The Drive

Unlike some of my other trips, this one was not planned in advance. I had initially planned to visit a cousin in Louisiana but could not make it this time. So, I had 4 days and not much to do. Arkansas was inviting because of the relatively moderate weather and the proximity to Dallas. Proximity was important since I was the only eligible driver (my roommate doesn't have a license yet) and I didn't want to be burned out from a very long drive.

We didn't have a great start to the trip. I wasn't happy with the Dodge Caliber that I got from Enterprise, but I must admit that it served its purpose. Sorry Dodge faithfuls, but the car was a rumbling Ambassador re-incarnate in a fancier frame - I am sure those who know the dear old Amby from Hindustan Motors will appreciate the joke - see the link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassador if you are wondering what I am talking about. In the end, the trip did turn out to be quite a bit of driving - about 1500 miles but it was a lot of fun. Arkansas had several scenic drives. I just wish I had been there a few weeks earlier when the fall colors still lined the mountains - what a sight that would have been!

Little Rock - River Market

We reached Little Rock, Arkansas and visited the river market - Cool place right by the Arkansas river.

Hot Springs

We visited the small town of Hot Springs - the spa of America. This was the only place on this trip that I knew nothing about, before I went there. So, I was expecting something similar to Yellostone (I have been there several times and love the place) with hot springs and Geysers. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. The town has several historical bath-houses and spas that use the hot spring water from the surrounding mountains. I apologize to the fans of bathing out there, but the idea of spending an entire day looking at old bath-houses doesn't fascinate me. However, all was not lost. One good aspect of this place was that President Bill Clinton spent some part of his youth here and they had some pretty interesting facts from his life on a video in one of the observation towers.

Blanchard Spring Caverns

We travelled underground to visit the Blanchard Spring Caverns in the Ozark mountains. These were huge caves with some massive natural formations of rock, stalactites and stalagmites.

Doesn't this remind you of a battleship?

A curtain of mineral formation....

A massive column formed by stalactites and stalagmites meeting each other....

Looks like a mysterious entrance to another world....

An Opera House?

The lighting in the caves was designed by Miroslave Pflug, a native of Czechoslovakia who also designed the lighting at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and several European theaters. Apparently, the following formation looked like an opera balcony to the designer - sounded wierd at first but the end result is truly amazing.

The Rivers....

The White river flows through Arkansas into Missouri and then flows back into Arkansas. There are several dams across this river. It also has several tributaries, one of which is the Buffalo National river - one of the very few unpolluted natural water sources in the nation.

Along the rivers, there are several beautiful spots where I saw Mother nature at her best - These places provide the very definition of "Tranquility".

Little Rock Downtown

We thoroughly enjoyed the Arkansas countryside, but the city of Little Rock had plenty to offer as well. Here is a snap of downtown Little Rock from the Junction Bridge.

The Arkansas Queen on the Arkansas River. It was anchored right next to a historic naval submarine that is now a maritime museum.

The brightly lit Capitol Dome caught our attention while we were strolling by the Arkansas river. We decided to drive down and take a look.

A replica of the liberty bell - installed to commemorate the Bicentennial celebration of American Independence. On the 4th of July 1976, similar bells were installed in every state across the country and they were all rung at the same time.

Apart from the river market, this city boasts of having the best Capitol gardens in the Country. The Capitol itself was an impressive sight!

We drove back home to Dallas - took us about 5 hours. Every place I visit in the United States makes me wonder about the similarities with India though they are half a world apart. In terms of diversity, natural beauty, tolerance, values and hospitality of the people, we are very much alike. We share similar joys and pain and fight for shared values of freedom, soverignty and prosperity and we can learn so much from each other. Overall, It was a weekend of fun, more memories to cherish and one more learning experience about this great and vast nation.