The State of Arkansas was the pleasant surprise that defied my preconceived notions.  I actually traveled across the state twice during my trip - the first time diagonally from the extreme Northeast to the Southwest corners and the second from west to east.

The portion of the state that borders the Mississippi River is extremely flat and very agricultural.  Rice, soybeans and cotton seem to be the principal crops.  

It is dotted with tiny rural communities that evoke images of the small rural towns of yesteryear while showing signs of embracing modern trends and encouraging 21st century economic development.  The tiny town that I spent one night and part of the next morning in -- had a population less than Rotterdam Junction but had an exceptionally modern municipal center which had been built since 9/11 and was built  -according to the deputy police chief with whom I spoke - to withstand a direct hit by a tornado.  The municipal center is also the emergency command center for the surrounding area and also had a very nice community center thathoused  various community programs for people of all ages. The small town also had a very nice community park and recreational facility.    

The one thing that this community had which our town lacks is a sewer system to which 100% of the homes and businesses are connected to.  This has attracted a number of businesses both "ma & pa businesses" and various chain franchises owned by local residents.   They had a Sonic Drive In, a McDonald's, an Arby's, amajor chain supermarket and --- interestingly enough 3 or 4 Chinese restaurants.   (One thing I did find is that once you head south of the Mason-Dixon line it is very hard to find a pizza place or an Italian restaurant --- but they seem to love Asian and Mexican eateries.)  

I spent a good hour at the John Deere dealership visiting with the folks there and buying some souvenirs for younger relatives and then - based on the recommendation of the female owner of the dealership - I drove about 12 miles west to an even smaller community and a very small local diner.   After having a wonderful  late-morning southern breakfast served with great conversation, I headed onward through Little Rock to my next destination.

I did not stop in Little Rock but I will say that it is a thriving modern city with tremendous economic activity and an extremely well-built highway system in and around it.  Communities in New York could take a cue from the forward thinking and planning of the community leaders in Little Rock.

Hope, Arkansas, which was the childhood home of former President Bill Clinton and former Governor Mike Huckabee, was a very interesting small town to visit.  The old railroad station has been turned into a museum to Mr. Clinton (and has a small exhibit about Mr. Huckabee) but unlike other presidential museums .. only about a third of the exhibits were about the former president -- another third was about his parents and grandparents -- and the final third was about various current and deceased residents who had some connection to the 42nd President of the United States.  Strolling the streets of Hope and seeing some of the sites associated with his youth - including the very small, simple home in which he grew up - one gets a better appreciation for the "village" that molded and influenced a future leader of a state and a nation.

Back in the car, it was onward towards the Texas border and the adventures that lay ahead - more about Arkansas to come later.

My first visit to Texas was almost a decade ago -- to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to attend a national convention.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency which is a part of the Reunion Center.  My room - rather nice because I was a top performer - was interesting for two reasons ----
#1) on the atrium side it overlooked the  hotel bar and one of its restaurants with a huge Lone Star  in the center on the floor (this location was used to film many of the "Oil Baron Ball" sequences over the many years that DALLAS was on tv -- and the bar is where Sue Ellen famously threw a drink in JR's face when she caught him "canoodling" with another woman)
#2) the room's windows overlooked Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was assassinated -- the view was actually quite unsettling .. so the drapes remained closed for most of my stay.

Besides the two Texas cowgirls that I met and enjoyed my free time with, the most memorable part of my visit to Dallas was visiting the JFK memorial -- which is a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza.   It was not a traditional memorial --- rather more modern/abstract ---  it seemed to me that the artist who designed and built the memorial was trying to evoke the image of a broken tomb.   That image is fitting because it conveyed to me that the message of John Fitzgerald Kennedy did not go with his body into a tomb after he was tragically cut down by an assassin's bullet.   The message and ideals of President Kennedy shattered the tomb and continue to reverberate around the globe.

Ending on a lighter note -- if you go to Dallas -- two words of advice --
#1) if you want good BBQ you have to travel to Fort Worth because Dallas is overflowing with fake cowboys and chi-chi fern bar restaurants
#2) set aside a couple of hours to have lunch or afternoon drinks in the revolving restaurant in Reunion Tower -- it has a great view of the city and, for you single guys, is a great place to meet some fine Texas ladies.

So go already and take all your moronic Sybils with yous.

Y'all can look forward to a longer posting on Sunday evening ... when I discuss my pilgrimage to one of the most sacred sites in American history.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Y'all can look forward to a longer posting on Sunday evening ... when I discuss my pilgrimage to one of the most sacred sites in American history.

DNC Headquarters, no doubt

Oh hereeeeeeeeeee weeeeeeeeeee goooooo...


Thanks, at least for the warning.

Though there were many high points of my stay in Texas -- the ultimate high point was the pilgrimage to Johnson City -- Johnson's boyhood home and to the LBJ Ranch 12 miles down the road.

2,000 acres of the ranch are still privately owned by the Johnson family -- and they raise cattle, deer and ostriches.   This was the first time that I saw ostriches  first hand.

Walking the borad open  and along the Pernadales River where this great man - Lyndon Baines Johnson - walked and called home, was the fulfillment of a life-long dream.   Unlike those in their early 50's and older, I have no memories of the Kennedy Presidency --- but I do have many memories of the Johnson Presidency.  

The NPS has a small jet -- the "Air Force One" that Johnson used to fly from Andrews AFB direct to the landing strip on his ranch.   The larger Air Force One could only land at the AFB some miles away.

There is the display of most of Johnson's cars -- including the convertible white lincoln that Johnson drove around the ranch in and reportedly hunted for deer and other animals from.   There was also the "First Golf Cart" and the amphibious car that Johnson could run straight through the Pernandales River in.

On the property is the small stone school house in front of which LBJ signed landmark educational legislation into law during his presidency.  There is - also - the simple family grave yard where Lyndon and Lady Bird share their eternal rest with other members of the Johnson family.

In the airplane hangar is the "press briefing area" complete with the Presidential podium that LBJ used and behind which visitors can stand to have their picture taken.

The house that LBJ and Lady Bird lived in looks a lot smaller in real life than it did on tv.   The interior has only recently been opened to the public --- and only his office, the dining room, Lady Bird's sitting room and the living room with the 3 screen tv console have been restored to teh way they looked in the mid-1960's.

All in all, it was an awesome experience to see first hand the ranch and LBJ's childhood home.  You really get a feel for the real man behind the larger than life public image.    

Texas is a very interesting place to visit -- and I would imagine to live.  From the moment one crosses the border --  you see the Lone Star flag flying in front of almost every home ... and the Lone Star symbol sculpted into the concrete of almost every newer bridge across the state.  There is a great sense of pride in being a Texan -- and from what I have seen -- rightly so.
The state is a beehive of economic activity and is much more diverse geographically than one would imagine (if one only had those old western movies as a reference).   I only visited East Texas, the greater Houston-Galveston area and the Hill Country around Austin.   Future trips will hopefully take me to the rest of this great state.
One of the items that I still have on my bucket list is to go bass fishing in Sam Rayburn Lake -- from what I saw of this man-made lake it is spectacular.

I would certainly encourage anyone who visits Texas to head off the interstates and main state highways -- on to the "farm highways" --- these cut across miles of forests, crop lands and ranch lands ... and bring the motorist through many small Texas hamlets.  

When I have time -- I will share my thoughts about things that communities are doing in other states that we should be doing here -- in Rotterdam.

Texas...
Living in upstate NY, we are all used to lakes, small and large scattered through out our state.  Texas has ONLY ONE NATURAL LAKE IN IT'S ENTIRE STATE!  The rest are man made lakes or dammed rivers.

Quoted from Box A Rox

Texas...
Living in upstate NY, we are all used to lakes, small and large scattered through out our state.  Texas has ONLY ONE NATURAL LAKE IN IT'S ENTIRE STATE!  The rest are man made lakes or dammed rivers.

We know that. So what?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

When I have time -- I will share my thoughts about things that communities are doing in other states that we should be doing here -- in Rotterdam.

Like building multi-modal submarine parks? Go already and take your many stunad aliases with you.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

We know that. So what?

LMAO!  "We know that, So what!"  

Graham has that PeeWee Herman quality about him...  "I know you are, but what am I?"

Quoted from Box A Rox

Texas...
Living in upstate NY, we are all used to lakes, small and large scattered through out our state.  Texas has ONLY ONE NATURAL LAKE IN IT'S ENTIRE STATE!  The rest are man made lakes or dammed rivers.

Texas has the Gulf of Mexico ... and the salt-grass region all along the coast ...   and I must say that the forests of East Texas are more beautiful than any around here .. and the oil wells ....

and did I mention the awesome cowgirls.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Texas has the Gulf of Mexico ... and the salt-grass region all along the coast ...   and I must say that the forests of East Texas are more beautiful than any around here .. and the oil wells ....

and did I mention the awesome cowgirls.

If you liked "IRENE"... You'll LOVE living in the Texas Gulf Coast.  It's a yearly occurrence.