See some interesting murals, gladiolus, the mighty Mississippi, and Blues Corner.
Most agree the Ozark area is a great area to drive in Arkansas, but sometimes taking a new direction will find you even better driving. This direction is fun and interesting. Murals are major attractions at each end of this drive in Helena (Cherry Street) and Paragould (Court and Emerson Streets. They become bookends for a drive through nature and history.
Starting in Paragould near the northeast corner of Arkansas, take U.S. 412 west for 10 miles to Rte. 141 south. Pass by Lake Read more . . .
Route 7, from Hot Springs to Harrison, is a 160-mile stretch above wooded hills and through mountain towns. The daylong journey begins in Hot Springs, where President Bill Clinton grew up. Before leaving Hot Springs, drop by the visitors center for Hot Springs National Park. Take Fountain Street to Hot Springs Mountain Drive, which leads to Hot Springs Mountain Tower, where you can take in a picturesque overlook of the city and its surroundings. 
Start at U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park on Battleship Parkway to explore the great ship’s engine room, decks, wardroom, and galley. From there, head southwest on I-10 to Rte. 63 south to Fort Gaines and Dauphin Island. Then turn around and retrace the route past the Alabama, detour 5 miles north to Blakely Park, carry on I-10 to U.S. 98 south to Rte. 59 south, then east on Rte. 182 to Gulf State Park for a dip in the Gulf of Mexico and west on I-80 to Fort Morgan.
This route showcases 6 of Alabama’s 10 covered bridges and both of its natural bridges. That is only one view of this scenic, 140-mile drive across the state. Beginning in Gadsden, 63 miles northeast of Birmingham on I-59, travel west over the striking Lookout Mountain Parkway on U.S. 278 to Rte. 75 south. After locating the first two bridges near Oneonta, travel eight miles west on U.S. 231 to Cleveland and continue north on U.S. 231 back to U.S. 278, through Cullman and the William Bankhead National Forest to Hamilton. Finally, head north on U.S. 43 to Russelville. 
“Most people say it’s like having a tooth extracted,” says John Davis, host and executive producer of MotorWeek, the critically acclaimed PBS weekly automotive magazine. “Nobody enjoys it.”