driving Time 8 hours, 57 minutes

Why Fayetteville?

Named one of “America’s Most Beautiful Towns” by Parade, the city of Fayetteville is surrounded by the scenic Ozark Mountains and is a hot spot for entertainment. Due to its wide range of exciting attractions, Fayetteville has a little something for everyone.

Where to Eat

Geraldi’s  |  20 S. University Avenue  |  Fayetteville, AR 72201
If you’re going home hungry, you probably didn’t eat at Geraldi’s Pizzeria. While this casual Italian restaurant is perfectly tucked away in Fayetteville, their pizzas and sandwiches are hard to miss. They offer large portions that will leave everyone in your family as stuffed as one of their delicious calzones. ■ facebook.com/geraldispizzaria

Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese  |  326 N. West Avenue  |  Fayetteville, AR 72701
If you have a grilled cheese connoisseur in the family, you’ll want to make a stop at Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese so everyone can choose from over 15 unique grilled cheese sandwiches. Or, they can create their own cheese concoction with over 26 cheese options to choose from–not to mention the many add ons they allow you to include such as meats, veggies, sauces, and spreads. ■ hammontreesgourmet.com

The Farmer’s Table Café  |  1079 S. School Avenue  |  Fayetteville, AR 72701
Meet and eat where the locals do at The Farmer’s Table Cafe. This hot spot is a breakfast favorite, but they also serve a delicious lunch and dinner menu, too. Feast on everything from breakfast tacos and biscuits and gravy to patty melts and chicken burgers. Make sure you get there early, though, because there is usually a wait. ■ thefarmerstablecafe.com

What to Do

Take to the skies and see the world from a whole new perspective while in flight during a visitor ride on a Stinson Junior, a high-winged monoplane, at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum. The historic hangar is one of the nation’s few remaining all-wood structures from the World War II era, and the museum holds classic aircraft, modern planes from the post-World War II era, and displays of key military aircraft from the Vietnam era. ■ arkansasairandmilitary.com

Relive the arcade days at Arkadia Retrocade while playing fan favorites such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Asteroids. Spend an afternoon bonding over the classic arcade machines. ■ (479) 445-7844

Watch a movie under a canopy of stars at 112 Drive-In Theatre. Bring your own snacks or enjoy delicious movie treats from the snack stand while watching new and old movie releases after the sun sets on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from now to October. Sound is streamed through your car radio or via speakers placed on the grounds. ■ 112driveintheatre.com

Take a walk down Dickson Street and enjoy the sounds of live music throughout the weekends. Grab a bite to eat from one of the many restaurants for an energy refill after an evening of showing your children your best moves. ■ experiencefayetteville.com

Drive go-karts, play arcade games and laser tag, battle in bumper boats, or ride the mechanical bull at Lokomotion Family Fun Park. If you want a full day of play, this is where you will want to be. ■ lokomotion.com

Get up close and personal with one of Arkansas’s hidden treasures at Cosmic Cavern. Cosmic Cavern’s caves are full of must-see rock formations that you and the entire family are free to explore. ■ cosmiccavern.com

Interact with exotic animals throughout the 180-acre safari tour at Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari. Allow the young wilderness explorers to wander through the walk-through and petting areas where they will get to meet kangaroos, pigs, donkeys, spider monkeys, and snakes. Or, take the drive-through tour to see black bears, bengal tigers, warthogs, buffalo, and zebras. ■ wildwildernessdrivethroughsafari.com