Big Day in Little Rock

June 30 – We had a full schedule planned for today!  I had hoped to be on the road at 8:30 but expected it to be 9, so we were right on time.

Roundtop Gas Station

The first stop on the way to Little Rock was in Sherwood.  There we stopped at a Roundtop gas station built in 1936.  It was the only public restroom between Little Rock and Bald Knob.  It’s been recently updated with an AC unit and is a police sub-station along Hwy 67.  It’s on the Register of Historic Buildings.

La Petite Roche

Our next stop was downtown Little Rock along the Arkansas River to see the actual “Little Rock” or “La Petite Roche” as it was originally known.  The rock was originally along the riverbank and larger and was blown up in the late 1800’s to build a railroad bridge.  Someone saved the tip of the rock and it sat by City Hall starting in 1932 and was moved to this spot which is close to where it was originally when the Riverfront Park was completed.

Also from this location you get a beautiful view of the Junction Bridge across the Arkansas River.  It was the old railroad bridge that is now a pedestrian bridge.  We didn’t plan to walk the bridge as we talked the parking attendant into not charging us $5 to park just to take a couple of photos. 

Our main point of interest in Little Rock was the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.  The site revolves around school desegregation and the high school is till in attendance and has been since it opened in 1927 as Little Rock Senior HS and was the largest high school in the US at the time and maybe still is.  It is a massive structure.  It was honored as “America’s Most Beautiful High School” by the American Institute of Architecture.  There are 100 class rooms and it 4 stories high.  However, its importance to history took place in September 1957 when it took 11,500 soldiers to assure 9 Negro children their constitutional rights.  I can’t imagine what courage it took for those

The center section of the high school

students to face daily abuse, mentally, verbally and physically  to exert their rights to attend their local high school.  It made me think back to being in the 6^th grade in Mrs. Joyce’s class in Cumberland County, Virginia when the first black students came to my class.  Patricia Scales and Robert Trent were from the all black school and were children of teachers and administrators there.  I can’t remember a single child in our class ever treating them any different than we would any other new kid.  I guess that’s the difference being raised in the country where we all got along as opposed to being raised it the city where more distinct neighborhoods were.  I’m impressed that all these years later I remember their names.  They were both excellent students and gave us white kids a run for our money! 

Although we didn’t have time to get on a tour of the high school we did stop for a photo of

The train just dropped
off our lunch

One of the trains

the main building before heading to lunch at the “All Aboard Restaurant and Grill”.  It was a very unique little place.   You order your food at the counter and it’s delivered by a small train.  There is a set of rail tracks on each side of the room and the train runs overhead and at each booth is a drop off for your food tray that brings the food down to the table.  It is a great place to bring kids for a special meal.  They do the train noises and announce the train is coming.  The food was pretty good but the ambiance was the best!

As we headed out of Little Rock on to Searcy where we were invited to dinner with my sister-in-law Donnette’s sister, Debbie, we stopped at a couple of stores that we don’t have access to where we are.  My stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond and Bill’s was Barnes and Noble.  I will say I also stopped for ink for my printer, but that actually benefits both of us!

We made it to Debbie’s around 4 I think.  She welcomed us with open arms!  After a tour of the house that she and Donnette share when Donnette is working in Searcy, we settled in the kitchen and enjoyed a long visit of catching up and sharing stories.  I will admit some wine was also consumed and Bill thought he’d have to drive home but by the time we left after 9 I was fine.  Dinner was delicious and the strawberry shortcake was a wonderful finish to a perfect meal.  Greg, their brother, managed to stop by for about an hour and we enjoyed telling tales with him also.  We had not seen him in probably 10 years so it was nice.  The house is a beautiful split design with a gorgeous huge kitchen (my favorite room in the house), and the deck area was so perfect for entertaining.  If we get to Searcy later this week Bill may see a movie while Debbie and I visit.  It was very nice of Debbie to invite us and I’m sure I will enjoy my bottle of wine she sent me home with.  It’s called “Liquid Love”, lookout Bill!

I wasn’t crazy about the drive home on the curvy road and thought a deer was going to jump out at any minute but none did.  We did see one along the road.  We got home around 10 and Molly was VERY happy to see us.  She was out of food and also looking for some TLC.  It was a great end to a great day!