Weekend Rambles

I have a special spot in my heart for Arkansas. As a child, my family took trips predominately into the Ozarks. We weren't a Disney World seeking family. We explored a lot of the state, scouting out trees, flowers and birds. I have an affinity for huge chunks of rocks that line the interstate, streams full of moss and cold spring water and hawks perched in trees.

My niece, Anna Kate, turned 6 years old March 19. To mark the special occasion, QB and I took a weekender trip to Pine Bluff where my sister and her family live. So began our vision quest for Chuck E. Cheese. Her party was at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning in Little Rock. In an effort to save time, I decided it was best to head to Arkansas after work and make the drive on Friday night.

We hit the road, traveling up I-55 to Winona and cutting across on 82. I enjoy driving this stretch of country. It is hilly with kudzu spreading across most every inch of ground between all sides of the highway, lush and green. The hills then slope down and level out into Delta farmlands and roll on past.

We passed through the outskirts of Carrollton, and I wondered who would be playing at the Carroll County Market on Saturday night.

It soon became dark. One of the aspects I love about night driving is the quiet. The stars are out and light the way because the fields stretch for miles into the darkness. It’s a peaceful, thinking sort of time. If there’s somebody with you, it always seems like the best conversations ever take place in those late hours of the night.

We drove into the Delta and made our way through Greenwood, Indianola and Greenville. Watching the towns buzz with Friday night excitement was fun. Folks were dressed up and ready to let off some steam. The local car washes were packed with people polishing their rides, so they could take a lap or two around the main drag in town. People stopped in the gravel parking lot of a roadside bar leaning against their cars, talking and laughing. The roadside bars were decorated with colored Christmas lights and a yellow, hazy glow shining through its doors.

In between those places, I stared out into the darkness searching for the outlines and shadows of the green fields I knew were there.

(Another route to Pine Bluff that I like to take is to head on I-220 to Vicksburg and into Louisiana. Take the Monroe exit and keep going on 65 through little towns and more fields that take you into the South side of Lake Providence, Arkansas. Once in Louisiana, you’ll pass The Dutch Oven, a Mennonite Bakery. I always have to stop and get warm cinnamon rolls and poppy seed bread. Divine!)

As we headed past the casinos, we started across the seemingly rickety, two lane ascent of the Mississippi River bridge. It made me wonder when it was built. QB was nervous driving across but I sort of liked it although going across a narrow two-laner bridge is a little daunting! The entire experience felt like the first big hill of a roller coaster – more like The Pippin for those who remember Libertyland in Memphis – with the clackity clack noise of the tires rolling over the metal brackets of the road during the ascent up the narrow, almost winding path to the top of the bridge. Then, we are up in the air, gliding over the water and see its shining, steely darkness, speckled with lights along the winding riverside.

QB honked the horn for me (my prerequisite any time I drive across a Mississippi River bridge) and we plunged back into the night, passing through the wide open spaces of Arkansas.

After you cross the River, Lake Providence, Arkansas is one of the first places you hit. It’s fun driving through at Christmastime when every dock and boat are decorated with twinkle lights as far as you can see across the lake.

With no lights lining the side of the road, the nighttime darkness was thick. We spent the time by turning off the radio and getting a chance to talk about various subjects other than how our day is going.

On the other side of Dumas, the speed limits slowed us down as we made our way through various whistle stop towns on the outskirts of Pine Bluff. We got close to the state penitentiary area and heard a train horn blowing. It was an eerie experience, given the circumstances. As we looked next to us, our car was side-by-side with the train. Our speed soon overcame it and we left it behind, its lone headlight reaching into the darkness.

After what seemed like a huge amount of time, we made it into Pine Bluff, found our motel and snuggled in for the night. The next morning, we had to be up, ready and willing for Chuck E. Cheese.

Consequently, neither I nor QB had been to Chuck E. Cheese since our pre-teens, so we were not sure what to expect. Despite ourselves, we had a good time. Our two hours of hard labor and game time to get Anna Kate an ungodly amount of tickets, our stomachs were full of soda and pizza and we decided to do a little sightseeing in Little Rock.

QB had never been to The River Market District and I wanted to show him a few choice spots. I love that particular area of Downtown Little Rock and was glad to see several new additions to the revitalization.

Brightly-colored, vintage trolley cars were a common site. What fun! Its route lines (the Blue and Green, respectively) travel throughout the Downtown area and also over the bridge that goes across the Arkansas River. The cars were similar to the ones that travel up and down Market Street in San Francisco, running from the Castro to Fisherman’s Wharf. The River Rail System also lets corporate sponsors name a car!

We walked down President Clinton Avenue, past several restaurants. One bar in particular caught my eye. Its windows were lined with silver beads and I'd bet $10 there is a disco ball inside. It looked like a fun place. On its outside window, there was a John Lennon quote. It made me wonder if they paid for the use. Probably not.

We walked into the lovely Ottenheimer Market Hall. On one end of the hall, there are artists several different local artists selling jewelry and on the other side of the hall is the Boulevard Bread Company (specialty coffees, paninis and other sandwiches). In the middle of the hall is a bevy of food vendors: Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern foods and sundries and a Bavarian deli. I was sorry we had already filled up on pizza.

One aspect of the Market Hall that captured my interest is that the windows lining the sides could be opened during nice weather and sell from there as well. I can only imagine the sights and smells!

Along with regular food vendors, there were several dessert stops: Cocoa Belle, which had the most amazing array of truffles!

Coast Cafe/Pie Heaven with homemade pies and my personal favorite stop, Brown Sugar.

They bake cupcakes and other confections there on the spot. I must confess, we made room in our stomachs for cupcakes.

I decided on the Birthday cupcake: Vanilla cake with icing and sprinkles. QB chose the German Chocolate cupcake. It came with a glazed topping with coconut and pecans.

Yummy goodness is what that was!

I decided to get cupcakes for the trip home and I couldn’t pass up the chocolate truffles either. We made the decision to take it home with us and share it with the family. Decadence like that should not be kept to yourself!

After the sugar overdose, we walked around outside, passed the farmer’s market, a wedding being set up in the Pavillion, through the Amphitheater and down near the river.

QB wanted to visit the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, so we drove down the street to the Library. It is an impressive structure, full of light and windows. What an absolutely gorgeous building.

Here are a few shots of the Arkansas River and old bridge that are outside and next to the museum. Look at all that fragrant jasmine in the second picture!

We toured the library, stopping first at an art exhibit by Peter Max. I didn’t necessarily care for the modern painted photographs of Presidents and other figures because it seemed a little too much like a page out of Andy Warhol’s book and wasn’t too astonishing, really. However, his other original art is bright and almost cartoon-like and I much preferred it that style.

Two canvases caught my attention: one for the GRAMMYs and another that was a colorful jukebox. It reminded me of a piece of art in the Attic Gallery in Vicksburg, which was a piece of wood shaped and painted like a jukebox. (I drooled over it at the time although I didn’t have the funds to buy it. Maybe someday soon!)

We took the goodies back to the family in Pine Bluff. They perked up when we told them what we brought and everyone had a bite of a thing or two!

We ate supper, visited and then set off again on Saturday night riding on the high of having such a good time filled with memories and family smiles and hugs.

As we drove back to Jackson, we watched as the towns came alive again on a Saturday night. People making the most of their weekend by taking a lap along the main drag of the town.

It’s a blissful experience to travel through the Delta listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland. I’d never heard it all the way through, in one listen. That's one of the best ways to listen to a good album. You witness its magic, verse by verse - Diamonds on the soles of my shoes and other gems (no pun intended) - hear his thoughts as he makes his way along an identical highway. The rhythm of the songwriter's mind echoing in the chorus of voices and beats of the drum.

Roadtrip Tunes:
Paul Simon: Graceland
Raphael Saddiq: The Way I See It
James Brown: Box Set