Spinach Capital of the World

We could not leave Arkansas without a visit to Alma--spinach capital of the world.  And what do you think of when you think of spinach--Popeye, of course.  Alma is the home of the spinach division of Allen Canning Co.  A small city park on Main Street has the statue of Popeye and the town water tank claims to be the world’s largest can of spinach.  To me, it looks more like a water tank painted green, but whatever.  It was pouring down rain when we tried to see these attractions, so the photos aren’t very good, but you get the idea.

We started the rainy day out with a stop at Starbucks.  Haven’t done that in a while.  We enjoyed our coffee while reading magazines.  After a while we pulled ourselves away and headed to the grocery.  We were in the car and driving out of the parking lot when a young man came running out of the store flagging us down.  He had noticed I had forgotten my camera which I had hung on the back of the chair.  What a fine young man.  It was my little point and shoot, but it still costed $300 and I would have been so up set to have lost it.

As promised, I have included a couple photos of our campground.  I sorta got carried away with trying to get pictures of the water fowl.

Tomorrow morning we’ll continue our westward journey with a destination of Oklahoma City.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Fort Smith National Historic Site

This morning we drove the few miles into the town of Fort Smith to visit the National Historic site.  Fort Smith is all about two things--law enforcement and a supply depot for the Indian frontier.

The original fort was built in 1817 to help maintain peace and order between the local Osage Indians and the incoming tribes being removed from eastern lands and provide security for settlers.  In 1924 this small stockade was abandoned.  Nothing much remains of that fort today.

As Indian removal ramped up under President Jackson, plus the increasing numbers of settlers, the army started to build a bigger, better second Fort Smith.  Construction got underway, but money ran out and so did the Indian threat.  Construction was halted and plans were changed to make Fort Smith a supply depot.

During the Civil War, the fort changed hands a couple times, but ended up under control of the Union Army.  After the war and after the US government pushed the Indians still further west, the need for a supply depot no longer existed.  The army once again abandon the fort.  About a year later the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas moved in.

Judge Parker's courtroom

Along comes Judge Isaac Parker to sit on the bench. The barracks building became the courthouse and jail.  Conditions were so deplorable in the jail (which was in the basement) that even Parker petitioned for another jail to be built.  Thus the extension was add to the barrack building.  For 20 years Judge Parker presided over the court and sentenced many outlaws to death by hanging.

Today, we started our tour in the old jail, then moved upstairs to view the exhibits which are displayed in the area that became the new jail.  Over in the original barracks building, is Judge Parker’s courtroom.

Reproduction of the gallows 

The rain stopped, but the skies were still cloudy and a cold wind was blowing.  We quickly walked around the grounds and headed back to the warmth of the car.

The cupboards are bare so tomorrow will be a grocery run plus there’s one other thing we want to see in the area.  I’ll let that be a surprise for tomorrow’s post.

That’s all from here.  Thanks for tagging along.

Mount Magazine, Arkansas Highpoing

Possum pie, dead batteries, and first bear of the season were all contenders for the title of todays post.  We have had a busy and varied day.

It started out in the Walmart parking lot.  I wanted to get one of those sunrise over Walmart pictures, but the cloud cover was just too thick for the sun to shine through.

As is my custom, I got up early, fed the cat, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down on the sofa for my Bible reading.  When Gene got up, I was still sitting there, with the cat in my lap, and the flashlight in my hand.  Gene commented that I could turn on a light, if I wanted to, instead of using a flashlight.  I explained that my intent was to save the house battery to run the furnace blower.  That was my primary concern since it was only about 40 degrees outside.  With that comment, he went over to check the battery level.  That was when he discovered the battery charge indicator showed the battery was dead.

Now, that was a surprise.  We had only run the furnace for two cycles Sunday evening and two cycles this morning.  Being snuggled under a down comforter when we went to bed, we turned the furnace off overnight.  We’ve certainly used much more battery power in times past than we did last night. We both ran through everything we could think of to determine what might have happened.  The battery is relatively new, so it shouldn’t have failed, we don’t think.  Gene is very diligent about checking the water level and this morning when he checked, the water was fine.  We have a couple theories we’re going to check next time we’re off the grid.  Gene started the motor home to quickly recharge the house battery and now, everything is fine.  It sure did start the day off with a brief moment of panic.

With that issue on the back burner for the time being, we pulled out of Walmart with a short 70 mile drive for today.  That 70 miles, however, took forever.  We were headed to Mount Magazine State Park, just below the summit of Mount Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas, and there’s no easy way to get there.  The roads were narrow and curvy and it wouldn’t surprise me if our average speed for the entire trip wasn’t but about 35.  Onward and upward; slow but sure we finally got here.  This is the first state park we’ve stayed in in over 5 years and it’s wonderful.

The campground only has 18 sites, all paved, and all with full hookups.  Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, charcoal grill and tent pad.  The price--$25 per night plus tax and if we’d been 62 years old there would have been a 20 percent discount even though we’re not Arkansas residents. There is only one other occupant here with us tonight.

After we got checked in and set up in our site, we dashed off to climb the mountain.  Perhaps that’s a little over-stated.  We had less than a half mile hike to the summit with about a 150 foot gain.  Still, it was fun to be on the trail.  At the top we did the photo thing and signed the summit register and made our descent by continuing on around the loop to where we had started--at the campground.

When we checked in, the lady at the desk encouraged us to do two things--visit the new lodge and hike out to Sunrise Point to see the bear.  We really didn’t have much hope of seeing a bear, but since it involved a hike we went for it.  When we got to Sunrise Point, only about a quarter mile from the trailhead, the Assistant Park Superintendent and her husband were out there with binoculars.  If they hadn’t been there, we would never have seen the bear.  As the crow flies, she was maybe a half mile away across the ravine, stretched out on a rock catching a few rays.  From where we were standing, she was just a black dot.  I’m surprised the picture turned out as well as it did.  She’s the first bear this trip.  We expect to see them daily, once we get into Canada, especially the Yukon.

Signing the summit register

Our next stop was the lodge.  It was definitely worth a visit.  Mount Magazine State Park is the newest state park in Arkansas and everything is in mint condition.  The lodge is new, of course, and has a fantastic view of the valley below from its perch on the side of the mountain.  Gene offered to treat me to coffee and dessert in the restaurant.  How can a girl pass up an offer like that.  We selected the Possum Pie, but both agreed it was nothing nearly as special as the waitress made it sound.  That didn’t stop us from eating every bite, however.

A full day to say the least.  I think I said yesterday that we’d be in Fort Smith today.  I was wrong.  I forgot about Mount Magazine being on the way.  So I end today by saying again--Fort Smith tomorrow.

That’s all I have.  Thanks for tagging along.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

It’s all about the water--hot water, that is.  Hundreds of years ago native Americans came to bathe in the hot springs of Arkansas and folks are still coming, though not in the numbers they did in the early 1900s, during the “Golden Age of Bathing”.

The springs came under government administration in 1832 under the direction of Andrew Jackson as the first US reservation to protect a natural resource.  In the late 1800s private bathhouses were built, some very elaborate, along what came to be known as “bathhouse row”.

The hot water, with its minerals, was thought to be therapeutic and even doctors recommended their patients come for a soak.  By the 1950s, advances in medicine and changes in transportation and vacation destinations brought the decline of business at Hot Springs.

Fordyce Bathhouse

Today, all but two of the bathhouses are closed.  For about $60 you can still get a bath and massage at these houses.  The Park Service has their visitor center in Fordyce Bathhouse.  Its four floors have been restored and are open for touring. During summer, there are ranger led walks along Bathhouse Row.  There is also a campground and 26 miles of hiking trails.

Cooling Room

We didn’t linger, however.  We toured Fordyce, watched the very old film, and walked the length of Bathhouse Row.  Now, we are in Hot Springs Village, some 13 miles north of Hot Springs, at the local Wal-Mart.  We’ve done our shopping and are settled in for the night.

We purchased fuel this morning on our way out of Little Rock.  This time Pilot offered the best price at 3.39 and their diesel was 3.93.  However, the Murphy oil here at Wal-Mart is 3.38.

The gym was my favorite

That’s it for today. Tomorrow--Fort Smith.  Thanks for tagging along.

Central High and Clinton Library

Just like the ole weather forecast promised, we had rain today.  No thunderstorms or heavy rain, but a light drizzle all day long.  Luckily, our places to go were mostly inside.

Our first stop this morning was Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.  As you know, this was the all-white high school which gained national attention in 1957 when a small group of black students decided to attend classes there.  These students became known as the Little Rock Nine and were eventually awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Clinton for their contribution to the Civil Rights Movement.

We toured the museum at the Visitor Center which is located across the corner from the High School.  We took photos of the school and the Mobil station.  The Mobil Station is owned by the park service and has been restored to the way it looked in 1957.  The school is still an operating high school and was not accessible to us today.  The park service conducts tours during the week when school is in session, but those tours are by reservation only.  Today, being Saturday, the school was closed.

Our next stop was the Clinton Presidential Library.  This modern building is directly across the river from our campground. Currently, the old railroad bridge is being up graded to a pedestrian bridge.  If that construction had been completed, we could have just walked to the Library from our camp site.

We started out by watching a short film then took our time meandering through the displays.  The first floor displays featured a timeline of Clinton’s work in office, while the second floor was devoted more to “Life in the White House”--holiday celebrations, state dinners, personal entertaining--that sort of thing.  There were two rooms set from the Clinton White House--the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.  Many of the objects in these rooms are replicas.  We could sit at the Cabinet table and walk around the room. The Oval Office, which is set up in the exact size as the real Oval Office was roped off and we could only look in through the doors.

Also at the Clinton Library were two changing exhibits.  Both we found very interesting.  Gene says the most exciting for him (and I think he is even including the Clinton exhibits) was the Dr. Seuss exhibit. There was a lot to Dr. Seuss that we didn’t realize; much more than just great children’s books.  That exhibit was fun.  I found the Revolution and Rebellion exhibit fascinating.  The artist, George Stuart, creates doll-sized figures of famous historical figures.  On display were prominent people from the American Revolution and the Civil War.  Incredible.

Well, we’ve seen what we came to Little Rock to see.  As I’m writing this, Gene is starting preparations for leaving.  But we’re not going far.  About 50 miles south of here is Hot Springs.  That’s our destination for tomorrow.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Arkansas State Capitol

Our weather this morning was chilly and cloudy with a forecast of rain beginning this evening and lasting through Saturday.  With that information we decided to visit the Capitol building and Old State House since they would require some walking and save the Clinton Library for tomorrow.

In order to avoid the parking problem downtown, we chose to ride the trolley.  We purchased an all day pass for $2 from the RV park office and drove over to the trolley stop where there was free parking, none of which exists downtown.  The trolley didn’t go all the way to the capitol complex.  We got off at the farthest stop west and walked the rest of the way, perhaps a mile.

The Arkansas State Capitol building is very similar to our national capitol building.  The neoclassical style building was construction between 1899 and 1915 and cost the taxpayers of this state a little over two million dollars.  The outside is Arkansas limestone and the stairs and columns inside are Arkansas marble.

The building is several blocks from the downtown business district.  On our tour we learned it is located on the site of a prison.  Because this was about the only hill around, it became the site of the of the new capitol.  The prisoners did much of the construction work, saving a few dollars in labor costs.

We opted for the guided tour instead of showing ourselves around.  It was informative, but the tour guide seemed like she was in a bit of a rush to get to lunch.  Probably the most exciting thing about the tour was getting to meet Secretary of State Martin.  He happened to come out of his office as we were admiring the bronze doors.  The guide introduced him to the group and he shook Gene’s hand.  I was off trying to get a great shot of the 10’ tall bronze doors made by Tiffany and practically missed the whole encounter.

After the tour we made our way to the basement via the “secret stairway” pointed out by our guide and had lunch in the Capitol Cafe.  I had the special--Arkansas catfish--and Gene had chicken and rice.  My catfish came with fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies.  The catfish was very good, not the best I’ve had, but very good. The fries, slaw, and hush puppies were just so so.  But for $7 I’m not complaining.  Gene is the one who really got the bargain. He baked chicken and rice came with two sides; all for just $5.

That was a pretty big lunch so it was a good thing we had to walk back downtown.  We burnt a few calories both with the walking and with trying to stay warm in the cold wind.

The next thing on the agenda for today was the Old State House.  This building served as the capitol from 1836 until the beginning of the 1900s when the new building was finished.  After the government moved out, the building was used by the University of Arkansas for its Medical Sciences program. It has been fully restored to its original magnificence and today, it is a museum with exhibits on the history of Arkansas, it’s governors, and the building itself.  Its real claim to fame came in 1992 when Bill Clinton used it for election night celebrations.  One of the exhibits includes photos of that evening and the dress Hillary wore (along with several gowns she wore as First Lady of Arkansas) were on display.  Of course, he was back again in 1996.

Now, back to the topic of the Riverside RV Park.  There are three rows for parking here.  The row along the river bank is more expensive, which you would expect.  They have full hook-ups and the view.  The middle row is all pull-thrus with full-hook-ups.  This row is less expensive than the river bank row, but not as cheap as the row we’re on against the concrete wall with only water and electric.  The rates are not necessarily “cheap”, but with the half price Passport America it gets right on down there, especially back here against the wall.  The surrounding community is not up-scale, but not awful either and the park is gated for your safety at night.  We also saw a police cruiser cruising around the park about dinner time.

This seems to be a very popular park; it was almost full last night.  Apparently, state legislators use this park and another city park, Burns Park Campground, as their home away from home when the legislature is in session.  There is one motor home here with a legislator license plate.  We would definitely stay here again if ever in the area.

That’s it for today. Thanks for tagging along.

Arkansas State Capitol

Our weather this morning was chilly and cloudy with a forecast of rain beginning this evening and lasting through Saturday.  With that information we decided to visit the Capitol building and Old State House since they would require some walking and save the Clinton Library for tomorrow.

In order to avoid the parking problem downtown, we chose to ride the trolley.  We purchased an all day pass for $2 from the RV park office and drove over to the trolley stop where there was free parking, none of which exists downtown.  The trolley didn’t go all the way to the capitol complex.  We got off at the farthest stop west and walked the rest of the way, perhaps a mile.

The Arkansas State Capitol building is very similar to our national capitol building.  The neoclassical style building was construction between 1899 and 1915 and cost the taxpayers of this state a little over two million dollars.  The outside is Arkansas limestone and the stairs and columns inside are Arkansas marble.

The building is several blocks from the downtown business district.  On our tour we learned it is located on the site of a prison.  Because this was about the only hill around, it became the site of the of the new capitol.  The prisoners did much of the construction work, saving a few dollars in labor costs.

We opted for the guided tour instead of showing ourselves around.  It was informative, but the tour guide seemed like she was in a bit of a rush to get to lunch.  Probably the most exciting thing about the tour was getting to meet Secretary of State Martin.  He happened to come out of his office as we were admiring the bronze doors.  The guide introduced him to the group and he shook Gene’s hand.  I was off trying to get a great shot of the 10’ tall bronze doors made by Tiffany and practically missed the whole encounter.

After the tour we made our way to the basement via the “secret stairway” pointed out by our guide and had lunch in the Capitol Cafe.  I had the special--Arkansas catfish--and Gene had chicken and rice.  My catfish came with fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies.  The catfish was very good, not the best I’ve had, but very good. The fries, slaw, and hush puppies were just so so.  But for $7 I’m not complaining.  Gene is the one who really got the bargain. He baked chicken and rice came with two sides; all for just $5.

That was a pretty big lunch so it was a good thing we had to walk back downtown.  We burnt a few calories both with the walking and with trying to stay warm in the cold wind.

The next thing on the agenda for today was the Old State House.  This building served as the capitol from 1836 until the beginning of the 1900s when the new building was finished.  After the government moved out, the building was used by the University of Arkansas for its Medical Sciences program. It has been fully restored to its original magnificence and today, it is a museum with exhibits on the history of Arkansas, it’s governors, and the building itself.  Its real claim to fame came in 1992 when Bill Clinton used it for election night celebrations.  One of the exhibits includes photos of that evening and the dress Hillary wore (along with several gowns she wore as First Lady of Arkansas) were on display.  Of course, he was back again in 1996.

Now, back to the topic of the Riverside RV Park.  There are three rows for parking here.  The row along the river bank is more expensive, which you would expect.  They have full hook-ups and the view.  The middle row is all pull-thrus with full-hook-ups.  This row is less expensive than the river bank row, but not as cheap as the row we’re on against the concrete wall with only water and electric.  The rates are not necessarily “cheap”, but with the half price Passport America it gets right on down there, especially back here against the wall.  The surrounding community is not up-scale, but not awful either and the park is gated for your safety at night.  We also saw a police cruiser cruising around the park about dinner time.

This seems to be a very popular park; it was almost full last night.  Apparently, state legislators use this park and another city park, Burns Park Campground, as their home away from home when the legislature is in session.  There is one motor home here with a legislator license plate.  We would definitely stay here again if ever in the area.

That’s it for today. Thanks for tagging along.

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On The Banks of the Arkansas River

We had another pleasant driving day today.  Well, for the most part that is.  Everything was great except the road conditions.  I-40 is really beginning to deteriorate.  We had noticed that yesterday, but it wasn’t too bad in Tennessee. Once we hit the outskirts of Memphis it went steadily downhill.  There were sections which were very good, but others that were very bad.  Bad enough to make your teeth rattle and everything in your RV, as well.

For the second day the rest area we had picked out for lunch was closed.  We noticed a few closed rest areas last year, but we had not seen any so far this year.  We’re two for two on our lunch stops, we’ll see what happens when we’re next on the interstate.

Pyramid in Memphis

Again we waited until about 9 AM to start our drive this morning wanting to miss the worst of the rush hour traffic.  Traffic was moderately heavy as we drove through Memphis, but not awful.  Once across the Mississippi and into Arkansas, we stopped for gas.  The best price we have seen in a long time was at the Sam’s station next door to the Walmart where we parked last night--3.26.  However, they only sold gas to Sam’s Club members which we are not.  Instead, we got our gas at Flying J and paid 3.35.  Their diesel prices were 3.87 cash and 3.93 credit.

We arrived in North Little Rock about 2 pm and are parked for 3 nights at Riverside RV Park.  This is a city campground and is located right on the Arkansas River.  It’s a small campground with only about 40 sites.  Most are pull-thrus with full hook-ups.  We chose a back-in site with water and electric only.  With our Passport America discount, we’re only paying $9.90/night.  Not so bad.  The interior road is paved and everything else is gravel.  There’s not a blade of grass to be seen in the parking area.  However, on the bank of the river is a beautiful stand of grass and there are even benches for sitting and enjoying the river traffic (or the I-30 traffic, which ever you prefer).

Little Rock across the river

I’ll try to get out with the camera in the morning for some pictures of the campground.  The sun was at a bad angle this afternoon and I was busy with dinner as the sun began to set.

After we got set up we went out for a walk.  Right next door is the public boat launch and beyond that is the beginning of the Arkansas River Trail--a paved recreational trail which runs along both sides of the river for eight miles.  This was the route of the Trail of Tears--the massive Indian removal under the direction of Andrew Jackson.  There are interpretative signs along the river denoting that Native American tragedy.

We’re settled in here for three nights. Tomorrow, we want to visit the State Capitol   Building and the Old State House and Museum.  Saturday will be a visit to the Clinton Presidential Library.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

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