After availing ourselves of the breakfast buffet that was provided for free, we packed up,checked out and departe at 10. It was a quick trip to the Mississippi state Capitol, just off exit 96B. We knew the legislature was not in session, when we found a parking space on the Capitol grounds. The Southern hospitality started right away at the metal detector. The guard welcomed us, asked where we were from,and told us where to go to find the tours. Although it was 10:15, and the AAA book said tours were on the hour, a guide immediately said she'd take us around the building. The lady behind the desk also asked, if we had the state capitols passport. How did I not know about this thing? I've made it a sort of hobby to collect state capitols. She told me that I could find it in the gift shop and that I could write for the stamps of the other capitols I'd already visited.
I like visiting capitols, because it think it is interesting to see how a state presents itself to the world. Here, the building is in the Beaux Arts style. Lots of marble and faux marble, all which our tour guide, Barbara Cole could identify. She even pointed out the discolored marble from when smoking was allowed. One cool thing that she showed us was the glass rods in an upper floor that allowed natural light to filter through the stained glass on the ceiling of the floor below. It's really a lovely building. She pointed through a front window to be sure we knew about the copy of the Liberty Bell ( one of 55 cast and given to thank the states and territories for selling war bonds), the pair of German guns from WWII, and the memorial to Confederate women, which was to acknowledge the sacrifices of the mothers, wives and daughters and was cast in the Tiffany studios. After a good shopping trip in the gift shop, where, among other things, I got the aforementioned capitols passport, we drove around front to take pictures.
We'd planned on visiting the national park in Vicksburg and knew we had to leave there by 1 to reach Arkansas Post before it closed. But, now it was almost 11:30, so I just looked in the AAA book for someplace to eat when we reached Vicksburg around noon. At exit 3 on I20, we gassed up (42.43 mpg!), we stopped at the recommende Goldie's Trail Bar-B-Que. we shared the sliced pork platter with BBQ beans and cole slaw and a sliced beef sandwich. The sauce was unusual and had a bit of a punch. Luckily, there were jars available and one is now in my suitcase. As suggested, we split a piece of the delicious lemon icebox pie.
I took over driving and got to take us over the Mississippi. The state line is in the middle of the river. On the other side :Welcome to Louisiana / Bienvenue et Louisiana. Sudden til, the land was flat and full of crops. I truly wish farmers would put up signs for those of us who don't know what we are looking at. We thought we saw rice and soybeans.
We turned off the interstate at US 65. It was two-lane for a long time and skirted business districts. Some towns were just to tiny for it to bother doing that. I discovered my car could do 90(!!!), when I had to pass an SUV and two trucks in a line, because they couldn't settle on a speed to adhere to and I wanted to get around them fast.
Of course, when we wanted a fast food place for a pit stop, there were none to be found. However, at 2:16, we crossed the Arkansas line (Arkansas The Natural State) and not long after found their welcome center in Lake Village. It had a lovely view land lots of brochures. I even found one for Subiaco Academy, where I'd taught for four years in the mid80's.
A person really has to want to visit Arkansas Post National Memorial. It really takes work to get there. We arrived at 3:58 and found out only ten people had been there all day. We watched the video and toured the exhibits. I had not known that battles had been fought there in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The river had changed its path repeatedly over the years before the Arkansas River Navigation system of locks and dams was put in. The site if the Civil War fort is now under water. Nine of the buildings of the town are left,but we braved the mosquitos to walk the path along the old streets and to the river overlook. It was worth it. Helpful signs pointed out Osage orange trees and sassafras trees. A sign in the woods marked the site of the original Arkansas Gazette, the newspaper we read, when we lived here.
When we left at 5:30, the visitor center was long closed. We drove along a levee and past many more fields. We lucked out and found the Little Rock public radio station. It was a good thing we did, because they reported on wicked storms in central Arkansas. I pulled up the Weather Channel app and saw we were headed right for it. We had to quickly decide whether to stop for dinner around Pine Bluff and try to wait it out or just plow ahead. We chose the latter and by the time we reached Pine Bluff, so did the rain. I watched the little blue dot representing our car getting ever closer to the greens and yellows of the storm. My husband kept himself behind a Dollar General truck, which helped him gauge how things were ahead of us.
The rain never stopped and we saw nowhere to stop to eat on I530. Once again, we waited too long to plug in Sarah and she just couldn't get a satellite signal while moving. We lucked out and found our way to the correct street in Little Rock on our own. After 308 miles, we pulled into the La Quinta on South Broadway at 7:25 pm.
Unfortunately, we didn't know that it would have been easier to unload the car out front instead, we went around to the garage. It took two trips, made worse by the entrance back there to the hotel being up several steps.
My husband went across the street and got us subs from Jimmy John's that were great. He found a place to practice and I went to the fitness center to bike and walk. I was really looking forward to a shower. Unfortunately, the water took forever to get warm and was up to my ankles by the time it did, because of poor drainage. I really hate that!
Tomorrow will be spent in town,which should make it easier,but, then again, we don't take vacations. We take trips. Killer trips that you need a rest from when you get home.
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