Tips for trip to Little Rock

Hi

We are from England and have visited all over the south. Next year after Memphis we are planning a trip over to Little Rock. My wife wants to see Bill Clinton museum etc.

Would love to get any tips about what to see etc..

Many Thanks

Tips for trip to Little Rock

I can recommend staying at the Rosemont B%26amp;B. My wife and I stay at B%26amp;Bs a lot and this is the second best we%26#39;ve stayed in. It was the best until we stayed at the Paradise Inn in Bath England a few months ago.

The Rosemont has a wonderful inn keeper who makes a great breakfast. She is very friendly. The rooms are beautiful. This place has a little bit of history, at least recent history. This is where Clinton and his people stayed the night he won the Presidential election in 1992. I believe the inn keeper is a friend of the Clintons, but I could be wrong with that. If you are going to the Clinton Library this might also make an interesting stop.

By the way, I was never a fan of Clinton as president (I grew up in Arkansas when he was governor and I blamed the fact of us starting school earlier in our summer break on him. Childish, yes, but early impressions tend to last). My point in saying that is while not a fan I thought a visit to his library was worth it. I think it%26#39;s a pretty good place to read about world history from the 1990s.

Tips for trip to Little Rock

Thanks Lawied for that.

We will check out the B/B you mentioned.

Nice to talk to you on this side of the river, normally talk in Memphis!.

I know what you mean about Bill Clinton, I always thought Reagan was your best president. I always remember the summit in Iceland I think it was, the world seemed to change after that.

Anyway, once again thanks for the info.

Oh by the way, the Memphis Belle is being moved in October, I can%26#39;t believe the powers that be, would allow this, the Memphis Belle belongs in Memphis.

Memphis Belle, that%26#39;s another story. the Air Force never has liked the way its been displayed in Memphis. It has always been exposed to the elements and they wanted a place built for it. I think they struggled to get the funds here so they are moving it to Dayton, Ohio to the air force musuem.

Hey, in Little Rock you can see a former war submarine, the USS Razorback. I%26#39;m pretty sure it was active in WWII.

This is where Clinton and his people stayed the night he won the Presidential election in 1992.

Well, oops. Clinton (and perhaps a few of his political aides) stayed at the Governor%26#39;s Mansion the night of the election. I worked in the 92 campaign and spent the evening of the election across the street from the Mansion with a bunch of old time Clinton friends. He%26#39;d been invited to join us briefly, but ended up being swept downtown in a limo...we stood at the street and waved our congratulations and goodbye to him as he left the mansion :)

As for things to see, I can recommend the Historic Arkansas museum in downtown LR, just a few blocks from the Clinton library. It occupies a full block in the oldest part of LR, and preserves a number of buildings that are among the oldest in town; each of which has historical siginficance. There%26#39;s also a modern museum building with rotating exhibits. http://www.historicarkansas.org

If you%26#39;re there during baseball season, you have to take in a game at Ray Winder Field; whether you%26#39;re a baseball fan or not, an Arkansas Travelers game at Ray Winder is a unique cultural experience. Unlike most minor league parks these days, where the ';baseball theme park'; experience reigns, Ray Winder preserves the experience of what minor league baseball was like for the majority of the twentieth century in America -- and for most people outside the major cities of the Northeast and upper Midwest, minor league baseball was the only kind they had any access to. Ray Winder is one of the oldest parks left in the country, and while GM Bill Valentine makes sure it%26#39;s immaculately maintained, very little about it has been modernized -- music is still provided by an organist, ceiling fans still circulate air to try to keep the fans reasonably comfortable, the seats in the upper general admission area are still folding wooden chair-style seats, there%26#39;s only a couple of concession areas and no souvenir store -- just another concession-style window. The only thing that%26#39;s really new is the scoreboard. Of course, the Travs are working on a new stadium to be located near the riverfront in North Little Rock, just across from downtown LR, so next season might be the last, or at least the next to last, that the Travs play at Ray Winder. http://www.travs.com

There%26#39;s an art museum and a natural history museum, both in MacArthur Park. Either would be a perfectly acceptable way to spend some time, but neither is something I%26#39;d go out of my way to see again.

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the info.

Certainly enough to think about.

Atlanta poster, I think Atlanta is awesome, we always arrive in Atlanta and then drive I-75N to Chattannooga and then west to Memphis.

All in all we love the south and we will never have enough time to see it all!.

Southern folks are real friendly people and I am proud to have made many friends in the south since we first visited 3 years ago.

Take care

Here are a few other options in addition to the Historic Arkansas Museum, which is a great choice.

The most exciting new addition to the Rivermarket area will be the new Heifer International Headquarters, which is next to the Clinton Library. The first phase is nearing completion (interactive learning center and museum) but the ';global village'; phase will probably be the most fun - I hope it%26#39;ll be up and running by the time you get here. If you%26#39;re not familiar with Heifer, it%26#39;s a very simple concept that mushroomed into a world-wide organization: they provide livestock, training and related services to small scale farmers with the provision that the farmers, in turn, will offer some of the livestock%26#39;s offspring to another small farmer.

The Old State House is also within walking distance of the Rivermarket. It served as the state capitol for 75 years and is a museum now.

I%26#39;m sorry to say that I haven%26#39;t been to the Central High School National Historic Site, but I%26#39;ve heard it is very well done and quite effective. It memorializes the efforts of the Little Rock Nine to integrate Central High in 1957.

Still another interesting thing is the USS Razorback - the longest serving submarine in the world, which is on the Arkansas River in the downtown area.

This should give you a few things to think about...I%26#39;m sure other things will pop into my head later. In fact, a few have popped up now but I%26#39;m too lazy to keep going.

Well, a couple more things. Lawied, you can tell by my repeating your suggestion of the USS Razorback that my train of thought doesn%26#39;t last more than a minute or two. I%26#39;ve been reading your Memphis board for quite a while and think your restraint in the face of boorishness is practically saintly. Hopefully you didn%26#39;t mind my comment about who stayed where the night of the election. This town was packed with all sorts of interesting (and famous) people and I%26#39;m positive the Rosemont was a favorite and convenient place to stay.

Hey, I thought your post was great.

Everyone has a right to state their opinions, it%26#39;s just that not everyone can post them in a friendly manner.

I participate in Memphis forum often but I try to check Arkansas a few times a week. While I moved from the state when I was 14 my family is scattered around central Arkansas and I often go back to visit family and see a Hog game.

Just wanted to say a big thankyou to suzancs for all the wonderful info.about L/Rock.We are arriving from New Zealand on 7th Nov to travel across to L/A. We have found this site full of good information.and are really looking forward to meeting ,eating, and wending our way through your wonderful country.Kindest Regards Don and Sue Sutton .N.Z.