Hope

This small town in Southwest Arkansas has two claims to fame: it is the birthplace of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and it showcases some of the world’s largest watermelons. The Clinton Center preserves Clinton’s first home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. The city’s restored Missouri-Pacific Railroad depot serves as the Hope Visitor Center and Museum and contains local history exhibits and railroad memorabilia. Each August, visitors to the Hope Watermelon Festival sample slices of ice-cold watermelon and view huge melons grown for competition. Nearby Old Washington Historic State Park is a restoration village preserving the 19th-century town of Washington, which figured prominently in Arkansas and Southwest U.S. history. Evidence suggests that Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and others plotted Texas’ revolution for independence from Mexico while staying in the town. Washington also served as the state’s Confederate capital after Little Rock was captured by Union troops during the Civil War.