Little Rock

We drove into downtown Little Rock today to see the sites; rain was predicted so we started at the State Capitol Building. We thought Saturday would be a good day to visit downtown, there was very little traffic and only a few people outside.

The temperature was cool today but we walked the Capitol grounds which have monuments for the Medal of Honor Memorial, Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Confederate Soldiers Monument among others. Due to the time of year there was little plant color to the grounds so we entered the building.

We obtained a self-guided tour booklet for the building which provided the history of some of the rooms that were open for viewing. There are portraits of past governors (including Bill Clinton), and historical displays of construction of the building and some of the political battles that took place within the state and capitol.

We walked the four floors of the building that were open to the public and saw the Senate Chamber, the old Supreme Court Chamber and the Governors Reception Room; the House Chamber was closed for renovation. The building itself was restored in 2000 so the marble floors and walls, painting and decorative elements appeared rich and impressive. Because the building was all but deserted our self-guided tour only took us an hour and one half.

Looking up into the rotunda.

The 4,000 pound chandelier that hangs in the rotunda.

The old State Supreme Court Chamber.

The Governor’s reception room.

Stairway leading to the 2nd floor House Chamber.

Close-up of artwork above stairway.

When we emerged from the Capitol the rain had moved in and was expected to last through the afternoon and night so the remainder of our visit was a driving tour. We did see the Federal Courthouse, the Old State House and the River Market Area. Our last visit was to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park (John was somewhat surprised that the building wasn’t shaped like a cigar), but the rain kept us from walking the grounds and the seven dollar admission fee was more than enough to keep us outside.

Tomorrow is moving day so we drove back to the mothership, hooked up the CRV, dumped tanks and got some things ready for our Sunday drive. We also had time to relax and watch the NFL playoff games, retirement is good!