Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Texarkana

Leaving Memphis, we crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas. After driving about 2.5 hours, we arrived in Little Rock. Our first stop in Little Rock was Bill Clinton's Presidential Library and Museum. The library chronicles Clinton's campaign and presidency, and includes fun exhibits like gifts he received and letters he exchanged with world leaders and celebrities. After the presidential library, we headed to Little Rock Central High School, the site of forced school desegregation by the Little Rock nine during the Civil Rights Movement. It was surreal to imagine that just over 50 years ago, we could not have entered or attended such a school.

Our next stop was Hot Springs National Park which is approximately an hour southwest of Little Rock. In the early 1900's, Hot Springs was a prime spa resort area where the rich came for relaxation and baths because of the natural hot springs. We toured the Fordyce Bathhouse which is now the National Parks visitor center and we saw a number of active hot springs.

Our next stop was Texarkana, a city on the border of Texas and Arkansas. The post office in Texarkana stradles the state line and sits in both Texas and Arkansas. It also provides a great place for a photo opp.!


Lorenzo examining exhibits at the Clinton Presidential Library.


Little Rock Central High School


Kim testing the tempurture of a hot spring.


Kim in Texas and Lorenzo in Arkansas in front of the Texarkana post office.

Memphis: BBQ & the Blues

Our first stop in Memphis was the Lorraine Hotel and National Civil Rights Museum (http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm), where we saw the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King was assasinated, and stood in the room where he stayed. We toured the museum and learned about blacks in Vietnam, the Black Panthers, and more on the Civil Rights Movement. We also toured the building and apartment where the sniper's bullet came from that struck and killed Dr. King. The hotel has been restored extremely well, and the museum is exceptional. You will learn a lot and obtain a greater, more detailed understanding of the movement, its participants and what lead up to Dr. King's death, by eye witness and friend Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles.

In Memphis we also walked around Beale Street, often called "little Bourbon street," where many of the blues clubs are. Music lives and breathes here and the whole street is lit up in neoon lights. Our next stop was Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ (http://www.interstatebarbecue.com/), where the sandwiches are BIG and the sauce is even better. The best BBQ in Memphis. Interstate BBQ also has unconventional menu choices such as BBQ Spaghetti, BBQ nachos, and BBQ salad. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of Mr. Neely. We did. Lastly, we took a quick look at Elvis' home, Graceland. Beautiful home, but not in the best part of town. Next stop Little Rock, AR.


Kim in front of the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. King was assasinated.


Room 306 where Dr. King stayed, and the balcony where he was killed.


Beale Street (aka: Little Bourbon St.)


BB King's Blues Club


A monster BBQ sandwich


Lorenzo at Jim Neely's

Retracing The Steps Towards Civil Rights - Tuskegee, Montgomery, and Birmingham

"[W]hen you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you . . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait." - "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this portion of our trip we retraced the steps of black history and the civil rights movement. It is only because of the civil rights movement that we are able to take our current cross country adventure. We began this portion of our trip in Tuskegee, Alabama. We toured the Tuskegee University, the Booker T. Washington & George Washington Carver Museum, and the Tuskegee Airmen Airfield. From Tuskegee we traveled to Montgomery, Alabama where we toured, sat inside, and met the current pastor of Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church - the very church where Dr. King was a paster for four years and where the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Alabama Chapter of the NAACP were organized. It is on the end of the same street on which Dexter Avenue Church sits that the march from Selma to Mongomery was culminated, on the steps of the old capital of the confederatcy of Alabama. Our next stop was Birmingham, Alabama and on to the Civil Rights Institute and 16th Sreet Baptist Church. In our opinion, the Civil Rights Institute is one of the best civil rights museums in the country, followed by Memphis' museum and Lorriane Motel, which we will visit in our next post. This is a "must do" in Birmingham. Next stop, Memphis, Tennessee.


Kim in front of the Tuskegee Institute


Us with the Tuskegee Airmen Airfield in back


Inside Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church


Dr. King's home while pastoring Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.
This home was once bombed during the movement, but no one was hurt.


Birmingham Civil Rights Institute


16th Street Baptist Church
In 1963, this church was bombed by members of the KKK, and four young girls were killed.

Atlanta, Ga

Our first stop in Atlanta was three of the most well known HBCU's in the country - Morehouse, Spellman, and Clark Atlanta. We didn't realize how close the campuses were to one another. They were literally across the street from each other. Next stop and the main reason for coming to Atlanta was to visit the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium (www.georgiaaquarium.org). We were disappointed to find that the Beluga exhibit was closed for renovations, but we saw a variety of other sea creatures including otters, penguins, sharks, jelly fish, and giant Japanese crabs. And even got the chance to pet shrimp, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and manta rays. Our time in Atlanta ended with a late night visit to The Varisty - the world's largest drive in restaraunt, for a couple of their famous chillidogs (two of the world's largest in one day!).


Kimalee in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA


Checking out the fish through the 360 degree glass tunnel. Could be dangerous here. I am a sushi lover.


The Georgia Aquarium (Largest in the World). Over 8 million gallons of water.


Spelman College


Petting a Horseshoe Crab

Day 1 (Charlottesville to Atlanta)

I85 all the way from Charlottesville, via I64 & I95 with a quick stop in Gaffney, SC to see Kim's Grandma. Stops along the way at each state's Welcome Center for a quick pic of their "Welcome To" sign, along with a stop at Concord Mills to pick up a Carolina shirt for Kim. We are a die hard UNC family you know. Can't travel without a UNC Tee on hand at all times. Gotta show that Tarheel pride. Arrived in ATL around 10:30pm and wandered around Buckhead for the remainder of the night. Stayed at our favorite hotel, Hyatt Place. Up bright and early the next morning to explore Atlanta. Day 1 of travel down. Many more to go.