Day 7---Almost to Nashville

Notice the paving

We left Okemah this morning after going to the post office, which looks much like Marysville.  We drove around the leafy streets looking at many very nice older homes.  The streets were paved with bricks!  We wonder what the people do for work, as there doesn't seem to be any, even farming.

Pines hickory and unknown

Looks like tall dandilions

We drove through lovely green, forest covered hills in eastern OK (Somehow I do not think of OK as leafy, green) for about an hour and a half, and finally reached Arkansas, which is just as lovely, leafy, and hilly, although the locals call the hills the Ozark Mountains. 

Little Rock Central High School

We finally reached flat land again, coming into Little Rock.  While in Little Rock we learned that this is actually the Mississippi floodplain.  We stopped in Little Rock for two reasons:  history and food.  First the history.  In 1957 the Governor of Arkansas called out the National Guard to prevent the integration of the all white Central High School by nine colored teenagers.  President Eisenhower called out the 101st Airborne to protect the teenagers and enforce the court ruling of integration.  Pat and I had heard one of the "Little Rock Nine" speak and were very moved to be in the place where we remember history being made.  

The high school is now a National Historical Landmark, and has a very lovely Visitors Center.  While at the Visitors Center we asked the young man who worked there where to eat.  This is our practice, and we have eaten in many wonderful places as a result.  The young man said definitely go to the Flying Fish, so away we went.  

Mmmmm, good

Guess what the mens restroom says.

The Flying Fish is downtown, next to the Arkansas River.  It is a fun restaurant, with curio covered walls, mostly about fishing and fish.  They serve southern style, which means fried.  Pat and I felt justified as we had only had a light breakfast.

And now for the food:  Pat had calamari (and did not leave a speck), hush puppies and cole slaw, while I had catfish, shrimp, hush puppies and fried okra.  It was absolutely wonderful.

A rabbit for Surani

We rolled out of the restaurant and walked for a view of the Clinton Presidental Library.  Along the way we saw this piece of civic art, and I, being a ha(y)re, liked it.  The Presidential Library is a very modern building...now I have to find time to see it, which we did not have today.

Clinton Library

 We left Little Rock ahead of schedule, and drove as far as West Memphis, Arkansas.  It is just as flat as Texas, but green and treed.  We drove through many miles of rice with some corn.  We had some light rain coming into West Memphis, and had an interesting time going to a Flying J truck stop to do our laundry.

I swear that Pat will be able to use the cruise control correctly before this trip is over.  She makes it so difficult, but I will prevail with the correct method.