In Arkansas, you’ll find plenty to do after the sun goes down - especially in the state’s larger cities, where there are venues with live music of all sorts, dance clubs, theatrical performances, or just the right spot to share a drink with friends.

While many cities in Arkansas offer nightlife opportunities, those well known for after-hours entertainment include Little Rock and its neighboring cities, Hot Springs, Eureka Springs, Fort Smith and the four cities that make up what’s known as Northwest Arkansas — Bentonville Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville, the home of the University of Arkansas.

Looking for that something special to take back home to someone special? Then pick up one of the many quality handmade items designed by a craftsman from the Ozark or Ouachita Mountains or the Delta country of eastern Arkansas. Or check out the ever-expanding fine arts scene of original artwork, hand thrown pottery or an innovative piece of jewelry.

Enjoy the thrill of the hunt at the numerous antique malls and shops and flea markets where everything old is new again. Trying to please a discriminating palate? No problem. You’ll find such foodstuffs as sugar-cured meats, jams and jellies, sorghum molasses, stone-ground grains and wine to choose from.

In Arkansas there are major malls with name-brand merchandise, discount stores and smaller upscale shops. Numerous towns have downtown historic districts filled with hundreds of boutiques, quaint stores and some interesting offbeat places. Huge spring and fall crafts fairs, along with smaller ones during the year, offer the finest in handmade objects.

Throughout the state you can find souvenirs exclusive to Arkansas such as quartz crystals from the Mount Ida region …whetstones and mineral water from Hot Springs …a hand-forged work of iron art from Mountain View …a basket of the highly-sought-after Arkansas Black apple from an orchard or roadside stand in the Ozarks …and, yes, even a precious gem at a real bargain price if you should happen to get lucky at the Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro.

Although railroad construction began in the 1850s, not until after the Civil War (1861-65) were any lines completed. The most important railroad-the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern line-reached Little Rock in 1872 and was subsequently acquired by financier Jay Gould, who added the Little Rock and Ft. Smith line to it in 1882. By 1890, the state had about 2,200 mi (3,500 km) of track; in 1974, trackage totaled 3,559 mi (5,728 km).

As of 2000, Arkansas was served by three major railroads and had 3,674 rail mi (5,912 km) of track. In 1998, nonmetallic minerals accounted for 32% of the rail tonnage originating within the state, and coal made up 53% of the rail tonnage terminating within Arkansas. Amtrak passenger trains serviced Little Rock, Walnut Ridge, Malvern, Arkadelphia, and Texarkana en route from St. Louis to Dallas.

Intensive road building began in the 1920s, following the establishment of the State Highway Commission and the inauguration of a gasoline tax. By 2000, Arkansas had 97,600 mi (157,071 km) of public roads, streets, and highways. During the same year, 951,243 automobiles and 882,266 trucks were registered in Arkansas, and there were 1,947,867 licensed drivers.

Beginning in the 1820s, steamboats replaced keelboats and flatboats on Arkansas rivers. Steamboat transportation reached its peak during 1870-90 until supplanted by the railroads that were opened during the same two decades. Development of the Arkansas River, completed during the early 1970s, made the waterway commercially navigable all the way to Tulsa. In 2002, Arkansas had 212 airports and 79 heliports. The principal airport in the state is Adams Field at Little Rock.

The Ozarks offer Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry, Norfork, Beaver, Dardanelle and other smaller lakes. The Ouachita Mountains boast DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton, Catherine, Nimrod and Ouachita lakes. And, south Arkansas boasts Lake Millwood, White Oak, Chicot (the state’s largest ox-bow cutoff from the Mississippi) and others lakes in Arkansas.

Houseboats, sailing rigs, party barges, fishing boats, rafts, parasails and jet skis are just some of the watercrafts enjoyed on Arkansas lakes. In addition, trout fishermen and nature lovers use the popular flat-bottomed johnboat to navigate the shallow tail waters below the big power dams.

White Oak Lake, completed in 1961 about 18 miles northwest of Camden and some 22 miles southeast of Prescott, ranks second in size among the lakes constructed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). Though totaling 2,667 acres, Ark. 347 divides it into an upper lake of 1,032 acres and a 1,645-acre lower lake.

Fishing: The lake has a reputation for producing big fish. A state record catfish was taken from White Oak in 1985. Big Largemouth bass exceeding eight pounds, crappie of up to three pounds and bream to 1.5 pounds are not uncommon, according to the AGFC, which attributes the numbers of large fish to a lake fertilization program.

The AGFC maintains three concrete boat ramps on the lower lake and two on the upper lake, as well as a barrier-free fishing pier on the upper lake. White Oak Lake State Park, located on a western arm of the upper lake, offers 45 campsites; a marina with fishing boat and motor rentals; a barrier-free fishing pier; picnic sites; hiking trails; and a playground.