new visitor to Little Rock

Hi,

I am from Manchester, England and am planning to come over to Little Rock in November 05. I would like some advice on where to stay and most importantly - where to avoid! Both in terms of area and hotel. Also any %26#39;must see%26#39; events etc.

Thanks

new visitor to Little Rock

Hello,

I don%26#39;t know a lot about tourist attractions in Little Rock because I live about 65 miles away. However, I can tell you that the River Market area downtown and the Clinton Library are the current ';hottest'; places. I don%26#39;t mean to rain on your parade or anything, but, in my opinion, there really isn%26#39;t that much to see in LR. The State Capitol is interesting as is the Arkansas Territorial Restoration. However, the zoo is very small, and I do not know of any really nice parks or other attractions. The Arkansas Repertory Theater might be performing during your stay. They are good, but, again, the company is small.

If you get a chance, Hot Springs is a wonderful place to visit. Bath House Row is probably the biggest attraction in Arkansas. I enjoy going to the Ouachita Mountains and Lake Ouachita in the Ouachita National Forest.

Any of the Arkansas lakes or mountain areas will be beautiful in November. Many people take ';driving tours'; observing the fall foliage in northern Arkansas. Most travel north on Scenic Highway 7 in the Ozark Mountains all the way up to Branson, Missouri. This is also a good trip to see antique stores showcasing Arkansas%26#39;s past.

I%26#39;ve never been to Fort Smith, Arkansas before, but I have been told that the ';old west'; may be seen there. Eureka Springs is also a big tourist center. Their biggest event is the Great Passion Play which portrays the story of Christ.

Southern Arkansas is mostly pine trees and farms of cotton and soybeans. The cotton fields are pretty when in full bloom, and a few of the homes still look like the old plantations of the old South, but November may be too late. They usually harvest the fields in late summer.

I hope you have a nice trip to our state. I would absolutely love to visit England. Maybe some day I will get there.

new visitor to Little Rock

I spent a February weekend in Little Rock this year and thought it was nice.

I must recommend the Rosemont Bed and Breakfast. It is the nicest B%26amp;B I have stayed in, and I have stayed in several. It is just on the southside of downtown, next to the Quapaw Historic Neighborhood that includes many great historic homes and the governor%26#39;s mansion. I can%26#39;t recall the web site but I know it has one.

The food was amazing, the rooms were nice.

I am not a Bill Clinton fan but I enjoyed his library. Along the riverfront is the rivermarket, old state house and a few shops and restaurants. There is a brewery in town that offers tours near the capitol building which is also open for tours.

We spent a Friday evening through Sunday afternoon in Little Rock and felt there was plenty to do. You can also take side trips -- Hot Springs is an hour or so to the south, Pinnacle Mountain is a nice hike and is in the Little Rock area, Petit Jean Mountain is about an hour northwest along Interstate 40 and has a lot of great hikes, including one down to a waterfall. Arkansas is beautiful during the fall, but Novemeber might be a couple of weeks past the peak of the fall foilage. It just depends on how the summer is: dry or wet.

Depending on what weekend you are in town the University of Arkansas could have a football (American football that is) game. If so there will be a lot of red-clad fans in town calling the hogs.

What ever you do DO NOT plan on visiting the week-end of Nov. 19th. The Univ. of Ark. has a football game here on that date and things will be pretty much sold out. As for lodging; I don%26#39;t know your budget but several of the best hotels in town are located along Markham Street/ Pres. Clinton Ave. There is a Courtyard, the Capital, the Peabody and a Doubletree. The River Market area which is on Pres. Clinton Ave. has a number of clubs and restaurants. As for attractions the newest is the Clinton Library. It has been a huge sucess and you can spend most of a day touring it. In the same Markham/Pres Clinton area are two fine museums. The Historic Arkansas Museum has several houses with period furniture from Arkansas%26#39; days before statehood. It also has and art gallery. The Old State House, built in 1836, was the State Capitol Building until the early 1900%26#39;s. It%26#39;s now a museum of Arkansas%26#39; history with many exhibits.

There is a company doing tours of Little Rock, your hotel will have information about it. This would be a good thing to do as they take you through the towns older neighborhoods where there are many restored homes.

Hope you enjoy your trip

It would be easist to do this by email, most likely. I%26#39;ve lived here for 25 years, and have watched the city grow and change over time. There are some good spots, and definitely some bad ones...I%26#39;ll try to highlight, you can email if you want more detail. maus_shadow@yahoo.com

The Downtown Little Rock area by the Rivermarket is GREAT for tourists. Hotel-wise, I would suggest the Peabody (this is the Hotel chain that houses suite-living ducks who march down to the lobby fountain for daily swims) or the DoubleTree downtown LR, if you%26#39;re willing to pay a little extra for a nice area/nice accomodations. Most of downtown is business and bums...sorry, but it%26#39;s true. There are a few art galleries, like the Oval on Capitol Ave (would be 5th St, if we had one). There are microbreweries, like Vino%26#39;s, on 7th St and Chester. Easy downtown to navigate, but once you move away from %26#39;Prez Clinton Ave,%26#39; you%26#39;re getting cold.

For more reasonable rooms, look just across the River, to the North Little Rock Wyndham. There is a trolley stop right outside the hotel that will take you across to Little Rock, and through the downtown Little Rock area for about $2 per pass. The Wyndham has a GREAT Sushi/Steakhouse called Benihana%26#39;s. Try it, even if you don%26#39;t stay! DO NOT venture further into the North Little Rock area from that hotel, unless going just across the street to the NLR River walk (We have an old Submarine and Maritime Museum on the NLR side). All industry and ghetto housing was packed in on the NLR side of the river very early in our city planning, so the Wyndham is a jewel in a sea of stones. Further into NLR, there are nicer housing, shopping, and dining experiences, but the area just along the river is right out! The NLR Riverwalk is coming along nicely, though, and is as safe as anywhere else in the city.

There%26#39;s the Farmer%26#39;s Market every Tuesday and every Saturday during Spring through October at the Little Rock Rivermarket; you%26#39;ll find local fruits, vegetables, textiles, art, etc. By November, the outside market will probably be closed, but this street is filled with small shops, art galleries, pubs, coffeeshops, etc. that stay open year round. Always a good place to take a stroll, and get a sandwich. Try StickyFingers--I like their Jalapeno-Ginger fingers, and they have a nice lounge in an adjacent room to the bar and stage so you can cozy up on a couch and have a quiet drink. There is also a comedy club on the corner just across from the Peabody.

Of course, there%26#39;s the Clinton Library, which I can%26#39;t say much about, as I haven%26#39;t visited. My mother enjoyed it, though, and for historical and cultural purposes, it is probably at least educational. However, from any of the River Bridges, it looks like a half-finished trailer up on stilts over the River, like a back woods swamp shack. My personal beef: For the art on the grounds, Prez chose nothing from local artists; they were not even informed of the selection process. My husband is a local sculptor, working in metal, and it was almost a personal slap in the face to those artists in the area who are most always overlooked by incoming Corporations. It would have been nice for him to remember his %26#39;roots.%26#39; Anyway, I%26#39;m sure it is charming. :)

November is usually a little chilly, at least for a native Southerner. Around 45 F at night, 60 F during the day, and possibly rainy as it is our wettest month on average. Luckily, you will be missing the times of year when we bounce between highs of 45 and 85 degrees in a 24 hour period...our seasons are often reluctant to give way to the next!

If you%26#39;re interested in anything specific, let me know. We have different museums, art galleries, theatres, outdoor activities, underground scene, you name it. The city continues to grow and spread out, yet tourists should still expect to find Arkansans to be helpful and gracious hosts. Most are happy to help with directions, or advice on a %26#39;good place to go.%26#39; Feel free to email with some of your interests, and I%26#39;ll be glad to gather info for you. For %26#39;must see%26#39; events, I%26#39;ll keep an eye/ear out for upcoming announcements and let you know.

Good luck planning for your trip! :)

Mrs. E

Just an additional word on the Clinton Library. There are plenty of people in Arkansas who are not fans of President Clinton and take delight in comparing his Library to a house trailer. However Architectural critics have praised the structure as have many travel writers across the country. It is truly a magnificent building and well worth spending time in it, and yes, I%26#39;ve been there.