We went without much of an agenda. I starred a couple attractions on Trip Advisor but that was about it. On the highway, I saw a billboard for an Indian lunch buffet so that's where we ate first. (Technically we ate a different buffet because the one on the billboard was either closed or I was confused about its name.) Probably not what comes to mind when you think "Arkansas," eh? It was ok. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars. I did like the variety of options, but there were no lentils. Travesty!!
Our first tour stop was Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. For those readers who weren't alive in 1957 and/or have forgotten what you learned in history class, Little Rock Central High School was the site of a national crisis in September of that year as 9 African-American students attempted to enroll at the all-white school. After the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregated schools unconstitutional, all of the states were supposed to integrate their schools. Little Rock dragged its feet, and the scene turned ugly with angry white protesters surrounding the black teens, screaming insults in their faces. The Arkansas Governor had called out the National Guard to prevent the youths from enrolling. This was all broadcast on the national news, and it shocked people. Eventually President Eisenhower got involved. Saying "mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of the courts," he sent the 101st Airborne Division to protect the students and escort them to and from school.
The exhibits are neat - the have videos of interviews with the "Little Rock 9" as adults, reflecting on their experiences. Central High School is still in operation today! Here's a picture of the school.
Next, we headed to our hotel in the River Market district, which seems to be a hip area of Little Rock. We walked around the neighborhood, through Riverfront Park, and over one of the 6 bridges. It was scenic, and although I thought it was hot and sticky outside, it was apparently not that humid!!
On the other side of the river (the Arkansas River, if you were wondering), we came across this Beacon for Peace and Hope. It's a nice sculpture. It lights up at night.
The rock outcropping at the base of the bridge is the original Little Rock for which the town was named.
Next, it was time for dinner. Being good Memphians, we had to sample the local BBQ flavor. The internet was abuzz with features on Whole Hog Cafe. Here is their mascot with some of the trophies they've won in BBQ competitions. We shared a "whole hog platter" with ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and sides. It was all very tasty and finger-lickin' good!
After dinner, we went out in search of the Little Rock nightlife. In L.R.'s defense, it was a Monday night (Labor Day). But man, there really wasn't much going on. We heard loud music coming from one place that turned out to be a dueling piano bar with 3 patrons inside...so we went over to the Flying Saucer, since it was pint night. (Yes, we've been to the one in Memphis already.) And they have darts, so that's always a plus. There actually were a lot of people at the Flying Saucer - maybe that is where everyone hangs out.
The next morning, we did a quick walk through the farmer's market where I saw some weird purple pods. I asked the vendor what they were, and he showed me a bag of something that looked like black-eyed peas, but I really couldn't understand what he called them. He might have said cow peas or southern peas though, guessing from my Google search results for "big purple brown pods."
Little Rock is home to the Clinton Presidential Library & Museum and we spent quite a while there looking through all the exhibits. It was kind of a glowing tribute to the glory days of the 1990s, but really, if I was building my own library/museum to commemorate my accomplishments, I think I'd run a highlight reel too :)
The presidential limo
A table/place setting from the White House
Looking down at the exhibits by year
We also ate lunch in their cafe called "Forty Two" but I am not even going to link to it because the food was really not very good. I'm going to write them a 2-star Yelp review instead.
Next stop: the Arkansas Capitol Building, Mr. Clinton's home office for over a decade. Did you know he was the youngest governor AND ex-governor in American history? He got voted out after his first term, staged a comeback, and then governed for 10 more years. The capitol is your basic capitol building with marble staircases and guilded legislative chambers.
Our last stop in L.R. was to support a local business, Rock Town Distillery. They opened about 4 years ago and are the first distillery in Arkansas since prohibition. One of the friendly staff members took us on a tour and explained how they make all their different spirits. Apparently they are a bit odd in that they make a wide variety of products (rum, vodka, gin, bourbon) since most distilleries just focus on one type of spirit. They use local ingredients whenever they can. And, our guide told us all about liquor laws in AR. It was an educational experience!
That's the story of our trip to Little Rock. Hope you enjoyed the journey!
No comments:
Post a Comment