Second Day

Friday, June 25, 2004-

Little Rock, being the capital of Arkansas and the site of some famous desegregation struggles, offered more historical venues than could be absorbed in a one-day visit. They settled for a walking tour of the capitol, a visit to the Central High School site, and a look at the Clinton Library which is still under construction. A Magnolia gas station across from Central High has been preserved in its 1957 style and is used to house much of the desegregation memorabilia. William Jefferson Clinton appears to remain the "local boy made good" in the memory of many local citizens, the efforts of Kenneth Starr notwithstanding. (Apologies to our Republican friends.)

Wilbur Mills, who had his own scrapes with propriety, is now a distant runner-up for the title of "favorite son."

Heading south on I-530, Baton Rouge, LA, was the next target. But in the meantime lunch in Pine Bluff, AR, would have been a good idea; however, they were soon on the southern outskirts not having spied a suitable restaurant. I-530 had been reduced to US 65 south of Pine Bluff. They succumbed to hunger pangs in Grady, AR, where they had a tasty lunch which more than satisfied their daily minimum requirements for saturated fats and calories. They noticed that uniformed law officers eat free at the Country Cafe in Grady, a quaint Southern custom, perhaps.

Proceeding on into Louisiana, they took the river road paralleling the Mississippi River, crossing over into the State of Mississippi at Natchez for a few miles before re-entering Louisiana and heading for Baton Rouge. (The route was basically straight; it's the state borders that are crooked.) The sizes, conditions, and construction materials of the houses along the way suggested extreme poverty. Missionary Baptist churches dotted the countryside, sometimes ad densely as three within a two-block span.

Above: Clinton Library Construction Site

The search for an evening meal proved eventful. The level of desperation was such that even a McDonald's or a Burger King would have been an oasis in the desert. Then out of the blue (literally) appeared Bubba's Seafood Buffet. MJ needed assistance from the waitress in identifying the buffet offerings but eventually managed to fill his plate with quite enough to make a dinner. Serious cholesterol consumption followed but neither had the fortitude necessary to sample the crawfish etouffee that was suggested as a topping on a grilled chicken breast. The "Cajun cooking" experience is not likely to make a major change in their menus at home, but learning about a different way of cooking and eating was fun.

They encountered heavy rain that reduced visibility somewhat and due to a minor miscommunication between pilot and navigator they drove all of the way through Baton Rouge past the reserved motel and had to double back to find the lodging that had been reserved for the night. Finally, they reached the correct motel and found themselves in yet another state capital for the night.

Little Rock, being the capital of Arkansas and the site of some famous desegregation struggles, offered more historical venues than could be absorbed in a one-day visit. They settled for a walking tour of the capitol, a visit to the Central High School site, and a look at the Clinton Library which is still under construction. A Magnolia gas station across from Central High has been preserved in its 1957 style and is used to house much of the desegregation memorabilia. William Jefferson Clinton appears to remain the "local boy made good" in the memory of many local citizens, the efforts of Kenneth Starr notwithstanding. (Apologies to our Republican friends.)
Wilbur Mills, who had his own scrapes with propriety, is now a distant runner-up for the title of "favorite son." Heading south on I-530, Baton Rouge, LA, was the next target. But in the meantime lunch in Pine Bluff, AR, would have been a good idea; however, they were soon on the southern outskirts not having spied a suitable restaurant. I-530 had been reduced to US 65 south of Pine Bluff. They succumbed to hunger pangs in Grady, AR, where they had a tasty lunch which more than satisfied their daily minimum requirements for saturated fats and calories. They noticed that uniformed law officers eat free at the Country Cafe in Grady, a quaint Southern custom, perhaps.
Proceeding on into Louisiana, they took the river road paralleling the Mississippi River, crossing over into the State of Mississippi at Natchez for a few miles before re-entering Louisiana and heading for Baton Rouge. (The route was basically straight; it's the state borders that are crooked.) The sizes, conditions, and construction materials of the houses along the way suggested extreme poverty. Missionary Baptist churches dotted the countryside, sometimes ad densely as three within a two-block span.
Above: Clinton Library Construction Site