Arkansas is Perfect for Families
Find out why two couples are raising their families in this southern state.
There are several reasons families are drawn to The Natural State. It’s affordable, offers plenty of outdoor activities (hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing), and is home to numerous educational venues, such as museums and libraries. Though enticing, these amenities only scrape the surface of why Arkansas is perfect for families. Read on to learn about two couples who have chosen to raise their children in this Southern state.
Martin and Kara Smith
Birdeye, Arkansas
Martin and Kara Smith live in Birdeye, a small town on the eastern part of Crowley’s Ridge in the northeastern part of the state. Both were raised in Arkansas, attended college in Little Rock, and spent three years in Austin, Texas, before moving back.
The idea to return came to them while on vacation in Scotland, where they concluded that if they moved back, they could return to their roots and continue their family’s legacy.
Martin is a fifth-generation Arkansan whose great-great-great grandfather, William Maurice Smith, founded Birdeye. Roughly 500 people lived in this farming community during its heyday, and it housed a cotton gin and a store called D.M. Smith & Sons. William’s son built a home in 1903, which Martin and Kara live in today.
“We made the decision to go back to that house that was built in 1903 and was probably going to be torn down within the year and was really in no shape to save. We lived in Little Rock while we did enough remodeling to make it livable,” Martin says. “We moved in in 2007 and have been there for 15 years. That was before we had kids, and now, they’re the sixth generation to grow up in the house.”
Raising their kids in Birdeye has been a priceless experience, one they say their kids won’t truly appreciate until they’ve moved away. Their 19-year-old son is a freshman in college, while their 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son still live at home.
Living in Birdeye has allowed their kids to walk to the beat of their own drum. For example, their oldest son started an organic farm at age 13, finished school online and plans to return to the farm after college. They have grown up around Martin’s family, and the farm houses lots of animals that they say have helped teach their kids valuable life lessons.
“The farm is a holistic environment, and the animals roam all over,” Martin says. “We can go hike on the ridge, collect mushrooms, ride our bikes, play in the creek. It’s a natural playground.”
Speaking of being a natural playground, the Smiths are involved in marketing their region as a destination for gravel biking – aka cycling that requires a specific bike with special tires.
“One thing we love about this place is that it’s absolutely authentic. The people you run into may not have a lot, but we’ll bring guests to some of [the region’s] little restaurants or cafes, and they’re just blown away. They leave with an authentic experience,” Martin says. “It may not have big-city amenities, but I think, honestly, people are starved for the type of things that you can find here in the Delta.”
While the Smiths love Birdeye’s small community, they are only approximately 45 minutes from West Memphis, which they visit for sporting events and other activities.
Antonio and Amanda Williams
Bentonville, Arkansas
Antonio and Amanda Williams (and their daughter who is now 9) moved from the Dallas, Texas, area to Bentonville seven years ago. While in Texas, Antonio worked for Walmart. He entered a competition to be the company’s DJ, and upon winning, Walmart moved him and his family to their homebase. While they initially experienced a bit of culture shock, moving from a city with over 1 million residents to a city with just under 57,000, they’ve discovered that Arkansas is a place they want to stay.
“With the amount of access to kid-friendly things in our area, it didn’t take long for us to see everything the area had to offer,” Amanda says. “We became more outdoorsy, really enjoying biking and running, and Antonio likes to play golf.”
As the hub for Walmart’s headquarters, Bentonville is home to a diverse range of people who come from every corner of the globe to work for the company. They, like the Williams family, are drawn to the perks of smaller-city life.
“It’s very, very welcoming. When you go to a restaurant, no one is giving you looks for bringing in your kids. In fact, they have some places where kids can eat free every night of the week – that’s just not something we were used to in Dallas,” Antonio says. “When we came here, we discovered that was possible, and overall, there are so many museums and attractions that are hidden gems here.”
The family enjoys frequenting local breweries, which are family friendly and have board games. Plus, they note how much the Walton family has supported the community, with projects like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which has many activities for kids to engage with the arts, and the Walmart Museum Heritage Lab, which is temporarily housed in a building called the Ledger while the original Walmart Museum undergoes renovations.
Bentonville continues to grow, and with it comes even more amenities. The city’s splash pad becomes an ice-skating rink during the winter, it’s home to a new rock climbing gym, and new attractions aimed at families are being added all the time.
The Williams say they appreciate that they live in a neighborhood where kids can just go outside and play.
“The Walton family has done such an amazing job pouring into the community, hosting events that are all free and family friendly. It was another big surprise for us, coming from a big city where there is an entry fee for everything,” Amanda says. “It’s hard to tell someone about all the awesome things here, but I tell people, ‘You just have to come here and see what it has to offer.’ Outside of the amenities, its culture is small-town charm, where you can walk to the town square and get an ice cream.”
This article was sponsored by Arkansas Tourism.