Catch Up with Little Rock, Arkansas

We did manage to take in some sights during our four days in Little Rock. We only stayed the four days instead of ten because the Little Rock Air Force Base does not take reservations and in the back lot you do not have sewer and only 30 amp rather than the 50 amp we need to run both air conditioners. With the weather being warm we decided to move on the Memphis Tennessee.


Here is a picture of downtown Memphis.

This is the capitol building. Below it is the Governor's Mansion. They both look like elegant homes to us.

The Liitle Rock Central High School was the site of the forced school desegregation dur the American Civil Rights Movement. It was the morning of September 23, 1957, when nine Afican-American high school students faced an angry mob of over 1,000 protesting integration in front of Central High School. The next day President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the 1,200 man 326th Airbone Battle Group of the U. S. Army from Campbell Kentuck to escort the nine students into the school.

The event, watched by the nation and the world, was the site of the first important test for the implementaiton of the U. S. Supreme Court's history Brown v. Board of Eduction decision of 1954.

The school also made legal history in 1968 when Central High School biology teach Susan Epperson agreed to be the plaintiff in a case challenging an Arkansas law forbidding the teaching of the theory of evolution by nation selection in the public schools. The U. S. Supreme Court's decision in Epperson v. Arkansas held that states could not require that "teaching and learning must be tailered to the principles or prohibitions of any religious sect or dogma" i.e. that the teaching of evolution in schools could not be forbidden on religious grounds.

(Excerpted from Wikipedia.org)

Do you recognize this home? Yes, it is the house front used in the series, Designing Women. It is currently just a private home.

Along with the "Designing Women" home and numerous others, Little Rock has a tour of some of the old, beautiful homes in Little Rock. Here are a few:

You have got to image my surprise when this woman got out of here SUV. She looked almost exactly like my sister, Kay. I asked if I could take a picture...otherwise you would not believe it.

Oh - By the Way

The MPs were doing a practice drill...however...they forgot to practice locking the police car...with the keys not inside!!!!

It is the M, I, Crooked I, Crooked I, I, Crooked I, Crooked I, I, Hump Back, Hump Back, I

Yes, to get to Memphis Tennessee from Arkansas you go over the Mississippi River.

And, here in is the famous, or maybe imfamous, Pyramid Stadium.

The Little Rock Drama

Today, I was at my computer when I heard someone shout, "Put your left hand out of the car window." I looked out the RV window and I watched as the man on his knees below got out of the car and the MP had him back up to the police car. A second MP came out of the police car. Then another police vehicle came up and two more MPs came. In the meantime the first MP had the man on his knees and handcuffed. Then a second man was told to get out of the car and they handcuffed him.

Of course, all the MPs had M-16s, and then I heard the MP say, "drop the gun". There was a woman getting out of the car with a hand gun. WHOA! My heart beat a little faster -- This could get dangerous. I wondered if a bullet would go through our RV walls.

While this "drop the gun" thing was going on the second man (the one lying down in the bottom picture), still handcuffed, got up and started to run. None of them saw him. He was now in front of, then past the our RV. Still no one saw him. Soooooooo, I HONKED the RV HORN. Two of the MPs headed out after the runaway.

A little while later they came back with the runaway. Then they took the two men over nearby....must be questioning them I thought. That second man got up again and tried to get away. I was sure they were in big trouble since he kept trying to run away.

Lance was gone to pay for our RV spot. I called him. "I am sitting here watching two men getting arrested right in front of me." He was almost home. Thank goodness.

Beautiful Dallas Texas

Dallas Texas is a huge town though when I looked it was half the size of Seattle. It has some unbelievable skyscapers.

This is a Hyatt hotel. It was my favorite one.

Huge is the only word that can describe this one.

This is my second favorite building. It is the Wells Fargo building. It is really different.

If you ever get to Dallas a must see is the John F. Kennedy Museum in the Book Depository on the Sixth floor where that he was shot from. It is amazing. I teared up when they got to the point where he was shot. Do you remember where you were when you heard? I do.

They did not let you take any pictures and the crowds were heavy for a Monday afternoon. The museum was very well done with original film of the news accounts, even the original AP wire announcing JFK's death. Discussion of the conspiracy theories, personal interviews with news journalists, doctors, nurses and even some short films were shown to describe the events of November 23, 1963.

Dallas has more than thirty pieces of art work in the downtown area. We went looking. The one pictured below is by native Texan Rober Temple Summers II who was commissioned by the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation in 1992 to sculpt three cowboys on horseback and 70 longhorm steers (each 130% of life-size). The bronze sculptures covers four acres in downtown Dallas in front of the Convention Center.

The Money Factory

One day on our way to Fort Worth TX I saw a sign that read -- The Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I got curious and did some googling and discovered this facility and another one in Washington D.C. are the two places where United States currency is printed. I also discovered you could take a tour. So we did!!!!

When you arrive at the BEP (Bureau of Engraving & Printing) transfer station you are greeted by four BEP police (yes, their uniforms call them police). You cannot take cell phones, cameras, any other electronic devices plus the usual -- weapons, backpacks (purses are hand searched), and food or drink. You put all the metal you are carrying into a plastic container. Then you go into a circular room, stand on the grey square and when cued move out the other side.

NOTE: Since I could not bring my camera all the pictures here are "taken" from the BEP website: http://www.moneyfactory.com/

The Transfer Station

The Visitor Center and Bureau of Engraving and Printing -- Department of Treasury



The Visitor Center Lobby

After registering for the tour and while we waited for it to start we had the good fortune to see some special displays tht were there for the week. One that was especially interesting was the "spider" press. It got its name from a large wheel with spokes in it that when rotated rolled the paper over the engraved plate. The man at the display actually used a replica of an old $5 plate and printed a $5 bill. The detail was amazing. Also fascinating that even these samples he printed are counted and recorded.

The tour was amazing. Million and millions of dollars were before us. The minimum amount that is in the process at any one time at the facility is $2.59 billion. Yes, billion.

As a stragety to prevent counterfeiting the US currency is redesigned every 7 to 10 years. In keeping with that a new series of currency with more color have been created. The $20 bill was introduced October 9, 2003, the $50 bill on 9/28/04, the $10 bill on 3/2/06 and the $5 on 3/13/08. The $100 bill is in the process of redesign and printing and at the BEP every place that works with the $100 bill is hidden by curtains. Years ago they also had $500, $1000, $5,000, $10,000 and $100,000 denominations which were not out in general public circulation but used by financial institutions. However, with the advent of electronic transfers these denominations were eliminated.

We learned about the paper, the several times it is printed, how much pressure is applied, how long the ink is allow to "cure" and how the serial numbers, seal and some other thing I cannot remember???? are put on. We also learned that the bills are not officially "money" until the serial numbers, etc. are put on and they are packaged and cataloged and put the the value "somewhere" on the premises. Additionally, we learned that the bills printed in Fort Worth actually have a FW on it.

It was particularly interesting to learn that the Federal Reserve meets several times a year to order the money. All the damaged and worn out and written on bills are destroyed and replaced by new bills.

One of the displays was that of a stack of sheets of $5 bill with 32 bills to a sheet and 6,250 sheets which equals $1 million. The stack was about 3 feet high.

A Gene Autry Museum in Gene Autry Oklahoma

We are the adventuous type, as you know, and when we saw this sign we just had to take a look. Lance has some country roots having a brother who had a country western band and he claims to have memorized 300 country songs when he was a teen. I remember Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers -- Tumblin Tumble Weed and Cool, Clear Water.

So off we went....

And followed the Happy Trail...

To Gene Autry, Oklahoma -- Yes, that is a working post office.

And, the Gene Autry First Baptist Church...

There it is -- the Gene Autry Museum. Turns out it is an old school house. Every room is filled with memorabilia of not only Gene Autry but many other western entertainers as well. It was unbelievable.

I had no idea how many movies Gene Autry was in. He was in 93 movies and 91 television productions.

According to the Internet Movie Data Base -- Orvon Gene Autry is considered by many to be the greatest western star of all time. He earned the designation of "America's Favorite Cowboy". He was "discovered" by Will Rogers while working as a telegraph. One of his stars on the Wal of Fame is for Live Performance (including rodeo), not live theater. Also, "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" sold over 500,000 copies in its first release. He is the first artist in history to have a gold record. Also, he is the first artist to ever sell 1,000,000 of a record. He was also the first artist ever to sell out Madison Square Garden. His son "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is the second highest selling Christmas song of all time. It has sold over 30 million copies. By 1948, Dell Publishing was printing over 1,000,000 Gene Autry Comic Books per year. It seems everything Gene touched seemed to turn to gold. After he retired from acting, he had many successful business ventures, including radio and television stations. He also owned the California Angels. Gene passed away in 1998.

Could not be a complete museum without Champion and one of Gene Autry's saddles. After seeing this Lance launched into a trivia discussion of the names of all the famous western stars' horses names.

Speaking of trivia -- Did you know Gene Autry owned the Anaheim Angels?

When we came out we got a little bonus with a old car. Pretty nifty huh!