Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Road Trip Day 4 - Little Rock, AR

Today we explored Little Rock. We started in the morning, and didn't stop until the sun went down.  I am exhausted but it was a good day! Our first stop was Little Rock Central High School.  I remember, in high school, learning about the desegregation of schools, particularly this school.  The first african-american students to attend are now known and the "little rock nine".  Today, we joined a National Parks tour of the school. and got a thorough re-education about desegregation.  The park ranger who lead the tour was the daughter of a national guardsman who was called in to help maintain peace during this time period, and included personal experience and insight in her tour. For me, it was a really emotional tour as I imagined how these children must have been feeling as mobs attacked them and flung insults at them simply for trying to get a better education for themselves.  If you are unfamiliar with the story, please check out the Little Rock Nine.


Our next stop was the capital building, It as built over 100 years ago and was modeled after the U.S. capital building.  We peeled into the state's supreme court, as well as where the house and senate convene.
After lunch, we hit a couple museums.  First was the Historic Arkansas Museum where we took a tour of some of the original homes ever built in the city - which are still standing on their original locations, right in the center of the city.  Standing next to a house built around 1827, and seeing the skyscraper right behind it, was quite the experience. Then we roamed the William J Clinton Presidential Library.  Turns out it's not a library at all.  It's a museum comprised of everything that happened - good and bad - during the 8 years of Bill Clinton's presidency.  They even have a life-size replica Oval Office in the museum.  Madison got to sit in the President's chair at the Resolute Desk.  It was pretty cool.  Right now, they also have a special exhibit on the Beatles.  Bill must have been a fan.  The downside to this museum?  It has signs explicitly forbidding the publication of ANY photos taken inside the museum. *sad face* So I have no pics for you.  
Check out this last one from the museum:  it's a picture of coins from way back when.  On the left, you'll see a $1 coin.  According to our tour guide, it was the only coin travelers carried.  If they needed to pay something less than $1, they simply cut the coin in pieces.  So from left to right we have 1)the $1 coin.  2)then cut in half the pieces become 1/2 dollars.  3)cut into halves again and you have 4 quarters of a dollar (quarters......get it? Yep, that's how we got quarters).  3) One last set of cuts gets you.....nope, not dimes, nickels or pennies.  You get "bits". Each bit is worth 12 /2 cents.

Our last stop of the day was to the Little Rock National Cemetery. and it's neighbor, the Oakland Fraternal Cemetery.  These two cemeteries are both VERY large.  Side by side, they make up one ENORMOUS cemetery, with tombstones as old as the Civil War!  

Phew.  Now you can see why I'm exhausted!  Check out the pictures below and then stay tuned for Day 5!

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