Arkansas road trip | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

The Arkansas road trip story centers on a local, no-chains breakfast ritual and a drive along U.S. 67 through southwest Arkansas. Author Dr. Leo Crafton of Conway joins a 7 a.m. departure from Little Rock, stopping at Southfork Truck Stop on the Gurdon exit off Interstate 30 for breakfast. Southfork, in operation for more than 40 years, serves an expansive menu including grilled bologna and options ranging from steak and eggs to shrimp and grits. The piece highlights the restaurant’s claim to ordering catfish and grits for breakfast. The next leg follows U.S. 67 from Gurdon and Prescott to Hope, a roughly 280-mile Arkansas stretch passing through 13 counties. The article also traces U.S. 67’s origins from the Southwest Trail and early state highway designations in 1923.