{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!

{Girls Trip} - Christmas 2018 - Nutcracker Ballet at The Fox

Today the 5 of us got up early, drove down to Atlanta, and grabbed lunch at the iconic downtown spot, The Varsity, before Hubby and B headed off to a movie...

The girls and I headed to see the Nutcracker at the historic Fox Theatre not too far away from our lunch spot. We've made this a little family tradition for the past few years (2015, 2016, 2017)...

I look forward to this special time with my girls each December...

My mother came along this year, too!

After the show, we headed over to Lenox Square to ride the Pink Pig!

Until next year...

Washington, D.C. {2018}

With what has now seemingly become a fun family tradition, we began our journey to Hubby's run in the Army Ten-Miler on Sunday with a trip up to D.C. for the weekend, much like years prior - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017...

Since we now have a 3rd, a 4th, and a 7th grader, we try not to miss any school at all if we can manage it, so this year's trip was much more abbreviated than many of those in the past...

The kids attended a full day of school, and Hubby actually worked a full work day on Friday, as well.  That being said, we left around 6:00pm and drove into the night.  Not the best race prep, but alas, you do what you gotta do, I guess!

After checking into our hotel in the middle of the night, catching a little bit of sleep, grabbing breakfast, and picking up race packets...

we headed over to visit with one of Hubby's college friends who, also a member of the S.C. National Guard, but currently stationed in D.C., was hosting all of the S.C. runners that we could round up for a little get-together luncheon...

The kids loved spending some time playing on the neighborhood playground, too!

From there, we freshened up and headed out to meet up with one of my high school friends for a special tour of the WEST WING of the White House!

Now, a couple of years ago, we took a tour of the White House, visiting the public rooms, and it was SUPER COOL... We even came back the next day for the Fall Garden Tour and got to explore the grounds a bit more...

But...

The one thing that had been missing was a tour of the West Wing. I've always heard that you just had to know someone who works at the White House AND has West Wing access, PLUS they have to be both willing and available to give you the tour...

Well, after years of trying to match up when we'd be in town and when my friend was both in town and not working, the stars FINALLY aligned!

I can't even explain how cool it was, and I am so thankful to this sweet friend for showing us around...  She works there day in and day out, so as with most things that become routine, I'm sure the coolness has long since worn off for her, but seriously, I thought it was just THE neatest thing...

After going through not one, but two security checkpoints, we headed in first to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building...

It is basically just a really big and pretty office building with lots of offices and conference rooms.

The last room we toured was the beautiful and ornate, Indian Treaty Room...

It was in this room, in 1955, where President Eisenhower, held the first ever televised presidential press conference...

There's not a bad view from there either!

From there, we entered the West Wing!

We walked in the canopied side entrance most often used by the Vice President...

Though no photos are allowed inside, except in the Press Briefing Room, the tour included glimpses into the Navy Mess and (doors to) the Situation Room on the ground level, and the Cabinet Room, the West Colonnade and Rose Garden, the Oval Office, the Roosevelt Room and the West Wing Lobby on the 1st Floor.

 {outside the entrance to the 1st Floor West Wing Lobby}

From there, we headed into the Press Briefing Room, the room you often see on television when the President and Press Secretary, among others, give press conferences and field questions...

Fun Fact about the Press Briefing Room...

It is built directly on top of the indoor swimming pool that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had built in 1933, and the pool is incredibly still intact underneath the press room floor!

You can read more about the history of this room and see pictures from its very different phases here...

Oh, what a night!

After our tour concluded, we walked over to &pizza for a great dinner approved by all!

The next morning was RACE DAY!

So proud of this one, his 7th annual Army Ten-Miler, and the community of soldiers he's encouraging and mentoring one by one...

Until next year...