Showing posts with label Arkansas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arkansas. Show all posts

Thursday, December 27, 2018

{Weekend Adventure} Arkansas Again!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...  I feel like I was JUST saying how "Clemson seasons like this don't come along every year..."

BUT...  Here we go again, heading into our now FOURTH straight appearance in the College Football Playoff...  PHEW!

With Christmas, and its festivities behind us, the kids and I (Hubby will meet up with us later) set off diving mid-morning yesterday and made it all the way to the small town of New Albany, Mississippi before calling it a night... I had never heard of New Albany, but learned that the poet William Faulkner was actually born there!

Early this morning, we headed out for a full day of adventures...

We crossed into Tennessee near Memphis and had a bit of fun at the welcome center giving a little homage to Elvis (pretending to sing)...


before crossing the Mighty Mississippi into Arkansas!

Our first stop was the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum situated on the banks of the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Arkansas. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the government shut down, but we enjoyed some time stretching our legs in the surrounding park...

 

We left Little Rock and continued on to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We last visited Hot Springs on our summer road trip back in 2012...

Boy have these babies (and the park sign, too!) changed!

{July 2012}
 {December 2018}
We enjoyed strolling along Bathhouse Row and testing out the warm water of the naturally hot springs...

before sitting down for a yummy lunch at Superior Bathhouse Brewery, a NEW restaurant (housed in an OLD bathhouse) since our last visit...

From Hot Springs, we continued trucking along to Hope, Arkansas, the birthplace of President Clinton...

Last time we came through here, we toured President Clinton's first home, but missed the memorial to the hospital where he was actually born (that no longer stands)…

It's been on my "Next Time We're in Hope, Arkansas..." list ever since...  That list can also be interpreted as my "Next Time We are Within 5-6 Hours from Hope, Arkansas..." list, as well...

So naturally, yep, you got it... Back to Hope we went!


Check! Done with Hope, Arkansas...unless another up and coming politician emerges out of there and becomes president or vice president...  Never say never I suppose!

From Hope, we continued on to TEXARKANA! This road tripping in the winter is for the birds...  No, not the cold, but the short days are making me crazy!

I had wonderful dreams of recreating one of my all time FAVORITE photos, but it was not to be...

{July 2012}

We made it to Texarkana before 6:00pm, and from my photos you would've thought it was well past our bedtimes! It seriously looks like it's 10:00 or 11:00 at night!

 {December 2018}
On to Denison, Texas to spend the night!

Love these sweet (not so) little travelers so!

Saturday, June 27, 2015

{Road Trip} Day One - From Running Up Steps to Painting Cars

We left late Friday, after Hubby worked a full day, and to get a good chunk of driving out of the way, we drove through the night making our first stop, Little Rock, AR. 

We passed through Little Rock a couple of summers ago, and while B was already into presidents, his interest in both state capitals and running up the steps of state capitol buildings had yet to be uncovered...

Our first stop was the Arkansas State Capitol...





for a run up the capitol steps...






After a quick photo at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, checking off a stop on our (very comprehensive) list of U.S. Presidential Sites, and a stop for breakfast...





we continued on to a new state for 4 of the 5 of us...

OKLAHOMA

and yes, yes I am that mother that plays "Oklahoma!" and "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" on repeat as we cross over the state line, and for at least a good 15-20 minutes into the brand new state...





"Your doin' fine, Oklahoma...  Oklahoma, O.K.!"

We wandered off the interstate and made our first stop in Oklahoma at Rock Café, along the historic Route 66 in the small town of Stroud, for a late lunch...





The current owner of Rock Café is the inspiration for the girl character, Sally Carrera, in the Disney Pixar movie, CARS...





The littles loved leaving their (respective) marks on the wall...






From there, we continued on to Oklahoma City and made a stop at the Oklahoma State Capitol...




the only state capitol grounds in the United States with active oil rigs!







After driving by the site of the Oklahoma City National Memorial honoring those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995, we continued on into the Texas Panhandle.

We veered off the interstate once again for our first stop in the panhandle, this former gasoline station in Shamrock, known as the U-Drop Inn...






Look a little familiar???

This station was used as the model for Ramone's House of Body Art in the aforementioned movie, CARS...

Our last, and most anticipated stop in the Texas Panhandle, was Cadillac Ranch...








Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, and the model for Cadillac Range, the mountain range in CARS...

With that, Day One is officially a wrap!

More on tap for tomorrow... 

More {Road Trip} 2015 Fun