Trip to Arkansas

I have been away from home and away from the blog for the last three days. This time my travels took me to Arkansas. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Clinton Presidential Library. The tour bus left Beaumont early Wednesday morning. We stopped for lunch in Jefferson, Texas. I was unfamiliar with this town but learned it had quite a history. At one time it was a major inland shipping port. There are a number of historical homes and buildings. It has several charming bed and breakfasts. I even saw a horse-drawn carriage taking a group of tourists around town. It reminded me of my Savannah and Charleston trip on a much smaller scale.

The first night was spent at the lodge in DeGray State Park in Arkansas. We had a boat ride and learned of the history of the lake and dam. A state ranger served as boat captain and tour guide. We then had a steak dinner cooked and served outside in the park. The next morning we continued to Little Rock. A city guide boarded our bus. We saw the state capitol, the governor’s mansion, Central High School which was forcibly integrated in the 1950’s when President Eisenhower called out the federal troops, and then we went to North Little Rock and spent some time at the Old Mill which was a charming area on one of the city’s lakes.

After lunch we went to the Clinton Library. Our group was escorted through the library by a volunteer guide. We got an overview of the library, but I would like to go back some day and study the exhibits that interest me in depth. After the library tour we spent time wandering around the shops that are being developed along the river. This area is not complete but will be quite attractive when it is fully developed.

That evening the group was taken to a dinner theater where they had a very bad dinner and a very corny play. You can’t win them all. I was really glad to get back to the hotel. The next morning we started back to Texas. On the way we stopped to take some pictures in Hope, the birthplace of President Clinton. The ride back to Beaumont was uneventful. The scenery consisted of endless scrubby trees. I fell asleep on the bus and my head bobbed around on my neck like one of those dashboard dolls. Home looked pretty good to me.