Skip to main content

2009 Fall Vacation - Trip to Texas - Day 2 - Photos from Arkansas

The first day of vacation was driving out to Jackson, TN from Raleigh. A little over 10 hours - a nice easy drive.

The second day was the first day of exploration as we traveled from Jackson, TN to Lindale, TX. To break up the trip, we made two stops - the first was to do some hiking at Village Creek State Park in Arkansas the second was to visit the Bill Clinton Birthplace and Museum in Hope, AR.

The day was marred with low overcast skies, an off and on drizzle, a damp humid feeling. It didn't stop us from enjoying the day - but it sure was frustrating.

Village Creek State Park - Entire flickr photo set go here.

We exited off I-40 near Forest City and headed north about 15 miles to Village Creek State Park. The main reason was to break up the trip and since for the most part we were driving through Arkansas - have a chance to at least say that we've spent time there.

Village Creek is a popular Eastern Arkansas park - it is home to an Andy Dye Golf Course, there are a number of cabins, numerous campsites around two lakes, hiking trails (including the best preserved remnants of the Cherokee Trail of Tears within the state).

We hiked the Austell Trail and part of the Old Military Road. The Austell Trail runs from the Visitor's Center to Lake Austell along with running along parts of Crowley's Ridge. The Old Military Road is part of what was the Memphis to Little Rock road which was completed in 1829.

IMG_0973

IMG_0994

IMG_0998

Heading back to I-40 on AR 284 we passed this ravine lined with Kudzu.

IMG_1001

I-40 through Prairie County is as close to ski slalom you can do on an Interstate Highway. The concrete highway is in horrible shape. We saw three cars, and two 18-wheelers pulled over with flat tires through that stretch; it made for the only interesting part in an otherwise rather boring I-40 from Memphis to Little Rock.

We headed down I-30 to Hope. Hope is the childhood home and birthplace of President Bill Clinton. Hope's best days look to be in its past when it was one of the largest cities in Arkansas. Today, there are many empty storefronts, broken down buildings, and the gloomy conditions on this October afternoon only added to the dismal surroundings.

For the entire flickr set head here.

Our first stop was the Hope Visitors Center. It is in the former passenger terminal for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. The visitor center will see more life as Amtrak will be adding a passenger stop in Hope to the Texas Eagle line.

IMG_1004

After looking around the visitor's center - Maggie and I did a brief walk around Hope.

IMG_1003

IMG_1012

IMG_1020

IMG_1024

IMG_1025

We then went to the Bill Clinton Birthplace and Museum which is only a few blocks from Downtown and the Visitor's Center. The grounds include Clinton's childhood home - which was built in 1915 and restored to how it looked in the mid-late 1940's.

The birthplace will soon fall under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service as one of 33 Presidential Historic Sites.

IMG_1032

After touring through the museum, the guide takes you on a brief tour of the home. You are able to tour both floors of the home. And though you can't take photos inside the home, they will gladly take a photo of you anywhere inside the house.

Comments

Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the