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Sorry this is a bit late. I'm sure everyone has made their plans one way or the other, but it might be of some help.
Ouachita Baptist University is located in Arkadelphia, AR along I-30 about 70 miles SW of Little Rock. You will be concerned with Exits 73 (Caddo Valley) and 78 (Arkadelphia). The game is in Cliff Harris Stadium at Benson-Williams Field - https://goo.gl/maps/3FjxoHHC6P82. Here is a FAQ for some things you need to know about attending a game at the stadium: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sit..._Fan_Guide.pdf
Getting Here
Driving - https://goo.gl/maps/tLSXNB2a1k82
Google shows a drive of 13+ hours, so stock up on road trip snacks and music! Looks like the top two routes either go through Chicago or Indy. Pick your poison in that regards I guess. I-57 skips St.Louis, so if you do a 2 day drive, a hotel will be what you can find I guess. I would avoid staying around Memphis if possible, unless you want to stay in the pyramid :bulgy-eyes:.
Flying - https://www.google.com/flights#flt=G...GRR.2018-12-02
The closest airport is Little Rock (LIT). It looks like flights from Grand Rapids to Little Rock are running a bit over $700 right now. It's about 70 miles from the airport to Arkadelphia, so plan on getting a rental car at the airport. DFW in Dallas is very boring a 4 or so hour drive if you want to do that.
Staying Here
When looking for hotels in the area, search for rooms in "Caddo Valley", not Arkadelphia. The road that goes past the stadium (AR-8) is actually the road from Caddo Valley to Arkadelphia, so this isn't an issue. There is the usual smattering of local and national chains at all prices.
Best Option: Holiday Inn Express - https://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/...xs/hoteldetail
It's the newest in town and quite nice. I've actually stayed there for over a week while home repairs were going on, and had no issues. About 10min from stadium and close to Caddo Valley restaurants.
Interesting Option: DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge
A little further out at 20 minutes from the stadium, this is a resort lodge with a restaurant and a great view of DeGray Lake - just be sure to ask for a lake-view room. The rooms are nothing to write home about, but you can't beat the environment. They also have sunset and owl/bald eagle spotting cruises on the lake this weekend. - https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/e...11%2F25%2F2018
Avoid: Pioneer Inn and College Inn Motels
These are more "long term" motels that kinda caters to folks who can't get an apartment. Mostly because no landlord wants them. It beats being homeless I guess.
Eating Here
There are the usual blend of fast food chains with some interesting local places thrown in. I'll separate them by exit/town. The 24hr Walmart is Exit 73.
Caddo Valley (Exit 73)
National Chains - Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Waffle House, Taco Bell, Flying Burger
Local - Fat Boys: Pretty good BBQ and deserts. Not "best in Arkansas" or anything, but if you want some local flavor, it's a good bet; The Front Porch: Not a restaurant, but some very good homemade desserts that's close to Holiday Inn Express; The Fish Net: Don't expect haute cuisine, but it's pretty decent seafood
Arkadelphia (Exit 78)Arkadelphia (Downtown)
Arkadelphia has a small, approximately 4 square block downtown. About 5 minutes from the stadium.
Local - El Parian: Cheap Mexican, not bad; Italian Cuisine: Yes, that's the name. A bit nicer than Benvenuti IMHO; Slim and Shorty's: Burgers, sandwiches, fish, you name it; Java Primo: Coffee house with a good sized menu. Skip the cake though; 67 Grill: Big burgers, sandwiches, nachos. Kinda salty to my taste, but lots of folks like them; Loa Agaves Mexican: Typical small town Mexican. Clean and tasty
Pizza
You can get pizza delivered by Domino's and Pizza Hut. Little Caesar's is also in Arkadelphia for pick-up. The local option is Big Cheese Pizza. They also have frozen yogurt with mix-in toppings. Interesting specialty pizzas too.
About Ouachita Baptist UniversityAbout Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia is a small town of about 10k half way between Little Rock and Texarkana on I-30. European settlement started around 1809, and the town got the name of Arkadelphia on 1839. There is no firm documentation at to why we changed from Blakelytown to Arkadelphia, but it's most likely just the what is seems. Arka- from the state name and -delphia from the Greek. There are a couple of small manufacturers around town, and the two universities of course. It's the "big town" for about a 20 mile radius of small farm communities. We are also supposed to be getting a large (but non-stinky) paper mill in a couple of years.
Ouachita Baptist University is located in Arkadelphia, AR along I-30 about 70 miles SW of Little Rock. You will be concerned with Exits 73 (Caddo Valley) and 78 (Arkadelphia). The game is in Cliff Harris Stadium at Benson-Williams Field - https://goo.gl/maps/3FjxoHHC6P82. Here is a FAQ for some things you need to know about attending a game at the stadium: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sit..._Fan_Guide.pdf
Getting Here
Driving - https://goo.gl/maps/tLSXNB2a1k82
Google shows a drive of 13+ hours, so stock up on road trip snacks and music! Looks like the top two routes either go through Chicago or Indy. Pick your poison in that regards I guess. I-57 skips St.Louis, so if you do a 2 day drive, a hotel will be what you can find I guess. I would avoid staying around Memphis if possible, unless you want to stay in the pyramid :bulgy-eyes:.
Flying - https://www.google.com/flights#flt=G...GRR.2018-12-02
The closest airport is Little Rock (LIT). It looks like flights from Grand Rapids to Little Rock are running a bit over $700 right now. It's about 70 miles from the airport to Arkadelphia, so plan on getting a rental car at the airport. DFW in Dallas is very boring a 4 or so hour drive if you want to do that.
Staying Here
When looking for hotels in the area, search for rooms in "Caddo Valley", not Arkadelphia. The road that goes past the stadium (AR-8) is actually the road from Caddo Valley to Arkadelphia, so this isn't an issue. There is the usual smattering of local and national chains at all prices.
Best Option: Holiday Inn Express - https://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/...xs/hoteldetail
It's the newest in town and quite nice. I've actually stayed there for over a week while home repairs were going on, and had no issues. About 10min from stadium and close to Caddo Valley restaurants.
Interesting Option: DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge
A little further out at 20 minutes from the stadium, this is a resort lodge with a restaurant and a great view of DeGray Lake - just be sure to ask for a lake-view room. The rooms are nothing to write home about, but you can't beat the environment. They also have sunset and owl/bald eagle spotting cruises on the lake this weekend. - https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/e...11%2F25%2F2018
Avoid: Pioneer Inn and College Inn Motels
These are more "long term" motels that kinda caters to folks who can't get an apartment. Mostly because no landlord wants them. It beats being homeless I guess.
Eating Here
There are the usual blend of fast food chains with some interesting local places thrown in. I'll separate them by exit/town. The 24hr Walmart is Exit 73.
Caddo Valley (Exit 73)
National Chains - Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Waffle House, Taco Bell, Flying Burger
Local - Fat Boys: Pretty good BBQ and deserts. Not "best in Arkansas" or anything, but if you want some local flavor, it's a good bet; The Front Porch: Not a restaurant, but some very good homemade desserts that's close to Holiday Inn Express; The Fish Net: Don't expect haute cuisine, but it's pretty decent seafood
Arkadelphia (Exit 78)Arkadelphia (Downtown)
Arkadelphia has a small, approximately 4 square block downtown. About 5 minutes from the stadium.
Local - El Parian: Cheap Mexican, not bad; Italian Cuisine: Yes, that's the name. A bit nicer than Benvenuti IMHO; Slim and Shorty's: Burgers, sandwiches, fish, you name it; Java Primo: Coffee house with a good sized menu. Skip the cake though; 67 Grill: Big burgers, sandwiches, nachos. Kinda salty to my taste, but lots of folks like them; Loa Agaves Mexican: Typical small town Mexican. Clean and tasty
Pizza
You can get pizza delivered by Domino's and Pizza Hut. Little Caesar's is also in Arkadelphia for pick-up. The local option is Big Cheese Pizza. They also have frozen yogurt with mix-in toppings. Interesting specialty pizzas too.
About Ouachita Baptist UniversityAbout Arkadelphia
Arkadelphia is a small town of about 10k half way between Little Rock and Texarkana on I-30. European settlement started around 1809, and the town got the name of Arkadelphia on 1839. There is no firm documentation at to why we changed from Blakelytown to Arkadelphia, but it's most likely just the what is seems. Arka- from the state name and -delphia from the Greek. There are a couple of small manufacturers around town, and the two universities of course. It's the "big town" for about a 20 mile radius of small farm communities. We are also supposed to be getting a large (but non-stinky) paper mill in a couple of years.
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