Arkansas travel writer Jill Rohrbach pens Fayetteville bucket list
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Travel writer Jill Rohrbach. Photo: Kirk Jordan, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism; Book cover: Reedy Press
From hidden-gem breweries to squirrel-hunting excursions, Jill Rohrbach knows what to see and do in the Natural State.
Driving the news: Her book "100 Things to do in Fayetteville, Arkansas Before You Die" comes out Sept. 1.
Why it matters: Even longtime residents stand to learn from Rohrbach's observations as a staff writer for the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism over the past 25 years.
Backstory: St. Louis-based Reedy Press reached out in spring 2022 to see if she'd be interested in the project.
- "I write these kinds of things for Arkansas all day long and I love it," she told Axios. "I just couldn't imagine not doing it."
- They struck a deal and she was given 10 months.
Context: Reedy Press publishes dozens of similar guides for cities and areas across the U.S. It provided some organizational parameters around five sections: food/drink, music/entertainment, sports/recreation, culture/history and shopping/fashion.
- "It's easy to start a list of 100 things but much harder to decide how to organize it and what the balance of all that should be," she said.
Details: Each bucket list item is numbered, but they're not "ranked."
- Because food and drink is the first category and Hugo's is one of the most well-known hangs, it leads the lineup.
- Rohrbach also included some day trips to iconic places like Devil's Den State Park and the Buffalo National River for people new to the area.
- The guide includes sidebars and suggested seasonal itineraries.
Between the lines: An NWA native, Rohrbach has lived in Fayetteville more than 30 years. She and husband Mike own The Flying Burrito Company, and are partners in Bocca Italian eatery and pizzeria and downtown bar Kingfish.
What they're saying: "Personally, I am eager to see if I have done everything on the list," Molly Rawn, CEO of the city's tourism organization, said in an email.
- "We will sell the book in the Experience Fayetteville visitors center and are even planning some special activities around its release," she said.
What's next: A launch party is set for Pearl's Books at 6:30pm on Sept. 21, followed by several signing events during the fall.
- Preorders are available through Reedy Press.
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