| ||||||||||
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details ![]() ![]() ![]() Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... ![]() |
Underrated Travel Destinations - Little Rock By Trey Stephens, published in the UofL McConnell Center blog where he is a class of 2028 Political Science major When you begin thinking about planning a trip, there are no doubt several lush, tropical, and popular destinations that begin to fill your mind. Perhaps places like the Grand Canyon, New York City, Paris, Miami, Rome, and a whole host of others scattered across the vast world. However, very seldom are many people going to consider a little capital city nestled in the south, a place called Little Rock, Arkansas as a travel destination. For most, Little Rock is a pass through to Texas at best, but in my humble opinion, most are missing out on a hidden gem in that regard. I stumbled upon Little Rock (or I guess stumbled into Little Rock), completely by accident. I was traveling with my father, as I frequently do, for one of his hobbies, and on a rather hot Friday in the middle of July, we touched down at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, and immediately I knew this was going to be a special trip. We were soon whisked west of Little Rock for a brief time, before returning to the city later that afternoon to settle into our downtown apartment for the weekend. After we were unpacked, we took a walk from our apartment near 7th street down to the riverfront. This was my first introduction to the charm and beauty of this city. The area was full of beautiful architecturally designed buildings, and quaint eateries, but somehow lacked many of the drawbacks of Modern American citiscapes such as mass panhandling, a glaringly obvious crime, and drug presence. In fact, we found none of those things, a pleasant surprise to what has become commonplace when exploring the streets of any major American city, and that was as much of a contributor to my placing of Little Rock in the premier of traveling as many of its main attractions, because the last thing anyone wants to do while traveling is fear for their safety. While exploring all that the city had to offer, we quickly stumbled upon Little Rock's picturesque and meticulously groomed waterfront park which is perched right on the banks of the Arkansas River. Stretching an impressive 12 blocks, this park has managed to preserve the riverfront as a place for nature to thrive, while still being in close walking proximity from the heart of the city. Across the river, you will find North Little Rock, which is home to Simmons Bank Arena, the city's largest indoor event venue, and a fascinating World War II submarine, which is now functioning as a museum. Back on the main thoroughfare you will find the Little Rock River Market and surrounding areas, which are home to many unique gift stores featuring local wares, and the best eats in town with places such as the Flying Fish and Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken (If it's not really world famous it deserves to be). Moving west you will see the Old Arkansas State house, now a museum, historic Little Rock Union Station, and of course the current Arkansas State Capitol, which, despite being under renovation comes with all the grandeur that one would expect from such a building. Western Little Rock also features Central High School, where in 1957 nine African American students entered and desegregated the high school, thus sparking national controversy. Central High School is preserved as both a historical sight and a functioning high school. The last of Little Rock's major attractions that must not be missed is the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, which in addition to being a marvel of modern architecture, encapsulates the life long history of president Bill Clinton, and is worth the time for anyone visiting central Arkansas. Thus far, we have touched on the attractions that would bring you to Little Rock, but what about the feels? This city makes the visitors feel at home and eagerly welcomed into its fold, perhaps if you're like me, makes you feel like staying a little longer. For starters, the ease at which you travel in, out, and around the city is incredible for a city of this population. During my time in Little Rock, I never sat in traffic once, the road system was simple, effective, and easy to navigate for visitors. Further, the airport was located right outside of Downtown and conveniently connected to the city, so that upon my sad departure from Little Rock, driving to the airport was accomplished with minimal effort of movement. Another aspect that I simply fell in love with while visiting Little Rock (and I hope you will too, if you get the chance to travel there) is the local newspaper. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette (The ADG) is the city's newspaper and publishes wonderful, informative stories covering local, state, and national news. During my time in Little Rock, I spent several hours reading stories from two issues of the ADG. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, in Little Rock you will find kind, compassionate people eager to welcome you into their city. The people I encountered all across Little Rock made me feel welcome, made me feel like I was in a second home, the people that live in the city, are what make it an amazing destination. With all the knowledge you now have, I hope to soon hear about your upcoming travels to Little Rock, and if you're looking for someone to tag along-feel free to reach out, I have been really seeking an excuse to go back! This story was posted on 2024-11-10 20:20:38
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic News:
Vote for the ACHS art department students Black Stone Cherry will lead Edmonton parade Boil Water Advisory lifted for Portland Rd/Flatwoods area Hood Lodge Deer Hunters Breakfast Grand Group to meet Nov 12 at Old Columbia KAFC approves over $770K in area BFLP loans Boil Water Advisory issued for Portland Rd/Flatwoods area Free lunch and learn for seniors at Extension Office Boil Water Advisory lifted for Oxford Place Vendors announced for Heartland Homesteading Conference View even more articles in topic News |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
||||||||
| ||||||||||
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
|